Home Testing Help in Los Angeles

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Scratchy's Mom

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I am looking to see if anyone live in the Los Angeles area and could help me with home testing. I have never been able to get a drop of blood from the ear. I've tried different lancets and lancing devices, warming the ear, vaseline, putting him in a burito, but nothing helps. I have periodically gotten blood from the paw pad, but he hates it and wriggles away from me.

He is recently OTJ after a hypo episode and low numbers when a paw test was successful. If he goes over 200, he needs to get one unit, but the docs think he is in remission and I'd rather risk high blood sugar than low to find out for certain. So far, no symptoms have returned. He was on Lantus for 2 1/2 months and I have changed his food, but I'd feel better if I could test him.

They've tried to help me with testing at the vet, but he is a different cat at the vet and much more cooperative. Yet even they have trouble getting blood from his ear. I don't really know what else to do.
 
Well, I'm no pro, but I did struggle and then find more success. My vet also had trouble getting blood from my cat's ear. And I live in LA.

I'm sort of hesistant to offer help only because I really don't know how much help I can be. Every cat is so different you may have just not found the magic formula yet. Mine ultimately ended up being: the right ear, heated by hand (tried hot washcloth in a plastic bag and blastic bottle with hot water which didn't 'pan out) really, really well, and a cheap CVS lancet device with an ultra-thin needle (just "thin" didn't work well) set on 4 (neither a fancy lancet nor free-handing were successful) along the "sweet spot" (have you seen those pictures?) and/or directly on the vein. Her ears were always warmest at night and easiest to test. The morning sucked but at least I could see the vein with the sunlight.

Did you notice when you heated the ears that the vein popped up--indicating greater bloodflow? When I finally forced myself to wait to prick until I saw that, my prick to bleed ratio improved dramatically.
 
I didn't notice anything like that when I warmed his ears. His ears are black so its really hard to tell. I'll look for it next time. Tonigbt I made the mistake of forgetting to take out my contacts or put on my reading glasses. He also wouldn't sit still tonight. Hopefully I'll get it eventually. They basically butchered his left ear last time at the vet to get him to bleed. Its reopened a few times and I"d come home and find blood drops on the floor. That's better now, but I'm confined to one ear and I think its made him more sensitive to having his ear touched. Luckily he's doing very well,
 
I can see his veins with a flashlight, I just don't have enough hands to hold one! Plus, once he sees the light from the flashlight, he gets up to chase it, along with my other cat. I will keep trying. The lancet alone seems to hurt him more than with the device. Maybe I can try the device with the paw pad. I noticed the water level in the bowl was lower this morning, so I want to be able to get a sample tonight. My other cat seemed particularly thirsty last night though, so it might not have been Scratchy.
 
It is really dry here right now--this always messes with my water-consumption tracking.

And my girl was the same with the free-hand--this didn't work well for us. I know he's black, but have you ever been able to see where the vein is? And what number are you using on the lancet? Maybe you need to go higher.

Here's a picture someone sent me when I was struggling which really helped (sorry it's so big; couldn't manage to shrink it):
sweetspot.jpg
 
I can see his veins with a flashlight and I've seen that picture before and that seems to be the location I have been poking. This is my problem. I've tried everything suggested and he still does not bleed. The only thing I haven't tried is in person help. The tech at the vet showed me a different location on the ear, but its on the inside which is very hard to do when he won't sit still. I'm using the deepest lancet setting and I still get nothing. The vets even have trouble getting blood from his ear.

I guess the dry weather could account for more water intake. Also, yesterday I left the wet food in the kitchen rather than taking it to the bedroom. That obviously made them unhappy because when I came home I found a piece of poop outside the bedroom (very unusual for them) and all the wet food was still on the dish upstairs, but the dry was mostly gone. Scratchy usually eats only a bite or two of dry a day (EVO brand). That might also account fo it.
 
Well, if that pictured sweet spot isn't working, then I'd remind you that I've suggested the other side of the ear, further towards the base. I keep the rice sock in the ear as support and poke there, and I really don't think it is any tougher than any other spot. And I never use anything to look for veins or anything else as it isn't necessary (in my opinion) and requires a lot more fiddling.
 
Do you know the guage of the lancet? It's sort of counterintuitive, but the smaller guage (higher number) lancet worked better for me. Also, be sure you change it out after a few tries--the lancet gets dull and then you're definitely not going to get a good prick. What kind of lancet device are you using?

