Please share tips for getting blood

[Brittney]

Having a tremendous difficultly getting blood. I'm poking 6-10 times before I get anything usable. I'm destroying her ears. I'm using relion micro. I've been browsing other posts and have seen a lot of you use the lancet and just poke- instead of the poking device. Do you look for a vein and poke right into it? Do you usually go to the same spot or the same ear or the same vein? I'm planning to try the warm compress on my next poke but not sure that will be enough.

I'm desperate for suggestions, Emmy is completely afraid of me she has been hiding for the entire day and I can't even monitor her health with her hidden.

Any of your tricks or tips would be grately appreciated. Emmy is a very fearful skittish cat who doesn't like to be held and doesn't like being "exposed."

 

[Madrona and Leda (GA)]

Warming will make a huge difference! You don't poke the vein, but rather between it and the edge of the ear (there are good diagrams on here somewhere). I alternate locations and ears, though Leda has an ear he prefers, so it bleeds better because over time it gets better, the ears grow more capillaries as they heal from the earlier pokes. Try rubbing her ears when you're not poking her so that she gets used to it, and giving a treat after testing (a diabetic friendly treat).

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Hi!
If you put a little bit of salve on the ear it lessens the poke and (for us) I try very hard to NOT hit the vein.... when I started I thought I was supposed to and he was not happy it will read the same but at least for us it hurt Dre.
I free hand so I can feel when the tip is in and that is all it takes.
Here is a pic of the "sweet spot" this spot has very little pain receptors so it is much easier to get cooperation. Also try to relax as we are so connected to out kittys that can sense it. It takes a little time but you will get it

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

1 more thing--most people rotate ears which I think is awesome but Dre HATES when I poke his right ear.... is a learning process.....

 

[Critter Mom]

Emmy is a very fearful skittish cat who doesn't like to be held and doesn't like being "exposed."

Maybe try to make a little 'cocooned' area as her testing station? You could try getting her used to the test area by bringing her to it and giving her fusses and treats but no testing. Then when she has positive associations with the place she may become less anxious about being tested there.


Mogs
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[marniepaul & miles]

I always used the lancing device for the Freestyle Freedom Lite, long after I quit using the meter for reliability reasons.

Two tips (besides warming/massaging the ear): if you don't find the sweet spot the first time (partway down the outer edge of the ear), try again, and try to get close to where you were the first time. You may have almost had it! The other tip is to leave the device in place, with the same amount of pressure, right after you've used it, for an extra split second or two. The pressure can help coax the blood out.

Best of all, the ears "learn to bleed" in time, meaning you'll only need one or two pokes to get blood. That's good news for you and your kitty!

 

[Brittney]

Thanks for the suggestions. We just tested again and I warmed first and then use the lancet without the "gun." We got blood on the first poke, but way toooo much and thru the back :-( At least I didn't have to hold her down for 6 minutes while I tried 7 different sites. But hoping the next time I can draw less blood.

 

[jayla-n-Drevon]

Good job !!!

 

[Erica & Carter]

I've always tested Carter on his back paw-pads. He just sits in my lap and purrs/falls asleep. When I attempted to do his ears the first week of home-testing, he wasn't bad for it, but would fidget which made if difficult to get blood without his ears looking like swiss cheese. His pads bleed pretty well though, I've never had to warm them and I just make sure I sanitize/clean them after - the whole process from start to finish takes maybe 30 seconds.

 

[Callie & Patches]

If you always give a treat, brush his fur or just give extra loves, he will learn to come to you when its time. My Callie somehow knows when her blood glucose is low and waits for me to come and test her. She loves freeze dried chicken and being brushed.

 

[Brittney]

Hi!
If you put a little bit of salve on the ear it lessens the poke and (for us) I try very hard to NOT hit the vein.... when I started I thought I was supposed to and he was not happy it will read the same but at least for us it hurt Dre.
I free hand so I can feel when the tip is in and that is all it takes.
Here is a pic of the "sweet spot" this spot has very little pain receptors so it is much easier to get cooperation. Also try to relax as we are so connected to out kittys that can sense it. It takes a little time but you will get it
View attachment 23729

This diagram is really helpful. I didn't see it initially when I was looking around at stickies. Perhaps someone can "stick" it for other new members?