difficulty in hydrating cat

[Jim57]

14 year female (spayed) cat with renal failure. Some dehydration and loss of weight (6 lbs 4 oz from 8 lbs a year ago). The Vet has recommended that we inject fluids. We have done this before with a previous cat and although the administration of the fluids was not a problem (for a very docile, friendly animal that even seemed to enjoy the attention) - I think we minimally delayed the inevitable and at the end prolonged his life longer then we should have. The problem with this cat "Sally" is that she is very nervous, frail and does not like to be held. Tonight we are going to try to administer the fluids and I dread having to do it. Our Vet has said that this could buy us a few months or even a year.  Is there a  means or method for administering fluids that is easier and as effective as holding the cat down and injecting a large needle into her back?  

[Karen557]

Hi, Jim,
There is a terrific CRF forum on yahoo that might help you with some ideas (there is a clothespin technique on the spine, for example). I found with my "fighting cat" Aspen that putting her in a box and then keeping one hand on the line/needle and one hand rubbing her chin that we eventually worked out a way to do this for four years, every day. At first my husband held her while I did the needle stick and she hated being restrained, but now I can do it alone and she prefers not being held tightly.

I wish you the best of luck,

Karen

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Not really.  Can you have the fluids administered at the vet's by a technician?  It does require going to the vet's several days per week, but the cost is usually minimal for this service.

If your cat is still eating and drinking, you can put extra liquids down for her such as bowls of dilute clam juice and other broths.