 |
Re: [RC] Blood Glucose for Horses - Don HustonHello Crysta,I have been using the $30 cheapie monitor for about a year. I tried to get blood using that lancet from the ears, nose, lips, neck and finally, the only place without a bunch of fur, under the tail off to the side where the fur stops on the back of the leg. Still no blood cause the skin is just too thick and tough for that little gizmo. So I grabbed a 18 gauge syringe needle and pushed it in about 1/4" and got several big drops of blood. I tried the needle other places too but the fur always soaked up the droplets so now I just lift his tail and nick him on the leg at the fur line. I have 2 other horses that I test the same way but only 1-2 times a month in the afternoon before feeding and their readings are always in the 60's. The 3rd horse is my enduro guy and I test him in the afternoon before feeding sometimes 3-4 days in a row then get distracted for a while then another day or two then miss a week etc so I'm not consistent but the readings are always in the 60's. This horse has been getting 2lbs Equine Senior and 2lbs whole oats every day during this time, rode 8-50milers, has gained 50lbs, looks good, has improved energy, but the readings have stayed the same. Every once in a while I'll get a 90-100 but when I test him again right away it's back in the 60's. My original plan was to up his weight and energy so that part worked but I thought the glucose level would also go up but it didn't??? The other 2 pasture potatoes only get 1lb Senior and not every day but their readings are also in the 60's. Maybe if I drew blood from the other end of the horse I would get higher readings :-D but jabbing a needle in a neck vein one or more times a day just seemed like a good way to cause an infection plus it's a lot more work. Just my one-rat-study. I'll be very interested to hear what you find out. Also, be prepared for some funny looks. I was standing at the rear of my horse with his tail on my left shoulder, a syringe needle clamped in my teeth (I had already nicked his leg), my left hand holding the meter up on his croup with my left arm encircling his tail so he can't swish it into the droplets, the test strip in my right hand trying to get blood on it as the horse starts to move sideways cause the neighbor is walking over to see what the hell I'm doing with my head up my horse's ass. I got the blood and stuck the strip in the meter and walked over to the guy. I figured it would be easier to give a short explanation so thru clenched teeth (still holding the needle) I said the horse was sick. He rolled his eyes and said "so are you fella". We had a good laugh but I really think he was serious. At 05:51 PM 11/7/2006 Tuesday, you wrote:
Don Huston <donhuston@xxxxxxx> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|