2/4 Ruby PMPS 75/+2 82/+4 77/+5 88

Katherine&Ruby

Katherine&Ruby

Member Since 2020
Previous condo.

A green AM preshot! Yippee! :smuggrin: Could it be that getting up at 4 AM to pop a half ounce of food into Ruby's bowl is working finally? :rolleyes:

So I'm giving up on trying to administer subQ. It's too hard and stressful for me and for Ruby, who hisses at me every time I put the needle in her and runs away to hide. Called the vet office to see if they could refer me to someone who could help show me how to do it. The technician called me last night and he's coming this evening. He said I was likely doing absolutely nothing wrong, and that the cat is so used to calling the shots (so to speak) at home that they don't like being stuck with a big needle in this context. Ruby flinches and even growls sometimes when I give her the insulin shot, so her reaction to a large needle is not entirely unexpected. He said what he did was not transferrable, that it was mostly muscle memory and he would not necessarily be able to train me, but after doing it a while Ruby might feel better and then allow me to do it. He's charging $25 a visit (taking her to the vet office would cost $29), so it seems worth it to try for a little while until she gets more used to it. Wish us luck.

Sending healing thoughts to all of the sick kitties, especially Fortune and @RachelG today. Have a beautiful day, everyone. :bighug::bighug:
 
Nice preshot:D.
It's amazing that the tech will come to your home for $25 to administer subQ, especially in light of covid. I don't think they would here but maybe I'm wrong. I hope it goes better and that Ruby gets used to the routine.
 
Nice start today. I hope Ruby surfs safely. Glad the vet tech will come to your home. I hope Ruby gets used to fluids soon so she'll let you give thme to her.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
Nice preshot:D.
It's amazing that the tech will come to your home for $25 to administer subQ, especially in light of covid. I don't think they would here but maybe I'm wrong. I hope it goes better and that Ruby gets used to the routine.
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Restrictions might be more stringent in Canada, which is why you guys have been so much better at beating this virus back! I know that my older, senior friends in New York have had regular visits from home healthcare workers since the pandemic and they are quite used to it. Even though it's a huge risk for them healthwise, they have no choice because they are homebound to begin with. I have not had anyone in my house for a year now. I would not invite him here except for the fact that I would not be able to be in the exam room while they administered fluids to Ruby at the vet as I'm not allowed inside and the whole point is for me to watch and learn. From the sound of it, the tech will only be here for 10 minutes and I'll be sure to socially distance myself and will double-mask. :bighug:
 
I had a vet nurse come to my condo. She picked the best locator fluids, my small powder room. We hung the bag on the shower door. Later I got an IV stand so it could be hung even higher. We removed the rug and closed the door so she couldn’t go anywhere. I had to hold the needle in the whole time. I got a neighbor to help me at first. She started the bag and turned it off. Pretty soon I was doing it alone. With my first very feisty cat a tech came to my place 3X a week.
 
tiffmaxee said:
I had a vet nurse come to my condo. She picked the best locator fluids, my small powder room. We hung the bag on the shower door. Later I got an IV stand so it could be hung even higher. We removed the rug and closed the door so she couldn’t go anywhere. I had to hold the needle in the whole time. I got a neighbor to help me at first. She started the bag and turned it off. Pretty soon I was doing it alone. With my first very feisty cat a tech came to my place 3X a week.
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I never thought Ruby was feisty. She's normally really relaxed and sweet, she just hates the big needle. I also can't seem to stick it in her without the fluids flowing out, so I am definitely doing something wrong. Will watch and learn.
 
Which need.es do you have? Get the very sharp terumo needles, ultra thin wall 20g. The ones the vet use are harpoons.
 
Congratulations on the green preshot. Yay!

Goodness, the fluids sound like a major undertaking. I wish you best of luck with the appointment. I hope all goes smoothly and that you get some good pointers from the tech.
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
Restrictions might be more stringent in Canada, which is why you guys have been so much better at beating this virus back! I know that my older, senior friends in New York have had regular visits from home healthcare workers since the pandemic and they are quite used to it. Even though it's a huge risk for them healthwise, they have no choice because they are homebound to begin with. I have not had anyone in my house for a year now. I would not invite him here except for the fact that I would not be able to be in the exam room while they administered fluids to Ruby at the vet as I'm not allowed inside and the whole point is for me to watch and learn. From the sound of it, the tech will only be here for 10 minutes and I'll be sure to socially distance myself and will double-mask. :bighug:
Click to expand...
I think this is awesome. What keeps me awake at night is needing someone to come for Butters and being told no because of covid. I understand...but the thought of not having help for Butters if I need it scares me. I'm very relieved the tech will come in to help you.
 
