Problems pricking Simba

[Winni]

My Simba was diagnosed 2 yrs ago. Has been w/o insulin for 1yr 1/2. Of course within that time I would prick him. The past month 1/2 Siimba as been running between low 200's to mid 300's; therefore he back on Prozinc 1 unit twice a day. He's on wet food (fancy feast classic)

My Problem is: I'm having such difficulties pricking him in the mornings before going to work. He seems anxious when I'm getting ready to go to work; therefore I have not been pricking him in the mornigs; therefore no insulin. By the time I get home at night I prick him 2 hrs after his dinner and he runs between low 200 to mid 300's, so I give him 1 unit.

I'm having a difficulties pricking him also. Sometimes I prick the poor kitty 5 times and don't get enough blood. What am' I doing wrong ? - How many times can you prick the poor cat ?

Yesterday morning at 10am I pricked him maybe 6 times, finally got a drop of blood which he was 257 so he got 1 u. By 10pm he would not let me prick him and same thing this morning. So his last dosage of Prozinc was yesterday morning at 10am.

Is there an easier way of pricking the poor cat and how many times can I prick him - When do I say enough is enough ? - His ears are a mess because I keep missing. I put nerosporin on his ears, but I feel awful for him because his ears are all blood shot.

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

It could be your technique.

Are you using the lancet device or free handing the lancet? You may want to try the other opposite of what you are doing. Remember if free handing, you want to hold it at an upward 45 degree-ish angle and prick that way. You don't want to be horizontal as you will pierce instead of poke.
Like this:

Are you warming the ear? Rubbing the ear to warm can help, or better yet using a warming sock.

Take one sock, add 1/4 cup of regular dry rice, dried beans or oatmeal (I prefer oatmeal). Knot the top and place in microwave 15-30 seconds until warm to touch. Hold behind cat's ear for about 2 minutes, until ear is warm/hottish to touch.

If free handing the lancet, you may want to keep the sock behind the ear so if you do pierce, you hit the sock and not your finger - this may also give you more confidence in poking technique too, knowing that you won't stab yourself.

And are you aiming for the sweet spot?

Are you poking front to back or back to front of ear - maybe try the opposite of what you are doing. I always poke front to back - inside the ear to back of ear.

hopefully these tips will help.

 

[Winni]

Thank you so much for these tips. I truly appreciated. I use a lancet to prick Simba. I don't think I could do free handling. But I never thought about doing it from inside of the ear. My biggest problem is a miss. But I printed what you said and will try from inside the ear. Very helpful having the pic. Thank you again.

 

[Elizabeth and Bertie]

Hiya,

My cat has been diabetic and on insulin for 6 years now. And he's a particulary tricky diabetic who needs a lot of testing. I recently worked out that we'd clocked up about 20,000 tests.... But even after all that testing there are still times - very occasionally - when I'd swear that my cat's head has turned into a bloodless turnip... However - in my experience the key ingredients to getting a good blood sample are these:

1. Warm ears.
Ears bleed SO much easier if they're warm. Sometimes massaging a cold ear is sufficient. Sometimes it helps to hold a pill bottle filled with warm water against the inside of the ear for a few seconds. Some folks use a warmed 'rice sock' but that never worked for us. One sniff of that hot rice was enough to send my cat hurtling out of the cat flap.

2. Putting pressure on the inside of the cat's ear (assuming you're poking from the outside).
Forgetting to do this simple thing is the most common mistake I make, and this usually happens when I'm tired. The poke needs something to 'resist', so a little bit of tissue or cotton wool (or your finger if you're brave...) pressed against the inside of the ear helps enormously.

3. Vaseline.
In the early days of testing a teensy smidge of vaseline on the outer edge of the ear was a godsend for us. It enables the blood to 'bead up' without disappearing into the fur.

4. Two holes can be better than one.
If the ear is not bleeding well making 2 pricks really close together can often give enough blood for a test.

5. Massaging just below the prick site will cause the ear to bleed more.

6. Patience... "If at first you don't succeed...."
Sometimes I try to get blood, and don't quite get enough. And then I try again...and don't get enough. And then I can feel myself start to get stressed. So at that point I take a deep breath, and begin again: I pretend to myself that I haven't made any previous attempts to get blood. And I say (usually out loud) "OK, I know, let's do a blood test, Bertie... " And I've lost count of the times that technique has worked....

If we humans are stressed the cats pick up on it, then they get nervous and twitchy, and that makes it harder to get blood. And the stress levels on both sides can just build and build. So, any little technique or trick that defuses tension is inordinately helpful...

7. Reward.
Giving the cat a treat during or after the test can soon teach them that tests are positive experiences. But I absolutely believe that we need to reward ourselves as well. Chocolate or a glass of chardonnay usually work for me... ;-)

Oh, nearly forgot; I learned to test from the following link; lots of good pics and info there:
http://www.sugarpet.net/bloodtst.html

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

I always prick from inside the ear - if you refer to my first pic - that is how I did it - free hand and poke inside edge of ear. As you can see, Maui has black ears, so I would use a flashlight directed there to get more light. It was how I always tested and never realized that others were testing from the back of ear.....goes to show that there are multiple ways of getting the same result.

Another thought, what size lancets are you using? If you are using 30 or 31 gauge (these are really thin) you may want to get 26, 27, or 28 gauge lancets. The lower the number the thicker the needle. That too may help when testing.

It is ok to poke several times in the same area to get one drop of blood.

Hope this additional ideas help.