Genteel Plus Lancing Device with Organizer Pouch, Pain-Free Blood Sampling

I am so glad I took the chance and bought this! I was not sure if it would work the same on animals, since it was designed for humans, but it most definitely appears to allow pain-free testing on my dog. I have a diabetic, 11 pound Maltese dog that was fighting me tooth and nail when it came time to do testing. Just like in humans, it is vital to test a dog's fasting blood sugar before giving insulin and I also conduct weekly or bi-weekly blood glucose curves on him to determine if he is getting the appropriate insulin dose and that requires testing every 2 hours for a 12-24 hour period. I felt awful every single time I would test him because I knew I was hurting him. As soon as I would take out the meter or lancet, he would start planning his getaway and would growl and cry and fight me all the way. I was frustrated and feeling defeated every day. Thankfully, I heard about the Genteel through an online support group for diabetic dogs, and after watching a couple videos of how it works, I decided to give it a try. If it would allow me to test my dog’s blood sugar without causing him pain, then it would be worth every penny. Well, I am happy to report that since the day I received my Genteel, my dog has not cried or growled at me one single time. He is now oblivious to the fact that he is even being tested and has even been successfully tested several times in his sleep, without it even waking him. For those interested in using this on your dog, I will provide some pointers and advice. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to be able to test my pup without feeling like I am hurting him. I know several other canine moms that use the Genteel on their pup and they are also just as pleased with the Genteel. How I use Genteel to test my dog: I use the base of my dog’s tail to test because he does not feel it at all and I can actually test him while he sleeps or just rests and he has no idea I am even doing it. I get everything together ahead of time and sit him next to me on the couch and give him either a chew toy to play with or just rub his back. Meanwhile, I am prepping and testing and he is none the wiser because he cannot see what I’m doing. I shave a small spot at the base of his tail, (as indicated in the photo) then I warm the area by placing a sock filled with rice that has been microwaved for 25-30 seconds and applied to his tail for 15-20 seconds to warm the area and make it easier to get blood. I had just tested when I took the photo, that is why his skin is dark pink, because it is still warm and he has sensitive skin. Once the skin is warmed, I put a thin layer of Vaseline on the area to keep the blood from spreading into any remaining fur, then I place the Genteel on the base of the tail, holding in place for 3-5 seconds, then I depress the button and continue to hold the Genteel in place for an additional 3-5 seconds so the blood forms a nice size drop, then I remove my finger from the button, and then I remove the Genteel from the base of his tail. I am then left with a nice blood drop for testing. Tips: Make sure your finger is covering the hole in the button as this is what creates the suction that pulls the blood up to the surface. Do not remove your finger off the hole until after you have depressed the button and waited 3-5 seconds for the blood drop to form. Once you release your finger from the hole, the back of the plunger will come out even further so make sure there is nothing blocking it or you might mess up your perfect blood drop. Carefully remove the Genteel once you release your finger from the hole on the button. Animal skin is way thicker than human’s skin, so if you are using a thick skin area like the base of the tail, make sure you are using a lower gauge lancet, such as a 21g or 23g, or you will have great difficulty getting blood, no matter what type of lancing device you use. When testing at the base of the tail, the purple tip works best for me and for several friends of mine who have diabetic dogs and use the Genteel to test the base of the tail. When testing in other areas, a different color may work but most find the purple tip is best for testing this area. Make sure the area you are going to test is shaved well, otherwise the blood will disburse into the surrounding fur. Warming the test area for 15-30 seconds with a warmed rice sock or heating pad can make a huge difference in the amount of blood that forms in the drop. This is true whether using a conventional lancing device, holding the lancet in your fingers, or using the Genteel. The warmth allows the blood to flow more freely and warms the capillaries so they release blood more easily. Applying a very thin layer of Vaseline to the test site after you warm it and before you test, can help the blood form into a drop, instead of disbursing into the fur, when the area is not shaved completely. If you are testing the base of the tail, try to keep your dog from looking back to see what you’re doing, especially if they are accustomed to feeling pain from testing before you purchased the Genteel. Even though the Genteel will create a more pain-free testing experience, if the pup sees what you are going, we might react and try to pull away because he associates the process with previous pain. Since I’ve started using the Genteel, I have tested my dog several times while he was asleep and he has had no idea I was even testing him. For me, that is a testimony to the fact that he is not experiencing any pain with the Genteel. I am so glad I gave the Genteel a try, I hated seeing the hurt and frustration in my pups eyes as he looked at me as if to say, “Mommy, why are you hurting me every day?” Before using Genteel, he would wrap his arms around my neck and try to get away as I was testing him, fighting me the whole way and crying and growling. I felt like the biggest monster but I had to do it because I cannot give insulin blindly to my dog and just hope his blood sugar is high enough for his insulin dose. As a responsible pet parent, I realize the importance of testing his fasting blood glucose every time, before I give his next insulin dose. This way, if his numbers are low, I can allow the food more time to work and raise his blood glucose to a safe level, before giving his next shot. I found out about the Genteel through a wonderful support group on Facebook called Canine Diabetes Support and Information. If you are the parent of a diabetic dog, please feel free to join us. We are a group of 6k+ who are all going through the same struggles…trying to do the best thing and provide the best care for our diabetic pups and we support each other immensely.

