How hard is it to give subQ fluids?

I got a call from my vet tonight (yes Sun.) and the bloodwork from our Fri.
visit does not look good. He says she has advanced kidney failure. However,
the good news from my point of view is that she seem to respond very well to
sub-cutaneous fluids he gave her on Fri. We agreed on a strategy that I would
bring her in on Tues. and they would teach me how to give this. (She hates the
vet.)

I've become a bit worried about how hard this is. I've read through Tanya's
CRF UK web site a she says it is easy, but I'm not so sure. This cat likes to
be petted, but won't let you pick her up. I can just see her turning into this
hissing, scratching, running away thing if I try to stick a needle in her.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any suggestions, advice, etc.

Thanks.

BillD

"Bill" wrote in message
m...
I got a call from my vet tonight (yes Sun.) and the bloodwork from our
Fri.
visit does not look good. He says she has advanced kidney failure.
However,
the good news from my point of view is that she seem to respond very well
to
sub-cutaneous fluids he gave her on Fri. We agreed on a strategy that I
would
bring her in on Tues. and they would teach me how to give this. (She hates
the
vet.)

I've become a bit worried about how hard this is. I've read through
Tanya's
CRF UK web site a she says it is easy, but I'm not so sure. This cat likes
to
be petted, but won't let you pick her up. I can just see her turning into
this
hissing, scratching, running away thing if I try to stick a needle in her.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any suggestions, advice, etc.

Thanks.

BillD

Yes, I gave subQ fluids to my CRF cat, Debbie. I think it's a pretty common
thing now - while at the vets', on various occasions I've seen others
picking up fresh bags of fluids to bring home for administering.

My vet offered to show me how to do it, & I got several lessons, giving them
under her supervision. I thought the most difficult part was the logistics
bit: figuring out how to handle the clamp on the tubing, the needle, & the
cat all with just one person - like I didn't have enough hands. But once I
got a routine/sequence down, it was fine. After a few weeks of doing fine,
I ran into a slight snag (felt like the needle was hitting a wall, instead
of slipping under the skin - for some odd reason) - but one more lesson & I
was okay again.

At first I had the bag & tubing all set up in the bathroom, w/ a cushioned
spot on top of a ~30" high bath cabinet for my cat, to give her the fluids.
But I later discovered that it was easier if I brought the fluids to
wherever Debbie was (always managed to find a place to hang the bag of
fluids that was high enough top give a decent flow) - w/ the spot in the
bathroom as just a place to keep the whole deal in-between. That way she
didn't tense up at all, w/ me carrying her to that spot in the bath. In
fact, she barely noticed what was going on if I brought the set-up to her -
no "white-coat" syndrome.

The whole deal, from start-to-finish, took 5 minutes or less for each
session. Good luck - I figure if I could do it, anyone can. ;-)

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

"Bill" wrote in message
m...
I got a call from my vet tonight (yes Sun.) and the bloodwork from our
Fri.
visit does not look good. He says she has advanced kidney failure.
However,
the good news from my point of view is that she seem to respond very well
to
sub-cutaneous fluids he gave her on Fri. We agreed on a strategy that I
would
bring her in on Tues. and they would teach me how to give this. (She hates
the
vet.)

I've become a bit worried about how hard this is. I've read through
Tanya's
CRF UK web site a she says it is easy, but I'm not so sure. This cat likes
to
be petted, but won't let you pick her up. I can just see her turning into
this
hissing, scratching, running away thing if I try to stick a needle in her.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any suggestions, advice, etc.

Thanks.

BillD

Yes, I gave subQ fluids to my CRF cat, Debbie. I think it's a pretty common
thing now - while at the vets', on various occasions I've seen others
picking up fresh bags of fluids to bring home for administering.

My vet offered to show me how to do it, & I got several lessons, giving them
under her supervision. I thought the most difficult part was the logistics
bit: figuring out how to handle the clamp on the tubing, the needle, & the
cat all with just one person - like I didn't have enough hands. But once I
got a routine/sequence down, it was fine. After a few weeks of doing fine,
I ran into a slight snag (felt like the needle was hitting a wall, instead
of slipping under the skin - for some odd reason) - but one more lesson & I
was okay again.

At first I had the bag & tubing all set up in the bathroom, w/ a cushioned
spot on top of a ~30" high bath cabinet for my cat, to give her the fluids.
But I later discovered that it was easier if I brought the fluids to
wherever Debbie was (always managed to find a place to hang the bag of
fluids that was high enough top give a decent flow) - w/ the spot in the
bathroom as just a place to keep the whole deal in-between. That way she
didn't tense up at all, w/ me carrying her to that spot in the bath. In
fact, she barely noticed what was going on if I brought the set-up to her -
no "white-coat" syndrome.

The whole deal, from start-to-finish, took 5 minutes or less for each
session. Good luck - I figure if I could do it, anyone can. ;-)

Cathy

--
"Staccato signals of constant information..."
("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon

Bill,
I gave my CRF kitty sub-qs for over a year. He was a very difficult cat to
give meds to. But I managed the sub-qs okay and they really helped him. I
would suggest that you join the Feline-CRF-Support group on yahoo groups.
There are a lot of helpful people there going through exactly what you are.
Someone on the list put together some really helpful suggestions on how to
give fluids. I am attaching that to this message for you. I found it very
helpful.

http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/AG1TP1Y...ug5OQEWS_QumMH
HYJbeFn0cNHpOB_lgGmQd-3OqGrLdydwUJhev3B-RpaI/Fluids.html

Sue

"Bill" wrote in message
m...
I got a call from my vet tonight (yes Sun.) and the bloodwork from our
Fri.
visit does not look good. He says she has advanced kidney failure.
However,
the good news from my point of view is that she seem to respond very well
to
sub-cutaneous fluids he gave her on Fri. We agreed on a strategy that I
would
bring her in on Tues. and they would teach me how to give this. (She hates
the
vet.)

I've become a bit worried about how hard this is. I've read through
Tanya's
CRF UK web site a she says it is easy, but I'm not so sure. This cat likes
to
be petted, but won't let you pick her up. I can just see her turning into
this
hissing, scratching, running away thing if I try to stick a needle in her.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any suggestions, advice, etc.

Thanks.

BillD

Bill,
I gave my CRF kitty sub-qs for over a year. He was a very difficult cat to
give meds to. But I managed the sub-qs okay and they really helped him. I
would suggest that you join the Feline-CRF-Support group on yahoo groups.
There are a lot of helpful people there going through exactly what you are.
Someone on the list put together some really helpful suggestions on how to
give fluids. I am attaching that to this message for you. I found it very
helpful.

http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/AG1TP1Y...ug5OQEWS_QumMH
HYJbeFn0cNHpOB_lgGmQd-3OqGrLdydwUJhev3B-RpaI/Fluids.html

Sue

"Bill" wrote in message
m...
I got a call from my vet tonight (yes Sun.) and the bloodwork from our
Fri.
visit does not look good. He says she has advanced kidney failure.
However,
the good news from my point of view is that she seem to respond very well
to
sub-cutaneous fluids he gave her on Fri. We agreed on a strategy that I
would
bring her in on Tues. and they would teach me how to give this. (She hates
the
vet.)

I've become a bit worried about how hard this is. I've read through
Tanya's
CRF UK web site a she says it is easy, but I'm not so sure. This cat likes
to
be petted, but won't let you pick her up. I can just see her turning into
this
hissing, scratching, running away thing if I try to stick a needle in her.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any suggestions, advice, etc.

Thanks.

BillD