Butters & Lyla said:
I think this is awesome. What keeps me awake at night is needing someone to come for Butters and being told no because of covid. I understand...but the thought of not having help for Butters if I need it scares me. I'm very relieved the tech will come in to help you.
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I think this guy does it as a sort of side gig as I don't think vet technicians get paid much. I would not feel ok about it if I didn't know he worked at the vet's office already. He said he's been doing home fluid administration to dogs and cats for 10 years so I feel like I'm getting a bargain for the service. I hope that if you need someone to come to your home for Butters that someone will oblige. I have heard of vets in the NYC area who only do home visits as travel can be so stressful for pets, but I've never used their services. Don't know if you have something like this in Ontario.
 
PMPS = 75. Will watch her closely tonight, especially since she finally received sub-Q fluids today. Yippee! The guy came, he was a total character, picks up odd jobs and giving cats fluids is one of them. :rolleyes: He grabbed Ruby like a sack of potatoes, held her firmly by her scruff, jabbed the needle in, grabbed the fluid bag, opened the clamp, and counted to 30 without looking at the bag. When he was done, I could see he gave her exactly 100 ml. Insane. He said that he's done this with hundreds of cats but when he had to do it on his own, she would have none of it. So I'm glad I'm not the only one. Now Ruby is running around the apartment chasing her sister as though nothing happened.

The fluids might bring down her BG, plus I've opened a new pen of insulin, so with all of these things going on it could be an interesting night. Or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Mariette said:
Goodness, the fluids sound like a major undertaking.
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It shouldn't be. So many people on this forum do it, but I for some reason have a lot of trouble with these things. At the beginning of this journey I had serious problems poking Ruby for her tests and it took me six weeks to finesse the technique. Now it's easy because we're both used to it.
 
PerfumedCatMom said:
It shouldn't be. So many people on this forum do it, but I for some reason have a lot of trouble with these things. At the beginning of this journey I had serious problems poking Ruby for her tests and it took me six weeks to finesse the technique. Now it's easy because we're both used to it.
Click to expand...

I hear you. For me it was the shots that stressed me to no end. Also about 6 weeks. I'd start getting super anxious the two hours leading up to shot time. Trying to get him tired. Hoping all things will align so I can get him calm and the syringe can find a magic spot where he won't notice the pinch.
Everybody says Oh the shots are so easy, they don't even notice. Not Buddy!
 
Evening Katherine, look at Ruby go ,green pre shots. She's looking great
I'm so happy for you and Ruby.
Glad someone is coming in to do the fluids for you.
I'm sure you know this already, when you put the needle in , make sure the end of the syringe with the curved part is facing up.
When I gave Perry his fluids they gave me both the smaller thinner needles and the larger thicker ones.
Yes the thicker ones do go faster, when I felt like using the thinner ones I would push down on the bag and it flowed a little faster , I even did it with the thicker ones.

Have a good night Katherine, kisses for Ruby ♥:bighug::bighug:
 
Diane Tyler's Mom said:
Evening Katherine, look at Ruby go ,green pre shots. She's looking great
I'm so happy for you and Ruby.
Glad someone is coming in to do the fluids for you.
I'm sure you know this already, when you put the needle in , make sure the end of the syringe with the curved part is facing up.
When I gave Perry his fluids they gave me both the smaller thinner needles and the larger thicker ones.
Yes the thicker ones do go faster, when I felt like using the thinner ones I would push down on the bag and it flowed a little faster , I even did it with the thicker ones.

Have a good night Katherine, kisses for Ruby ♥:bighug::bighug:
Click to expand...
Thanks for all of the tips Diane. Seems like she is feeling great tonight so maybe if the strange man comes a few more times she'll let me do it.
 
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