Getting Enough Blood

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TeresaJ1977

TeresaJ1977

Member Since 2015
I did my first testing today and was unsuccessful. Sadie isn't a very cooperative kitty. Food & treats don't really matter. I looked for veins in her ears and poked several times with zero success. So I tried her paws. Nothing from the middle pad so I tried a toe pad. Got a bit of blood from there but it wasn't enough for the meter. Did it twice unsuccessfully. So I gave up for the day so I don't stress her out too much. I'll have to wait for a day when I have more time. I would appreciate any suggestions or tips on getting a good draw. I think even my vet has a hard time getting enough when they do it.
 
Hello, Teresa, and welcome. Sorry to learn that you're having problems getting a blood sample to test Sadie's blood glucose. First of all, are you using a lancing device/tool or are you freestyle lancing? And what type of meter are you using? Some meters use a lot less blood than others, so this helps when you have a somewhat uncooperative kitty. I use a ReliOn Micro meter, as it requires only a tiny drop of blood. Many folks lance freestyle, but I haven't had much luck with that and use the device that came with the glucometer. Here's an interesting video that might help you learn... it helped me. Also, do you warm Sadie's ear before trying to test? That helps a lot, too. I use a pill bottle filled half full with warm water, placing it on Hannah's ear and holding it there for a few seconds. After that, I rub the ear gently, making sure it has warmed up. Warm ears bleed so much better than cold ears. I then place a piece of gauze pad under the edge of Hannah's ear, place the lancing device very near the outer, top edge of her warmed ear, and push the trigger on the device. With a little practice (when you are not so hurried), you will become experienced at this. Some folks here even practice on apples or oranges. Of course, once you've used a lancet on a piece of fruit, you will want to discard it and use a fresh one on Sadie. Best of luck to you and your sweet girl.:cat:
 
I did make sure hears were warm and gave them some rubbing. But I wasn't trying near the edge so I will try that in the future. I used the lancing tool that came with the ReliOn. When I did her paws I used a lance but not the tool. When I get a day where there's more time I'll try the edge of her ear :)
 
  • Massage the ears before testing, towards the tip of the ear. If you shine a light under her ear, you can see the vein running along the outer edge. That is the area you want to test from. You also may want to try using the lancet free hand instead of with the lancing tool. I found that I had better control that way. If you poke the vein do not worry. You will probably get a lot more blood than you need. Make sure you have a tissue handy to wipe away the excess before she shakes her head. Otherwise you will probably end up with blood splatters on everything. It is amazing how far a drop of blood can splatter. :(
 
When the paws, just prior to testing, give her loves and nuzzles and while doing that gently pull/rub down on the paw you plan to test, pulling blood into the paw. And when squeezing, don't just squeeze, but kind of "pump squeeze". Then after the test, gently rub the pad for a few seconds and give more love and nuzzles. :) Hope it helps!
 
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