giving my parents cat subq fluids problem

My parents cat Mama needs subq fluids for a week or so and I am the one giving them to her. The vet showed me how and Mama was very good for her but when the time came for me to do it today she was very angry. I warmed them up in water and tested it on my wrist and it felt like it did at the vets yesterday. I tented the skin and inserted the needle the way I was shown. I had my husband put a pillow on his lap then put Mama on it before we started and rubbed her and she was okay until she realized she was stuck there against her free will for a few minutes. She meowed and growled and got very squirmy. We got 50ml into her and then the needle came out and I had a little puddle on the floor. Once she was out of the bathroom she was fine, mad at me but fine. I'm just wondering if I should hold onto the needle attachment or the skin or something because I don't want her to not get enough or hurt her.

She is the worst cat in the house to do something like this to, I also have to give her two liquid meds orally twice a day and eye drops. She is even worse when it comes to her oral and eye meds, last night she clawed my husbands stomach while escaping. She hides when she sees me now and generally gives me an evil look lol. I am always gentle with her and try to be as fast as I can with things but it's not making it easier on her.

I'm just looking for any advice on how to make things easier for her. She's supposed to get 75ml once a day for a week, hopefully tomorrow is better for her but I'm doubting it as she's just a very stubborn kitty.

Any advice would be great, I've watched videos, read the material I was given and looked around for stuff to help but I'm still a little at a loss.

Giving subq fluids can be scary at first.  We have two cats that need vitamin B shots once a month.  Hubby and I do it as a team--we get on the floor, I hold them still, and hubby pulls up the skin and administers the shot.  The liquid is sort of a bright pink and the first time, the poor white kitty had pink stains on her back because of the drips from the needle LOL but after doing it 2-3 times, we got down the routine. 

This same white kitty needs eye ointment sometimes and hates it.  I get on the floor, trap her between my knees, hold her head with my left hand, and get the ointment in her eyes with the right.  I've found it's easier to do it from behind that way.  

Good luck!

If you are only filling in, maybe you could do the wrap in a towel method and get all the stuff done to her while she is incapacitated by the towel.  It is sort of mean, but some cats just don't like all that hovering.

Also, I got pretty good at giving sub-q fluids and you can use almost any area of their bodies.  I have used the back of their neck, but also abdomens.  And yes, if they are squirmy, you probably would have to use one hand on the needle and the other on the cat to make sure they can't disconnect the needle.  There are also various sized needle tips and sometimes the vet just gives the medium ones, where the extra fine ones hurt a lot less.  They will usually exchange them for free.

I assume for the liquid meds, there is a syringe to administer it.  You could at least draw both meds up into the same syringe and give them both in one quick shot.  I would bait with food or a treat with the loaded syringe hidden in my pocket, then just hold them down with one hand while you stick the syringe in from the side and push.

My husband and I are living with my parents for the time being and I'll always be the one to administer fluids lol. Even when we move out they will want me to do it which sucks but I'd rather do it than it not get done.

Tonight when we gave her the oral meds she didn't fight near as much though she still wasn't happy with us. She usually sleeps on my dads legs on the couch but now lays on the floor so she can make a quick exit if I get close to her. I don't take it to personally as the other cats don't hate me lol, she's always been a one person cat and that person for whatever reason is my dad.

I don't think there is anyway to hold her gently to get the fluids done though which makes me sad because I hate stressing the animals out but I can't think of a better way than having my husband hold her so she can't move. She won't take a treat before or after, all she wants is to get as far away from me as possible.

We have a top entry soft kennel, would that be an option to use? I'll let you guys know how round two goes tomorrow

I always found that if my cats were bad enough to need sub-q fluids at all, they usually felt substantially better after getting them.  This increased the co-operation level quite a bit.

However, I just went through a bout with a cat who did not like being handled at all and about all I could do was use the bound  in a towel method.  I was able to get his liquid meds made up into a chicken flavored suspension which made it easier to give.  He got to like his medicine to some degree.

