OT- Problem with poking!

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tortie58

tortie58

Member Since 2012
Rosy has been having bg testing since March. I find it getting more & more difficult getting that bead of blood from her ears. Ive attached a pic showing the blood came out like a splatter, not formed into a bead for testing. Sometimes I need to poke her 2, 3 times to get a "good, sizeable" blood sample.
Ive been doing alternate ear; one side for AM cycle & one side for PM cycle. Yes, I did apply pressure after the poke. Yes, I did apply a bit of AB cream if the sore is red. There is no need to warm up Rosy's ear since it is hot here. Ive been poking all round her outer edge & I do know where is the sweet spot but it is not helping.
Anybody have experienced this?

 
Hi Helen, the link to the video says "This image or video is currently unavailable". I'm not sure what that means. For the Neosporin AB, I remember hearing that the cream is not so good and the ointment is better for getting a bead of blood.
Liz
 
The sweet spot is between the outter edge of the ear the the vein. It sounds like you're hitting the vein a bit, hence the splattering of blood. Unfortunately, your picture isn't showing anything on this end, so am not able to tell what's going on. Here's a video of how to test (I thought I more videos but I don't):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8

If you're using the lancet device, it may be another reason why you're getting some splattering of blood as it's hard to judge where to put the lancet on a narrow area. If you can, try using the lancet only by freehand, and insert the tip of the lancet into the ear at an angle. Don't go in to deep. What I do is I put a finger on the other side of the ear (the inside) so that when I do freehand the lancet at an angle, I can feel the tip of the lancet itself through the cat's skin (without going through the skin) on my finger and I know that it's deep enough, if that makes sense. Inserting the lancet at an angle ensures that when you place a tissue over the wound, and gently squeeze the tissue down against the finger inside the ear the wound will close. Also, be sure to have some antibiotic ointment with pain relief in it (ie. Neosporin with Pain Relief works very well, or the Equate brand of the same product which is cheaper), and that'll take away the sting.

I hope that helps.
 
Anne & Zener said:
Hi Helen, the link to the video says "This image or video is currently unavailable". I'm not sure what that means. For the Neosporin AB, I remember hearing that the cream is not so good and the ointment is better for getting a bead of blood.
Liz
Click to expand...

Canyou see the pic now? It's a pic only, not a video. I use an AB cream after poking; when the ear is "resting" during that cycle.

Angela & Blackie & 8 Others said:
The sweet spot is between the outter edge of the ear the the vein. It sounds like you're hitting the vein a bit, hence the splattering of blood. Unfortunately, your picture isn't showing anything on this end, so am not able to tell what's going on. Here's a video of how to test (I thought I more videos but I don't):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zE12-4fVn8

If you're using the lancet device, it may be another reason why you're getting some splattering of blood as it's hard to judge where to put the lancet on a narrow area. If you can, try using the lancet only by freehand, and insert the tip of the lancet into the ear at an angle. Don't go in to deep. What I do is I put a finger on the other side of the ear (the inside) so that when I do freehand the lancet at an angle, I can feel the tip of the lancet itself through the cat's skin (without going through the skin) on my finger and I know that it's deep enough, if that makes sense. Inserting the lancet at an angle ensures that when you place a tissue over the wound, and gently squeeze the tissue down against the finger inside the ear the wound will close. Also, be sure to have some antibiotic ointment with pain relief in it (ie. Neosporin with Pain Relief works very well, or the Equate brand of the same product which is cheaper), and that'll take away the sting.

I hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks Angela. I am doing the poke free handed. I dont think I've hit a vien because the blood came out is not much; at least not enough to be tested. I used a rolled up cotton wool underneath the ear before poking; to make it like a firm surface. There is no problem with stopping the blood after the poke but just that I cannot get a pea shaped like blood for the testing.
 
I freehand poke too. Since the tip of the lancet is faceted rather than round, twisting it slightly will open up the slit it makes. Free hand also makes it easier to do a second light poke right next to the first. That seems to release the bit of pressure and let the blood flow more easily.
 
I have always free handed the lancet. Many times it takes me two or three or more pokes to get blood. I just poke again right next to the poke before it, and if both holes only get a teeny bit of blood, sometimes they join together to make a big enough droplet.
I switch ears about every 5 days or so, depending (if one gets really bruised, I'll switch sooner). Sometimes, it takes a test or two before the newest ear "cooperates". I also usually only apply the neosporin to the ear right before it gets retired for a few days off, if you get my meaning.
 
Hi Helen, Sometimes I have trouble getting a big enough blood sample too. Your picture looks like Rosy's fur is wicking the blood away, spreading it faster than you can get your test sample. Couple suggestions to consider:
Even if its hot there, you might try warming her ear to warmer than normal. That increases circulation maybe enough give you a good droplet before her fur wicks it away.
Depending how fast you can get the test strip on the blood drop, you might also try getting the blood drop onto your fingernail where it will stay a droplet long enough to get a test strip on it.
Hope this helps, good luck!
 
Hi Helen, I was just stopping in to say hi! I haven't done much visiting since Daphne went OTJ. I'm starting to get a little energy back, so I thougth I would see if anyone needs help with anything, not like I actually know much. :lol: I do use the ReliOn meter and it only needs such a small drop of blood. I don't see what meter you are using, sorry, maybe on your profile… I'll look. You got some good advice, I hope something works!
 
Hi Helen,

I warm the ear no matter how warm the room is with a rice sock put in the microwave. I also use a little vaseline on the ear before poking after it is warmed to keep the fur from sinking in the fur. It helps the blood bead up.

I hope that helps.

Melanie & Racci
 
When we test mocha we poke (with the lancing pen) then we kind of 'massage' her ear, to get the blood drop to push out .. It doesn't take much at all since we use the relion micro, but it did help ... then of course, we applied the pressure and dab on the neo!
 
Thanks for all the tips! :thumbup
I am using the Bayer Breeze 2; not much blood needed for the testing. It is difficult because the blood came out is in a tiny "pool", not formed into a bead-like for the test strip to suck in. Didnt they say blood is thicker than water with a density? Rosy' has enough blood came out but it's spread over the poked area. Sometimes it does form into a bead though. confused_cat
 
I'd be sure her ear is clean of the AB cream. As Ann said, the lancets have a beveled side...that should be up as you poke the sharpest edge goes in first.
 
Yes, I put a little on the ear just after warming it, before poking it. Not a dab, just a smooth little bit wiped on the fur so it's coated lightly and be careful not to put the strip in vaseline but in just the blood spot instead. It should help the blood stay in a spot instead of smearing into the fur.
 
I noticed with both Cyclone and Salem that the AB ointment makes the blood sort of spread out into an untestable blob instead of beading up, so I rarely used it. You might want to put ointment on only one ear at a time and test the other for the next day, or something like that.
 
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