My kitty just diagnosed w/ CRF - need advice & prayers

**Ladybug70** · 01-28-2010, 12:42 AM

Thanks again for the additional responses and encouragement. Good stuff! We are warming up the fluids beforehand. Also using 18-gauge needles. Thought we might need 20-gauge (to make it easier for us to push in)... but aren't having any problems with the 18-gauge and Blackie doesn't even flinch when needle is inserted. He just doesn't want to sit still long enough. Blackie loves the chicken baby food too. A friend of mine at work suggested using a soft cat carrier (with zipper top) as a "friendlier" version of the cat bag. Gives him some confinement without binding his legs.... but the cat bag may just do the trick for our feisty Blackie. As I'm sitting her typing this, he's going NUTS with the laser toy... and tackling his brother. Yep, he's definitely feeling better.

Thanks again.

Purrs,
Lisa

**kb2yjx** · 01-28-2010, 01:01 PM

Blackie wants you to work it out and figure out what will be best for HIM!!! Keep the faith, you will be just fine!!! The 18 gauge needle has a larger bore, and the fluid will go in faster. At one time, I had a very petite girl, Molly Meu. The vet gave me 23 gauge needles and it took FOREVER for the 100cc's to go in. Molly, who had a great deal of patience, got impatient with the fluids that session. Next day, we were back to the 18 gauge needle!!
This is a photo of our Molly. She left for the Bridge 2/18/08. Her kidney disease was doing well, liver cancer was why she died....she ADORED my husband and was rescued from the VA hospital where I worked in 1994....such a special little girl....

**Ladybug70** · 01-30-2010, 12:08 PM

What a precious picture of Molly!

Well, David and I tried the sub-Qs at home again yesterday. We actually role-played first (without the cat) so we knew exactly what each of us was going to do. We also tried a slightly different set-up with the table, etc. Blackie could still sense something was up (it's hard to fake out a cat when you're stressed)... but we managed to do much better than last Tuesday's fiasco. We got him on the table but he just wouldn't lie down. He was sitting still, so I inserted the needle anyway but it meant the drip was slower than normal. We only got through 100 cc's before Blackie was D-O-N-E. Lots of growling and struggling, but David did a great job holding him down and "trying" to keep him calm. I think if the drip was running at normal rate, we would have gotten the 200 cc's in during the 3-4 minutes we had Blackie. I'm hopeful that next time we'll get him in a better position and can get the full dose in. WHEW - small victory... but we'll take it!

Purrs,
Lisa

**Barbara** · 01-30-2010, 04:17 PM

I know what you are talking about. Filou gets his fluids at the vet's only- for 4,5 years now every week. He is a very energetic wiggle worm but at the vet's he is a little bit intimidated which helps.
But even there once in a while he insists on pulling the syringe out.
He is good these days- active and naughty. So it's all worth while.
Good luck for Blacky- that he may be a fighter and survivor like Filou.

**TommyCat** · 01-31-2010, 07:32 AM

Hi,
I was reading your thread on giving fluids to Blackie. I had to give fluids to my precious Siamese Tommy kitty who crossed the RB in 2008. He had intestinal cancer and also some renal disease but not severe renal. He also got impatient with me, as I made some mistakes with getting the fluid into him until I got the hang of it. What I did was give him the fluids wherever he was resting. He had a favorite chair right by my patio window where he loved to sunbathe. I put a nail in the wall and hung the bag there and gave him the fluids. This may not be easy or work for you. I live in an apartment, so it was easy to just pound a nail in the wall. I know it's not easy. More than a few times I felt like driving to the Vet and having them do it, but he would get so upset at the Vet and would hiss and growl and fight them that I hated to put him thru it. Good luck to you and your precious Blackie.

**Ladybug70** · 02-05-2010, 10:35 PM

Two more sub-Q treatments under our belt since my last post... and it's starting to get better. David and I are both confident in the whole process... and clearly know what each of our roles is. Blackie is still a fighter but he seems to be giving in a little bit and "sitting" long enough for us to finish. The last couple of times he cooperated long enough for only 150 ccs in... but today we got the full 200 ccs in! Afterwards, he's resilient, active and in a good mood... especially when we give him his favorite wet food. Thank goodness!

Overall, Blackie is doing great...lots of energy and eating well (he seems to have put a little weight back on) and his coat is shiny again. We go back to the vet in 2 weeks for a monthly blood panel.

Thanks for all your encouraging words and support! Couldn't have done it without you.

Purrs,
Lisa