Trying to get blood for 1 st hometest......HOW??
- Thread starter MOXYCAT!
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PeterDevonMocha
Very Active Member
Hi guys .. Some people on here wrap their kitties up in a blanket, like a kitty burrito .. just enough times for them to get used to the pokes .. I know there is a link on here somewhere .. not sure where, but others will be along soon with links and more info for you .. hang in there guys!
LynnLee + Mousie
Very Active Member
here's the conglomeration of tips and links and videos and such on hometesting
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287
but fwiw, when we first started, Mousie wanted nothing to do with us humans. i found i had to half scruff her with my left hand and yet use a couple of those fingers to reach up and grab her ear to hold it while i pricked it with my right hand. somehow that little bit of scruffing i got on her made her sit still enough for me to test her. sometimes she still got away from me but for the most part that worked for us
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=287
but fwiw, when we first started, Mousie wanted nothing to do with us humans. i found i had to half scruff her with my left hand and yet use a couple of those fingers to reach up and grab her ear to hold it while i pricked it with my right hand. somehow that little bit of scruffing i got on her made her sit still enough for me to test her. sometimes she still got away from me but for the most part that worked for us
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
The two things that made the difference for us were heating the ear and a bigger lancet. If you make a rice sack or use a pill bottle(filled with hot water and curled around her ear) it helps get the blood moving up to the surface. A 25-27 gauge lancet may be needed at first to make a big enough hole. You can also double poke - just a quick second poke in the same spot.
We used the burrito at first. We set Oliver down on a towel next to the arm of the couch. Then we wrapped him up so only his head was showing. I could lightly press him into the couch arm so he couldn't get away.
Finally, if you get a drop and she starts to get away, get the drop on your fingernail and test it from there.
The trick is to find what works for you and Moxy. We all have little tricks that worked for us. You'll be able to take some of our hints and develop a system that works for you two.
We used the burrito at first. We set Oliver down on a towel next to the arm of the couch. Then we wrapped him up so only his head was showing. I could lightly press him into the couch arm so he couldn't get away.
Finally, if you get a drop and she starts to get away, get the drop on your fingernail and test it from there.
The trick is to find what works for you and Moxy. We all have little tricks that worked for us. You'll be able to take some of our hints and develop a system that works for you two.
A
Anonymous
Guest
all i'll say is .... it does get easier. most, like really most cats, grow to actually enjoy the ritual.
doombuggy
Very Active Member
I agree w/Lori - sort of! Cedric purrs the whole time, because I put the treats in front of him and he can't wait to have them! I use a 28 gague lancet, but still have trouble after 2 months. Yes, I heat his ear (which he doesn't like) but sometimes I guess I just don't get the right spot. Remember, you can always remove the test strip and put it back in again to start over.
A
Anonymous
Guest
a warm, well massaged ear bleeds better. get the lancet prick as close to the edge of the ear as possible, good bleeding there.
you may even want to massage ear when not testing to really get those ears workin'.
you may even want to massage ear when not testing to really get those ears workin'.
MOXYCAT! is doin well!!
Happy to say that Moxy's numbers have been dropping consistently in the last 32 hrs by just simply changing her food and only giving her 'TEMTATIONS' as a bribe to do a home test! Tuesday at the vet she was 24.3. On Wednesday i changed her food at 1.00 p.m. (was on Iams hairball/indoor dry..changed to canned friskies 'pate'), that night i wasnt able to get a test but by this morning my effort last night paid off and i got a test..17.4. Just a bit ago i managed another ...15.9. I havnt used insulin yet....should i be??? I know myself when im down i let nature run its course and thats how i feel about her. She is much happier..litter box is a whole lot better...and no needles. Not sure what to do!? Cory n MOXYCAT!
Happy to say that Moxy's numbers have been dropping consistently in the last 32 hrs by just simply changing her food and only giving her 'TEMTATIONS' as a bribe to do a home test! Tuesday at the vet she was 24.3. On Wednesday i changed her food at 1.00 p.m. (was on Iams hairball/indoor dry..changed to canned friskies 'pate'), that night i wasnt able to get a test but by this morning my effort last night paid off and i got a test..17.4. Just a bit ago i managed another ...15.9. I havnt used insulin yet....should i be??? I know myself when im down i let nature run its course and thats how i feel about her. She is much happier..litter box is a whole lot better...and no needles. Not sure what to do!? Cory n MOXYCAT!
A
Anonymous
Guest
Cory do you know how to translate that into American metric? I'm afraid I don't understand what you got there....sorry.
I'm sure most of the folks here know...just not me!
I'm sure most of the folks here know...just not me!
Melinda and Sasha
Member
For what it's worth I was having the same trouble, but just had my very first bit of good luck! I'm on my first day trying to hometest and it hasn't been going well at all (much like everyone else's experiences). 5 unsuccessful jabs, I'd heated the ear, massaged the ear, pricked on the vein, next to the vein, next to the edge, milked the ear for ages and I'll be damned if I could get the thing to bleed!
