Ear Prick Trauma

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MakenzieLove

MakenzieLove

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Hello fellow kitty parents,

I have a situation that I need some advice on. My cat Makenzie was just diagnosed with diabetes on October 22nd. Some backstory: two weeks ago, we only knew she was lethargic and drinking a lot. I made an appointment to bring her into the vet but ended up bringing her in early since her condition seemed to deteriorate so rapidly. By the time the vet had a look at her she had reached diabetic ketoacidosis. She is now home, getting 2 units of Lantus twice daily and on a 50/50 mixture of Innova EVO dry food and her old food (that we are weaning her off of). She has gained back a bit of weight and has now gotten back her appetite so for the most part, things are pretty good.

However, we are having a terrible time with the blood testing. My fiancé and I use the ear prick method, as her paws are sensitive and it’s our only option. Makenzie absolutely hates having her ears pricked. I have watched videos on YouTube and am amazed that there are cats that just sit still for this.

Our kitty has now gone from being very outgoing to hiding from us under the dresser or bed once she knows it’s “time.” We have tried approaching her at rest and she bolts as soon as we attempt to get near the ears, and once she is restrained, she yowls and struggles to get away like we are killing her. The whole process leaves the cat traumatized, my fiancé upset and frustrated and me on the verge of tears. (He honorably nominated himself as the “tester” since I am so upset by the process, and he didn’t want my relationship with her to be damaged by being the one that poked her daily.)

Makenzie is the light of my life and I can’t stand seeing her go through this every morning. We do rub her ears to warm them up and give her lots of pets before doing the prick, but the problem is that most of the time it takes about 3 to 4 pricks before we can get blood, and by that time, she is so freaked out, she has turned into a screaming bucking bronco and we often lose the one drop we that took so long to get. We tried using the lancets but they are so small, we cannot get any blood at all from their pricks. Our vet recommended for us to use syringes instead.

I’m trying to avoid the “kitty burrito” method as I think this will just worsen her fears since she hates being restrained. This whole situation was also amplified since when we first brought her to the vet she was at death’s door, and we had to force appetite stimulants and Clavamox down her throat for the first week. This made her go from being a very warm and happy cat to being on guard and stand-offish from us. I know it has only been two weeks but it is hurting me to get the cold shoulder from my favorite pet, since she will not longer sleep with us or sit by me on the couch like she used to, since that is now the torture zone.

I also have two other cats and one of them (Mazzy) seems to be traumatized by watching this whole process. Mazzy urinated in the dining area yesterday and I think that might have been a message to me on how she’s feeling about all of this.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi there

Sorry you guys are having such a tough time, but kudos for trying !

Question...are you using a lancet device or just a lancet?

Consider posting where you live in case one of us lives nearby and can show you in person how to test...may make a world of difference.

Meanwhile, picture in your mind what you will do while testing and tell her about it as you do so. Sometimes this imaging helps.

Jen
 
We had just used the lancet alone since it's so hard to aim at the vein with the device, but now we are just using syringes. Also, I think the noise of the device would startle her, but perhaps they get used to that?
 
The video does make it look easy. But we promise, once you get it down, it becomes routine and it really is that easy.

Rubbing Oliver's ears was not enough to warm them. We used the rice sack and it worked much better.

What size lancet were you using? 25/26 is usually best. And you can always poke a quick second time in the same place. (I would not use a syringe - more likely to be painful and is bigger and more threatening and awkward.)

Have you look at her ears with a flashlight so you are sure you are aiming in the right place? You want the little capillaries that run off the vein which is running down the side of her ear. When you find the right spot, you can put a dab of vaseline there. It will help you know where to poke and it helps the blood bead up.

Do you have something behind her ear to poke against? We used a small makeup sponge.

At first we used the burrito with Oliver and gave him treats while we were poking. Before long, he was patient because he knew the treats were coming.

It does seem impossible at first. It did for us. But don't give up. It is such a good feeling when you get that first reading and really know what is happening inside your kitty's body.
 
The softclix lancet device was a godsend for me and I could never imagine freehanding. I would seriously try one.. And fyi you don't need to look for the vein just point and shoot. I always used the thicker edge of the ear about 1/3 of the way from the bottom.
 
Sue and Oliver: I don’t know the size of the lancet we tried but they are super small. I will have to look at the package when I get home from work. The veins are pretty easy to see since her skin and hair is so light, but I will try the flashlight trick tonight. We have been using gauze to poke against, but I like your makeup sponge idea. We will have to try that too.

