ear pricking trouble

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IloveLarry

IloveLarry

Member Since 2014
still having trouble with larry flattening his ears completely down and back where i cant test. was unable to get any blood this morning. would really like to get this midpoint test, however.
2nd question is, any other ideas what to hold behind the ear? he freaks out over a pill top or a flashlight of course. pill top works best for me, but not with him squirming and trying to get away. then i tried a small sponge. he still is extra irritated having something behind his ear. any other ideas? thanks
 
update: ok, so i finally got blood from the ear while i let him eat a little. if he knows treats r just nearby, he will not be still! desperate/determined to get to them. i sure hope i didnt hurt him. he moved, so when i pricked him. it made a big blood drop. his ears bleed so much, so freely, hope thats ok, since most ppl seem to have so much trouble. concerned maybe i am being too rough, though i dont mean to?
he didnt cry but he shook his ear pretty hard after the stick and as i said the drop of blood was big.
poor cat.
how do u know if u poke too hard?
 
I just use my finger to back the ear. I did start out with my finger wrapped in paper towel/tissue in case I poked through his ear, but once I got the depth setting right on my lancing device, I now rarely poke through his ear and do it dangerously bare-fingered. :lol:

Blood drop size varies literally from one poke to the next. When it comes to big blood drops, that usually happens when the ears are nicely warmed up and the blood is flowing or you strike the Marginal Ear Vein instead of one of the capillaries. I wouldn't worry too much about that, unless you are hitting the Marginal Ear Vein. If so, just try not to do it too often. ;-) Cats have very few nerve endings in their ears (one of the reasons they clip the ear tips on feral cats after they get fixed). You know what it feels like to prick your finger. At most, cats feel even less than that amount of pain, if anything. Most of the time, they're just annoyed at being restrained and/or having their ears messed with. :lol:
 
thank u. what a sweet baby u have. :) yea, the way i am, i have stabbed myself already. first time, and it does hurt. i sure hope it doesnt hurt them like it does me. to me, freestyle on my fingers is quite painful :(
i notice that he has a big red spot but i dont know if it was there b4 i pricked the first time. i dont think i hit the main vein bc sum1 said it would gush and spray. it wasnt that severe. i pray he was annoyed only!
for some reason, his left ear stays kinda warm? the left is chilly. thats not why i have used the left so far, it just happened that way, but maybe he laid on it or something.
i guess i will be like u and try using a kleenex or something bc the idea of a sponge or anything freaks him out and he wont let me near his ear!
i want to put his photo on but all my photos r too large :(
i have had a near migraine yesterday and today, or i wuold work on posting his photo. hes my beautiful, big boy.
 
I just play with his ears a little so he calms down, then I put a cotton ball behind it and I poke all the way through twice. I always get blood that way... :razz:
 
The bruising and petechia in the first couple of weeks is normal as the ears "learn to bleed." Make sure you apply pressure after every poke to reduce bruising and stem the bleeding. In a couple of weeks, their ears will clear up and be less sensitive and you won't even be able to tell that you test Larry. Here are some more ear-testing tips in case you haven't seen them yet.
 
petechia? i will have to look that up.
how sad :( so i guess i let it bruise. as soon as i get the blood, i get it to the meter, treat him, and he usually flees b4 i can apply pressure, or i forget. poor cat, having to be "learned on" by me.

lancet question: for those of u who use the lancet....i would LOVE to use it. have used them on humans for yrs. here and there. very comfy with it. problem is....evn with the clear cover, HOW do u position that hole to where the needle can prick in that TINY little millimeter or so of any area u r working with? my aim is no good. i cant figure that out or we would both be happier. thanks.
 
Petechia are the little red dots that show up that aren't brown/blue like bruises.

Not sure which device you're using, but I know a lot of people have an easier time just removing the clear cap entirely. Personally, I prefer a lancing device because I've never been able to poke to a consistent depth and the lancing device takes the accuracy, steady hand, and skill that I am sadly lacking out of the equation for me. :lol: Out of all the lancing devices I've used (about 10 or so), my absolute favorite is the Accu-Chek FastClix. The hole where the lancet comes out of is slightly off-center, meaning I can poke by feel instead of by sight (although it does take some getting used to at first). It works like a click-pen and the sound isn't very loud and it's super easy to swap out the lancets because it's already pre-loaded with 6 of them to start with.
 
