Will draining my 17-year-old cat's fluid with a needle hurt him?

I'm so sorry to hear that Putih has been diagnosed with FIP. She is gorgeous. Thank you for including a picture. As you know FIP is a very difficult disease to treat without any cure. Thoracocentesis is performed with a needle, but we often give apply a numbing medication to the skin to minimize any discomfort with the needle poke. That is the only "painful" part of the procedure, but some cats become very stressed with the process of having to sit still for the procedure. I would recommend asking your vet how Putih handles the procedure. If she is calm and tolerates the procedure well, then I don't see any problem with repeating it every couple of weeks as needed. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Baby should be fine from this. There will be no negative behaviors. Just give her the fluids at her next scheduled time. I would have a friend hold her while you do it, or you can wrap her in a towel like a burrito to help her stay still. Best of luck.

I recommend cleaning the area with a warm damp cloth to remove the discharge. Then you can apply a thin film of antibacterial ointment on it. Actually, now that it’s draining the infection his fever should break and this should heal quickly. It’s important to keep it clean and for the wound to stay open so the infection doesn’t stay under the skin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Smudge.

SQ fluids must be given with a needle under the skin and although it might look brutal to you it is actually much easier on the cat than try to force her this quantity of water orally, which is virtually impossible.

HI there. If the cyst isn't bothering Fi, I would recommend just leaving it alone. Attempting to drain it yourself at home may be painful for her, and could introduce infection and create a problem where there isn't one right now. If it starts to bother her, I would suggest taking her back to the vet to have it rechecked, and see what he/she recommends.

A small amount of bloody water is normal if you hit a small capillary vessel with your needle. A couple drops that stops with some pressure is totally normal and not concerning at all. Fluid therapy is frequently very helpful for extended both life quantity and quality in cats, so it's probably necessary but you can talk to your vet if you want to clarify that.

This is a nasty wound. I would put Cheeru in the sink or tub and gently flush this wound with cool water until it is clean and all the discharge is removed. Then keep her inside in a small clean room with fresh bedding, food, water and litter. It looks like you may have put iodine solution on it as a disinfectant in the picture, which is fine. She will lick and clean this area so I don't like to apply ointment on it. You can take some hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and clean the area daily if needed. Draining watery, bloody fluid from the area is normal. Give her wet food with added water to make sure she doesn't become dehydrated. Luckily cats usually heal well when the wound is open and draining like this one. Expect this to take a few weeks to heal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cheeru.