Re: Pancreatitis and sub-q's
My kitty is also CKD (and has pancreatitis and a heart murmur), so I do have a bit of experience with the sub-q's and when to administer.
No, you don't want to give sub-q's unless kitty is dehydrated. I'm told especially with a heart murmur, giving fluids when not dehydrated can actually be dangerous.
So, to test for dehydration: Pull up a tent of the scruff - if it goes back down slowly, then check to see if the gums are tacky. If gums are moist, then still not dehydrated enough and should check gums again every several hours. If gums are tacky, definitely time for sub-q's. However, if skin tent just hangs there without returning to normal, cat is very dehydrated - time to administer. That being said, I had no idea my girl had pancreatitis due to the CKD-necessary sub-q's. Apparently, the fluids kept her comfortable while her pancreas was angry. I only figured it out through looking at her latest CKD labs and then requesting an fPL.
Just to throw another thought your way, after my kitty's fPL was 27 two tests in a row, I went ahead with an ultrasound to check both her kidneys and pancreas. It turns out that her pancreas is toast and she is very unlikely to get off the juice, ever. You might want to consider doing an ultrasound just to see what kind of condition kitty's pancreas is in. It was helpful to me to know the reality of the situation. The fPL is an excellent test, but it won't help you determine your kitty's prognosis (e.g., if it's just a momentary flare up with a little inflammation or a permanently damaged organ issue that you'll need to deal with for the remainder). If it is a more permanent issue, then you'll need to discuss with your vet proper protocols for long-term meds, etc., since some of the drugs can have issues if used for too long. Luckily, so far, my girl does just fine on 1/4 Pepcid AC once a day with no pain killers. Of course, all kitties are different how they deal with it.
DZ and Sarah