Are you using neosporin? I got some with pain relief and put a dab on before testing. I honestly don't think it hurts them because they have few, if any, nerve endings on the ears. Might help him heal faster though. AND it helps the blood drop bead up for you. :smile:
 
well, if i take the cap/guard off, wont that defeat the purpose? hmm. trying to think how that would work. the guard is how u adjust the depth of the puncture. its the relion brand from walmart.

and on the neosporin, i am out. i go to the store tmrw, so will get some. have been using vaseline, makes the ears look wet so i can see them, and beads the blood.
 
i dont know if any1 will see this but wasnt sure what to title a new post. feeling discouraged again, as i just pricked larrys ear 3 times and still didnt get blood. first time i couldnt grab the meter fast enough, bc he had moved over, and by then i didnt see the blood spot? it was as if it dried or clotted b4 i could get it sucked up.
then i did 2 more pricks but all the blood ended up on the cotton ball behind his ear. :(
hoping the pm preshot goes better.
i dont know what i did wrong.
 
Sounds like you might be poking through the ear instead of just the top layer. Are you using the lancing device to trigger the prick? If so, try decreasing the setting so you're not poking all the way through. As you've learned, an ear piercing will get you blood, but on the wrong side. ;-) Make sure the pen hole is flat against the ear before you trigger it to poke. If you're doing it free-hand (just using the device as an extended lancet), then try positioning it at a more shallow angle instead of straight on.
 
thats what i am afraid i may have done :( hope i didnt hurt him
with the device, i tried. i cant find that tiny spot with the guard on, as i said, so i took the guard off. with it off, i cant tell how deep it goes, so i think it went too deep, or through.
 
You're more persistent that I was trying to get that thing to work. :lol: I started out with the Accu-Chek fastClix and every other lancing device paled in comparison. I even remember throwing the Accu-Check SoftClix device across the room once because I was so frustrated with it. The One Touch Delica was about as bad as the SoftClix. With the ReliOn devices, I tried with the regular cap on, the clear cap on, and no cap on and was still unable to consistently get a good blood sample. Those devices also ended up across the room. ohmygod_smile I'm sadly lacking in patience when it comes to poking. :roll: Which one are you using?

Here's a good photo of the angle you want to come at with the lancing device if you're doing it "free-hand" (not using the trigger):
pubimage
 
i have tried all 3 ways. with the device cap on, off, and freehand. its a relion.
is that ur lancet in the aqua color? hard to make out in the pic. thank u!
i see now he has 2 big red spots on his ears. i must have been too aggressive at first and thats why the 1st times were so easy. now i think maybe his ears r sore. he keeps folding them, and after about 30 mins. this time, im letting him rest. we r both tired.
was it beginners luck? or that i went too hard? somehow i got 3 readings and now it seems to be getting harder. he just hates it.
is there anywhere besides ears and footpads to try?
 
No other places to test that I know of. Don't feel so discouraged; you just started testing and it's very difficult when starting out. It took me an entire week before I got my first successful test in. It gets easier with time and in about a month, you're going to forget how hard it was in the beginning (kinda like what they say about childbirth ohmygod_smile ).

Not my lancet or my pic. ;-) I stole it from the Ear-testing tips document. :lol:
 
u r very funny. :-D thanks a bunch. i am just concerned not knowing his numbers bc he has been on N for 2 wks now, and i have been blindly giving it. it scares me, u know?
thats all.
 
All this time I've been poking all the way through and thought I was doing it right :o . I always get blood though and his ears don't look like he wears earrings so I'm sticking to it, literally. :roll: I'm currently just checking him weekly though...
 
well now both ears have big red spots where i pierced him. they cover about half the sweetspot. can u repierce the area when it looks like that? or have to wait until it heals?
i got the neosporin pain relief. i did forget the shiny kind, just got the cream. oh, well. hopefully its nontoxic, internally, bc 1 of his kitty sisters groomed his head, and i think licked some of it off his ears.
also got some canned chicken, since the store did not have freeze dried. what a crowd pleaser! if u want 1 dog, and 6 cats to do ANYthing, this will do it. i think they think its tuna. none of them r crazy about just boiled chicken, or raw. they like it ok, but not like this.
the problem with a treat of food, and BG testing on larry, is he wll not be still for the prick if theres a treat nearby. he goes wild trying to get to it. i just have to pet and brush him for ear sticks. even then he moves a lot. shakes his ears. doesnt like them touched.
as for me, i must try a nap. i am thoroughly exhausted.
thanks to u all! hugs. ~O)
 
I responded on your other post and now see this one -

what size are your lancets - I pointed out in the other post that the lower the gauge number the thicker the lancet - if you are using a 30-32 gauge lancet, you may want to go down a size and get a 28 or 29 size lancet as it may be easier to draw blood.

