Subcu is, as you say, straightforward. I did it for my cat for five years, and I'm still ambivalent about the whole thing. It clearly made her feel better afterward, but it made her completely miserable during the process. During the period when she was doing well enough that I gave her fluids every three days rather than every other day or every day, I think it gave her a reasonable quality of life and was worth doing. When she needed fluids more often, I am not sure that it was worth it to her, and of course I had no way to ask her.
If you decide to go ahead with it, my advice is to go for smaller needles and slower administration of fluids. It takes longer, but my cat seemed less uncomfortable than with the rapid administration of fluids. If the vet's office tells you that you can re-use needles multiple times to save money, don't do it unless you have reason to believe that Julian is indifferent to being jabbed. The needles get blunt very quickly, just as they would with human skin, and the cat is going to be more uncomfortable.
Good luck. I acquired or unmasked my cat allergy while caring for Momcat's chronic kidney disease, so I also had to change my clothes immediately after hydrating her. Presumably you can avoid that particular irritant.
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Date: 2014-09-14 02:02 am (UTC)If you decide to go ahead with it, my advice is to go for smaller needles and slower administration of fluids. It takes longer, but my cat seemed less uncomfortable than with the rapid administration of fluids. If the vet's office tells you that you can re-use needles multiple times to save money, don't do it unless you have reason to believe that Julian is indifferent to being jabbed. The needles get blunt very quickly, just as they would with human skin, and the cat is going to be more uncomfortable.
Good luck. I acquired or unmasked my cat allergy while caring for Momcat's chronic kidney disease, so I also had to change my clothes immediately after hydrating her. Presumably you can avoid that particular irritant.