My Routine for giving Sub-cutaneous fluids to Samantha


A step-by-step rundown

Since this topic OFTEN comes up on the Feline CRF Groups I belong to, I thought I would post it here, so I have a quick easy URL to point people to when they're looking for advice.

The first 2 or 3 days that my Chris (my boyfriend) and I gave sub-q's it was a VERY tense
stressful affair for Samantha, and us. And Chris was soon going on a business trip, so i got even more stressed that I was going to have to do it alone.

But...here's the lucky part...it got immediately easier when I started practicing ALONE!

And here is my routine:

1. I think Samantha did not like the feeling of being 'ganged up on' by two big humans. This made her very freaked out. She is more comfortable that it's just me.

2. I have to be firm, but very calm. I pick her up firmly. I set her on the bed firmly...talking to her the whole time in a calm voice (And yes, sometimes singing.) I make sure her bag of treats is also on the bed, so she know there's something good on the way. I now only give her treats after sub-qs.

3. I have the bag hanging on the door at the top and give the fluids with her on the bed. Our bed is quite high. I place her far enough down the bed that the line isn't curling around or anything...to promote speed. Also, it better for me (more comfortable) to be able to work with her at a higher level, not be trying to sit on the floor.

4. I always keep one hand around her head/scruff area, not pushing her down, but again...very firm.

5. I use both hands to do the tenting and stick the needle in...and yes, I pretty much go in the same general spot every time. She cries out every time I stick the needle in, which is very heartbreaking, but I just have to get past that.

6. Again, Ieave one hand on her head/scruff area, using the other hand to let the flow start.

7. For the couple of minutes the flow is going, I pet her head and face and talk to her...very calmly.

8. Every now and then, she gets a little squirmier than usual, but I nip it in the bud by firmly and calmy keeping my hands applying light pressure, so she can't really get up.

9. When I stop the flow and take the needle out, I place my palm where the needle was, apply pressure, and count to 30. I always count in the same tone, at the same pace. I think now she knows that sound means she's almost done.

10. Then I let her go and feed her her treats.

11. I always give them in the afternoon when the sun is coming in our west facing windows, and 'her' chair is sitting in the sun. So after her treats she either goes on her own, or I take her to her chair. She calms down almost immediately in the sunlight and gets right back into purring while I pet her.

The most crucial thing I discovered is my own demeanor.

You notice I said 'calm' and 'firm' about a million times. When I and my BF were getting stressed and feeling tentative, she picked up on it and was VERY squirmy and panicked. And this was partially because I would talk to her in a high pitched tone with sentences ending on an up note...like a question...which is what happened because I was feeling so bad about doing this to her...it was like I was asking her to forgive me! But what a nerve-wracking tone that is...try it yourself and you'll hear it can be grating.

When I force myself to stay calm, measured, firm...I think she first of all knows things are under control, but also, knows that I am (for lack of a better term) dominant during this process, and she needs to submit.

She went from a squirmy panicked nightmare from one attempt to the next when I altered my own approach to the event.

This is a long message, but I wanted to give a sense not just of the physical routine, but the emotional one.

Posted: Mon - October 13, 2003 at 08:04 AM       EmailFeedback

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