Additionally, you can poke several times in the same area (or close in area) and let the blood pool and use that as your sample.

Personally, I free handed my pokes (that's my pic of Maui's ear above ) :-D and I found if I kept something behind her ear - such as the warming sock -- by the way are you using one...not only did it keep the ear warm, it also served as a barrier if I pierced instead of poked and didn't stab my finger.

After piercing Maui several times, I offered to give her a very pretty earring, she of course declined, so I got one in her honor instead! :lol:
 
I am still having the same problem. I can get a drop, but I cannot get it to the test strip before it dries up or is all over my hands. Just thought I would put in my two cent so that you would know that you are not alone. Heaven help us both! :lol:
 
Lou Ann, you can try transferring the blood drop to the back of your fingernail and testing from there instead.
 
kpassa, thats a good idea. its 1 reason i didnt use anything behind the ear today. twice yest. i lost all the blood on the cotton ball, then the kleenex. :(
if it had been on me, that could have worked!
then once, i finally got a tiny bit, meter sucked it up, and said error 6 :(
i hope there is nothing we can catch from mixing feline/human blood. my hands r all cut and have been pierced a few times now, and sometimes larrys blood gets on me.
 
YOu seem to have two very similar posts going and I see that you private messaged - rather than talk in private messaging, it is actually better to post and talk in your posts


to answer your questions in the private messages:

the first few times it bled easily. now i have stuck him 5 times or more and nothing. thats a lot of pricks. do the ears not get sore? he jumps, and shakes his head. i have no idea if i am hurting him.
u can prick from inside? wow. i think that would take even more coordination? then do u get the drop of blood from inside? i guess?
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If you poked 5 or more times, maybe there is something wrong with your technique.

do you warm the ear prior to poking? do you "milk" the ear - which is like popping a zit to get it to bleed?

You may not be hurting him, but you could be annoying him with the amount of poking you are doing.

Yes you can poke from the inside of the ear - if you refer to the photo in KPassa's post, you will see that the poke I am doing is from the front of ear.


yes i have used vaseline bc it helps me see the vein and area i need to aim for :) i just thot i would try the neosporin in case its hurting or needs to heal. sum1 suggested it.
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I only suggested the vaseline because you said that your other cats are licking his ear and it would be safer if they ingested vaseline instead of neosporin. You can use the neosporin, what I suggest is that you rub the neosporin in and then wipe off any excess so that other cats don't ingest if they lick his ear.

i am just exhausted. i have to sit in the floor with him, and restart the meter over like 5 times per try. hoping the batteries last. i cant put him up on anything (which would be so much easier for me) bc he just tries to jump down, and his back legs dont work well (neuropathy), so i would have to brace him, hold him back, so he wouldnt fall. thats way too many things to do at once. i never imagined it would be so hard. the first few times were so simple. how would i know if i have hurt him? or am hurting him? i would think as many times as i have poked him today he would be really sore, and i havent even gotten 1 reading.
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where are you located? maybe there is a member nearby who can come over and watch your technique and offer suggestions.

have a full supply of new lancets :) but when i get more, curious, what is the purpose of the thinner ones? thanks!
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Not knowing your problems, I only mentioned thinner lancets as an alternative if the ear bleeds easily and your technique is good. since you are struggling, please disregard what I said about thinner lancets - you want to use larger ones like 28 or 29 gauge.

hahaha yes my lancets r 28. im just so confused and tired. it wouldnt be a big deal but im not sure how well hes doing on N, diet change, etc. im so tired i cant evn think how to explain.
oh i am freehanding. also i dont see a maui ear pic???
do u test multiple times a day?
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Using N insulin is NOT one of the insulins we recommend. The best insulins to use for cats are human - Lantus or Levimer, pet - Prozinc

If you are freehanding - then maybe it's your technique....here is the photo of my demonstrating how to hold and angle of lancet to the ear - which is a 45 degreeish upward angle. see:

 
Try practicing on an apple or your forearm. You'll get some confidence in using it.
 
ok i know i hit the main vein this time :( blood went everywhere. his reading is 451 and i was told he should eat an hour b4 his shot. it is now 1 hr until time for the shot. with bg so high, does he still need to eat b4 the shot?
 
