My elderly cat pulled out IV fluids. Is she okay? How to give fluids?

225ml is not a problem. A daily maintenance fluid for a cat would be 60 ml/kg. Your kitty weighs 12 lbs, which is about 5.5kg. So her daily maintenance would be 330ml. She actually may feel very good now, which is why she is using her scratching post and obviously is not nauseous but hungry. The extra fluid is likely flushing out toxins. So, no , you do not have to worry. Since you are giving the fluids under the skin, she will only pull in what she needs over time. Good luck with your kitty!

I'm not sure what fluid you are draining but I recommend just putting the needle under the skin into the pocket and gently pulling back to remove the discharge. It won't cause much discomfort. You should have someone hold him steady when you do this. Personally I recommend you take your cat back to the veterinary office to see if one of the technicians can watch you and help you do this so you can become confident. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.

If your cat is breathing with an increased respiratory effort while on IV fluids, she is likely accumulating extra fluid in her lungs. Not urinating for 5 hours while on IV fluids is not always a reason for concern depending on the level of dehydration at the start of fluid therapy. Since your cat is receiving fluids intravenously through an intravenous catheter, I assume that she is being hospitalized in a veterinary hospital. Her vet should be able to examine her and determine if her fluid rate needs to be decreased and if she needs to receive diuretics if she is fluid overloaded. If for some reason she is not in a hospital setting, she needs to be taken to an ER immediately.

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.

This can be normal, especially when the fluids are cold. There are a couple things you could try. One is is wrap part of the fluid line in a heating pad. As the fluid flows through this part of the line it can warm up a little bit. If you don’t have a heating pad, you can try something similar with a warm bowl of water. Make sure that neither end of the line is in the water, but a small loop in the middle of the line. I hope this helps!

Hello. IV fluids can be harmful to cats if they are in heart failure, or given at too high of a rate or if they are given and not supervised. Otherwise IV fluids are a wonderful tool in making sick cats feel better, especially in conditions of pancreatitis, kidney disease, toxicities, diabetes, etc. I would discuss these with your vet, but used properly IV fluids are great, and a very important part of medical therapy.

I think the fluid therapy will make her feel much better, and ideally kidneys blood test should be reassessed after 48 hours on aggressive fluid therapy. I know what you mean about cats and stress, but try to make her stay more comfortable by bringing in a home blanket and using feliway spray. They might give her some pain relief that will help her rest and be comfortable while there. I wish Luna all the best !