Our regular vet told us that we could purchase home glucose testing supplies for Caitlin through the clinic, for $200. I'm no stranger to the high cost of durable medical equipment, but I still thought it might be a good idea to look around. Walgreen's had everything we needed for less than $40.
My husband and I aren't morons. We both paid very careful attention when they showed us how to get blood from Caitlin's ear (the preferred site for feline testing). They also told us that they preferred to just stick the bare lancet in the ear, as opposed to using a spring-loaded injector.
So we get the supplies home, wait a couple of hours, then I tried to do the testing. After everything Caitlin's been through in the last 24 hours, let's just say she was less than amenable to the idea. I tried using the spring-loaded injector. I tried using the bare lancet. I tried both ears. I tried holding her while hubby repeated my attempts. We then decided it might be a good idea to call our vet and ask them for further assistance.
"This is Caitlin's Vet Office, Rude Tech speaking, how can I help you?"
I explained the difficulties we'd been having.
"So what do you want *me* to do?"
No kidding, that's exactly what she said.
"Well, you're the professionals, I thought you might have some further suggestions of things to try."
She then suggested wrapping her in a blanket or a towel, and repeating what we'd already tried. No dice. And I was so disgusted with Rude Tech I immediately came into my office to fire off an email to the vet.
Not five minutes go by before the phone rings. It's Happy Tech, the chick we'd dealt with when Caitlin was at the regular vet this morning. Maybe a little *too* happy, but today I was more in the mood for perky/chirpy than usual, given last night. So anyway...she's calling to find out if we've done the glucose testing. I tell her what we'd just been through with Rude Tech. Happy Tech says "Oookaayy...", which pretty much summed up hubby's and my reaction to Rude Tech as well.
So now we get to shell out another hundred-odd dollars tomorrow to take her back to the vet so they can do the testing.
*Headdesk*
My husband and I aren't morons. We both paid very careful attention when they showed us how to get blood from Caitlin's ear (the preferred site for feline testing). They also told us that they preferred to just stick the bare lancet in the ear, as opposed to using a spring-loaded injector.
So we get the supplies home, wait a couple of hours, then I tried to do the testing. After everything Caitlin's been through in the last 24 hours, let's just say she was less than amenable to the idea. I tried using the spring-loaded injector. I tried using the bare lancet. I tried both ears. I tried holding her while hubby repeated my attempts. We then decided it might be a good idea to call our vet and ask them for further assistance.
"This is Caitlin's Vet Office, Rude Tech speaking, how can I help you?"
I explained the difficulties we'd been having.
"So what do you want *me* to do?"
No kidding, that's exactly what she said.
"Well, you're the professionals, I thought you might have some further suggestions of things to try."
She then suggested wrapping her in a blanket or a towel, and repeating what we'd already tried. No dice. And I was so disgusted with Rude Tech I immediately came into my office to fire off an email to the vet.
Not five minutes go by before the phone rings. It's Happy Tech, the chick we'd dealt with when Caitlin was at the regular vet this morning. Maybe a little *too* happy, but today I was more in the mood for perky/chirpy than usual, given last night. So anyway...she's calling to find out if we've done the glucose testing. I tell her what we'd just been through with Rude Tech. Happy Tech says "Oookaayy...", which pretty much summed up hubby's and my reaction to Rude Tech as well.
So now we get to shell out another hundred-odd dollars tomorrow to take her back to the vet so they can do the testing.
*Headdesk*