injecting and pricking causing scarring?

[KarenAmelia]

I have read that repeated injections in the same area cause scarring/thickening of the skin, which is an argument for moving the injection sites around. It seems to me that there is a lot less area to work with in ear pricking, and it happens more frequently than the twice daily injections (at the very least, BG tests pre-injection , and then the mid-way BG testing). So why is there no mention of the ear tips getting thickened and scarred?

 

[BJM]

Sometimes they do, especially if your technique and aim are less than stellar (guilty) or your cat moves a lot. Then a noticeable amount of blood may build up in the area pricked, harden, and take a while to diminish.

By immediately clamping the ear once the sample is taken, you reduce the amount of blood that clots in that location. Also, repeated pricking on the outer edge of the ear develops new capillaries.

 

[Julia & Bandit (GA)]

I have trouble getting blood out of Bandit's right ear for some reason, so we only have ever tested the left. With repeated testing over the past couple years his ear looks exactly the same--no scarring in the least. If you put pressure on the spot for 20 seconds after the poke, there's no scabbing, either.