Jen & Squeak: Thanks for your advice. I will check and see what device we have when I get home as well.
 
If they are 30 or so, they may be making too small of a hole. It does seem like the ear "learns" to bleed so you make be able to go back to a smaller size later.

Also, sometimes one of the ears bleeds better than the other. You might switch off.
 
Are you giving her a treat every time you test, even if you are not successful? Cats generally will learn to associate testing with getting a treat and will learn to tolerate it.
 
I had a terrible time with my cat at first, so I understand what you are going through. But I promise you, it will get better. It's hard to believe, but t does. Once you have it down you will be amazed how easy and routine it becomes. I will tell you what made the most difference to us--a clothespin trick which simulates the way the mother cat carries her kittens. Here is the link:http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_giving_set.htm#clothes_peg_trick. I was absolutely amazed at how it calmed my cat down. Other things I found helpful---I warmed the ear by filling a small medicine vial with hot water and holding it against her ear--it also gave me something to poke against. I used the lancet freehand, no device. It was much easier to see what was happening. I found using a tiny bit of vaseline helped the blood bead up and not get lost in her fur. And I always give some kind of treat. She wasn't much interested in any of the conventional treats, so I would feed her right after the test, letting the food be her treat. I also wrapped her up burrito style (but loosely, just enough so that I had something to grab on to keep her from running away. Believe me, I laughed at those videos where the cat just sat there and let themselves be poked---not MY cat! But you know, today she actually came to the testing spot on her own this morning! Something I NEVER thought would be possible.
So just try to keep telling yourself that once you get it down (it took me weeks) it will get MUCH easier. (Also, I "milK" the ear after I poke if blood doesn't come right away). Good luck, and you WILL be able to do it.
 
If possible, 15-30 minutes ahead of time, put some topical anesthetic on the areas you might stick. Just enough to numb it a tad, not so much she can wipe it off with a paw. This may make it less unpleasant for her (and you!)
 
*silly* question..
but can i give the treat on the floor while trying for the prick?
i usually give him the treat AFTER the prick is successful.... (was worried this would affect the reading if given while taking, i assume this is hypersensitive thought on my part?)
 
Weeks.... should I feel better to hear that? I keep trying for six days and my cat still hiss at me.
I gotta try some clothes pins. Did you put them on before pricking and then take them down after?
Although I am able to some spot checks, I can not do WHEN I want it, like before he eats in the morning, his beauty time(grooming), before shot, etc.

I can prick better only when Mimi is very sleepy, more likely.

First of all, I give him the treat he's crazy about, every time after I prick him (even i failed with blood), follow with kisses.
Play Mozart.
On his sofa spot where he sleeps and grooms most of time.
Warm up his ear with a rice sock until I see the vein gets bigger(always try the sock on my ear first to be sure it is not too hot)

Being a burrito making him more nervous. He gets his paw out of burrito.
Sometime he swings his paw when I put a warm rice sock on his ear.
Sometime he warns me with his paws or teeth when I keep warming him, or trying to position the lancet pen.
Sometime he shakes his head and shakes off the blood bead when i was busy with inserting strip (meter goes off after a period of "short time" so I do strip when I see blood)
He swung the meter off my hand once when I was so close to his blood bead on his ear.

I almost believe I have one of the most difficult cat. :oops:



judy and squamee said:
I had a terrible time with my cat at first, so I understand what you are going through. But I promise you, it will get better. It's hard to believe, but t does. Once you have it down you will be amazed how easy and routine it becomes. I will tell you what made the most difference to us--a clothespin trick which simulates the way the mother cat carries her kittens. Here is the link:http://www.felinecrf.org/giving_sub-qs_giving_set.htm#clothes_peg_trick. I was absolutely amazed at how it calmed my cat down. Other things I found helpful---I warmed the ear by filling a small medicine vial with hot water and holding it against her ear--it also gave me something to poke against. I used the lancet freehand, no device. It was much easier to see what was happening. I found using a tiny bit of vaseline helped the blood bead up and not get lost in her fur. And I always give some kind of treat. She wasn't much interested in any of the conventional treats, so I would feed her right after the test, letting the food be her treat. I also wrapped her up burrito style (but loosely, just enough so that I had something to grab on to keep her from running away. Believe me, I laughed at those videos where the cat just sat there and let themselves be poked---not MY cat! But you know, today she actually came to the testing spot on her own this morning! Something I NEVER thought would be possible.
So just try to keep telling yourself that once you get it down (it took me weeks) it will get MUCH easier. (Also, I "milK" the ear after I poke if blood doesn't come right away). Good luck, and you WILL be able to do it.
Click to expand...
 
