Please help...my vet said my cat has fluid in one lung from a URI and also is dehydrated...

I hope someone can help me, I'm a nervous wreck. My cat has a URI, he was acting lethargic, not eating or drinking so i took him to emergency this morning.  He would vomit after I gave him water. He was on amox. and I thought that was causing him to vomit.  He won't eat or drink on his own, I have to syringe it.  He has ulcers on his tongue also. The vet said he has fluid in his left lung and is dehydrated. The skin doesn't bounce back quickly, it takes a few seconds to go down and then stays at a small peak.  The vet gave him subq fluids and sent me home with some so I can administer it tonight.  I can't find anything on the internet about how long it takes for subq fluids to work for dehydration.  My cat's skin elasticity is still the same as it was at 9 am, it is now 6:30 pm.  I have to give him fluids at 9.  My vet said he has a 50/50 chance.  I'm sick.  I don't know if my cat is dying, I don't know what to do and it's all my fault since I didn't take him sooner.  He has had URI's before and always got over them so I didn't take this seriously.  Any help is appreciated, thank you so much.  (he was also given a convenia and baytril injection along with clindamycin for me to administer)

Sub Q's

When picking it up ask for smaller gauge needles the ones they assign are very large

painful for my Bo so I use 20 guage this takes the longest so I believe the last number was 19 it doesn't take as long when using.

guage. ie/

If a needle is a 20 gauge it is bigger around with a larger hole than a 22 gauge. As the # goes up the needle gets thinner.

*I hang coat hanger /set up from the top of kitchen cupboards using table to work from. Time ranges depending on needle guage and amount given normally 10-15 -20 mins. My Bo wants to leave after the 150-200ml mark sometimes. I was told its fine to administer 250mls at same site.

Main thing to watch for is NO bubbles bleed the line out, you can puncture skin twice

so when injecting make sure you don't push to far loose skin so not hitting muscles or anything else, needle facing to the sky. Optional place bag into a warm bowl or sink of hot water before using it makes the process more comfortable for kitty warming fluids. Needles can be purchased at any drug store pharmacy.

Gets easier everytime you do it. A big bubble will form with the fluids it may move

to the side drop straight to the leg depending on site, how much given and how hydrated he is how fast it's absorbed, normally within a day its gone. 

So sorry you're going through this it's very stressful, some cats can survive on Sub Q's plus meds for few years just fine. His lung sounds serious have no experience advice to offer someone else may have more insight.

Thank you so much for your response.  I gave my kitty the subq about and hour ago.  The vet said to give 100 ml.   I wish I read your post beforehand, I would have done some things differently.  I will take you advice for tomorrow morning's subq. I was discouraged because my cat's skin had no change from the first subq this morning.  Does it usually take a few days of subq for the skin to not stay in a "tent" position?   The bubble didn't stay very long this morning.  Now, I just checked and there is no bubble left from tonight's subq, which was about 1.5 hrs ago. Does this mean he is badly dehydrated?  I wonder if I should give him more than what the vet told me to.  His skin goes down after 4 seconds but stays up slightly for a few more secs. Seems like the vet was more concerned with the dehydration and not so much his lungs.  I'll have to clarify that with him tomorrow when I go in for blood work. Thank you again, you were very helpful!

It takes time for improvement, you're making it easier on your cat's body right now make a Log you can offer your Vet the more you offer him the better. Absorbing fluids fast means it was needed, so I was told. Sounds like you administer a daily dose twice. 200ml per day is extremely important. Plus meds. Most of us are 100-150 every 2-3 days if necessary....just to give you an idea. Your kitties situation is serious.

I would ask your Vet  Can they drain the fluid out his lung? Sounds like you really need a better prognosis only he can give you, you will learn lots in the next few days after your blood work ..that's great you were able to manage Sub Q fluids it's a little tough at first but well worth it! 

Keep us posted any questions just ask or if you need an ear lots of support  

In cases of severe dehydration, IV fluids are the best way to hydrate. If he has ulcers on his tongue, eating and drinking will be extremely painful and he will likely avoid doing that because of the pain. I am sort out for surprised the vet sent you home with him, he probably should have been admitted. Finding out the cause of the ulcers and the fluid in the lung is extremely important. In cases where infection is this likely, adding an antibiotic to the IV infusion while testing is being done to determine if the cause is bacterial or viral in nature. That doesn't take long, and if it is viral, then the antibiotics will be stopped since they have no effect on virus infections.

Hydration is second in importance to healing, just behind good oxygen saturation. But hyponatremea (too much fluid intake) is just as dangerous as dehydration and should be monitored by a vet. It may take these actions as an inpatient for the best results. In a properly hydrated cat, the rebound of the skin should be instant, and you should also try to monitor how much urine he is producing.

One thing I am not clear on, is URI. Did you mean UTI (urinary tract infection)?

The sq bump will slide its way down the side to the belly. When its gone that means the fluids been absorbed. Dehydration kills but the fluid is the big issue. Did he say it was pnemonia? Youve got to loosen up that fluid and dry it out. A vicks vaporisor with sterile saline will help. Hold him over it (with your hand on his chin to make sure it doesnt burn him) for 10 minites every few hours then preform coupage( take your hand, make it completely flat and strike the upper side of his chest while standing above him. You should hear a solid thumping sound.) The saline will dehydrate him more so think about giving him a smaller dose of sq before each treatment. If your cat starts coughing afterward then thats excellent. Talk to your vet first to make sure this will work for you (maybe go to a different vet who is willing to help more). Look up cpr techiques for your cat and if you have the money an icu unit with oxygen can make all the difference. The absolutely best thing you can do is take him to an actual veternary hospital where he can be admitted and given abuteral treatments in an oxygen tank, it can run several grand though.

grht