? Sore ears

[Julie mueller]

Looking for advice and tricks on how to help kitty's ears . They dont seem to bother him but theres a small lump and scabs from all the ear pricking I've been having to do lately

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Are you using neosporin pain relief ointment on them?

After you prick the ear, are you holding it for a minute with a small amount of pressure so it doesn’t bleed more and bruise?

Are you using both ears and rotating to different spots?

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Hi Julie, I do exactly what Bron says
Sometimes when there is a little dry blood on them I will wet those cotton rounds the ones you take make up off with, I wet them with warm wster and just wipe Tyler's ears back and forth, do you use these also to hold his ear for a minute to stop the bleeding
Then I let them dry and put the neosporin pain relief ointment on them
Smokey is such a cutie with his scarf on.

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

Agree with the above. This is just a little bump in the road. Neosporin works. Smokey is a lucky kitty. He has you!

 

[Deb & Wink]

• Are you poking all the way through the ear?
  
• Do you use something firm behind the ear, to press firmly against?
• Do you use the lancet device?
• Or do you free hand (hold the tiny lancet in your fingers) the lancet?
• If you free hand the lancet, do you hold the lancet so it is "bevel up" before you poke?
• If you are free-handing the lancet, are you poking at about a 30-45 degree angle?
  
• Are you still using the larger gauge lancets, or have you been able to use a smaller gauge lancet to poke and still get enough blood? As the "ears learn to bleed" and you get better at poking, you can often use a smaller 31 gauge lancet.

Have you read Marje and Gracie's Testing and Shooting Tips?

It can be found in the Hometesting Links and Tips - includes numerous links, instructions, pictures, & videos within the
Sticky INDEX: Health Links/FAQs
within the
Health Links / FAQs about Feline Diabetes Forum.

"But did you also know there is a particular way for the lancet to be used? It has one side that is bevelled so the sharpest part goes in first, if used correctly. In the photo below, you can see the lancet is angled. When you poke the ear, it should be held in the position shown below so the longest side of it is on the bottom. Lancets should only be used once to ensure they are at their sharpest.

Ear Care
Since our kitties must endure so many tests, what are some ways to take care of the ears?

• Hold a wet, cool baby washcloth on the poke site immediately after the test to prevent bruising.

• Put Neosporin Ointment (not cream) with Pain Relief on the test sites after each test. It only takes a tiny dab and you can wipe it off before the next test.

• You can purchase Ledum 30C homeopathic remedy at any health food store. Dissolve one tablet in a small bottle of pure water and then apply one or two drops to each ear every day. Ledum is great for puncture wounds."