Have you tried scraping the blood onto your fingernail after milking the ear? Holding the cat still long enough to get the sample from his ear onto the strip in the meter may be more than he will tolerate right now. I sometimes do this if Donovan is in an awkward position and I can't or don't want to contort myself to get the strip near his ear.

MJ&Donovan
 
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

As far as Makenzie is concerned, we had our most successful ear prick this morning. I made a rice sock and heated it up a bit first. We then approached her where she was laying, instead of bringing her to the dreaded spot on the couch. I applied the sock and we both pet her and talked to her which seemed to relax her. Then my fiancé used the syringe (30 gauge) with a makeup sponge as the backing this time, and we got a bead of blood on the first attempt! She didn’t yelp and only struggled a bit this time. PS - I checked on the size of the lancets and they are 33 gauge - tiny!

I’m hoping this wasn’t a fluke and that we might have found a better method. I also want to add treats to the process and was wondering two things.

A: Can you give the treats before doing the blood and still get an accurate reading? Mowgli and Keri – I see you share my concern. And B: what type of treats are we allowed to feed these cats?
 
The most relaxed approach is your best bet, with most cats that is, not all. WIth Squeak I would have never been able to restrain him and test him.

It sounds like you need a lancet device and thicker lancets - you'll find this helps immensely. I also keep the rice sock behind the ear as I"m poking for support.

Regarding treats, nothing is not allowed, you just need to keep in mind the potential impact of carbs on blood glucose levels. Squeak actually stopped liking treats when I tested and just liked the brushing part. If you are giving a treat prior to testing, the carb load shouldn't matter if the testing occurs immediately following as you'd have to allow for digestion.

Jen
 
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Don't get discouraged if it is not that easy every time. Sometimes you hit right on the vein and it is faster. But having done it, you will find it gets easier and easier---for both you and your cat.
 
Hi,
Sorry to hear you are having problems with the ear pricks. Just two and a half months ago I was new at it too. I use a lancet, and a soft cloth behind the ear. I stick on the fur side of the ear, right between the vein and the outer edge. It gets much easier over time, for the cat and you. I am now doing Spaceys by myself. Hang in there and remember to reward and pamper kitty afterwards.
 
It does get better with time although I am not an expert yet at all. We use treats for the entire process - coming to test, before test, during test, and after test. I have not done a one prick test often so it takes several tries. The treats I use are high protein, freeze-dried chicken that were suggested by someone on this board. They are magic! All four of my cats want them so everyone comes to the ear prick test although only one gets tested. We also use a head flashlight so both arms are available to work. My husband sits with the cat between his legs and rubs him while I give chicken to all. My husband has the light on his head and directs the light to the right spot while I prick (usually 3-4 times before I get blood) and give chicken. He has to be eating the chicken as I prick his ear so i give small pieces so he has to sniff around for them. it keeps him busy while I prick the ear. chicken is given while I get the meter ready and get the blood. then more chicken after the test is over. By using the high protien chicken, i am not giving him carbs so it can count as part of his meal allotment.
 
Underdawg,

I think I'm going to try your trick. We had such a bad last few days that our vet told us to stop the testing for the next 2 weeks. It makes me nervous though, since we are still very new at this, but he said her numbers aren't too low, or too high, so she should be fine but we need to watch her water consumption. Of course I'm following her around the house how, writing down how often I see her drink. I don't know what's normal for a cat but I feel like she is drinking at least more than my other two cats. I'm going to keep a very close eye on her and see if I notice any other behavior changes. I think I will do a test in a few days just to make sure we aren't too high/low, but at least both Mom and cat are getting a break from this.

If it weren't for the darn blood tests I think everything would be just fine as she doesn't seem to mind the insulin shots at all.

Next time I test I need to offer a better reward. I did try catnip a few days ago, but I feel like it made her more sensitive and she went ballistic when we poked her after that. So now I know that catnip is out.

And a note for other newbies out there - once you attempt and fail at getting enough blood on the strip, if you get a tiny amount of blood on the test strip, don't try and use it again immediately even if it shows that it is still good. We tried that and the tiny amount of blood that had gotten in prevented new blood from getting in properly and we wasted our blood drop and our last three seconds of our cat's patience.
 
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