Having Trouble Getting Blood to Test Your Diabetic Dog?

So at this point, you are good with injections and really want to start testing your pup. You have an internal debate with yourself about another “poke” in your routine. You realize that it really is in your pup’s best interest to have the data that will keep him or her safe at all times. Having read all that you can and understanding that there are many places on your pup that have very few nerve endings and that it really doesn’t hurt them, you decide that you’re going to test BG (Blood Glucose) at home. YAY!!

Let’s start by remembering that your pup will take his or her cues from you. If you are squeamish or nervous, so will they be. Approach this as calmly as possible, breathe, hum a calming song, do whatever you have to do to get your emotions under control. It really isn’t that big a deal and you will know that once you figure out how to do this. I have written a post earlier about where you can test your pup, so maybe have a look back and refresh your memory. There are lots of places and lots of techniques.

You were probably told by your vet that the ear is a great place to test. Well, I had zero luck testing Max’s ears. Nope, not even a speck of blood came out of them. So let’s just quickly run down the spots:

Inside of the upper lip: This is where I had the best luck every time. There is ample blood supply there and very few nerve endings there. Just turn up the lip, wipe the area with the back of your hand to dry it off and poke for a great sample every time.

Shave a patch just above the tail: You can have your vet or groomer shave you a small testing patch just above the tail or in the hip area, or you can order a personal shaver from Amazon and shave it yourself.

Shave a patch on the tail: I have a friend that has shaved a small patch on the tail itself about 2 inches from where the tail meets the body.

The very tip of the tail: Many have cut the hair away from the tip of the tail and test there; it doesn’t seem to bother their pups at all.

The elbow callus: If you have a large dog, chances are good that they have a rough patch or callus on their elbow and this is a popular spot for those pups that have one.

The carpal pad: This is the paw pad that is up higher on the leg, it’s the one that doesn’t touch the ground when they walk.

I used the lancing device that came with the meter at the onset of testing, but after a while, I just held the lancet in my fingers and poked. Now, if you are having trouble getting a blood drop, here are some tips and tricks that may make it easier:

Use a higher gauge (thicker tip) lancet or a safety lancet. The one that comes with the meter is a 26 gauge lancet and works great for the inside of the upper lip, but not so well for places with thicker skin. You can also try a lower gauge safety lancet that all you have to do is press the device against the skin and it fires automatically for you.

Make a rice sock. What is a rice sock and how does it help? You take an old sock, put half a cup of uncooked rice in it and tie the end. When it’s time to test, just put the sock in the microwave for 15-20 seconds (check to make sure that it isn’t too hot), apply it to the test site for 15-20 seconds to draw the blood closer to the surface of the skin, remove the rice sock and proceed with your test. If you don’t have a microwave, run a washcloth under hot water, put it in a plastic bag and apply it to the test area for 15-20 seconds, remove it and proceed with your test.

Genteel lancing device. If you have exhausted all options and you’re now exhausted, there is an amazing tool called the Genteel lancing device that uses suction to get the blood drop. It was developed and designed for use in pediatric diabetes. It is completely painless. I think that the most affordable price is on Amazon, or it was the last time that I checked. On Genteel’s website there is a discount code for $30.00 off. They periodically run a buy one get one free special, but only twice a year I think. The Genteel has been a game changer for those that have tried everything and have been unsuccessful at getting a sample to test. In short, you place a very thin layer of Vaseline over the shaved test area; hold the device over the test patch, press the button and the device uses suction to pull the blood from the tiny spot that the lancet makes. Easy as that.

So you see? There are many ways to get the blood drop that you need to keep your pup safe at all times. You can do it! I have great faith in your ability to persevere and get this done. You will develop your own technique that works for you and your pup. And for goodness sake, don’t forget the treat before and after each poke! That makes it all worthwhile!

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Until next time…