Doesn't look like a bounce but reading staying high

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Update on the original post: Hairy has been on the 1.25 dose for 4 cycles now. His first AMPS test was 446 which is still pretty high, but lower than PS readings before the dosage increase. His mid cycle test today was 175 which is way down from the 400+ midcycle reading a couple of days ago.

I have a question about the testing site. Even from the limited testing I have done, Hairy is starting to get pin point "scars" (for lack of a better term) in a couple of the places where I have poked him. In addition to him strenuously fighting being tested, he also doesn't give up blood easily and I often have to poke him multiple times to get blood for a single test Should I be concerned or treating the red marks developing around the edge of his ear or do they just look worse than they are? They aren't scabbing over or anything, just flat pin point red marks.
 
The red mark scarring is normal, at least from my experience. You can rub some neosporin with pain relief on the edge of his ear to help healing.
 
Yep - walmart has them but depending on the store they may be behind the counter. Just ask for relion ketone strips, or you can buy them from the online walmart and ADW links above.
 
The red marks are bruises. They will go away over time - and will stop appearing when you get better at the testing and the ears learn to bleed.
 
NancyJac said:
I have been approaching him in his favorite hiding spots frequently, just to say "hi" without picking him up or poking him so that at least he won't make a 100% association with hiding/me/poking.

Yes! This is highly key. And it also helps with "socializing" them at the same time. I also will pick Michelangelo up from his "isolation station" (my room, usually :lol: ) and bring him into the living room and place him in a quite spot and give him a couple of treats and leave him be. I've been doing this constantly for the past year and at first, he'd run back up to my room or under the couch. The last six months or so, he'll stick around a little longer before taking off again. The last two months, we've seemed to have turned a corner and now he'll actually stay downstairs most of the time, sometimes even in the same spot I put him. He also no longer runs and tries to hide whenever anyone but me approaches him. Last week, he even approached both my brother and my friend all on his own and let them give him a quick pat before walking away again.

One of my previous ferals, Patrick, it took me about 2 years to get to that point so I'm over the moon with the progress I've already made with Michelangelo, especially considering he has a more "nervous" disposition than Patrick started out with. Ferals require so much patience that it can be exhausting when you don't see changes for sometimes months or years, but the end result is satisfaction and pride once they feel comfortable in their own home. It's a lot like breaking a wild horse in, but can take a lot longer. :roll:
 
Hairy's AMPS was 572 this morning. That's the highest reading ever, even before he was on Lantus at all. Guess I just keep on keeping on and hope that eventually, it will level out. Just which it were going down instead of up.
 
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