Dogs can be diabetic, just like humans. After your pet pooch is diagnosed, your veterinarian needs to keep a close eye on his blood glucose levels to monitor and make changes as necessary to his insulin injections. According to Dr. Kristina Ruotsalo, a veterinarian, you will probably have to monitor your dog daily when starting insulin, but later you'll check it only weekly if the medication is working correctly. Taking blood samples with the lip-stick method is the least painful way to test your pet's glucose at home.
Things You'll Need
- Pet glucose monitor
- Glucose test strip
- Lancet
- Sterile gauze pads
Instructions
Hold a small dog in your lap on his side. Place a large dog on his side on the floor.
Turn on your pet glucose monitor and insert a glucose test strip into it. Lift your dog's outer top lip and wipe saliva from the inside of the lip near the edge -- not near the gum line.
Pull the round end of the lancet backward and prick your dog's lip on the area you cleaned. Keep holding his lip with one hand and set the lancet down. Pick up the glucose monitor and touch the droplet of blood to the tip of the test strip.
Wipe the pricked area on your dog's lip with a sterile gauze pad. Read the results on the meter; they normally display in 5 seconds. Record them on a blood glucose record for your next veterinary visit.