I was recently diagnosed with Diabetes. I was given one option and one option only in what device I could use to help monitor my blood sugar. I spent weeks back and forth with both my doctor and my health insurance to put me on a new device but it was all for not. The lance I was using before was very much broken, even though I didn't know it was, and I was forced to poke myself over a hundred times a day. Quick reference, I have very sensitive skin and poking my fingertips causes issues so I poke my arm instead. After much complaining to my doctor they just suggested I test myself once or twice a week which I took as them just wanting me off their back so I stopped testing all together. My blood sugar was within normal range to slightly high so it wasn't that big of a deal. Then comes a new medication that boosts my blood sugar to dangerous numbers. I wasn't feeling right one day and decided to check my blood sugar, 422. I about had a heart attack. I started walking more than once a day, started eating much healthier than what I was and started testing my blood several times a day. By the second day I was just tired of all the poking and my arm was hurting and fatigued. I had to find a better way so I bought a new monitor and lance. Neither are covered by insurance but at this point I was desperate. Got the new monitor in Contour Next One. I wanted this monitor because it can test without the need of a lot of blood. Used the lance it came with and realized my old lance was broken. My old lance had an adjustable position system for the lancet to move up or down depending on the distance the tester needed to draw blood but mine didn't seem to work. The new lance did and I quickly found that sometimes the lance still hurt. Queue taking a giant leap in purchasing this lance. I hated the price, I mean I changed my mind so many times that it felt like I was breaking the Amazon website by how often I was adding and then deleting this lance from my cart. Finally I just shut my eyes turned away while I blindly ordered this lance. The day I opened this product I was intimidated by how well made it is. I expected something so cheap and fragile, like all the other lances I've seen. Because of its design I contributed that to how awful it'll be to use. I didn't feel a thing and it drew enough blood to test twice over. Sure it took a little trial and error to get the end size to draw that much blood but not a single time did it hurt. To be honest, until I lifted the lance I didn't think it worked at all until I saw that beautiful red dot on my arm begging to be scooped up by my test strip. I love this lance and am still surprised by how much it doesn't hurt. Yes it costs a lot for just a lance but I'm convinced it was a worthwhile investment into my journey with diabetes. If you read this far then thank you and if you are on the fence on this purchase like I was, take the leap it's so worth it. Also, if you were thinking of buying this for a child just know it comes with stickers for them to make the lance their own which is such a great idea in my opinion. Did I mention this lance doesn't hurt, just a reminder for those thinking of buying this for a child. No pain!

