Help Please from SubQ Experienced!

I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped

in article , CatNipped at
wrote on 6/23/05 10:42 PM:

I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped


Yes, I've seen that happen. It should absorb in. I'd call in the morning if
it isn't better, or just calling won't hurt, but I know that would happen
when Amigo got it and once when Sugar had sub Q's her front legs got a bit
squishy.

"Karen" wrote in message
...
in article , CatNipped at

wrote on 6/23/05 10:42 PM:

I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it
possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to
her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she
doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the
emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped


Yes, I've seen that happen. It should absorb in. I'd call in the morning
if
it isn't better, or just calling won't hurt, but I know that would happen
when Amigo got it and once when Sugar had sub Q's her front legs got a bit
squishy.

OK, thanks for the quick response - you know how I panic! Yes, it's soft
and squishy and she doesn't try to pull away when we palpate it and it
doesn't appear to hurt her, so I figured it was the fluid but wanted to make
sure. If I call the emergency vet they'll just say to bring her in (I don't
blame them, they can't diagnose over the phone), so I think with your
confirmation of my suspiciions it should be safe to wait until the morning
when I can call my vet.

Again, thanks so much!

Hugs,

CatNipped

CatNipped wrote:
I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped

Yes, Cory had that happen, it moved from his side down to one of his
forepaws. I think it's okay but you might as well call the E-vet just
so you won't worry.

Candace

"Candace" wrote in message
ups.com...
CatNipped wrote:
I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it
possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to
her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she
doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the
emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped

Yes, Cory had that happen, it moved from his side down to one of his
forepaws. I think it's okay but you might as well call the E-vet just
so you won't worry.

Candace

Thanks Candace, I feel much better knowing that it is probably just what I
suspected. It's soft and squishy and it doesn't hurt her at all, so I think
it can wait until I can call my regular vet in the morning (if it hasn't
gone down by then).

Hugs,

CatNipped

OK, thanks for the quick response - you know how I panic! Yes, it's soft
and squishy and she doesn't try to pull away when we palpate it and it
doesn't appear to hurt her, so I figured it was the fluid but wanted to make
sure. If I call the emergency vet they'll just say to bring her in (I don't
blame them, they can't diagnose over the phone), so I think with your
confirmation of my suspiciions it should be safe to wait until the morning
when I can call my vet.

Again, thanks so much!

Hugs,

CatNipped

I agree with the previous response. When DeeDee got sick, before we
started doing sub-Q at home we had to take her to the vet for it. She
usually formed a lump of fluid at the sub-q site, and it did sometimes
migrate.

Dan

IT'S NORMAL..... breathe breathe breathe.....

SubQ fluids are usually given in the flank, and it takes a while for
the fluids to be absorbed. It's not unusual for the fluids to migrate
down the leg

When we give fluids at work, it's always a good idea to find out where
the vet wants the fluids given. Because if it were given by the
shoulders and then the fluids traveled down to the front legs and then
the doctor wanted an IV catheter placed, the edema caused by the fluids
would make placing the catheter difficult.

It's totally okay, and the fluids should take about 6-8 hours to absorb
into the body.

Continuing purrs for Jessie...


Kristi

In article , "CatNipped"
wrote:

I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to
her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she
doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the
emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped



I'll defer to people with more cat subcutaneous fluid experience, but
even with people with much tighter skin, fluid can move. If it's not
tender to the touch, I'd tend not to treat it as an emergency but check
it frequently and perhaps see the vet at the office. Not quite the same
thing, but when I had my first cardiac catheterization, the methods were
not quite as good, and there was more blood leakage around the puncture
in my leg. I had a massive black-and-blue mark, not painful, that went
three-quarters of the way around my thigh. Eventually, to keep my ex
from freaking out, we went to the ER and were told, "yup, that's a blood
leak for a femoral vein puncture." Confirmed that hot soaks were a good
idea.

While that got me leisurely bubble baths, I doubt Jessie would
appreciate them.

Just as an aside, while we routinely hydrate humans today with
intravenous or sometimes intraosseous (in a bone, and no, it's not
painful when done properly) fluids, this is semi-recent. Intravenous
fluid drips really were perfected only in the early 1940s.

Before that, a subcutaneous technique called hypodermoclysis was
standard medical technique, but had more side effects since human skin
isn't as stretchy as feline.

It's possible, but call the vet in the morning to be sure.

When we gave Fritzie sub-q fluids, he looked like a Brahma bull for a while,
the the fluids traveled down until he had a little pouch on or near his
abdomen.

Blessed be,
Baha

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to
her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she
doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the
emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped

That happened with Jennifer (RB) when I was giving her subq fluids. I gave
them between her shoulder blades, and the fluid often migrated down her leg.

Sandy

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
I just noticed a *huge* swelling around Jessie's right leg. It's not
sensitive to the touch and it wasn't there earlier today. Is it possible
that the subQ fluids she received at the vet's today "traveled" down to
her
leg? The vet told me to expect a lump on her back from it, but she
doesn't
have one on her back, just the one on her leg. Should I call the
emergency
vet?

Hugs,

CatNipped