Home testing a difficult cat on the paw pads...

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Lys7

Lys7

Member Since 2016
Looking for tips on home-testing a difficult cat on the paw pad. Do you have any tricks you can share? We finally managed to get a speck of blood yesterday but he jumps up as soon as it pricks him. How do we get him to stay down so we can touch around the paw to get more blood? Tried holding him down and that was a disaster. We are using the One Touch Ultra Mini on the 6th depth setting. He does not liked to be picked up and his feet are dry with many creases. I put polysporin on them yesterday. The only time we are able to try and test is when he is sleeping with his paw pads exposed. I have tried petting, talking, singing, giving treats after.. He does not mind the rice sock against his paw but as soon as we try and switch to the lancer he growls and gets up. He is a very temperamental guy when he wants to be. Both times we got blood we did not warm the paw first.. just a quick prick. Does it just take time or are there other secrets you can share? I feel like we don't really have time since he has already had his 3rd insulin shot and I would really like to know where his levels are at. Thanks!!!
 
I don't use paws for my pokes so hopefully someone who does will have more suggestions to offer.

What I am wondering though is whether your kitty is being spooked by the clicking sound of the lancing device. If that is the case, you could try free hand poking just using the lancet without the device. The other thing you can do if you get blood is to catch it on a clean fingernail and test from there. That way you don't have to restrain kitty any longer than absolutely necessary.
 
Little Beau left me before I got professonal at this, but I got him MY first time. No success after that. He did not like being held (just loved to cuddle), but I would talk to him and love on him and then sit him in my lap on the sofa. Testing up on kitchen counter just worried me he would fall. I rubbed his belly once I got him on his back inside my legs, and had all his stuff ready on the table beside me. I clicked and he did jump a little that one time, but managed to get enough. Easy peasy. The second time, I got nothing and I tried 3 paw pads before giving up. I think that noise was the part that spooked him. Hope you get your clue. And hope your fur baby gets better and OTJ.
 
Lys7 said:
Looking for tips on home-testing a difficult cat on the paw pad. Do you have any tricks you can share? We finally managed to get a speck of blood yesterday but he jumps up as soon as it pricks him. How do we get him to stay down so we can touch around the paw to get more blood? Tried holding him down and that was a disaster. We are using the One Touch Ultra Mini on the 6th depth setting. He does not liked to be picked up and his feet are dry with many creases. I put polysporin on them yesterday. The only time we are able to try and test is when he is sleeping with his paw pads exposed. I have tried petting, talking, singing, giving treats after.. He does not mind the rice sock against his paw but as soon as we try and switch to the lancer he growls and gets up. He is a very temperamental guy when he wants to be. Both times we got blood we did not warm the paw first.. just a quick prick. Does it just take time or are there other secrets you can share? I feel like we don't really have time since he has already had his 3rd insulin shot and I would really like to know where his levels are at. Thanks!!!
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Have you tried wrapping him up in a towel with only the paw left out? Then laying him on his back? This works for me. You might try using the side of the pad also, close to the fur. It's not as tough there as it doesn't touch the floor or ground when he walks so it would pierce easier.
 
Vaseline really helps! What you could try is several times a day take him to his testing spot apply the rice sock, then vaseline to the pads without doing a poke, little treat then let him go. When you are ready to test try a freehand poke, hard and fast to get a drop of blood and catch it on your fingernail if he struggles. Over time the pads do soften up, Cappuccino now has beautiful soft pads but even then I don't always get blood the first time - one side is easier than the other, softening the pads really does help. When you poke aim for the fleshy part of the pad away from creases but do press firmly afterwards otherwise you get a little bruise which makes it more difficult the next time.
 
pat121 said:
Little Beau left me before I got professonal at this, but I got him MY first time. No success after that. He did not like being held (just loved to cuddle), but I would talk to him and love on him and then sit him in my lap on the sofa. Testing up on kitchen counter just worried me he would fall. I rubbed his belly once I got him on his back inside my legs, and had all his stuff ready on the table beside me. I clicked and he did jump a little that one time, but managed to get enough. Easy peasy. The second time, I got nothing and I tried 3 paw pads before giving up. I think that noise was the part that spooked him. Hope you get your clue. And hope your fur baby gets better and OTJ.
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Sorry to hear about your Beau. :(
We were unsuccessful again last night. We poked a few times and got nothing.
Thank you!
 
