Only one ear

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RobinCot

RobinCot

Member Since 2013
Snoball will no longer allow me to test on his left ear. He yanks his head around and bites and hisses and claws himself away. Is this unusual? We have been calmly testing for six weeks now and all of a sudden he acts as though the prick is painful. I am concerned because I was planning to do a curve this weekend but don't know if the right ear will give me enough open spots and it does not bleed as readily. I have several blank tests this week because of inefficient amount of blood from the right ear. I was hoping to join the tight regulation forum for help in getting him regulated or at least on the right dose.

Any advice?
 
I only use the right ear on all my cats only because it's easier for me to get that one. I test at the bottom of the ear, right above the triangle flap. While most folks prefer a spot up higher I don't have a problem getting blood from below or above on the ear; I simply prefer the bottom spot.

When starting a new ear I make sure my lancet device is set to the highest depth or close to that. I put my finger behind the ear because the lancet needs something to strike against. Once I click the lancet I let my kitty shake his/her head. After the shake I then milk the spot pushing blood from below and above towards where I poked.

Depending on which kitty I'm testing, if they don't want to sit still long I may put the droplet on my fingernail and test from there but some of my kitties will sit still and let me test the droplet from the ear.

Many people find using a warm rice sock on the ear before testing is helpful. I don't do that but instead simply rub the ear between my fingers for a moment to warm it up.

In time you'll be an old pro at this. Take your time and know that you are doing great.
 
Thanks for your reply. I do use a rice sock to warm the ear and am free-hand lancing very gently, at an angle. Sometimes I poke twice in the same area to get more blood. I usually poke high but will look lower per your comment. I am thinking that since I am right handed the angle of the lancet in the right ear might be better for him. I just have not seen him react like this for testing - usually he is so good. I also use Neosporin after each poke because I can't stand to see all the red marks up and down his ear (he's white so it's very noticeable).

Your comments are very helpful as I now see where the problem might be that I am better poking on the right more than it is about about one ear being more sensitive.

Thank you.
 
My kitty is black and Im blind so I cant see a thing!! Even with a flashlight. Im going to try the lower area of ear because I do poke high. Im not getting enough blood for a test. Maybe poking lower will give me enough blood. Thanks
Terriy
 
I have to take my contacts out for testing and syringe filling so I feel pretty blind as well. Terriy, I hope you are successful. Let us know how you do.
 
KT's left ear just as well be a turnip - ain't no blood IN it that I hardly ever find. His right ear bleeds quickly and easily so I use that one. KT has large, very triangular ears with very short, light gold hair. KT doesn't even seem to feel it when I do his right ear, if I DO try the left, he flinches.

Both of Dakota's ears bleed but I find myself using his right one more often because it IS more comfortable for me. Doc has very short, rounded ears with long hair and mostly dark gray. Doc also flinches when I do left ear but seems to be mostly OK with the right.

HUGS! You'll fine tune your special dance as time passes!! Headbutts Sweet Snowball...
 
Wow - isn't that interesting. Both KT and Doc don't like their left ear pricked. Ok, so not so unusual. Hope Dakota is settling in nicely. Snoball sends headbutts right back!

Larry - I do look in his ears often (since they are right there in front of me during tesing) and haven't seen anything but I will ask the vet to take a look when I get him there next. Good suggestion.
 
Magnifiers are wonderful aids for this.

Syringe magnifiers clip on the syringe barrel and magnify the markings.

Visor magnifiers for those without glasses

Clip on magnifiers for those with glasses (I like Carson Clip and Flip)

And of course, stand magnifiers.

All available from our shopping partner Amazon - use link at top of page to help support FDMB.
 
Hi, I'm a Newbie, but my cat Tigger also doesn't like his left ear poked - or his right, either really, but he's definitely worse with his left. I assumed it was because he doesn't have an eye on that side. Now I'm not sure!

Is it possible your cat has a bruise or a small hematoma on that ear? I gave a small hematoma to Tigger & he wouldn't let me near that ear for over a day. Now I test both ears.

I use terumo syringe needles because I wasn't very good with lancets. Tigger squirms around so much I could only jab at his ear multiple times until I drew blood. He absolutely doesn't like a warm bottle, rice, cotton or gauze around his ear, so I gently half-scruff him, & hold one part of an ear with my fingers & poke. For me, the Terumo needles are sharper, resulting in fewer pokes, but I'm still learning how deep to go - we still get some gushers, especially as I'm poking while he's moving.

I'd give your cat a day or two, & whatever the difficulty is, it may resolve on its own. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the bothered ear.

It sounds like you're doing all that already, though. Congratulations on getting the testing down, you're doing great!
 
My cat doesn't really mind me pricking his ears but he starts squirming and shaking his head as soon as the test strip gets close to his ear. Weird and frustrating when you get a really good bead of blood and he shakes it off.
 
You might want to try lightly scruffing him - I do that with Tigger - hold the scruff gently with the last 3 fingers of whichever hand the poking ear is on, then hold the ear with the remaining 2 fingers. If its my poking hand, I do the same, & just use 2 fingers to hold the lancing device. Tigger seems to understand he needs to cooperate more - but he'll still wiggle if I'm not fast enough, which is most of the time!
 
With clean hands, get the blood droplet on a fingernail and test from there. Cuts down on the time needed to restrain the cat.
 
Well, your hands are supposed to be clean and dry anyway before you touch the test strips. Read a study that showed that someone who ate a banana, had residue on her hands and then tested got really wacky numbers. Bananas are sweet after all.
 
Could be a bruise, I would move up and down the ear to find a different spot. And work on occasionally poking that other ear to use as a backup.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I have used the fingernail trick (with clean hands - no banana :lol: ) but the problem was that he was jerking at the poke - long before the droplet even appeared. So I have only been poking his right ear and he is perfectly fine with that. It's just not going to be pretty after a curve but I am resigned to the fact that he is only offering one ear - I can live with that. The right ear is getting better at providing enough of a sample and I was able to get it warm just by rubbing (without the rice sock). We're managing - just would like to see better numbers, so a curve is critical now to see if he has the proper dose.
 
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