How To Administer Subcutaneous Fluids To A Cat

If you have a sick cat, you may be wondering if giving subcutaneous fluids is something that you can handle on your own. The answer is yes—after all, it’s not so different from administering an injection to a dog. And while some people do use the traditional method of hanging an IV bag from their pet’s neck and then pumping out the fluid through a tube inserted into the jugular vein (which can be dangerous), administering subcutaneous fluids yourself is actually safer for both you and your cat.

What You Need

A syringe, needle and fluid
A knowledge of how much fluid to give and how often to give the fluids
The cat’s weight
The cat’s age (if younger than 6 months or older than 10 years)
The cat’s health

How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids to a Cat: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Prepare The Syringe

Syringe size: Syringes come in different sizes, but the most common ones are 20 ml, 30 ml and 60 ml.
Syringe type: When choosing a syringe to use for administering subcutaneous fluids to your cat, you’ll want to make sure that it’s meant for that purpose. The best syringes for giving fluids have an elongated tip with a sharp point (rather than one that’s blunt) so that they can penetrate the skin easily and not cause any pain or damage to your cat’s body. These syringes also have an enlarged plunger knob on top so you can get a good grip on it when pulling back on it; this helps prevent accidental needle sticks when giving fluid injections into your pet’s hindquarters area.
Syringe material: Most veterinary clinics will supply their own needles with their own brand name printed onto them—but if yours doesn’t stock them, then I recommend buying ones made out of stainless steel instead of plastic because they’re more durable against wear-and-tear over time compared with other materials such as aluminum oxide which tends break off easily after being used repeatedly over multiple times per day during long periods throughout treatment sessions (such as during chemotherapy treatments). Since these types of medications aren’t cheap either – especially if given intravenously instead of orally – having some backup supplies handy wouldn’t hurt either!

Prepare Your Cat

First and foremost, make sure your cat is calm and relaxed. It’s much easier for them to take fluids if they aren’t stressed out about what’s happening. Try giving them a treat or playing with them before administering the fluid.
Make sure you have a towel or blanket handy so you can keep your cat warm while they’re lying flat on their side receiving the subcutaneous fluids. You may also want to provide some kind of reward after they’ve received their fluids (like food or playtime) to help keep them calm during this process.
Make sure there’s somewhere in your home where you’ll be able to keep your cat comfortable while administering the subcutaneous fluids—perhaps an area with a few toys and plenty of bedding for him/her to rest on until he/she feels better again!

Give The Fluids

A sterile needle and syringe are necessary. Don’t reuse them! This is not a time to be frugal.
Always use a new needle for each cat.
Put the towel on top of your cat’s head and hold it there firmly with one hand while using the other hand to administer the fluids. If you don’t have someone at home who can help you, we recommend that you bring your cat into the veterinarian’s office for this procedure—but know that it will cost extra money!

Tips

Make sure your cat is in a comfortable position, whether it’s sitting or lying down.
Make sure the needle is in the vein before you inject any fluids.
If you don’t see blood come out of the tubing when you pinch it, then it’s safe to assume that there isn’t any blood coming through that tube. This might mean there is no vein present and trying again may result in an infection from contaminated equipment or skin punctures caused by poor technique on your part—which can be serious for both animals and humans alike!

Administering subcutaneous fluids to a cat is something that you can manage on your own once you have the right supplies and know what to do.

Subcutaneous fluids are given to cats with kidney failure, diabetes, or pancreatitis. In addition, they’re used in cats who have a low blood volume due to dehydration or shock.* They may also be used as part of a treatment plan for overly active cats (hyperthyroidism).*

You’ll need:

a luer lock syringe (for human use), available from your vet or pharmacy; it has an attached needle with a ¼ inch diameter opening at one end and a rubber top at the other end for attaching tubing
a bamboo stick about 18 inches long (or similar item)

Conclusion

If your cat needs to be given subcutaneous fluids, it’s important to follow these steps carefully. The best place to start is by finding a vet or other medical professional who can properly treat your pet so that his health will improve as quickly as possible. Next, you’ll need to prepare yourself for what’s involved with giving these fluids and make sure you have everything needed beforehand such as supplies like syringes or needles which typically come in packs of 100+. Finally, when administering subcutaneous fluids take note of anything strange like swelling around where fluid was injected into skin surface area so that treatment can start immediately if needed before any permanent damage occurs!