glucose testing

[Figaro15]

I have tried and tried to get a blood sample from my cat. His ears look like a pincushion. I got a drop of blood once and that time it was only after I almost choked him to death trying to get it. He (used to) like having his ears rubbed for a minute. Fat chance now. Warm face cloth.. no. Light bulb.. no.
Rubbing his ear...forget it.

I have wasted five testing strips today and I can't afford to keep doing this. If I put it in the tester, it times out. If I try to put it in half way, it falls out when I try to push it in.

My cat is not like the ones on the videos. There is no way he will stay still for this.

I also have no idea if I am getting the insulin shot in him or not.

I am disabled, my 32 year old daughter is a one year breast cancer survivor and my 90 year old hateful father has dementia.

I have cried until I am just sick. I don't know what to do and I am just ready to give up.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Are you firmly backing up the ear where you prick with something like a cotton cosmetic pad?
Are you using the lancet pen? If so make sure you set it at the deepest depth.
If the pen cam with a clear cap for alternate site testing try that.
Try lances with a larger diameter like 25 gauge or so. The larger the gage number the smaller diameter/thinner the lancet.
Where are you located? Maybe someone is near you who could help demonstrate how to do it.

 

[Skunky's Mom]

I just took my cat's first one. Somewhere, I had read to use the lowest lancet setting. nothing. so I kept cranking it up to the highest one and boom - big blood drop. I did this while she was eating and used the sock with warm rice. Good luck. This is tough.

 

[BJM]

If you would care to share the city/province/country in which you live, we may have a member near you who can come help you learn how to do it.

If necessary, you can aim directly for the vein, catch the blood drop on a clean fingernail, and test from there. Just be aware that when you hit the vein, it is likely to bleed profusely and the cat will often shake it all over as it builds up on the ear. Once you get the droplet, attempt to blot firmly to reduce bleeding and bruising.

While you work on home testing, you can use the Secondary Monitoring Tools in my signature link to help you monitor his, specifically urine ketone & glucose testing, plus amount of water drunk and eliminated. He's more than his blood glucose number, so if you see improvements in behavior, grooming, appetite, and elimination, those are subtle signs he is getting regulated.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hello, and welcome to FDMB.

Dealing with feline diabetes can seem overwhelming at first. But it should soon get easier. And we will do all we can to help you.

It is good that you are willing to try test your cat's blood glucose at home. But it can take a little while for the caregiver - and the cat - to learn the routine. Very few of us managed a successful test the first few times we tried.

I have tried and tried to get a blood sample from my cat. His ears look like a pincushion. I got a drop of blood once and that time it was only after I almost choked him to death trying to get it. He (used to) like having his ears rubbed for a minute. Fat chance now. Warm face cloth.. no. Light bulb.. no.
Rubbing his ear...forget it.

If your cat previously liked having his ears rubbed then it is very possible that he will do again. He will forgive you!
At the moment though he is probably associating it with you both going through a stressful experience.

I'm wondering if it's possible to 'start over again' with hometesting, and sell it to him differently...?
Maybe start by taking a few very deep breaths yourself, so that you feel a little more relaxed, and then just rub his ears and give him a low carb treat. Talk softy to him and reassure him.
Then, when he's OK with that, rub his ears, talk softly to him, and try a test (maybe 3 attempts at getting blood and then stopping), and then give a low carb treat, whether the test is successful or not. Many of us have cats who comply with testing only because they are rewarded for their compliance.. ;-)

A teensy smear of vaseline on the outer edge of the ear can help the blood to 'bead up' and stop it disappearing into the fur.
And it's important to put pressure on the inside of the ear, opposite to where you're pricking. The lancet needs something to resist otherwise it can just push the ear away.

I have wasted five testing strips today and I can't afford to keep doing this. If I put it in the tester, it times out. If I try to put it in half way, it falls out when I try to push it in.

Which meter are you using? There may be a cheaper one you can use; or they may be someone here using the same meter as you who can give you tips on it's use.

My cat is not like the ones on the videos. There is no way he will stay still for this.

Mine isn't like the cats on the videos either. I usually crumble treats for him and test him while he is eating them. (However, I can now also test him if he's dozing in his basket.)

I also have no idea if I am getting the insulin shot in him or not.

Are you finding that the fur is wet after the shot?
I find it helpful to count to five once I've got the insulin syringe in. That gives me a little window of time to check that I have the syringe in the right place, and to check that I've completely pressed the plunger.

I am disabled, my 32 year old daughter is a one year breast cancer survivor and my 90 year old hateful father has dementia.

It must be so hard for you with all these other things going on in your life too. Please try to be patient with yourself and not expect too much too soon. We all 'do what we can do'.

I have cried until I am just sick. I don't know what to do and I am just ready to give up.

With all that you have going on I expect you are exhausted.
It's OK to take things at your own pace. Baby steps are fine. And remember to breathe...

May I ask you:
Which insulin are you using and what dose?
And what are you feeding your cat at the moment?

Big reassuring hug to you,

Eliz