I wonder if doing the procedure in the bathroom is freaking her out? Maybe try doing it while she is comfy in her bed or on the couch or wherever. I've noticed that procedures with my cats tend to go better with this 'sneak attack' approach. If I move them to the kitchen or bathroom, they know something is up and start to panic.

happybird said:

I wonder if doing the procedure in the bathroom is freaking her out? Maybe try doing it while she is comfy in her bed or on the couch or wherever. I've noticed that procedures with my cats tend to go better with this 'sneak attack' approach. If I move them to the kitchen or bathroom, they know something is up and start to panic.

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Yes, if she's happy sitting on your father's legs, then "stick" her when she's up there, maybe even while he's petting her.   She might not even notice, if you're stealthy enough .  I've seen many a cat get their fluids while sitting in their caregiver's lap in a leisure chair, purring away.  And Dan32 is right, most of it is about the needle.  The Vet's never give out the good ones, the sharpest and fastest running.  When we switched to a different needle, it really made all the difference.  We used Terumo 19 gauge, and also ALWAYS had to hold it in or it would easily slip out of our cat if he moved in the slightest .

Doing a sub-q shouldn't be too bad because the cat shouldn't feel it or if it does it will be very little. The idea is to keep the cat relaxed and the best way to do that is to have your father keep the cat calm. I go through this every day with my cat but I have known him since the day he was born so he trusts me and lets me do pretty much what ever needs to be done. He doesn't like any of it but other than pills he doesn't really fight me. I get any medication in liquid form because I found this was by far the easiest (and safest for your finger tips) and the least stressful on the cat.

My cat has had sub-q's on my lap, chairs inside and out, the floor, the deck outside, beds, or pretty much anywhere he happens to be. Most of the time he comes and just gets it over with but other times I have to go find him. My cat is over 18 years old now so for me I just hold him around the shoulders while looking at him and if he tries to get up I can hold him down by the shoulders so he can't 'get his weight under him' and he has to stay down. I try to keep him looking at me and I pet is head and neck and for the most part he has never tried to take off.

If your father put a blanket in his lap to help support the cat properly and then held her in place he should easily be able to keep the animal under control. My trick is to hold the cat on both shoulder blades so she can't get up (few cats will stand with the rears first unless they are trying to bolt) and keep the cat calm while you are giving the fluid. I also use a 20 gauge needle that is 1" long which is smaller and they feel it much less than the standard 18 gauge needle. My cat is skin and bones so I don't need a long needle and I found the 20 gauge to flow really well so I didn't think the larger one was needed.

Cat's don't feel much around the shoulders so as long as you are sure the end of the needle isn't running up against the shoulder blades or the inside of the skin it should be painless. I put the needle back about 1/2" from the shoulder blades at least and try to keep the tip behind them. I run the line across the side/back of the cat and so it runs inline with the needle and then up to the IV holder which in this case is a floor lamp with a big 'C' clamp attached. This allows me to hang the bag up high so there is good flow and you don't accidentally pull the needle out. I found once the needle is out it seems to hurt them if you try to put it back in so be careful with this. Before you insert the needle make sure to massage as much skin around the insertion site as possible to allow the liquid to expand into. If there is not a lot of extra room for the liquid to go it can leak back out or even push the needle out.

It is great you are helping out but get someone who is good with the cat to keep it under control and it will be much easier. This liquid can make a huge difference in how the cat feels afterward so it usually doesn't take too long for it to stop fighting it. Be one with the needle and make sure you are not hitting up against anything and you are getting it in a good spot and if someone holds the cat it should be easy.

We've been giving subq every other day to one of my cats for a couple of years now.  Without it he would have died within weeks of being diagnosed with renal failure.  I have no doubt that subq saves lives. Keep it up it's important.  However, I don't think there is any way to get a cat that hates being manipulated to willingly accept treatment.  In a case like your the best course of action may be a combination of soft claws and a feline muzzle(they make them) to minimize the carnage.  I like to use treats after medication even in a case like yours because it creates a positive association.   Mine is far from a perfect solution because they still fight like crazy.  A good set of gloves might help too.  Hope this helps.

Joe