Alexi said:
Vaseline really helps! What you could try is several times a day take him to his testing spot apply the rice sock, then vaseline to the pads without doing a poke, little treat then let him go. When you are ready to test try a freehand poke, hard and fast to get a drop of blood and catch it on your fingernail if he struggles. Over time the pads do soften up, Cappuccino now has beautiful soft pads but even then I don't always get blood the first time - one side is easier than the other, softening the pads really does help. When you poke aim for the fleshy part of the pad away from creases but do press firmly afterwards otherwise you get a little bruise which makes it more difficult the next time.
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I like that idea. We were holding him in the kitchen last night but maybe I will start conditioning him to the spare room. I just really want to know where his levels are at now since it is the beginning. We haven't been able to touch his paws after. Thanks for letting me know about the bruising.

I'm a little frustrated right now because I just went to the vets to pick him up some more canned food and the vet saw me and started to chat. He asked me how Hotch was doing and I told him, I didn't really know because I can't check his blood. Yesterday he napped almost all day except for feeding and when I took him out back. The vet then said that because Hotch gets stressed easily it will be best for us JUST to monitor his behaviour (no testing at the vet). I said that he had been urinating way less and the vet said, "Oh. Maybe we will need to keep him at 1 unit then".

I have a few issues with this. One is that I want him off what little bit of kibble he has at dinner and we obviously need to know what 1 unit is doing to his body before I take it out completely. Two, even if he has a high level at the vet would it not be good to know that? If they got a low level at the vet (knowing he was stressed), then we would know that 1 unit is too much, no? I'm thinking that curve that seems so great is off the table at the vets because of this. At this point I would be fine with ANY testing. Also, how are we ever going to get him regulated safely??? Some days Hotch will be home alone throughout the day and we won't be able to "watch him" during the peak.

When did you start noticing a change in your cat? I have noticed he is drinking and urinating way less. I think he only went twice yesterday. Is that normal? Before he was going almost every 4-5 hours. I have been adding water to his canned food.

Sorry for the rant. Feeling frustrated and just want Hotch to be a safe and happy kitty.
 
Oh Alyssa! Please do not despair! Take a deep breathe and keep breathing! We all know how overwhelmed you are feeling....we've all been down that path too. We also know how much you want to help Hotch but this is going to take a bit of patience. While testing on paws is fine, the truth is many cats don't like their paws played with. I think it's safe to say most people use the ears but you don't have that option given Hotch's past medical issues. :(

The other thing you need to remember is that if you get anxious about getting blood when trying to test, Hotch will get anxious too! Our kitties are like little sponges when it comes to picking up on our emotions so you have to approach the process with a "can do" attitude. If you show confidence, then Hotch will remain calmer and have confidence in you.:)

Work on getting him used to a special location for testing, positioning in your lap, on a flat surface.....whatever works for you and Hotch, touching and holding, manipulating his paws as you would in testing and give him a treat and lots of loves after each "dry run". Add one step at a time and Hotch will get used to the process. I have my cat trained to jump up on her table when I tap my hand on it. She sometimes comes to get me at testing time before I call her. 99% of cats can be trained to allow testing and you just have to believe you can do this to convince Hotch this is not a big issue.

In the meantime, if it would make you feel better to have a curve done at the vet's, then do it. The numbers will likely be elevated but Hotch's dose can be adjusted to allow for that elevation. There are folks who have treated their cats for years without testing at home but home testing does provide an extra measure of safety. So keep working on Hotch step by step and keep breathing!

I know you want to change Hotch's diet ASAP but taking this one step at a time will be easier on both you and Hotch. Work on the testing first, then worry about his diet.

I guarantee you the day will come very soon when you will look back and wonder why you were so anxious about this. Just in case you need them, I'm sending you a pair of my patience pants to use until you find our own! :bighug:
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MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Oh Alyssa! Please do not despair! Take a deep breathe and keep breathing! We all know how overwhelmed you are feeling....we've all been down that path too. We also know how much you want to help Hotch but this is going to take a bit of patience. While testing on paws is fine, the truth is many cats don't like their paws played with. I think it's safe to say most people use the ears but you don't have that option given Hotch's past medical issues. :(

The other thing you need to remember is that if you get anxious about getting blood when trying to test, Hotch will get anxious too! Our kitties are like little sponges when it comes to picking up on our emotions so you have to approach the process with a "can do" attitude. If you show confidence, then Hotch will remain calmer and have confidence in you.:)

Work on getting him used to a special location for testing, positioning in your lap, on a flat surface.....whatever works for you and Hotch, touching and holding, manipulating his paws as you would in testing and give him a treat and lots of loves after each "dry run". Add one step at a time and Hotch will get used to the process. I have my cat trained to jump up on her table when I tap my hand on it. She sometimes comes to get me at testing time before I call her. 99% of cats can be trained to allow testing and you just have to believe you can do this to convince Hotch this is not a big issue.

