This is not to discourage you... but rather to encourage you ! It was a real fight at the beginning, Ti-Mousse was hiding everywhere, he was afraid of me, I was sooo sad and I kept thinking, I'll never be able, it won't work for me because he's different (he had frozen ears so they are very hard) but it did work!
It took me MONTHS to get the testing routine run smoothly!! Now, we are at a point that if he's sleeping and I have to test, I just do it; he opens an eye and goes back to sleep!! Unbelievable, but it's true!
What really helped me:
- Trying not to be stressed or nervous; he'll feel it and be afraid of what's coming! Someone even suggested me to sing to release stress, or deep breathing !
- At the beginning the tests were always done on the kitchen island so he knew what was coming and not happy to be there!
I started to test where he was; didn't work all the times but sometimes it did, so we both felt better about the poking! He finally accepted all this AND he chose himself where he wanted the testing to be done! Now when he sees me with the testing kit and I tell him "come for your test", he goes lie down on the door mat and waits for it to be done!
I never thought it would be possible but it is!
What worked for me also:
28 gauge (not too small, not too big)
freehand lancets (you see and can choose where you poke)
ears have to be WARM.. without that blood won't flow! (for me the washcloth worked better than the sock); massage the ear;
there are spots that bleed a little better than others, often close to the edge; try to notice where;
with a cotton pad, apply pressure to both sides of the ear for 20-30 seconds to stop bleeding and prevent bruises
AB with pain relief cream after!
and TREATS
If it worked for Ti-Mousse, it will work for your little Zoot! Be patient and you'll be very happy in a few months!
