Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

[MacksMom]

My dog, Mack, was just diagnosed with diabetes on Tuesday. He's a 14.5 year old Miniature Pinscher. I have the insulin shots down pretty well. I have to muzzle him, but I have a way of holding him that doesn't stress him, and I'm able to quickly give the shot in his hip area (morning one side, evening the other side).

The problem I have is with glucose testing. I had to wait for a new type of tester to arrive at my dog's clinic, and I went to pick it up today. The two very nice techs told me to prick his ear to get the drop of blood. One said use the lancet tool and other suggested just the plain lancet. I suggested an alternative I'd read about (the paw area), but they said the ear was the best place.

Well, I've tried twice to do his testing since we got home from the vet with his new meter. The first time, it took me 6 tries to get a drop of blood. Then tonight, I tried both ears, with the lancet tool and the lancet, and nothing. I tried rubbing his ear, putting light warmth/heat on his ear, and still nothing. He began to cry, I began to cry, and I just gave up. I felt like I was torturing him. I just took the muzzle off, and he ran away from me as fast as he could. Now he's sleeping, and I still feel horrible.

I found this website (and forum) and saw that I can maybe shave a small area near the base of his tail and test there? That wasn't even an option given to me at the clinic, but I'm willing to try that tomorrow. He's just a small guy, about 13.4 pounds currently.

Can someone who uses this method please let me know how this works for you? Are you successful in getting a tiny drop of blood each and every time? Do you prefer the lancet alone, or the lancet tool for this area? Any other tips you can offer?

Thanks so much!
MacksMom

[CraigM]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

Welcome!

We have several MinPin's on the forum so hopefully someone will check in with you.

Craig

[Judi]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

I never had any luck there but it took me a week to get a sample. Some people shave and warm it up like you mentioned. They also get the thicker lancets (lower gauge) and sometimes prick more than once. Does he have any skin tags or warts? Those are the best

The lip by the canine tooth was the only place that worked for us. Hang in there!

[k9diabetes]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

I think you will find that most people who use a shaved area at the base of the tail lance by hand, only because the skin there is thicker than some other places like the lip.

And some people lay down a very very thin bit of Vaseline on the shaved skin to help the blood form into a nice drop.

Another trick used in some places with thick skin is to lance twice very close together and let the blood drop pool together to make sure you have enough blood.

I think Sandy's video of her testing shows her shaved-back-spot technique:

www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L-P...ature=youtu.be

She does use a clicker with a 26-gauge lancet set on a relatively deep setting of 9.

Natalie

[LumpysMom]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

I am pretty new to this myself, it's been a month now, but I have learned quite a bit about getting the blood sample for the test. I also had issues and felt horrible for sticking my little boy so many times. I have actually just found the answer.

I was using 26 gauge lancets and holding them in my hand to prick him. It was okay but took several tries, then I ordered 21 gauge lancets and they came the other day and I AM SO GLAD I DID! These lancets each come with their own lancing device, so you just twist off the top, place the device against the skin where you want to draw blood, then click the button on the side of the device and it shoots out the 21 gauge lancet and gives a really nice drop of blood! You throw the whole thing away when finished and get a new one for the next test. Each lancet comes in a little device for lancing, there are 100 in a box. The best part is, my dog didn't even feel it!

I was testing on my dog's ear and having issues as well, then I shaved a small area on his lower back, just to the right of the base of his tail and put a very thin layer of Vaseline on the area I shaved. I squeeze his skin between my fingers and use the 21 gauge lancets and voila! I get a nice drop of blood and my dog is clueless that he was even stuck. Maybe because the skin is so much more resilient there but that works for me and I read about it online so I know others use that method.

My dog has a wart on his back and I was using that the other day and it was great, but for some reason, it did not want to work any more so that is when I got the 21 gauge self-lancing lancets and used them on the base of his tail. It is the easiest and best way so far for me.

Another thing I did was switch from the Alpha Trak 2 meter to the Advocate PetTest meter, the whole thing cost way less, the strips are less than half of the cost of the Alpha Trak 2 strips and although they require the same blood sample of 0.3 UL, it is so much easier to get the sample with a smaller amount of blood because the Advocate meter has a sucking action and when you place the strip up to the blood drop, the meter draws the blood in, so it seems like it takes way less blood than before. There is also no coding required, you just program it in the beginning for a dog or cat and only change it if you change animals.