TL;DR - buy the Genteel with Tiniboy 36g lancets (on Amazon only), take your time finding the right setup and you will have no pain. Genteel just released their own lancets called Butterfly Touch which are supposed to act just like the Tiniboy. I ordered some and they are relabeled regular 28g lancets from China! Buy the Tiniboy patented lancets. Full review: I have been bedridden for four years with severe pain thanks to a spinal injury and 8 surgeries. Over a year ago, I started having insatiable thirst. I finally got a doctor after my last doc retired and my fasting glucose came back at 157. I have a long family history of serious diabetes. Now, I am not afraid of needles. I've had over 30 procedures and countless surgeries. I can no longer get regular IVs because all my veins have blown up, so I get PICC lines. See? Not afraid of needles at all. Spinal injury means severe nerve pain in both legs and arms. Even the gentlest human touch sends me over the edge. I'm on Gralise and I have a spinal cord stimulator implanted, but neither takes away the hypersensitivity. I had to start testing my blood glucose a week ago. After the first two attempts (my blood over-clots) with 4-5 lancings each time, I was frustrated and in pain. I was using the TrueDraw lancing device which came with my TrueTrack meter. I tried alternate sites and nothing improved. A little googling uncovered many devices, all with the same design. My husband is an engineer and product designer, we are both gearheads and car enthusiasts. Imagine my delight when I found the Genteel- a product I could appreciate with actual features, not just the same spring-loaded stabbing of every other device. I overnighted it using Amazon Prime because the pain was that bad for me. I opened it immediately. The marketing is excellent, with lots of included materials and a slew of YouTube videos so even a monkey could use it. It is NOT complicated, but I can understand a learning curve for someone who has suffered from testing for decades given the lack of device variability on the market. I had already watched the videos included in the email I got from the inventor before the package arrived. I research everything to the enth degree, so I had read dozens of reviews and watched lots of videos about it. The main functional difference is suction. For someone like me, who clots too fast, this is an excellent feature. The Genteel is also easier to hold than a standard lancing device. The case is excellent. I've looked at Myabetic, Sugar Medical (my favorite is their new design universal) and other designer cases but since I don't yet know what my medication will be, I'm holding off. Regardless, the Genteel case is great. The best feature is the Velcro attachment for your meter so it can be easily removed for testing without having to reinstall it into elastic or a pouch. *Update* I'm now taking insulin and switching to a custom case to fit everything as this case isn't big enough for vials. It works fine for any meter and test strips (you will have to stretch the elastic to fit the strip vial) and lancing device but I want just one bag on the go. This will stay on my night stand and I'll be getting a second Genteel so I don't have to pack more supplies when I leave the house. A few pieces of advice- LANCETS MATTER! I've tried three different lancets so far. *Update* Genteel has just released their own lancets called Butterfly Touch, available through their website mygenteel. They aren't cheap but I found out they are designed similarly to the Tiniboy and given the huge improvement with the Tiniboy over all other lancets, I ordered some to try in hopes of an even better experience. *edit* They arrived and I am not happy. They are generic 28g lancets from china with a Genteel sticker slapped on the box. Buy the Tiniboy! The angle may be slightly different but they are just as painful as every other lancet except Tiniboy. The True Lancets (28g) were the most painful. The Bayer Microlet lancet (featuring a silicone coating) were not any better. After some research, there is nothing Micro about them- they are supposedly 28ga. The Droplet lancets included with my Genteel were 30ga and are far less painful, but they are not sold on Amazon. I did some digging and even though the manufacturer has printed the Tiniboy is incompatible, it turns out they are with some experimentation of tips. These are 36ga and the smallest on the market. The average consumer won't like the fact it must be finessed due to the shallow depth of the lancet, but I'll spend hours poking myself if it saves me years of unnecessary pain. Tiniboy lancets are only sold on Amazon. I ordered four boxes of 100 because every other tiny lancet company has gone belly up and I don't want to run out. The Genteel Butterfly Touch lancets are basic 28g lancets with a Genteel sticker slapped on the box. They may have a different angled cut but they are equally as painful as the Microlet. Learn from my wasted $9 (on sale, too!) and buy the Tiniboy lancets. Alternate site vs. finger testing PAIN scale: Keep in mind I suffer from severe neuropathy in both arms and legs. Here's my take on pain. I felt NOTHING on my inside forearm, both palm sites, and above my knee (numbness helps from spinal cord damage.) Fingers, I did. Don't let that deter you, though, because a smaller lancet meant far less pain. Let me compare: My regular lancing device with the 28ga True lancets was a 7/10 on lancing pain for my fingers. The Genteel with Microlet 28ga on fingers was 4.5/10 The Genteel with Genteel Butterfly Touch lancets on fingers is 4.5/10 The Genteel with Droplet 30ga on fingers was 3/10 The Genteel with Tiniboy 36g lancet on fingers is 1.5/10 and sometimes .5/10 IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME, but once you get the right combination of lancet and depth, you will be happy. Yes, they even have a money-back guarantee. Please, please be patient. Don't expect to open it, throw it in your bag, and leave the house. Set aside a quiet hour so you can read the documentation and try various setups. Also be sure your meter and your doctor are okay with alternate site testing. Sometimes fingers are required. I did a little experimenting over both arms and legs to find the most accurate spot. Yes, I used about 50 test strips, but I want to know my blood glucose level accurately! Bottom line? I love it. It's expensive, yes. But if I could rid my other pain using money, I would. This truly is an opportunity to pay to rid of pain. Every diabetic should have one. Go watch videos of toddlers using it on themselves and not crying. Diabetes isn't fair for kids, they shouldn't have to endure pain like that. Every meter manufacturer should include the Genteel. Every store should carry the Genteel. Getting their production up will lower the price eventually. I loved it so much, I bought one for one of my dearest friends who has suffered from diabetes for over 30 years. Guess what? No pain for him either. His fingers are always bruised up, just like my arm after just ONE day of testing. Buy it. Don't like it? You may need some tips or tricks, or worst case scenario, use the money-back guarantee. My dog ate one of my nozzles and the entire card of tips. Genteel sells replacement packs of nozzles for $15, and you can also buy additional tip cards with either ALL one color or the multi-size card for $15 from mygenteel. They frequently have discounts and coupons on their website, definitely compare pricing before you buy. They also offer a $10 coupon when you sign up for their mailing list right now in addition to having a huge sale on their devices. They do offer a metal body Genteel in Platinum or Gold, but these are expensive enough to warrant buying two plastic ones unless you've got the budget or just want to match your jewelry. If you buy directly from them, don't miss out on the survey at the end of your purchase, as they will donate $5 to one of three charities of your choice related to diabetes! It's a great chance to give a little something forward.