In the meantime, if it would make you feel better to have a curve done at the vet's, then do it. The numbers will likely be elevated but Hotch's dose can be adjusted to allow for that elevation. There are folks who have treated their cats for years without testing at home but home testing does provide an extra measure of safety. So keep working on Hotch step by step and keep breathing!

I know you want to change Hotch's diet ASAP but taking this one step at a time will be easier on both you and Hotch. Work on the testing first, then worry about his diet.

I guarantee you the day will come very soon when you will look back and wonder why you were so anxious about this. Just in case you need them, I'm sending you a pair of my patience pants to use until you find our own! :bighug:
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Haha! Thanks for making me smile. I love the pants Will let the poking go for now I guess and will get him used to going in the spare room and me playing with his paws for a treat.
 
Alyssa, just another thought.

What size lancets are you using? The lancets that come with the meters are usually 30 or 31 gauge or smaller and they don't always work well for our kitties ears and certainly would present a problem with those tougher paw pads. If that is the case, you should get some 26-28 gauge lancets and see if that doesn't make getting blood easier.
 
We are using the 30 gauge.
I know the package of 30 lancets says for use only with that certain lancing device. Do you think the 26-28 gauge would work in our device or probably not? We could always try it free hand. We clicked the lancing device around him yesterday and the sound didn't seem to bug him, so it must be the prick - I wouldn't like it on the bottom of my foot either. :woot::blackeye:
 
Many of the lancets will work in other brand lancing devices. Not sure what meter you are using but some allow for alternate site testing and have larger gauge lancets available. Perhaps a trip to the local pharmacy or Walmart and looking at some of them will allow you to find something with a base very similar to what you are using now. When poking the paw pads, try to poke on the side rather than the bottom. I agree, the thought of sticking my foot doesn't appeal to me either but then I don't like the idea of poking my ear either and my cat doesn't seem to notice the poke at all! She's far more concerned if I hold on to her ear too long!
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
I agree, the thought of sticking my foot doesn't appeal to me either but then I don't like the idea of poking my ear either and my cat doesn't seem to notice the poke at all! She's far more concerned if I hold on to her ear too long!
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That's been my experience with ear poking too, and I expect for the pads it is probably similar. Good for you Alyssa for taking such good care of Hotch, and I hope he gets used to having his paws handled (Leda is sensitive about his paws, but trusts me enough that he'll let me play with them when he's relaxed--it took some time for him to get used to it though, and I don't test his paws, I just like to check them out now and again!).
 
Lys7 said:
We are using the 30 gauge.
I know the package of 30 lancets says for use only with that certain lancing device. Do you think the 26-28 gauge would work in our device or probably not? We could always try it free hand. We clicked the lancing device around him yesterday and the sound didn't seem to bug him, so it must be the prick - I wouldn't like it on the bottom of my foot either. :woot::blackeye:
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I use a 28 gauge lancet and I buy my supplies from amazon, I found a cheap generic lancet which fits a variety of devices rather than the specific one which is made for my device. The lower the number the bigger the hole you can make with it, don't worry - the hole is still tiny. Cat skin is tough so a lower gauge lancet for the paws may be the way to go.
 
Lys7 said:
When did you start noticing a change in your cat? I have noticed he is drinking and urinating way less. I think he only went twice yesterday. Is that normal? Before he was going almost every 4-5 hours. I have been adding water to his canned food.
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I noted a reduction in the drinking and urinating first but it took at least a week before she was behaving less like an exhausted furry cushion and more like a tired cat, she had lost a huge amount of weight and regained some quite quickly initially but at that stage I was more or less free feeding as she was practically inhaling her food at every opportunity. She is now eating normally and will often walk away while there is still food in her bowl but she is still very food orientated and lets me know in no uncertain terms when it is meal times. I was getting woken up in the early hours by her demanding food. That has stopped but she now makes sure I get up as soon as the alarm goes off every morning and pokes me in the face if I hit the snooze button!
 