Be alert around +3 to +4 around the nadir.

He's high at pre-shot because the Humalin N has worn off. If you can snag a test around +8, you can determine if it is wearing off then. If so, 1/3 of the total daily dose 3 times a day might work better.
 
bjm, if u can click on the SS (spreadsheet) u can see the times i have been able to check so far. hope to chk more tmrw. now one whole side of his ear is bloody, though. i did bad this last time. hope its better by morning. :(
at any rate, last night i checked him at 3 and 1/2 hrs. and he was 176. best # he has had. so what does that tell us? also, there was a time i got bg at 7 hrs. and it was 239. if u see his spreadsheet, let me know what u think?
 
At least you're getting plenty of blood, better than no blood! :mrgreen: It takes practice, you get the hang of it.
 
Hi, and although I'm late, Welcome!!

Just a few thoughts that might help you with the testing.

First, the CREAM Neosporin will help with the pain relief, but the ointment will also help pool the blood like Vaseline does. Try to get a tube of the ointment when you can instead of using the cream.

For the next several days (or weeks..however long it takes), decide where you want to test Larry and keep it consistent. It doesn't matter if you have him on your lap, on a countertop, on the bed or a special place on the floor, just make it the "testing spot". As many times a day as you can do it, take Larry there and just rub his ears, even for a second or two, give him a treat and let him go. As he get's used to his special spot...and those yummy treats, he'll most likely give you a lot less trouble when you do need to poke.

Pretty much everyone here comes in saying something like "My cat will NEVER let me do that!"...or "My cat will hate me forever!!"...and a week or two later, their cats are reminding THEM it's time to test!

You can do this!!
 
i am just exhausted. i have to sit in the floor with him, and restart the meter over like 5 times per try. hoping the batteries last. i cant put him up on anything (which would be so much easier for me) bc he just tries to jump down, and his back legs dont work well (neuropathy), so i would have to brace him, hold him back, so he wouldnt fall. thats way too many things to do at once.
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I tried several places to test Tommy and I found that the easiest for me was on my bed. Before I get him I get everything ready. I take out the meter, lancet devise, a strip, Neosporin, and a cotton pad and arrange on the bed. Then I call him. I gently pick him up and cuddle him, sing to him ( see my "hokey pokey" post) and then pause, taking a cleansing breath. I sit on the right side of the bed and gently surround him with my left arm. I lean in gently and then I can use both hands to help with the testing. This gives you a way to support him and hopefully keeps him on the bed. I had trouble at first but time does help. Before you start take several cleansing breaths. If you are stressed, then kitty will be too. If you talk or sing and this helps you to relax, then kitty will too.
There are so many awesome people here to help. They have been a life saver to us.
 
thank u all. yes i am either getting no blood, or a lot of blood. from all i see and read larry must be very different than most of ur cats. hes unable to get anywhere higher than his bed. he loves his box. so if i put him UP on anything, my bed, couch, anything, all he does is try to jump down. i cant hold him back and do all the testing at once, so we need to use the floor. he mostly lays there but he moves his head and ears constantly so when i do hit my mark its not where i aimed. he wont let me hold him. i know its hard on him with neuropathy, it limits him, so i guess he wants his little bit of freedom.
i havent found any 1 good spot yet, bc i just go to him wherever he is. i can try that. sitting in the floor is hard anyway. ill see if i can find a special area. even when he "runs away" its about 3 feet to lie down again. he cant run, or even walk fast. thanks all.
 
Have you tried boxing him in using pillows? Maybe if he has no clear way out he'd be less likely to try and get away.
 
When you decide where you want to do the poking, take him there as many times as you can think of it and DON'T poke. Just give his ears a rub, give him a yummy piece of chicken (or whatever his favorite treat is) and let him go.

The more he associates that place with the yummy treat, the less he's going to care what you're doing with his ears! Then hopefully, when you do have to poke, he won't even notice because he's been desensitized to having his ears fooled with..plus knows there's a good treat coming!

It will take some time, and I realize you will need to poke him now too, but the more he gets used to the routine, the less he's going to fight it.
 
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