I cant get any blood!!!!! Very frustrated

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Luke B

Luke B

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So for the past two days now Lindsay and I have been trying to get blood from Bears ear to test his blood glucose. It is getting very frustrating because we can not get any blood, it really doesn't help that he's a black cat and his veins are hard to see. I've watched some videos and called our vet again. I think poor Bear is getting tired of being poked, I think I'm just gonna have to force him to comply and keep poking until something comes out. If there are anymore tips to this please help. Our frustration levels are growing by the day and we need to figure this out to determine if we need to adjust his dose. He still has high glucose levels in his urine and has actually started to pee on our kitchen carpets. On the bright side we got the results back from his stool sample and they were all negative, no parasites.
Thanks for the help,
Luke and Lindsay
 
Ah - don't get frustrated. Black ears is one thing I'm an expert on.

Get a flashlight and use it like a spot light to focus on the area you are poking. You will be amazed how much easier it is to see when you use a flashlight.

Also, are you warming the ear before attempting the poke?

You can warm the ear, by rubbing with your fingers or use a rice sock - get one sock - put 1/4 cup of rice, oatmeal or dried beans in it. Knot the top, then microwave for 15-30 seconds. When warm to touch, place behind ear to warm it up.

Also, use petroleum jelly to put on the ear area - this will make any blood you do get bead up and stay so you can sip it up.

I found that one of Maui's ears bled better than the other, so I mostly poked the one ear. You may find this too.
 
You can also try the big pad on the back feet. I ended up doing that with Motor cos he's mostly black and his ears are VERY sensitive. I've been playing with his feet since he was a kitten so he just rolls his eyes at me.

Also we tried Bonito flakes for treats afterwards. He LOVES them! We pick up the bag and he comes running to his testing spot. Awesome!

Good luck!

jaimie & motor
 
I used the flash light and found the veins in both his ears. I'm not warming them with a rice sock, I am however rubbing his ears with my fingers to warm them and increase blood flow. I just tried again and nothing. I almost put the lancet all the way through his ear and boy did he jump but still no blood. I know I shouldn't get frustrated but Lindsay and I want to do all we can to get Bear better. For once we would like something we do with this to be easy. Hopefully we can figure this out and get into a routine.
 
I think we may have to try his feet though he is also very finicky about having them messed with too
 
My Bobbie is tabby and sometimes it's hard to see hers also. All I can say is to just keep it up, don't quit yet. One of her ears bleeds better too. She has learned to be patient. And there have been times i poked all the way thru her poor ear. It will get better.
 
Perhaps there is another member that lives close by that would be willing to come to your house to give a little hands on training?
Wouldn't hurt to ask.
I would come, but I'm no where close!
 
I have to jump in here, because, well, you sound like I did just 3 days ago. I was so frustrated because I find it hard to test an uncooperative kitty by myself. Everyone here has been through everything that we are going through now, and so many will be by with suggestions to help.
I also had a few sticks that produced no blood, and more than a few times went all the way through the ear. I found that focusing on the outer tip instead of close to the vein works best for me. I used the flashlight in the beginning so that I knew where that vein was.
Also, I see someone suggested petroleum jelly. I bought some pain relieving ointment and I massage her ear with that as I warm it up, and it also helps the blood bead up. I find it hard to handle the rice sock with everything else my hands are busy with.
Hang in there, you'll get it!
 
I often have to poke my poor kitty's ear two or three times, as I just can't get enough blood. He doesn't like the warming sock, either, so keeps pulling his head away. I often get blood on me and none on the test stip! I read a tip here somewhere that you might have better luck lower on the ear, near the fold. Don't forget to give your kitty lots of love afterwards, so he knows you are really trying to help him! Good luck!
 
Cindy + Mousie said:
Jon of Jon & Pia are in Kenosha. how far away is that would you say?
Click to expand...

I'm in Beer Town every day. About 0300 and 1230. If you need help with testing gimme a shout. PM me via the board or e-mail jhox at wi.net.

