Need help with the FreeStyle Lancet Device

[jlw1959]

Hello!
Can anyone help me to use the FreeStyle lancet device? It didn't come with instructions,I know where to put the needle in, and it has a spring-loader, I also don't know what the numbers mean on it, 1-4? I have been told I can free-hand without using the device, but I am not sure how to do that either. Oliver and I would greatly appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

[Squeaky and KT (GA)]

I don't use that kind of lancet but I think I do have one some wonderful person sent to me with a meter. The 1-4 are the depth settings - I use the next to deepest on my lancet device. One thing I've noticed is that not all lancets themselves are the same length so the settings don't always work the same.

I can't freehand.... :roll:

BIG HUG - we all need extras today....don't we??!!!

 

[squeem3]

You can get the instructions online: https://www.myfreestyle.com/information-resources.html It's probably under "Owner's Guide".

The numbers are depth settings, how deep you want the lancet to prick the skin. 1 is usually the shallowest setting and 4 is the deepest. Try all the depth settings to find the one that works best for your cat.

If you freehand the lancet, you just give the ear a quick poke. It's kind of like sewing by hand: hold needle between fingers and insert pointy sharp end into the fabric, or in this case, the skin. You just want to quickly poke the skin deep enough to get blood. You don't want to poke the lancet all the way through the ear.

 

[tinabetta]

The numbers are the settings for the depth of the needle. I found out the spring noise that close to my guy's ear freaked him out so even if I pricked and got a good sample, him flipping from the sound made me lose it and have to go all over again! Yikes! What I did was to insert the lancet in the device, deploy it so I could see how far the needle point stuck out from the tip and adjust it from there. Once you find the proper depth don't change it. Put in the lancet, spring it, then grab up that kitty and give him a quick jab. I found using the holder kept me a lot more steady and it was easier to hang onto than the tiny little lancet alone. I get my gear together, grab up my kitty, give him some ear oriented loving, put him down on the ground and kind of squat on top of him so his head pokes out between my knees and rub his ear afew seconds and pop! Done in 10 shakes of a lambie's tail! Good Luck!

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

This pic may help you understand how to hold the lancet to free hand poke. (Sorry, I should have sent this sooner).

Hold the lancet with thumb and forefinger and poke 45 degree upward angle - I found that if you poke straight, you may just pierce the ear and not get blood, where if you do the upward poke, you can get more blood.

I hope the pics help explain.

And you want to aim for the sweet spot.

 

[LynnLee + Mousie]

i've used the freestyle lancet device since my cat was diagnosed back in 2006. as everyone said, the 1-4 are the depth settings. ours is set at 4 and we got there like someone mentioned, try it at 1, if you don't get blood, try it at 2 and so on until you get blood. bear in mind though that if you are just starting the whole testing thing, it will possibly take several tries to get any blood no matter the depth setting their little ears just have to learn to cooperate.

my vet taught me to put the lancet in the device just far enough that when you put the cap on the device and rub your finger gently over the end of it, you just barely feel the lancet on your finger. then set the spring, and go to testing.

the most valuable thing i've learned about the device though is to use the clear cap that it should come with. they typically come with 2 caps, one solid blue i want to say and one clear one. the clear one let's you see where you're aiming so you don't miss the ear all the time and get frustrated. one time i went out to help someone learn to test because she had been trying and was getting so frustrated she was panicking and when i got there i asked for the clear cap for it and as soon as we switched caps, she was able to test successfully.