I have been trying to find a better solution to lancing Bender in the ear. After an all day test, I’ve lanced Bender a minimum of 10 times. I miss the vein, I know he isn’t fond of it, and it hurts him. I tried using a lancing device but that was less accurate.
After talking to my new vet, she had a few suggestions she wasn’t thrilled with. Such as cutting his nail a little short, Lancing his paw pad, or his lip. No way am I going to cut Bender’s nails short for an all day test. He already hates having his nails cut. I’m not going to lance his paw pad either because we run a lot on the street and the last thing he needs is a cut on his paw. After mentioning the issue to a fellow diabetic dog owner, she suggested try the lip. They had good results with getting blood and their dog was ok with it opposed to pricking his ear.
So why not try it? And I’ll get to try a lancing device! It actually turned out to be much easier, faster, more blood, and with less misses.
First put a new lancet in the lancing device. Cock it. Curl up the top lip, dry the area off with a napkin or towel. Put the lancing device firmly on the lip. Then fire it.
At first Bender reacted to the noise and subsequent prick. He still kind of does, but he is a very good boy and behaves. Plus I give him a small treat afterward.
Good deal on trying teh lip – I think I had mentioned it a few months ago.
Ed just doesn’t mind it all
Yea!
I quickly gave up on the lancet 2 years ago and had my vet show me how to take a U-40 insulin needle and draw a little blood from my lab’s leg. Presto, no worries about not having enough blood for the test strip and no more firing of the lancet which i believe was actually was VERY uncomfortable in his ear and inside lip.
For other who have this problem, as did I, I found that placing a small flashlight under the ear flap and then folding the ear flap over the flashlight. Then I could see the vein everytime. I also shave the back of her ears down to the skin so the blood doesnt run into the hair! helps a lot.
Our Vet Technician lances the ear once, lets it scab up ( do not wipe it clean), then when the next hourly test is required picks off the scab. This works for the entire day during a Glucose curve visit….Regarding the paw as a location, I believe the spot is on the elbow rather than the actual paw. Hope this helps….I am just learning how to deal with this disease.
I put a wet wash cloth in a coffee cup and heat it up (about 1 minute) in the microwave. Get your lancet prepared with 28 gauge needle, and check that your glucose strip is good in the monitor with no error message. Then pull the glucose strip out of the monitor just enough to turn the monitor off.
Next, set the lancet, the monitor with strip, the chicken, and the coffee cup with heated wash cloth all on the floor beside me. I lay my dog (18 lbs.) on his back on top of my legs. Making sure the wash cloth is not to hot, I wrap it around one of his ears for a few minutes. To keep him relaxed during this time, I massage him with my other and tell him how sweet and precious he is, and if he gets to wiggly I use the boiled chicken to calm him down. Once the ear is warm, about 3 minutes, I remove the wash cloth, push the glucose strip in, to turn the monitor on. Now lance the inside of the warm ear while holding one of your fingers firmly on the outer side of the ear where it is being lanced on the inside. This works every time, unless I use a different gauge needle.
I’ve been a diabetic for 51 years and I started out testing my sugar with a tube of urine and a tab that you inserted in the urine, it would change color depending on how high the amount of sugar in the system, Blue was good Orange was high sugar, well I noticed my dog when she pees on the mat or pad, there’s always a little puddle. Isn’t there something today to test the urine for sugar? I hope there is and I hope I helped someone. I was 11 when I gave my first shot. Praised be Jesus Christ!
Diane,
There are strips to check ketones in urine.
I’ve never used them for Bender but these seem popular: http://amzn.to/20vpS43
-Jeff
My grandson and I have not been able check Sams glucose levels since August 2016. We tried every way. The vet wants to keep her at least 12 hours to check it. When she was diagnosis-ed we were in a different state the vet checked her once a month which was fine but this vet wants to keep her for at least 12 hours I will ask this vet about the urine check.
We found out about 6 weeks ago that our 15 lb Binky was very diabetic…off the charts. Our vet insisted that we learn to do the blood curves at home partly due to costs to stay 12 hrs at the clinic and also because he was terribly nervous there. We’ve had to do a blood curve every 5 to 7 days and it is just a nightmare. I’ve now named myself “The Prick” as I’m the one who has to do the dirty deed while my sister holds him. I wasn’t having much success with the lancet and my vet gave me some little push pin type needles so I’ve been using those but it’s often difficult to gauge how hard to prick. Sometimes I prick fairly hard and get no blood whatsoever and he reacts, growls and snaps then madly kisses me to apologize; I feel so damn badly for hurting him. On blood curve days he barely looks at me but it has to be done…I know that.
I would appreciate any and all tips. The mouth/gum method won’t work, nor will the pad of foot. The ears are really my only option. I don’t understand why I sometimes can’t get a drop of blood when I know I’ve pricked him hard enough? I hate having to prick him two, three, four times…I know something is wrong but I just can’t figure it out. I’ve been pricking the inside of the ear yet I just watched a video where the woman pricked the outside of her cat’s ear..is it better to do one or the other? I’d love to get a small blood sample on the first try and it not being too painful for my little guy. I can’t bear doing a lifetime of blood curves if they are all like they have been these first six weeks. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
I’m going through the same guilty feelings😭 Have done a lot of reading and have had some success by first messaging the area to be lanced and then firmly lold the skin so it is taught . If ear or the “thumb” digit don’t work try elbow callous, or nape of skin at base of tail. Be strong your awesome to do this for your baby
My vet is using the Freestyle Libreview sensor on my diabetes dog. It supposed to last 14 days per sensor ($35 for sensor and $40 for installation) I can check his glucose anytime I want without poking him. My dog can be aggressive sometimes.