Jon
 
Are the inside of Bear's ears black or pink? Pepper's are pink - maybe the inside will be easier to see? I was SO blessed - KT's ears learned to bleed on the second try. He doesn't like the rice sock either so I've started just rubbing them. Sending good thoughts and little prayer to help....
 
OK - if you almost pierced the ears, then try this trick - that I found helpful

Hold the lancet in a 45 degree (ish) upward angle and poke that way. Don't poke straight on like you want to pierce, rather poke upwards and not through.

Here is a pick of what I mean:

101_0669.jpg


And as you can see Maui's ears are black on both sides - so use the flashlight trick.

And do try the warming sock, you may find that will warm things up faster and better than rubbing.

So - two more tricks to try and come back let us know if that works.
 
My cat's ears are tan and I have problems all the time. Fortunately I am off insulin & testing about every 3 days, so it's not as important but still as frustrating! I heat his ear up and sometimes I get it right away and sometimes (like last thurs) I get nothing after 10 minutes of trying. I have changed lancets, as sometimes I think I come up with a dud.

Chin up and keep trying. Hugs!
 
I used to have lots of trouble too and found that if Max's ears are not warm to touch they will not bleed, regardless of how much I rub them and try to warm them that way. I don't use a rice sock but instead use a glass half full of hot water and hold that against his ear while giving him lots of pats and praise. He seems less bothered by the glass. To begin with I'd treat it like I was having a drink and take a few sips and then hold the glass near his ear, slightly touching it against the tip of the ear. That seemed to fool him into thinking that there was nothing going on.

If I need to warm them I also set my lancing device a little deeper too as they don't bleed as well as they do when they are 'naturally' warm. The easiest time I find to get a test on the first go is when Max is sleeping - he often is curled up with his head tucked upside down making at least one of his ears really warm. Warm enough that the vein is a little prominent on the outside of the ear. I test him wherever he has settled in for a snooze be it the bed, the couch, outside in the sun. I try and get the poke in while his ear is still really toasty and he is still sleepy.

In the beginning it was frustrating as hell though. AMPS is still a nightmare for me though. Hungry restless wriggling cat, cold ears, not fun...
 
Luke and Lindsay and sweet sweet Bear,
I can not ever get anything from Beans right ear, I use the rice sock some and the rubbing some too. More in the summer - the rubbing seems to get it but I cannot get impatient and must rub for a while... I think I feel I have rubbed enough and nothing!
I rub, chin scratch, hand over a tuna flake, rub rub rub, scratch, insert the thingy in the meter, rub some ointment, then we test quick..... I did not get a thing from the first 3-4 tries but I was only trying the right ear....after I got better (and so did Bean), we can still only get it from the left ear! I dont know why either!
Gooood luck, keep trying.....it is sooo important as you well know! nailbite_smile
 
I had a hard time at first too - so bad that I resorted to shaving my poor cat's ear. Actually, its not as bad as it sound. I just used a razor and drew the blade lightly along the hair to thin it so that I could see ANY bit of blood. Then I found that if there was a tiny bit of blood, a bit of milking the ear would produce enough to test. After a year, his ear is pretty cooperative and I don't have to shave it any more.

I also found that running the strip along the hair, not against, works better. You are not so much 'scooping' the blood as finding it in the hair. Fret not - it'll happen.
 
From my experience with Sasha it is very important to warm that ear first! We make a little game of it now - I put a sponge that I ran hot water on inside a plastic bag, then rub it all over her head. That helps the blood to flow much much better than just by sticking alone.

I also had big trouble finding the spots in her ear that will bleed, but once I did they've been pretty consistent. Just above that weird little 'broken' part on the outside rim nearest the head is the current winner.

I know this is incredibly frustrating, but believe me it will get easier! Don't be too hard on yourself, it'll come before you know it. And of course, don't forget to spoil your kitty with treats and hugs afterwards whether you got a sample or not :)

Good luck!
 
