(no subject)

[quietann]

After many many tries with the sub-Q fluids yesterday, I was almost in tears and had to take a break. I called a friend who'd been through it, and she gave me some tips. And then I took a nap, and tried again, and it only took 2 tries to get success. I discovered that I need to trim Myrtle's hair where I am going to put the needle in. And that she tolerates the needle in the loose skin around her hips much better than in her scruff. She was purring, and even fell asleep. And didn't even notice when I took the needle out.

Comments

[madbodger.livejournal.com]

Wow, didn't know she needed sub-Q fluids! I've been out of the loop, due to insufficient time to read LJ. My mom's cat had kidney failure, and got peritoneal dialysis for a couple of years. She's just sit on my mom's lap and purr while the fluids did their thing. It's good you found a place where she doesn't mind being needled.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

This is a new development. I took her to the vet on tuesday because she had a snotty nose (on one side) and runny eye (same side). And the vet said she *must* have fluids. She also got an antibiotic prescription, and the vet suspects that the source of whatever infection she has is in her mouth and has worked its way into her sinuses. Her teeth -- what remain of them -- are pretty terrible, but she can't be anesthesized for a cleaning because of her heart murmur.

In spite of the above, she is still a pretty happy cat, though...

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Where around the hips?
JB, asking for Merlin...

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Go up the spine about 4 inches, and then down maybe 2 or 3 inches. There should be loose skin there, though it is a bit tougher than the scruff skin. I put the needle in towards her head, which seems to work better than putting it in towards her tail.

[jim-p.livejournal.com]

Every cat is different that way... *most* have no problem with the loose skin at the scruff, but some have especially thick skin there that's tough to penetrate (Sheba was a piece of cake for us, Athena was not). I'm glad you had a friend who could help!

Give Myrtle a skritch for me...

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

You have my sympathy - what you're doing must be very difficult for you; I know what a sweetie Myrtle is and I can't imagine how hard it must be to see her needing this kind of care. If there's anything I can do, please let me know...

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Do you have any suggestions for cleaning her up a bit? Her fur is really greasy and she has a lot of skin flakes. She enjoys being brushed but it doesn't help much, and she won't let me brush the worst spots (belly, around where her leg used to be, etc.)

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Hm, that's a good question. You might want to look into getting a grooming mitt - it's sort of a mitten with soft bristles on it, and in my experience they can work better than brushing or combing sometimes. Some cats mind them less in problem areas, too.

If you're willing to add an extra medication, you might also want to talk to your regular vet about adding a vitamin supplement, too - that can sometimes help a lot with overall health and coat quality in kitties with chronic illnesses.