For a little gadget, I think this is very overpriced. However, if I have to be honest, the lancing device is not bad. Despite being equipped with a larger needle, it is less anxiety, and less painful if used on AST. The directions say that you can use it in your fingers as well, but I would not recommend doing it. I tried on my finger and it hurt way more than a regular finger prick lancet. So just use it for AST only, and if you want to prick your finger, use a normal lancet device instead. For more accurate reading you will need a good glucose meter designed to read blood drawn from AST. Your normal glucose meter can still read it but the reading will be around 30-40 points off. When using a glucose meter designed for AST the reading would be very close to the finger prick' s reading.

My Yorkie has been sick with Cushings for a few years, then got ketoacidosis and came close to death. Diabetes. Glucose tests to do my best to keep her alive. Pricking the ears of a dog that has never tolerated her body being messed with at all. OMG. This chore was going to be a nightmare. Found this little darlin’. Gave me hope. Practiced on my own finger for a week and I was amazed as I have a fear of needles and HATE having my fingers pricked. No pain at all with this baby. OMG. Maybe I’ll be able to do this?? I test her blood 5 times a day and she doesn’t mind at all. The clear rubber piece is the one that works well for her. First time every time. The Genteel is simply wonderful. My vet claims that my using this Genteel and making it zero torture for her is what is keeping her alive. He normally doesn’t require checking glucose as often as I do, but since I can and she doesn’t mind, I’m able to know what is going on with her and act accordingly. My vet is sold on these and now suggests them to other patients. The vet tech that does the pricks with a needle was amazed at how much better this works as it results in the perfect amount of blood without having to hurt the dog and asked me to always bring it with me when she does have to come in for checks so that she can use it and claims she looks forward to it because it is actually fun to use as opposed to muzzling and stabbing with a needle or lancet that causes them pain. If your dog has diabetes, I strongly recommend trying this little darlin’. You are going to be amazed at the difference it makes. Before I bought it, I was horrified at the price, but after using it, I would gladly play twice as much to have it. Two members of my family have diabetes as well and I have bought them both one of these. They are stunned that they no longer have to feel the prick to check their glucose and thank me profusely for giving them these. They often skipped their checks because their fingers were sore and didn’t like doing it. Now they never have sore fingers and they actually look forward to the check as opposed to dreading it.

