Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

[richardhandsonn]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

I use the inside of the upper lip. As, my dog laid down on its side and lift the upper lip and rolled it outward so that you can able to work on the inside surface.

[Janeyp]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

I use Alpha Trak 2 and test the upper inside of my dog's ear. I read some of the reples and see some frustration with this device's lancet. We had to get up to the 4 setting before it produced a reliable bead of blood big enough to test. My nervous Westie does not mind this at all now that I am not freaked out about it. He comes to me and stands still. We test twice a day.

If you are new to this, warm your dog up first (wrap in a towel and walk around carrying him for a minute if not too big and heavy, or put a sweater on him) so that ears or whatever body part being tested is warm. Makes a big difference in success rate in getting a blood bead.

[chrmyr]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

So glad someone started this post. I have a thread regarding my 3 month old Great Dane pup. She was diagnosed with diabetes around 3 weeks ago. We will have everything we need to start testing at home this week. She has gotten much better about her insulin shots, but I'm nervous about doing the BG checks. We simply can't afford to keep going to the vets every other day for a check though. Plus, we are still working to determine the right units of insulin to get her BG where it needs to be. A difficult process with a growing pup. I'm not sure the inner lip is going to work with her so we plan to start with her ears. We didn't think the paw pad was a good idea. Worried about possible infection, etc. from walking on the area. I'll let everyone know how it goes for us this week.

[chrmyr]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

Sooo....we got all the stuff to do home testing on our Luna (3 1/2 month old pup). But I gotta tell you, getting her to sit for it didn't happen. I'm not sure how we are going to accomplish it. My husband is going to try again today for the mid-day check. But I fear we may end up having to continue to pay the vet to check every few days until she is older.

[Lnard54]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

i use the gum line closest to the nose he is very sweet and will allow me

[chrmyr]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

We finally managed to find a way to get it done. We have to coax her with a few bites of kibble, but we check her right before feeding time usually so it's working out right now. We've been using the ear and that's seems good. I don't think she would settle for us to use her inner lip, maybe once she is a little older and more used to all this poking and prodding.

[Monsters Momma]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

The first time I decided to test Vinny, I poked him in four different places while he sat patiently waiting till I was done! I couldn't get blood from anywhere, but I figured out later that I didn't have a thick enough gauge to poke him with. After that fiasco, he let me test his upper lip (which was site #4 ) and that's where we have tested since! He even comes running when I call him to "poke the puppy"...I'm sure it's for the bit of chicken jerky he gets afterward!

[chrmyr]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

Yes we've used a bit of food as well. But we have a routine down now. Still using the ear. But she is doing pretty good with it.

[peony]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

I use a 26 gauge lancet - no device. I test on the inside of Kirby's lip above the canine tooth. I alternate sides and location especially when doing a curve. The vet shaved his ear and an elbow callus but I didn't have any luck getting blood from either place. I switched to the Alpha Trak 2 because it gives me more time and two chances per strip. I started using the ReliOn monitor but I was struggling.

[Fua2015]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

I use the syringe that Fua gets his insulin in. I insert the syringe a small amount into the callous area that is on Fua's elbow*. It's a very loose area of skin and he does not even feel it, and a little blood appears. My vet said this was the best place. I then squeeze the area and put the barb of my Alphatrak2 strip onto the blood.

*when I say 'elbow' I mean his left leg where the joint is, where it bends. Not really called 'elbow' in dog anatomy but the 'carpus'.

[nyjenniferc]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

We're still new to this, but I've been checking on my cockapoo's paw pad...the one that's not really on the paw, but up higher. She freaked when I tried on the inner ear, and there's no way she'd let me do it on her lip.

BUT, after only a week, she comes to the kitchen when she hears the lancet click, and sits right down. She doesn't like it, but she knows she gets lots of love when it's done!

I test in the am before breakfast, before I leave the house, when I get home, dinnertime and bedtime. OCD rears it's ugly head!

[Zozo]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

On my newly diagnosed mini-schnauzer, who is still being regulated:

Where you test on your dog: Tail, on the top side, which she doesn't react to. If I use the sides of the tail, she reacts. I started with the inner lip, as advised by the vet tech, but that quickly went downhill after several pokes that didn't result in blood.

Lances used (brand, gauge): The kind that comes with the Alphatrack2 monitor.

Whether you use a lancing device: No - it came with the Alphatrak2 kit but I never tried it - a light poke works fine.

Meter you use: Alphatrak2.

[k9diabetes]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

I am bringing a few useful polls up to the top of the list for new members.

[maggiegirl]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

Maggie's mom!
Just diagnosed a few days ago. Very scary because my girl dropped quite a bit of weight.
Trying to learn as much as I can as quick as I can. Your info is a lifesaver to me. I am
Using alpha trak 2 but am having trouble getting enough blood for test and wasting
Strips. I just ordered the advocate meter but I bought from Amazon so may have paid
To much. Is there a conversion chart for dogs from humans so you can use the cheaper
Strips ? Am looking to find out good recipes to make Maggie to keep sugar lower as well. Thanks again for all your help and info. Linda

[CyphersAdvocate]

Re: Poll: How and Where you test your dog's blood sugar

Where do you test on your dog: On the lower lumbar region (Vet inserted a sensor) and on the inside of his ears, towards the tips.

Lances used (brand, gauge): The kind that comes with the Freestyle Lite monitor. Plus the one that is inserted - Freestyle Libre.

Whether you use a lancing device: Yes - with the Freestyle Lite.

Meter you use: The Freestyle Libre (which is a constant blood glucose monitoring device) and the Freestyle Lite

The Libre only got inserted yesterday at the vets and was calibrated. However finding quite a large difference between the Lite readings and the Libre sensor. For example this morning's reading: Libre 370+ (20.9AUS) and the Lite 235+ (13.1AUS).

Have emailed my vet to see what to do about that.