Does getting the cat blood off your finger affect the BG reading?

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Emily C

Emily C

Member Since 2020
Hi everyone - I’m still pretty new to home testing, but had a question. Sometimes my cat doesn’t get a good enough blood droplet, or she does but then flicks her ear and smears the blood on my hand, etc. I have had to use what was on my hand twice now and both times her BG was much higher than usual (the word “usual” I use loosely because I’ve only been testing for about 3 days). Curious if the blood had touched my hand/finger if it could cause a higher/inaccurate reading?
 
Emily C said:
Hi everyone - I’m still pretty new to home testing, but had a question. Sometimes my cat doesn’t get a good enough blood droplet, or she does but then flicks her ear and smears the blood on my hand, etc. I have had to use what was on my hand twice now and both times her BG was much higher than usual (the word “usual” I use loosely because I’ve only been testing for about 3 days). Curious if the blood had touched my hand/finger if it could cause a higher/inaccurate reading?
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I’m not sure about the finger but I’ve gotten it on my nail because of exactly what you’re describing and I was told that’s totally fine. In fact some members here do that intentionally. Get the droplet on their nail because then it’s easier to get it onto strip&meter away from kitty’s ear. I think since we’re using human meters, wouldn’t a human be pricking it’s own finger to get the blood? Doesn’t that mean it should be fine? Just to be safe, I always do wash my hands before testing.
 
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Emily C said:
It’s just when I’m trying to apply a bit of pressure to make the blood enough for a reading then she flicks her ears
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Hold that ear tight....be ready for her to "flick"....maybe hold her head with your other hand for a few seconds before picking up the meter.

It's a very common problem at first, but I promise it will get better!!

Most of us have at least 1 wall in our houses that looks like a crime scene from NCIS! ;)
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
Hold that ear tight....be ready for her to "flick"....maybe hold her head with your other hand for a few seconds before picking up the meter.

It's a very common problem at first, but I promise it will get better!!

Most of us have at least 1 wall in our houses that looks like a crime scene from NCIS! ;)
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LOL I think that’s my bed!

that’s a good tip! I do that too I hold the ear for a few seconds on a spot other than where the droplet is than gently move the meter over. I also find that if I keep the meter away from her face, like if I bring it on towards her cheek and not across her face like in front of her nose, there’s less of a “reaction” from her
 
Chris & China (GA) said:
crime scene from NCIS!
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Those Mr. Clean eraser pads get blood off of almost anything. In my first month with Nigel he was very patient but I was testing on the floor by the door where the light was good. One day I realized where all his ear flicking of blood had ended up. After that I would spread out a beach towel on the table, thump the table and he'd jump up, "I'm ready!" If you poke right through the ear you can get blood from the inside (keep the ears clean of course) and apologize later.
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
Those Mr. Clean eraser pads get blood off of almost anything. In my first month with Nigel he was very patient but I was testing on the floor by the door where the light was good. One day I realized where all his ear flicking of blood had ended up. After that I would spread out a beach towel on the table, thump the table and he'd jump up, "I'm ready!" If you poke right through the ear you can get blood from the inside (keep the ears clean of course) and apologize later.
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Wow! I can never imagine Minnie jumping up on anything on command especially not to get tested :woot:
 
This was the same cat who would follow me out door and leap into the car. A once in a lifetime thing and the ideal patient.
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Noah & me (GA) said:
This was the same cat who would follow me out door and leap into the car. A once in a lifetime thing and the ideal patient.
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And what a gorgeous patient too! Oh yeah one of those cats you can take on hikes and to the beach like you see in the dodo videos ha! I can’t complain Minnie is a pretty good patient. She lets me pill her, she doesn’t flinch at the shots and she gets annoyed with the test but has never tried to move away. Oh and I did manage to potty train her so she always goes outside and pees before bedtime. Now if Bobo was the patient I’d be going nuts lol
 

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Noah & me (GA) said:
I have a Bobo! My parents dragged us kids back to Holland when I was only three years old so I have no memories of my one trip to Europe and one stupid photo. I did however get a monkey instead of a teddy bear and called him Bobo. Sixty years later and I still have him sans one leg. He comes out every three years if I've had a bad week.
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I love that! So I had a boxer Bobo I pet sat for. Walked really. And when I found these guys as kittens, Bobo had this silly goofy look and it was back in Brazil and Bobo in Portuguese literally means silly. If I want to say don’t be silly. I’d say, não seja bobo! It worked out. He’s still a very silly funny cat and I always say to Minnie don’t be boba like your brother haha!
 
Georgie prefers to have his BG test in the bathroom. As soon as he hears the beep from the glucometer, he runs in there. Then he lies down on his back trying to wiggle out of my poking his ear again. I noticed a few weeks in there was blood in a tiny little corner on the side of the tub. So although there's always his nice fluffy blanket there for him, I'm still wiping down the outside of the tub everyday. Here's hoping I never need a forensic team to check my house
 
NancyF said:
Georgie prefers to have his BG test in the bathroom. As soon as he hears the beep from the glucometer, he runs in there. Then he lies down on his back trying to wiggle out of my poking his ear again. I noticed a few weeks in there was blood in a tiny little corner on the side of the tub. So although there's always his nice fluffy blanket there for him, I'm still wiping down the outside of the tub everyday. Here's hoping I never need a forensic team to check my house
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LMAO
 
NancyF said:
I noticed a few weeks in there was blood in a tiny little corner on the side of the tub. So although there's always his nice fluffy blanket there for him, I'm still wiping down the outside of the tub everyday. Here's hoping I never need a forensic team to check my house
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For me, it was the bathroom walls that needed a wipe down. Until I learned to hold Wink's ear more firmly, and not let him shake his head until I'd applied pressure to the ear after the BG test, to stop the bleeding.

There were a couple of times, where the walls DID look like a crime scene.:eek:
 
Deb & Wink said:
For me, it was the bathroom walls that needed a wipe down. Until I learned to hold Wink's ear more firmly, and not let him shake his head until I'd applied pressure to the ear after the BG test, to stop the bleeding.

There were a couple of times, where the walls DID look like a crime scene.:eek:
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I hear you. Georgie doesn't so much shake his head. He rolls over demanding belly rubs instead. He must rub his ear on the side of the tub then because otherwise, how does the blood get there? Lol
 
Deb & Wink said:
I love cats that love belly rubs!
My good friend Alex has a belly rub loving cat. Miss being able to see her cat Cassie, and give kitty some of those belly rubs.
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I'm told that the majority of cats don't like belly rubs. Yet every cat I've ever been owned by love them. I guess I'm just lucky
 
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