How to test your pet's blood sugar at home, step by step

Home blood glucose testing feels daunting the first time and becomes routine within a week or two. (A demonstration video is coming; here's the full written method to get you started.)

What you'll need

A pet-calibrated glucose meter, its test strips, lancets or a lancing device, cotton wool, and a treat as a reward. Have everything laid out before you start, so the moment itself is quick.

The technique, step by step

1. Wash your hands and settle your pet somewhere calm and comfortable.

2. Warm the sample site — usually the edge of the ear — gently between your fingers for a few seconds; warmth helps a drop form.

3. With the ear supported against a fingertip or cotton pad, use the lancet at the very edge to produce a small drop of blood.

4. Touch the test strip to the drop and let the meter read.

5. Press cotton wool to the spot briefly, then — crucially — praise your pet warmly and give the treat.

6. Record the reading with the time straight away.

How to make it stress-free

Calm is contagious, so keep yourself relaxed. Test at consistent times, use the same quiet spot, and always finish on the treat so your pet comes to tolerate — even anticipate — the routine. Many owners find a continuous glucose monitor removes the pricking altogether, which is worth discussing with your vet if your pet finds testing stressful.

Log each reading in Mello as you take it, and it builds the curve and report your vet needs.