I have never been successful using the paws to test. My cats never liked to have anyone messing with their feet. I have not been following your threads, but have you tried using the ears to test?
 
@Lisa and Witn (GA) Hotch is missing a good portion of his ears due to frostbite he suffered before Alyssa rescued him so he has little of his pinna left and is sensitive to having his little ears messed with. So she doesn't really have the ear option!:(
 
Alexi said:
I noted a reduction in the drinking and urinating first but it took at least a week before she was behaving less like an exhausted furry cushion and more like a tired cat, she had lost a huge amount of weight and regained some quite quickly initially but at that stage I was more or less free feeding as she was practically inhaling her food at every opportunity. She is now eating normally and will often walk away while there is still food in her bowl but she is still very food orientated and lets me know in no uncertain terms when it is meal times. I was getting woken up in the early hours by her demanding food. That has stopped but she now makes sure I get up as soon as the alarm goes off every morning and pokes me in the face if I hit the snooze button!
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That makes me feel better. I've been worried about hypo because he loves to sleep and is still sleeping quite a bit. At 3pm (7 hours after his shot), he didn't even want to go outside..just sleep. I have split his food up into 2 meals and 2 snacks. I set an alarm for 130am last night to give him a snack and, lo and behold, at 530am he was up on the bed meowing, head butting, and love biting me so I would feed him again.

Higher numbers make them eat more though, right? I thought maybe because he has a little kibble with his dinner (and less canned) that he could actually be hungry come 530am. He hasn't bugged for his dinner until he hears a plate and/or a can being opened. He only seems to be starving before his morning shot.
 
Madrona and Leda said:
That's been my experience with ear poking too, and I expect for the pads it is probably similar. Good for you Alyssa for taking such good care of Hotch, and I hope he gets used to having his paws handled (Leda is sensitive about his paws, but trusts me enough that he'll let me play with them when he's relaxed--it took some time for him to get used to it though, and I don't test his paws, I just like to check them out now and again!).
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Awe, thanks. I try. The local humane society posted his photo and I instantly fell in love in with him. I kept my eye on his posting and even messaged them to ask about him.. May have visited him there once or twice. :p The day that Alex and I moved in together he told me he was going out to the store. He came back with Hotch!!!! I couldn't believe it. He has been my spoiled boy ever since. :joyful:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
@Lisa and Witn (GA) Hotch is missing a good portion of his ears due to frostbite he suffered before Alyssa rescued him so he has little of his pinna left and is sensitive to having his little ears messed with. So she doesn't really have the ear option!:(
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Thanks. I had not been following her posts so I was not of his condition.

Even if you cannot test right now, start giving him treats for him allowing you to handle his paws, even if is only for a moment. That will get him familiar with you handling him and make testing easier later.
 
Our Snickers refuses to have her ears tested. Even the vet has to get blood from her leg. I have given up on trying to home test her as she is a very unfriendly cat when being handled much less trying to get blood from her. She barely tolerates her shots. We have to feed her turkey to draw attention away from the shots. I have resorted to going to the vet weekly for a sample. Other than that fiasco she seems to be doing good, knock on wood.
 
Lys7 said:
Awe, thanks. I try. The local humane society posted his photo and I instantly fell in love in with him. I kept my eye on his posting and even messaged them to ask about him.. May have visited him there once or twice. :p The day that Alex and I moved in together he told me he was going out to the store. He came back with Hotch!!!! I couldn't believe it. He has been my spoiled boy ever since. :joyful:
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That's a wonderful story! So glad you all found one another.
 
Alexi said:
I found a cheap generic lancet which fits a variety of devices rather than the specific one which is made for my device..
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I found a 28 gauge at the store but the pharmacist said it wouldn't work in my device.

What brand is the generic one you found on Amazon? I may check it out :)
 
If you have a Walmart close to you, go get the Relion brand that says for alternate site use. These are 26 gauge, a little larger than the 28 gauge that you found. They fit in my AT2 device so I would think they would fit in any device. A box of 100 is around 2-3 dollars.
 
I'll see if I can get a video of Rosa at her next test so you can see exactly where on the paw pad I test her. I test her paw pad regularly - she sometimes grumbles a bit, but she's actually very used to it by now and doesn't really mind...she just likes me to know that I can only do it because she's gracious enough to let me! ;)
 
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