Does anyone know how to shorten an IV line?

My Cocheesie gets sub-q fluids every second day. I swear the last IV line (tubing) they gave me is a minimum of 8 feet long! It has become a two person job with one person standing up and checking the fluid level on the bag (which is hung on the highest place possible in the house) and manning the switch, and the second person on the floor holding the cat and the needle.

I'll ask for something shorter when I'm next at the vet (it's a bit of a distance and we are not due to go for another two weeks when we will need another bag of fluid).  I don't do well on the floor because of health problems and would rather the cat be on the bed on a towel for treatment which means that we 1) loop the IV tubing all over the place trying to maintain an always downwards flow or 2) have the line curled up on the bed (which works). But in the meantime, is there any possible way to shorten it other than looping the line all over the place? Has anyone ever taken the line apart, cut out a piece, and put the line back together?

Do not cut the line apart because it will no longer be sterile. Sometimes there will be an extension set attached to add more ports and make it longer. Does it look like it could be taken apart anywhere?

No extension set was given (I don't understand how making it longer would help). Just wish there was a trick to shorten the line.

Maybe your local pharmacy may have a replacement tubing kit of some sort? I'm thinking of catheter supplies. Or maybe the pharmacy inside the hospital if you have one close by.

Good idea, but no, I've checked online. The only possible place is a place that I used to work at many years ago as a pharmacy tech and while they are a medical pharmacy (no front shop), they don't have IV supplies. I'll tough it out for the next 2 weeks then ask the vet tech.

I think you'll find IV tubing will be a standard length for the purpose of hanging. Some IV's are gravity fed instead of using an IV pump. I have never seen a shorter length IV tubing. How is the cat being given IV fluids? what volume over what length of time? If its only small amounts in increments is it possible that you could do an IV push? Meaning that you put the fluids into a large syringe and connect it to a port and push the amount over so many minutes?

You might be able to gently coil up part of the line into a series of loops (like coiling rope) with each loop maybe about 9" in diameter, making sure there are no kinks, and then gently tying the loops so they don't come apart.  Do this towards the bottom of the length you wish to use so gravity can still push through the loops and then test the flow rate before you attempt to give fluids again.

Why not telephone your vet and ask if they can mail you a shorter line in a padded envelope?

8 feet! That's amazingly long... yes, as mentioned there is no way to cut the line and make it shorter, unfortunately. If there was an extension set you could remove it but it sounds like there isn't. The consequences of cutting a line could be absolutely dire for your cat due to destruction of the sterile nature of IVs. I also recommend coiling the line. Sometimes there is a little notch on the back of the roller clamp (roller clamp used to regulate drip rate) that allows you to loop the line up and secure it to a higher place on the tubing, thus effectively shortening the line. I am sure you can come up with some fancy coiling/looping solution in the interim and ask your vet for a shorter line next time round.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions and tricks.

(I would never do anything to contaminate the line. Some of the vet techs tell me I can re-use the needles, but I insist on one-time only, and make sure I walk out with enough needles to do so.)