And then I re-read all the advice on this thread and realized the one trick I hadn't tried yet was to prick twice in a row very close together. That FINALLY did the trick for me, and about 10 minutes ago I got my very first BG reading. Sasha was screaming while I was jabbing her, but when I saw that enough blood had come out to do the read I was whooping and hollering in so much joy she completely forgot her misery and was just curious about what the hell was going on. I had to collect the droplet on my fingernail, and then I couldn't find the meter (wasn't very organized this time, it was kind of a last ditch effort), but finally I got it all together and it worked. I was laughing and dancing around the apartment, and Sasha was so pleased to see me happy she was chirping and purring in spite of herself.
Here's what I did: I had heated the ear for an unsuccessful attempt about 10 minutes prior, but it wasn't freshly heated. I had been scritching her ears in the meantime while reading this thread, then grabbed a fresh lancet and sat on top of her. She panics with the burrito kitty method, so I just put a knee on either side of her and hold her down that way.
With a cotton pad on the underside of the ear, I double poked halfway between the vein and the edge of the ear. I talked to her the entire time, and gave her some reassuring pets to make it a little easier on her. And on the 2nd poke it was suddenly apparent that this time I was going to get the amount of blood needed to do the reading correctly. Because I wasn't prepared this last time with the meter on hand I milked the ear just a little bit, then put the droplet on my fingernail (which other people here have said is OK to do).
Good luck, and keep trying!
And then I re-read all the advice on this thread and realized the one trick I hadn't tried yet was to prick twice in a row very close together. That FINALLY did the trick for me, and about 10 minutes ago I got my very first BG reading. Sasha was screaming while I was jabbing her, but when I saw that enough blood had come out to do the read I was whooping and hollering in so much joy she completely forgot her misery and was just curious about what the hell was going on. I had to collect the droplet on my fingernail, and then I couldn't find the meter (wasn't very organized this time, it was kind of a last ditch effort), but finally I got it all together and it worked. I was laughing and dancing around the apartment, and Sasha was so pleased to see me happy she was chirping and purring in spite of herself.
Here's what I did: I had heated the ear for an unsuccessful attempt about 10 minutes prior, but it wasn't freshly heated. I had been scritching her ears in the meantime while reading this thread, then grabbed a fresh lancet and sat on top of her. She panics with the burrito kitty method, so I just put a knee on either side of her and hold her down that way.
With a cotton pad on the underside of the ear, I double poked halfway between the vein and the edge of the ear. I talked to her the entire time, and gave her some reassuring pets to make it a little easier on her. And on the 2nd poke it was suddenly apparent that this time I was going to get the amount of blood needed to do the reading correctly. Because I wasn't prepared this last time with the meter on hand I milked the ear just a little bit, then put the droplet on my fingernail (which other people here have said is OK to do).
Good luck, and keep trying!
A
Anonymous
Guest
Extending secret handshake to you both, welcome to 'the VAMPIRE CLUB'
You will never look at a blood droplet the same way...it will become your goal, your aim...you will need 2 or more servings a day....your thirst may become unquenchable where you will find testing every hour necessary :lol:
You may even, in your excitement see a blood droplet on yourself...or a spouse, or a dear freind...and feel the NEED to test them.
Don't worry, you are amoung your own kind here.
Love to you both
Lori
and tomtom
You will never look at a blood droplet the same way...it will become your goal, your aim...you will need 2 or more servings a day....your thirst may become unquenchable where you will find testing every hour necessary :lol:
You may even, in your excitement see a blood droplet on yourself...or a spouse, or a dear freind...and feel the NEED to test them.
Don't worry, you are amoung your own kind here.
Love to you both
Lori
and tomtom
beggargirl
Active Member
Re: MOXYCAT! is doin well!!
Keep watching the numbers to get an idea of how your cat reacts to the food. For the americans here, Moxy is now testing just under 300. You may end up needing insulin just for a little while to help Moxy's pancreas heal, but if you're lucky it may only be for a few weeks or shorter.
It might interest you (if you are not overwhelmed) to look at other people's spreadsheets to see how different cats react. Noxin's spreadsheet can be converted to the canadian numbers by clicking on the world link. Although by the time the great people here had convinced me that my vets advice of only giving my cat once a day injections was not a great idea (plus his dose was too high), Noxin was already on his way off the insulin and into numbers I wasn't yet comfortable shooting. So don't use his shooting schedule as any sort of guideline.
MOXYCAT! said:
Keep watching the numbers to get an idea of how your cat reacts to the food. For the americans here, Moxy is now testing just under 300. You may end up needing insulin just for a little while to help Moxy's pancreas heal, but if you're lucky it may only be for a few weeks or shorter.
It might interest you (if you are not overwhelmed) to look at other people's spreadsheets to see how different cats react. Noxin's spreadsheet can be converted to the canadian numbers by clicking on the world link. Although by the time the great people here had convinced me that my vets advice of only giving my cat once a day injections was not a great idea (plus his dose was too high), Noxin was already on his way off the insulin and into numbers I wasn't yet comfortable shooting. So don't use his shooting schedule as any sort of guideline.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Another idea to get her numbers down. Temptations are a high carb snack. Here is a list of lower carb treats: Lo carb treats Niko likes PureBites as they are still a little crunchy.