Again, like I said, my vet also struggled getting blood from my cat's ear. I totally understand. Took forever.

Like someone else mentioned, you may need to try a different spot. And you are putting something somewhat firm on the opposite side from where you're poking, right? That made a difference, too. The cotton ball didn't give us enough resistance. I fold toilet paper or a paper towel into a tiny square so it's just rigid enough.
 
That sounds like the same location that the vet suggested. It is on the inside of the ear on the edge a little bit above where the double flap part is (I have no idea what the proper term for that spot is). I'd kind of have to turn the ear inside out. Maybe I'll try giving him catnip before I test him. He's often mellow after catnip. I may have to resort to the clothes pin thing, but I think he's really going to hate that. He never really minded the shots, but he didn't like me tenting the skin on the back of the neck. If I could get him to sit still for 5 seconds, I could test his paw pad easily.
 
Yes, that is the spot, and no, you don't have to turn the ear inside out. I used to have a crude drawing that I'd post but I've since misplaced it...

I would sit on the floor with my legs in a 'V' with Squeak inbetween, facing away from me. I would put the rice sock in my left hand and warm an ear, any ear, with it. I'd get the lancet device and use it while he was relaxed, and then he'd usually stay put while I grabbed the tester (strip 1/2 inserted), push the strip in and test the blood droplet. This is a cat who hates being restrained but always calmed down in this position as it is the one I use to brush him in as well.
 
I'll have to try that. Do you poke the back of the ear or reach around the front? Scratchy doesn't sit still for much. He loves being brushed, but he won't sit still for it. He walks around in circles rubbing me all over while I'm doing it. The cats in the videos are all so calm.

I tried the paw pad again tonight and got hissed at twice. I let go before he bit me. He didn't mind being stuck with the lancet, it was squeezing it to get blood that was the problem.

If I can't get any blood by the weekend, I'll take him in to get him tested. I know the results can be elevated from stress, but it still shouldn't be as high as it used to be if he's in remission. So far still no diabetic symptoms. No water gone from the bowl today.
 
I guess I'm not sure what you are asking (sorry if I'm dense) but I find it quite easy to poke the furry part of his ear, on the side opposite from the sweet spot pictured. Especially if I poke the left ear as I'm right handed.
 
I don't think I'm thinking about the same spot. I was thinking of a spot beneath the sweet spot on the inside part of the ear, rather than opposite it. I'm not sure it will even be possible with him. Even the vet can't get blood from his ear. They had to poke so deep that it wouldn't stop bleeding and his left ear still isn't healed. They eventually put in a catheter when he was admitted. Its just been torture for him with no results. I must have tried the ear about 30 times now and have tried every suggestion other than the clothespins on his neck, which I think will make him hate me for life. As it is, he doesn't like having his ears touched. I can try the position on the floor and see if that works. At this point, I think I just need someone to actually show me. I think I must be doing something wrong if everyone else's cat bleeds no problem. Either that or my cat is just weird!
 
Honestly, yes, someone showing you would be best, andyou've had offers for help. But please do try the spot I mentioned as you have nothing to lose.
 
Assuming I can hold onto his ear long enough, I will try it. His left ear was basically butchered at the vet's office which I think is making him even more sensitive about his ears. Right now the right ear is the only option which, as you said, is more difficult for a righty. If I could get the paw pad to bleed without having to squeeze, it would work. Sqeezing got me hissed at and almost bitten last night. I think he bleeds easier with a poke from the lancet directly, rather than with the device, but I can see that it really hurts him much more so than with the device.

One person did offer to help me, but she is probably as far in L.A. as you can get from where I am. She will still help though if I can't find someone closer. Its very nice of her.
 
Well there are others in LA, like Holly and Spader, Felice and Bert, etc.

It is totally possible to do the right ear if you are a right hander, I just default to the left.
 
Still haven't had a successful test, but took Scratchy to the vet on Saturday and his BG was 96, after ten days with no insulin. Seems he is officially in remission. Will still keep trying to test and monitor his symptoms but at least there is no risk of hypoglycemia now that he is off insulin. The vets don't know why he went from unable to regulate to remission in such a short time, but I try not to question it. I'll be happy as long as it lasts and so will Scratchy!
 
Never question the whys just enjoy the results. :-D And 96 at the vet's is a beautiful number. Here's to having Scratchy having a nice long honeymoon at the falls. drinking24

Mel & Max
 
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