As others have said, hang in there! I most definitely struggled when Emmy was first diagnosed (only two months ago!) and would feel sick before every attempt, many of which were fruitless. But it DID get better! Here's what I do now and it works consistently: I warm up the tips of Emmy's ears, rubbing one between my fingers, talking soothingly the whole time, then I use a lancet free hand at a 45 degree angle, slowly pricking the "sweet spot" between the vein that runs close to the outer edge of the ear and the outer edge itself, and then the two best tips: 1) I use a headlamp (cheap from Amazon, people use them for camping and such) so that I'm hands free and have a great light source and 2) I milk the ear not just from the bottom of the ear up but from the sides of the prick. I may not have blood after a second or two but shortly thereafter, there it is. Thanks to everyone whose tips helped me when I was a newbie!! Wishing you many quick, painless and productive sessions with your kitty!
 
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice! Sorry, I haven't had a chance to get on here since I posted this. I also haven't had a chance to try since yesterday since I've been very busy but tomorrow morning I WILL be back at it. I do have a headlamp that I plan on using. I was only trying one ear so I'll switch to the other and give it a shot. I also PM'ed Jon about possible help if I cant get anything from my next attempts. Again, Thank you all for the help!!!!!!!
 
warming the ear with a rice sock definitely helps. i thought the flashlight helped too.

using neosporin OINTMENT with pain relief will make it all easier for the kitter. wipe off excess before you poke, though, because it gums up the test strip if there's too much.

keep poking - when you poke a lot your kitty develops capillaries where they've been poked and it gets easier. eventually you get blood every time.

after you poke you can kinda "open" the poke or massage around it to well up a little bit of blood

if i was desperate i poked straight on the vein. that's not a good idea and if you do that you definitely have to apply pressure to stop the bleeding so it doesn't bruise or scar, but sometimes i was desperate enough to do it.

often one ear bleeds better than the other one.
 
Unlike some, I poke the thicker/inside edge of the ear, about 2/3 of the way down, and I never look for the vein. I just use my softclix lancet device, put it towards the ede so it is just a tiny bit in and presto. Perhaps trying a different location might help (along with warming the ear and using vaseline)

Good luck!
 
Hi everyone, Lindsay here....

I've tried too while Luke has been at work or not home with no luck. I can't believe how hard it is to hold him down and prick him! I have an Aveda washcloth that is comparable to a shammy you would use to dry a car. I applied that to his hear before poking, he didn't seem to mind the warmth but as soon as the needle hit his skin, he jumped and then I lost the spot I poked! Tonight is the night we are going to double team Bear. It is just aweful that one of us has to hold him down while the other pokes :sad: I think i'm going to stop on my way home from work and get some neosporin ointment, we need something, anything, that will help us and Boo!!

We'll update you all tonight.
 
well part of the problem could be that you are holding him down. When we first started testing Squeak I thought we'd have to wrestle him.

what worked instead was sitting on the floor, legs in a 'V', with Squeak inbetween, facing away from me. I brush him with my right hand, hold a warmed rice sock in his ear with my left (with testing stuff all ready). I then grab my lancet pen and poke his ear while the sock is still in his ear for support.

This worked extremely well right from the beginning. This is a cat who hates to be restrained.
 
i'm going to offer the opposite suggestion, although i think if you can do it without restraint that's even better. try everything with your cat and one of these suggestions will work.

this sounds mean, but i don't think it is. we burritoed punkin with a beach towel so he couldn't fight us.

here's a video on how to do it. in this one the kitty sounds mad, but punkin never got mad about it. i held the beach towel up across my front and sat down with him on me, on the beach towel, on my lap. then i wrapped - the key was to wrap tight across his front legs so that he couldn't put his legs up and pull out of the towel. we had to do this for maybe 2 weeks and not since then. he knew he couldn't get out and he accepted it. until we wrapped him he would try to get away, once we wrapped him he was fine.

while he was wrapped in the beach towel he was sorta like a giant fixed shrimp shape and i could lay him on my lap to test him. be convinced you're doing it to save his life, which you are, and stick with it til you figure out how to manage your kitter!

[youtube]_4WBN53obFE[/youtube]
 
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