If you can, multiply your numbers by 18. The majority of us use US numbers, and particularly if you need dosing advice fast, it is easiest if we know exactly where you are.
The world spreadsheet converts automatically for you and is a great tool for you to see how she is doing. We have had some trouble getting it to load from this site, but if you sign into Goggle and choose Google docs, then Browse Template Gallery, then FDMB, a page with 2 spreadsheets should come up. Choose the second one, the World version. If you need help, just ask. They have been tempermental lately.
Welcome to the Vampire Club! Great job on getting blood.
If you can, multiply your numbers by 18. The majority of us use US numbers, and particularly if you need dosing advice fast, it is easiest if we know exactly where you are.
The world spreadsheet converts automatically for you and is a great tool for you to see how she is doing. We have had some trouble getting it to load from this site, but if you sign into Goggle and choose Google docs, then Browse Template Gallery, then FDMB, a page with 2 spreadsheets should come up. Choose the second one, the World version. If you need help, just ask. They have been tempermental lately.
Welcome to the Vampire Club! Great job on getting blood.
Sue and Oliver (GA)
Very Active Member
Here is a link to the World spreadsheet that I hope works: https://docs.google.com/previewtemplate ... ode=public You have to be signed into google before you can access it. Choose Use This Template.
Melinda and Sasha
Member
Hmph... looks like beginners luck. Since my last successful test I've had three failed ones, all ending with Sasha screaming and not so much as a red spot on the ear. Even my two jab trick has stopped working. I hate shooting blind, and hate not knowing how to track my little monster, but I guess I just have to stay patient and hope her ears start bleeding better like people say they do!
A
Anonymous
Guest
Melinda, don't forget that Sasha still gets treated like a Rock Star whether failed attempt or not. You need to praise and treat her for her 'efforts' or she will never be happy with the pokie. All, each and every pokey deserves a good girl, love scrithces and a treat!
Melinda and Sasha
Member
Oh, definitely! She gets treated like the Queen she is after every attempt, successful or not. As my mom likes to say, the only thing I didn't do is blow powdered sugar up her butt.
Strangely enough she goes crazy for the beef flavor Temptations but turns her nose up at the Chicken flavor which I just bought her. Spoiled thing
Deep breaths are helping on my end. It's frustrating that I had some really great success and now I'm back to failure and what appears to be a completely bloodless cat (where is she hiding it?!). But I also know that while it sucks now, with practice everything becomes a piece of cake.
Strangely enough she goes crazy for the beef flavor Temptations but turns her nose up at the Chicken flavor which I just bought her. Spoiled thing
Deep breaths are helping on my end. It's frustrating that I had some really great success and now I'm back to failure and what appears to be a completely bloodless cat (where is she hiding it?!). But I also know that while it sucks now, with practice everything becomes a piece of cake.
Melinda and Sasha
Member
I'm rooting for you and Gus too! It's nice to know that no matter what problems we're currently having there's someone out there that's been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.
ohbell
Very Active Member
Melinda and Sasha:
I love reading your post! you do make me laugh! Just wanted to share a story... Bean sees me get her "basket" which has all of her pokie poke items in it.... btw.. she is in remission and we have not tested in over a week or so... but, she does see me get the goodie basket, go to our special pokie poke chair and she actually jumps up on the table while I am preparing for the mission.... I had to put her down 3 times as she was ready freddy for the testing, treat, etc. and she was 53! We have not done insulin since 5/24!!!!!! we really should put on our party hats for her! After being sooo scared to do this task, ask for so much help from this site and TYYTYTYTYTYT TO LORI & TOM, this is a very special thing.... nothing much, just wanted to share.
mommy to sugar Bean (remission), civvie Slappy girl and heart patient/crf gumpy girl
I love reading your post! you do make me laugh! Just wanted to share a story... Bean sees me get her "basket" which has all of her pokie poke items in it.... btw.. she is in remission and we have not tested in over a week or so... but, she does see me get the goodie basket, go to our special pokie poke chair and she actually jumps up on the table while I am preparing for the mission.... I had to put her down 3 times as she was ready freddy for the testing, treat, etc. and she was 53! We have not done insulin since 5/24!!!!!! we really should put on our party hats for her! After being sooo scared to do this task, ask for so much help from this site and TYYTYTYTYTYT TO LORI & TOM, this is a very special thing.... nothing much, just wanted to share.
mommy to sugar Bean (remission), civvie Slappy girl and heart patient/crf gumpy girl
Melinda and Sasha
Member
Congrats to you both, that is fantastic news! While Sasha isn't at that stage just yet, we had a major breakthrough in our testing technique where she is no longer working herself into a frenzy and calmly allows me to do my thing. I'm still not getting blood on every attempt, but my ratio is improving. I'm just so glad we're past the blind panic stage, that was a real drag.
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