I love this lancing device! I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and even if I only use it for a few months it was worth every penny! I am very picky and I always test four times per day to ensure I am within range. I used the lancer my meeter came with for about two weeks before I realised that my fingers were going to get very sore. I could tell which finger I pricked sometimes hours after. I did some research and chose the Genteel. I almost didn't because of the price but I am glad I did. It takes a little practice to get used to it but once I learned what color tip to use, how to hold my finger over the button and release it so the blood didn't smear, it is down right amazing. It pricks so fast I don't feel any pain like I did with the lancer my meeter came with. I can't tell which finger was pricked. I read that some people did not like the sound it makes. It really is not that bad! I don't even notice the sound anymore. If it really bothers you try using it without the lance to get used to the sound. If you don't try it because it sounds scary you are missing out! I also read that some people didn't like waiting up to eight seconds for the blood to pool. Eight seconds is nothing compared to fingers that are throbbing! This is espically true now that it's cold out and hands are dry and chapped. Yes, the lancer my meeter came with caused the blood to just be there but it was way too much! My finger would sting when I wiped it off. I will gladly wait eight seconds. It goes by fast and it never really takes mine that long. I like the stickers even though I am an adult! I wouldn't even comment on them except that I think they might help kids who rely on testing to ease some fear. I couldn't help it and I put the unicorn on, however, I was tempted to put the dinosaur scene sticker on. There is a also one with butterfly's and flowers that I could see an adult using. Kids for sure will like them. The stickers are made of a plastic type material and so far has not bent, curled, or worn. I wipe it down with alchole once every few days so I think it's safe to say it's staying put. I like the case it case it came with and the extra Velcro for your meeter. I took one of my used strips tubes and using the Velcro made a small travel "sharps" container. The case fits my meeter, the genteel lancer, the two strips tubes, my meeter book, lances, a pen and alcohol swabs in a fairly compact space. The company has great customer service. I had the device for about a month and it slowly started to not engage. Every time I tried to push the plunger down it wouldn't stay. I emailed the company, got an immediate reply, they helped me troubleshoot the problem, and sent me a new part. The few days I had to use my old device again reminded me just how much I love the Genteel lancer! I highly recommend this product! I also recommend going on YouTube and watching the tutorials for how to use it. I would buy the Genteel lancer again.

After being diagnosed with gestational diabetes and given a standard finger pricker, I was wincing four times a day when it came time to prick my finger. So my mother-in-law sweetly gifted this to me (she's a former nurse) and got one for her husband's practice, too. A side/note on how this thing works-you can use a lot of lancets/needles that you prefer, but the main idea is that the Genteel creates a suction on your finger right before it pricks it. The pain is lessened. It's not completely painless, but after using it 4x daily for almost two months, I have no problem pricking multiple time in even a minute or two. It's just "background" pain that I don't even notice except maybe every 6/7th prick I do, where i will feel it poke a bit more (still not painful in my book). At first the Genteel seemed not that different from my standard device that insurance gave me, so I tried out a few different lancets (needle prickers) and finally found the winner for me (tiniBoy ultra-thin 36 gauge). The other ones I used I don't remember the name, but they were rated high on Amazon and are multi-colored. Those were too painful. Now, it's important to know that every person's skin has its own thickness, which is a huge factor with this. On a 1-10 scale, where 1 is the gentle, delicate, thin-skinned finger of someone who does absolutely no labor, and 10 is a hard-core construction worker who uses his/ her hands all the time, I'm about a 4. As far as pain tolerance, hard to gauge, but I would say I'm somewhere in the middle (shots don't bother me, but finger pricks I general make me flinch). The Lancets are key to this device in my opinion, which is why tiniBoy works for me. But sometimes/fairly often i prick and get no blood. This is annoying since my Lancet reader is timed for about 30 seconds. So when that happens I have to re-prick quickly. This is where the little colorful plastic rings come in the play (these will come with the Genteel, and this is what makes direct contact with your finger and is attached to the tip of the Genteel device). Each ring creates a different amount of suction on your finger tip, which causes the needle to puncture your finger and a different strength. So with a tiny, thin needle like the tiniBoy, a "stronger" ring on the Genteel device is going to draw more blood (the purple ring is the strongest). So that's what I use. I much prefer to re-prick a few times and use a thin lancet/needle than prick once for blood that draws every time, but hurts way more. Also, at first I was conditioned to kind of flinch away once I pressed the button on the Genteel (which triggers the needle to prick), and this makes the device a lot less effective. You have to push the device firmly on to the pad of your finger (I do it much harder, even though the YouTube video says it's completely unnecessary), then press the button, and (even though I want to flinch) I keep the device still on my fi get for another good second or two. This part is when the suction happens on your finger tip, which is the key reason of why the Genteel is indeed more gentile. Hope this helps.