I got the Advocate PetTest meter starter kit that comes with the meter, 25 starter strips, 25 of the 21 gauge lancets, 5 of the 21 gauge lancets with the auto lancing device, and a little black bag to carry it all in, for a little less than $25 from Amazon, then I got a additional box of 50 test strips for $24.99. The lancets I told you about are about $11 for a box of 100. If you want links to the items, send me a private message and I will give you the links since I am not sure if we are allowed to post links to products or not.

Also, I used both meters this morning on 3 separate tests to check for accuracy, sampling from the same drop of blood for each meter, and both meters gave almost identical results, within 1-3 points for each other, so the Advocate is just as accurate as the Alpha Trak 2. Also, I found out that my vet also uses the Advocate as well.

I hope this info helps out. I hate sticking my baby for a test but I know it has to be done so I look at it as I am doing a good thing for him and just do it.

Let me know if you want the links to those items. Good luck with your baby.

[MacksMom]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

Thank you so very much for all the support and help! We tried it at the base of his tail, and he didn't even flinch. In fact, he gave me kisses after, so I know he was happy. No pouting or anything. His vet said that it's been her experience that dogs dislike the tail area moreso than testing the ear, but I guess all dogs are different.

Right now, I'm testing every 4 hours during the day because we want to keep watching for a glucose curve, and because Mack eats every four hours. He has chronic pancreatitis, so we can't feed two large meals. His body just can't handle it. So he gets four small ones. So our schedule is:

7am: Food, testing, insulin
11am: Food, testing
3pm: Food, testing
7pm: Food, testing, insulin

I call in the numbers to his vet each day. We're hoping for a curve each day and for his body to adjust to the insulin before we make any changes to the dose. So far, most days, we're getting a nice curve that usually starts in the 500's or 600's, works it's way down to the mid 200's, and then back up again by the next dose. Two days, however, his 3pm reading was higher than his 7pm one. Not by a lot, but maybe 50-ish (556 at 3pm to 506 at 7pm). Maybe we still need some adjustment time.

He has so many other health ailments (colitis, chronic pancreatitis, epilepsy, Mitral valve disease, anxiety, allergies, arthritis, canine cognitive disorder, a tough of vision loss from age, etc). So I wonder if any of those, especially the anxiety, could have caused the 3pm spikes.

The meter we're using is called the Henry Schein GlucoGauge. I got it from his vet. It seems like a pretty standard meter, but maybe there's a more accurate one out there?

There's so much to learn, but I have to say that I'm not freaking out as much as I was a week ago, thank goodness. I think in time, we'll fall into a nice normal routine.

Thanks again for the support!

Lumpy's Mom, I'll PM you for the links to the Advocate meter. That definitely sounds less expensive than the current strips we're using, and since you have had good luck with it, I'm interesting in purchasing it to try it out.

Thanks,
Pat (MacksMom) & Mack (14.5yo Min-Pin)

[Cara Sandler]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

I always used the base of the tail for Sparky. He never even felt it :-)

[LumpysMom]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

I am so glad you were able to use the base of the tail, my Lumpy gives me no problems at all when I test there.

I just sent you the links. I also sent a link to some 21 gauge spring-loaded lancets that have their own built-in lancing device. I got them for $10.40 for 100 and that is a fantastic price. I think using the tail base and something like these will make for smooth sailing.

The best to you and Mac.

[maggiegirl]

Re: Glucose Testing--Feel like such a bad Mom

Glad you can use the advocate. I ordered one from Amazon and the numbers weren't in the control range and then I did one it said high then right away it was 149. I didn't trust it and called the company. They have do several more coding comparisons. And it was still all over the place compared to the alpha trak. The company sent me a new one and it was over 100 points off from the alpha trak. No more double punctures for Maggie. The advocates are both going back to Countryside and I am going to just use the alpha trak. Glad you got a good one. The company said they have had some problems before. Good luck!