Help with home testing, Relion Micro

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katiesmom

katiesmom

Member Since 2013
If you have read my couple previous posts, my Katie is out of remission after 3 years OTJ.

I was never able to test her 3 years ago, just urine testing, which I have done daily all these years. She suddenly showed glucose in her urine 2 weeks ago.
We have waited to see if getting her dental done would push her numbers back down (her dental was done Tuesday, 5 days ago), but it hasn't.
I have a feeling they have really gotten higher since her vet visit on Tuesday, by the way she is acting (very hungry). I am still urine testing , and checking for ketones.

I am going to have start up the insulin again soon, and this time I am determined to home test. I have a Relion Micro, I experimented with it a bit tonight on myself, but before trying it on her, I have a couple questions.

1- What level should I set the lancet device to, they are numbered 1-7, I was thinking 2 or 3? I have to use a device to start I think, I dont know if I can prick her freehand, I just know I wont do it with enough pressure freehand.
2- what size lancet, I know not too thin, I have some 26 gauge ones here, do you think they are too big and might hurt too much?

I ask because Katie is so fractious, I know if I hurt her the first time, I will never get a second try. Even if I cant get blood the first time, like I know happens many times, this cannot be too traumatic for her. Clipping nails is traumatic for her, she thinks it's the end of the world. Of course I reward with treats, but that doesnt seem to make her any calmer.

Honestly guys, I feel like I have forgotten all I learned 4 years ago when she was first diagnosed, and a total newbie. I am even nervous as heck to start the insulin shots again, and I did it for 1.5 years! I was never really comfortable with it though. But I feel like like I forgot how to do it, like I am starting all over again. I am a nervous wreck.
 
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katiesmom said:
1- What level should I set the lancet device to, they are numbered 1-7, I was thinking 2 or 3? I have to use a device to start I think, I dont know if I can prick her freehand, I just know I wont do it with enough pressure freehand.
2- what size lancet, I know not too thin, I have some 26 gauge ones here, do you think they are too big and might hurt too much?
Click to expand...
#1 I always start with the highest settings/deepest depth and then reduce as necessary. The ears typically lean to bleed and you can reduce depth .
#2 26 guage is good to start with. As the ears lean to blee yo can use thinner.higher gauge number lancets
 
I don't use the Lancet device because my cat didn't like the click sound and I find it too hard to get right on the edge of the ear. I find one of her ears is easier to get a sample from than the other. Also whenever I pet her I mess with her ears so she is used to me touching them. It's OK if you all the way through the ear. It doesn't seem to hurt her any more than not.

I use 28 gauge. I'm sure 26 is ok.

If you use the device I would set it to like 5 or 6 but put a cotton pad behind the poke so you don't get your finger in case it goes through.
 
I am using regular relion confirm. Not micro. But I have yet to start Tobey on his insulin because I can't get a reading I trust from my meter. I want to get a new one. Hopefully I can get a cheap one at walmart. Unless I figure out how to use the relion I have....it isn't getting enough blood I guess.
 
The Confirm and the Micro both take the same sample size.....What error code are you getting?

They're basically the same meter....one is just a little bigger than the other. They're both made by the same manufacturer

The Confirm is a great meter that takes a very tiny sample size...I mean really tiny....are you letting the strip "suck up" the blood? It only requires the 0.3 sample size
blood drop size.PNG
 
About the lancet setting- maybe it depends on the brand of lancet device. On mine 1 is the shallowest setting, which is what i use successfully. Once i had adjusted the dial by mistake up to 4 and got waaaaaay more blood than needed.

I like 28 gauge lancets. I had tried smaller ones but didnt get blood well that way.
 
Stephanie Montgomery said:
The amount of blood is 0.8 according to this chart here. It goes up to the T area but not the horizontal part. Just up to vertical part.
Click to expand...

If you are getting the E7 error, that has happened to me. And you said the blood isnt making it up to the horizontal part.

It just isnt enough blood. Get a new test strip (the error code strip wont work after you've gotten an error code). You need just a little more blood than the time you got the E7 error so that the strip wicks it up to the horizontal part.

I've got the relion micro, which only needs .3
The relion confirm also needs only .3

That being said, i have had times where my lancing didnt produce a drop big enough, or the blood got lost in the fur and i tried getting a reading anyways but it just wasnt enough. Thats when i get that error code.
 
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