The main selling point is it takes the pain out of blood testing. Many people have agreed, so probably you should try it yourself - as far as I know they are good about honoring the money back guarantee. In my case, first I got a defective device. The lance trigger would get stuck and I couldn't get it to fire about half the time. The company was good about replacing it and as far as I can tell the replacement unit is as good as it gets. I sent email twice asking about it, but the email was never answered. So this review is on the replacement unit, no dings for the defective 1st unit - these things happen. Main issue, does it make blood testing painless? No. It does make testing less painful about half the time and no worse the other half. Also, when the trigger fires it makes a loud and forceful "SNAP" which is distracting (in a good way). So overall pain is about 1/4 of that produced by a regular device. I would consider this very good and probably worth the extra cost except for one thing: About 1 in 6 tests I get the dreaded "Blood sample is not enough." message, and have to stick again. Also, the company advertisement claims it is good to use for diabetic children. It very well may be and certainly worth trying if you have a diabetic child. But be warned, the pressure you have to apply to the plunger to set the trigger is unlikely to be something a child could do on his/her own. Details to follow below, but that's the gist of my review of the device: It's an improvement but no where near what they claim. I would far prefer a lower cost, smaller device that does not include the vacuum drawing part. It simply does not work for me at all. The device sets the lance depth by selecting a plastic ring on the lance housing. This is more accurate than the simple click adjustments of the low priced lancers, so it has better ability to place the lancet depth just at the spot where blood flows but nerves don't reach. The problem is that at least in my case there is some overlap so that if the lancet does not go deep enough to hurt it also doesn't go deep enough to get blood. They add the vacuum to compensate for this, but it simply doesn't work, at least for me. Using the recommended depth for fingerstick causes no pain at all. Amazing! But there also is no blood, or not enough blood, to test. Setting the depth deeper got enough to test about half the time, deeper yet about 5 out of 6 times, with corresponding increase of pain. Setting it to the next level got blood enough to test but the pain was about the same as the $5 drug store lancers. I'm using the Prodigy talking tester. I bought a box of the recommended Genteel lancets and also tried the generic ones. I could see and feel no difference. I do require a bit more blood than most people because I have reduced vision. I have tried taking blood from the heel of my hand, from above the knee and various other places recommended by Genteel. None work unless I set the lancet depth deep enough to get a real sting from it - the vacuum does not work at all for me, so now I just use the standard finger stick, and "milk" my finger to get enough blood to test. I've decided to keep the device. It's an improvement, just not enough to warrant the claims they make. And I do applaud that some one is trying to take the sting out of diabetic testing.

No hace daño, hay que adecuar la boquilla al lugar donde se utilice, es una firma de evitar los continuos pinchazos en los dedos, lo he utilizado en la palma de la mano y antebrazo, perfecto

Pungidito fenomenale! Innanzitutto se utilizzato con le lancette in dotazione è praticamente indolore (e io sono particolarmente sensibile). Permette di prelevare facilmente gocce perfette da siti alternativi senza dover premere, cosa che potrebbe falsare il risultato. Appena ricevuto è fondamentale leggere bene le istruzioni (c’è anche un pratico video su YouTube) perché non funziona come i normali Pungidito a cui potreste essere abituati. Lo consiglio assolutamente

Prodotto fantastico, utilizzo su una bimba di 6 anni, dopo i primi dubbi si è decisa a provarlo, É totalmente indolore, utile per "risparmiare i polpastrelli". Lato negativo:il prezzo è decisamente troppo alta. Positivo: servizio Amazon impeccabile.

Was dubious at spending the money on this BUT it is honestly a brilliant item! Diabetic for over 20 and finally a pain free way to get blood for testing! The ability to move test sites is a life saver (my fingertips are very grateful!). I’ve been using it for a few days now and have no complaints at all. Delivery arrived earlier than expected, and the item comes with all information and kit you will need including a pouch to hold your meter, strips, needles and the device. A lovely touch is the addition of a sticker booklet which will be great if ordered for children.

An excellent Lancet device,great to give the fingers a break,