Help with failed glucose blood testing

Greetings, we have a 9-year old cat that had blood work done the other day and his glucose was 483. The vet gave my wife Vetsline insulin and a bag of Royal Canine dry food to take home.

The first couple of days she did give him his twice a day shots, but after she watched a youtube video she decided to just put him on wet food.

I bought a Relion Voice tester from Walmart but have not been able to get blood from his ear and have failed several times now. Earlier today I did get blood but it got messed up when I tried to put it on the test strip.

So my question is when should I try again. He is very upset and not coopering and is hiding under the couch.

 

Oh dear. A few tricks. Are you giving him a treat after each attempt? They need to associate testing with getting a trip whether it’s a fail or a success.

are you warming up the ear first? We suggest you fill an old sock with rice and nuke it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds then you press it against the ear for a few seconds till it’s warm to the touch. Here’s the are you’re aiming for

 

I can't do the sock trick because we do not have a microwave so I did use my hand. I've watched several videos, but he squinches his ears down and won't let me do it.

Should I wait till tomorrow or try again tonight?

 

You can fill a small pill bottle with warm water or use a washcloth and warm water (put inside a baggie so you don't get the ear wet). Make sure to test whatever you use against your wrist to make sure it's not too hot.

Here's something I wrote up for others for testing...maybe it'll help you too!

It can be really helpful to establish a routine with testing. Pick one spot that you want your "testing spot" to be (I like the kitchen counter because it's got good light and it's at a good height....it also already blocked 2 escape routes due to the wall and the backsplash) It can be anywhere though...a rug on the floor, a table, a particular spot on the couch...wherever is good for you.

Take him there as many times a day as you can and just give his ears a quick rub and then he gets a yummy (low carb) treat. Most cats aren't objecting so much with the poking..it's the fooling with their ears they don't like, but once they're desensitized to it and learn to associate a certain place with the treats, they usually start to come when they're called! Or even when they hear us opening the test kit!

You also have to remember...you're not poking him to hurt him...you're testing him to keep him safe and understand what's going on inside his body. There's just nothing better than truly understanding what's going on inside your kitty's body and with this disease, the more knowledge you have, the more power you have against it. The edges of the ears have very few pain receptors, so it really doesn't hurt them. Also, if you're nervous and tense, it's going to make your kitty nervous and tense too. As silly as it might seem, try singing! It forces you to use a different part of your brain!

It's also important to make sure his ear is warm. A small sock filled with a little rice and microwaved or a small pill bottle filled with warm water (check temp against your wrist like you would a baby bottle) works well

For new kitties, using a heavier gauge lancet is also really helpful. A 25-28 gauge lancet pokes a bigger "hole" than a 31-33 gauge lancet does, so look for "Alternate Site testing" lancets that are usually a lower number

Finding the right "treat" will be a great help too! Freeze dried chicken, bonito flakes, little pieces of baked chicken...whatever low carb treat you can find that he really enjoys will help him to associate the testing with the treat! China's Achilles heel was baked chicken, so I'd bake a piece, chop it into bite sized pieces, put some in the refrigerator and freeze the rest to use as needed. It didn't take long for her to come any time I picked up the meter!

There are more testing tips here:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/hometesting-links-and-tips.287/

 

Thank you so much for very good advice. I guess maybe we will try again tomorrow my wife won't let me try tonight.

 

It will take time but as you poke more and more, new capillaries will grow into the area to "heal the wound" and it'll get easier and easier to get that precious drop of blood. We call it "learning to bleed".

When you get the blood drop, just barely touch the blood drop with the strip. It should "sip up" the blood on it's own. Don't plop the drop on top of the strip or you'll just get an error message.