Getting blood from the ears - need tips!

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Melinda and Sasha

Melinda and Sasha

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When I'm pricking my cat's ears to get a BG reading, how do I know if I'm being too rough? I'm freehanding the needle because for some reason I can't get the lancet to pierce the skin of her ears (even though it works just fine on my finger), but what I'm noticing now is that the tips of her ears are starting to look a little chewed up from all the testing, a little bit like bug bites. What also worries me is I can see the redness from the front of her ears as well, even though I have only been pricking her from the back side of the ear. Does this mean the needle has been going straight through her ear? And is that bad?

The redness/red dots are only on the top of her ear at the moment, that's where I have to go to get the blood sample since the outer ridge of her ear won't bleed yet. I keep retesting the sides hoping that they'll start to bleed one day, but when they don't and I'm desperate for a reading I always have to go back to the tops of the ears. I really want to give that area a rest and let it heal up a bit, but when nothing else is bleeding it's my only alternative :(
 
I find it harder to draw blood if it's at the tip of the ears. Usually the side of the ears, right above that double fold has worked better especially when you heat it up first. You can heat it up by filling a sock with some rice or beans and nuking it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Hold it against the ear so that blood will rise to the surface.

When you get more confident, you won't be poking through the ear. You can do this by poking at a 45 degree angle. It took me awhile to figure out how much pressure to push.

You can help the ears heal by stopping the bleeding after a poke. Just put 2 cotton balls, one on each side. Then put some Neosporin on to help with the healing. Incidentally, you can put the Neosporin 15-20 minutes beforehand to help numb the ear.

If you haven't done so, maybe alternate the ears. Sometimes one ear will bleed easier than the other. Also it'll take awhile before the ear "learns" to bleed. When it heals, I think it creates more capillaries so it'll be easier as you keep trying. It will get easier. I promise.

Don't forget lots of treats and lots of hugs!
 
Melinda,
It does get easier.
Like the previous response said, try for lower on the edge of the ear rather than the tip. I try to find the spots on Bob's ears where the space between the vein and the edge of the ear are the greatest. (I also free-hand the lancet. That's the way I was shown to do it at the vet's office, and I've never even tried using the device that came with my meter.) The easy way to see that space is to shine a flashlight up against the inside surface of the ear, which makes the vein a lot more visible. Poking all the way through the ear is common when you start out. When you see how thin their ears actually are, it's hard to imagine not going all the way through. But you will get to a point where you don't, and you'll get to a point where you're getting sufficient blood on the first try too.
Alternating ears is a great idea. Luckily, Bob's ears bleed equally good, so I can poke one in the am, and the other at night, which helps the healing and lessens the bruising. I use a cotton ball inside the ear, poke from the outside, and then fold the cotton ball over the edge and pinch for ten seconds or so to stop the bleeding. Works great, except the couple times I hit the vein directly, which bled a little longer. Bob hardly flinches now when I test him. He hates the feel of the cotton in his ear, I think, and tries to shake his head to get away from it. But when I poke with the lancet, he doesn't cry anymore!

One question - how big or small a lancet are you using? I use 30 gauge, lots of folks use 28. You want something large enough to get a drop, but not too large. I started out using 33 gauge, but found that to be way too small. 28 or 30 should be good.
 
I also have trouble with the lancet device. I find that with the lancet pen, I have trouble lining up where the lancet will poke since the adjustable cap is solid black and I can't see through it.

I have figured out that there is a "sweet spot" that seems to more readily give up blood without needing to milk it a whole lot, and without developing a huge drip that I really don't need. And I've also figured out that firm but gentle pressure is best. I hold gauze on the inside of Q's ear to protect my finger just in case the lancet goes all the way through, then after I get my sample, I fold it over to put pressure on each side of her ear to stop the bleeding. It's either because I'm in the right spot, or from the pressure I use to stop the bleeding, but I'm finding the "bug bites" don't seem to be appearing as much as they did when I first started all this home testing.

I'm still a newbie, but I can tell it's getting easier on both Q and me the more we do it. I think it will get better for you, too. Good luck finding your sweet spot.
 
It will get easier, like the others have said. The ears will learn to bleed and they won't get red or bruisy nearly as often. A lot of lancets come with a clear cap, too if you want to try that instead of free-handing. It'll be easier to see that the lancet is lined up and actually poking the ear with the clear cap. Or just make sure to warm it up well, poke against something firm (i use the rice sock), then apply gentle pressure for 10 seconds to stop the bleeding and help prevent bruising. You're doing great!
 
Good tips here! I am heating her ear prior to every session, it makes a big difference in whether a poke will be successful or not. I haven't tried that super far down on the ear yet (near where the edge gets all wonky), mostly because she lays her ears back while I'm looking for where to poke and that makes that spot difficult to reach. But I've tried all along the outer rim of the ear and haven't yet gotten any blood from that area. I'll keep trying.

One ear bleeds easier than the other one, which is another reason I keep going back to the same ear and the same spot. Her vein is very easy to see so I know I'm hitting the right spots. I never thought about Neosporin before! I'm allergic to the stuff myself so I never give it a second thought, but I'll pick some up for her later today.

Thanks everyone!
 
I poke the thicker/inner edge of the ear, about 2/3 of the way down. I love my lancet device and have never needed a clear cap, I just put the device near the edge and poke.
 
The lancet can go through the ear. You can put something behind it to support the ear and keep your finger safe. Some people use the rice sack, some use a cotton ball. We liked a small makeup sponge. Another idea is to heat the ear with a small medicine bottle filled with hot water and then curl the ear around the bottle to poke against.

If her ear is getting scabby, you can put a little bit of neosporin with pain relief on her ears.
 
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