Taking blood sugar tests

[KiwiandPappa]

Hello, new to this forum so please be patient and lenient. I respond better than from a sharp smack on the nose. LOL

I have ben attempting to try to get glucose tests from Kiwi, my pup. She is a terrier mix and has been urinating an abundant amount, drinking almost two gallons a day and throwing up intermittently.

I have a test kit, glucose strips and lancet puncture tool.

But having tried and failed half a dozen times, I am at a crossroad of frustration. The lancet needle is set to its maximum depth. I have tried her paw pad, the one she doesn't use. She yelps but no blood comes out even after 3 tries. She is fast developing a fear of the lancet, poor thing. I have tried her thin ears, she yelps but no blood. She doesn't have a massive venous system there as some dogs like retrievers do.

I have not tried her inner lip yet as Youtube videos show, but I think she would simply yelp, pull and wipe that off in micro-seconds flat.

Please, please, please have you any logical suggestions. I mean, anything that doesn't include bleeding her out. She is suppose to live through this is she not? haha

This is life-or-death to be honest as I HAVE to be able to monitor her blood regularly.

[Judi]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

Hi for some of us getting that blood can be a struggle. For me it was. My facebook memories today said that 10 years ago I was so excited because I finally got blood.

I couldn't make the foot pad work either. Some dogs have like a wart on one of their elbows, people have had luck with that. We wound up using the inner lip. My Jenny was a small poodle so I was able to hold her tight to my chest with one arm and get the blood with the other. Warm skin bleeds more than cold so some people heat up rice packs. I would just rub my finger over her lip a little first.

I'll look for some old threads. Watching some of the videos on this site helped too. You will definitely feel better once you can monitor blood sugar

[Judi]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

Tiggy base of tail. Some people shave the hair off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=1L-Pvp4ivbU

page 12 of this thread talks a lot about different methods

http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/show...+blood&page=12

http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/show...ood#post100430

[KiwiandPappa]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

Thanks everybody. Your advice was well appreciated. Just to share, I did a bunch of looking around online, and finally came up with a solution both she and myself liked. I just got some small scissors from the bathroom cabinet, cut some hair down on the rear side of her bottom, and then shaved it to skin. Now I can get her in a torpedo hold, haha, and get a quick and trouble free blood test.

Now on to the major parts. She showed 436 on her blood test without eating anything. SO its bad. I bought some urine strip tests that have 10 variables it tests for, ketone included and I will test her to see how bad we are. She has been urinating excessively, drinking nearly a gallon and a half of water a day (for a 20 lb pup) and throwing up half the time after eating, so she is not getting much nutrition and is loosing weight far too quickly.

If she doesn't pass her urine tests, its to the emergency vet for sure.

Thanks again.

[jesse girl]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

The vomiting may point to pancreatitis which can be life threatening . DKA is also possible or both and a vet visit maybe in order. The vet can test for pancreatitis and elevated ketones can help to check for DKA

[Judi]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

Is she still throwing up?

[Bellandanny]

Re: Taking blood sugar tests

We've had no luck with anything but the inner lip, give that a shot!