Second attempt at BG testing - Me: 0.5, Joshi: 1

[LaraB]

*Sighs* Made the second attempt at BG testing today. After several attempts, got a blood drop - yay! Got blood onto the strip, was anxious to see reading...and I got an error. Not enough blood. So, I make my second attempt. Got a blood drop again...had the meter ready to go. Just as I'm ready to touch the strip to the blood drop...Joshi shakes her head. Okay, this was a step ahead of yesterday where I couldn't get any blood - but, I feel a bit defeated. So I wasn't traumatizing her too much, I stopped efforts and will try later. Need to calm my own nerves too. This time I did take longer to warm her ears up and I think that helped.

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

Massaging the ears towards the tip also helps to get the blood flowing. You also want to keep something to wipe the ear with in your hand as you try to test. When my cats used to shake their heads after I got a drop of blood, you would have thought that my walls looked like a scene from CSI. It is amazing how far drops of blood will fly when a cat shakes their head.

 

[Critter Mom]

Here's a therapeutic and some ideas to counter the head shakes:

1. Our vet taught me to get a gentle grip on Saoirse's ear with thumb and forefinger. It can encourage a cat to keep still when getting the blood sample.

1. Some people will ease the blood droplet onto their fingernail and then sip up the sample onto the test strip.

Keep the faith, Lara. You will get there!


Mogs
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[billysmom (GA)]

This may not be your problem but it's worth mentioning. I got a lot of errors until I realized that the angle I approached the blood drop was important. At first I came at it from the side and the blood would go under the strip instead of into it. This was probably exaserbated by the fact I was shaking or Billy was moving . Coming at it from the top of the drop or at a 45 deg angle worked much better. Maybe practice on yourself to get a feel for it.

 

[Georgie]

I was JUST having the same problem with my little one. I just finally got BG testing to work with Georgie (he also shakes his head.)

Here is what I do that worked.
I use the back of the ear, mainly because he gets more squirrely when I touch inside his ear. I seem to get more blood this way too.
I rub his ear and talk quietly to him. I grab a tissue, the lancet and meter. With tissue in the hand I hold his ear I lance him, hold him and touch the meter to blood and immediately after it beeps I slide the tissue over the spot and apply pressure. Then he gets a dried meat treat.

 

[blu]

One thing I have noticed, is if the tissue I'm using "blocks" Blu's ear canal, he gets fussy and impatient. Maybe it tickles, who knows! I have to hold it just under the edge of his ear for him to stay still.

 

[LaraB]

Thanks everyone! I think I did come at the blood with the strip the first time. I did notice that there was a lot of blood on the back of the strip. Maybe it didn't pull up into the proper part, though it looked like it did. Just to make sure I was doing it correctly (and to see again just how much blood I really need) - I did a test on myself once again (my blood sugar was normal. ) I may need to hold Joshi in my lap next time. It's not that she struggles...but without a little restraint, she'll just get up and walk away mid-poke. Which means having to pick everything up and move along with her. Note to self: That doesn't work.

This is going to be a bit tougher than giving her the insulin shot as she hardly blinks an eye when we do that. I did find that she tolerated me rubbing her her ear a lot more than putting a warm towel on it. This time, I also set the lancet pen to its deepest setting as the other ones didn't seem to do a thing. Unfortuantely, Iowa got hit with an ice/snow storm today, so I didn't have a chance to go out and get the thicker-gauged lancet, but the ultra-thin seemed to work today. Plus, I binged watched a few youtube videos on feline BG testing.

Let's hope my next attempt gets me closer!

 

[Chris & China (GA)]

Another nice thing....as you poke more and more, the ear starts to build new capillaries which means there's an even better blood supply available, so it will continue to get easier and easier!