Help with Sub Q fluids needed!

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kse

kse

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I am giving sub q fluids for the first time at home today--should be interesting!

Does it matter when you give the fluids in regards to giving insulin? I gave insulin this morning at 7am and it is my intentions to give the fluids around 11 am. Does it matter when I give them---is there a better time?

Also, I had been stuggling to get Kitty's bg down even when increasing dosage. So, this week we started fluids to help support her kidneys--not in failure, but trying to aid her until the bg gets under better control. At the same time I started the fluids we started a new vial of insulin. Her numbers have been much better, but I am having to play with the dose since they are lower. Question---how much will the fluids reduce her bg? Are they a big factor in reduction?

My old vial of prozinc was 68 days out and my vet thinks it had lost some potency. She responded immediately to the new vial, but she had received fluids. Just curious which one is the major influencer in the lower bg?

Thanks for the help!

Kim and Kitty
 
I don't think it will have much influence.

Where do you shoot insulin ?

I always gave Smokey his insulin in the flank. You give Sub-Q fluids in the
scruff of the neck.

There might be a dilution effect if you give both in the scruff, especially if you
give fluids soon after giving the insulin in the same area.

I think you will just have to go for it and see what happens.
 
Some cats drop quite a bit if given fluids. One of mine does drop lower, so I have to give Shadoe fluids when her numbers are rising, in the latter part of a cycle, or when her numbers are quite high.

How much fluids you give may make a difference as well. Be sure to test a bit more after giving fluids, just to see if they make a difference for your cat or not, then you can adjust the amount you give and the time you give them.
 
giving a 100 ccs--- I guess it is ccs--does that sound right? The bag is marked off!

How long does the fluids give your cat a drop? Kitty seemed to do pretty good for 2 days.
 
If Lantus:
Lantus is not designed to be diluted, so if the subQ fluids are in the same area as the insulin, you run the risk of it releasing into the body more quickly, possibly causing a hypo attack or a lack of control for the full 12 hour period. This may hold true for any other insulin which cannot be diluted; check the respective stickies.

I'd probably do the subQ near the neck and the insulin near the back end.
 
I give Payne 100 ml SQ fluids daily ..... I just try to stay a couple of hours from a shot but the fluid doesn't drop her numbers much, ECID. I also put B vites in the fluids to help beef her up, especially after her last DKA. I don't look at the fluids for her numbers as much as keeping her hydrated and keeping her potassium and electrolytes in check. When a cat DKA's it puts the basic stuff out of whack, the SQ fluids helps to bring everything back in order.

I have been very happy with the results of doing it daily, she seems to have perked up quite a bit .....
Nancy and Payne
 
Fluids are in!

I am giving the fluids to support her kidneys-- her values are on the hIgh side of normal . We have been struggling with controlling her bg, so I am trying to aid her kidneys until we get better control of the DM.

I was curious about what effect the fluids have on bg, because her bg has been lower since starting fluids--but we also started a new vial of prozinc the same day. I am thinking the new vial is helping!

Thanks for the insight!
 
The SQ fluid will help her recover from the DKA .... I don't see where the new vial of insulin is changing her #'s that much, you still got a red after the new vial, ProZinc is a real even and steady insulin.

Refresh me, she was Dx. when? Feb.? and then a few weeks later when into DKA? I think in the beginning we obsess over #'s and doses more than we should. Don't get me wrong, #'s are important but in chasing those #s
we sometimes lose fact of the marathon over the sprint mentality. WhenI look back over the mistakes I have make with Payne, although so many were over lack of knowledge, I find that the mistakes have been made because I was chasing numbers.

In the beginning she was RX pred. because of suspected inflammation. The pred. does crazy things to your #'s and since I didn't understand "what inflammation" and they couldn't either, I started weaning her off, for the #'s. Then I wanted to get her does down daily (because reducing does is good) but some cats, especially cats that throw off ketones and can DKA ..... they need a certain amount of insulin daily to not throw off ketones. Come to find out she needs the pred. and high insulin or she starts throwing off ketones and slids into DKA.

Yours is only a month from going into DKA. I think the SQ fluids daily would help a lot .... to put her on an even footing, so she won't throw off ketones. I think you have done a great job.

I think I am at the point of relaxing just a little ..... because Payne is doing well and reflecting as to why she DKA'd again after 19 weeks good. And finally, I think, the panic is gone ..... the panic can keep us crazy.
Nancy and Payne .....
 
Yes, Kitty was dx on Feb. and DKA 3 weeks later. She was only on once a day dosing, prior to the DKA--obviously, not enough insulin.

She looks really good and seems so much better. She is 15.5, so I am not as worried about "perfect" numbers as I am quality of life. The red preshot since the new vial was on a reduced dose--so hopefully after increasing the dose today the reds will depart! You are correct about chasing the numbers, it really is about the whole cat. Now if I can just start living that!

I admire you and Payne--DKA is tough & you have survived it four times! Hats off to you!
 
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