CRF Vent

Just a couple of questions for you kind souls, if you do not mind :-)

Do you pay your vet for your fluids or just puchase them off the
internet?
What sort of supplements are in the fluids?
If by chance, you must have a vet assistant in the office administer
fluids what do they charge?

History: 5 cats, all healthy, Tiggy boards there on average 3 weeks a
year (think $$$) when we visit dh's family and then my family. I am
sure we are not their "best" customer, but feel like a "regular".

Situation is our guy Tiggy who was Dx with CRF, just under 3 months
ago. A bag of fluids was $15, including a bunch of needles. Fluids to
be administered 2 X / week. We took him in 4 or 5 times to learn how to
do it, the vet did not charge. We live just a few minutes away and
always called before hand to ask a convenient time. Whoever was
available would help us out, usually an assistant, once a vet (the one
who we are most comfortable with and have known the longest***).

Tiggy just absolutely hates the whole fluids process. At home between
dh and myself we are not able to get him to take the full 100 ml? So...
vet*** suggested uping fluides to 4 X week and bring him in as needed
to be "topped off". So we've been averaging office visits once every 2
weeks, give or take.

Earlier this week I had picked up a new bag of fluids and charged the
$15 we had been charged in the past. Tiggy would not take the needle
last night, so today my husband goes to the vet and they charge him $15
for administering the fluids. Remember the brand new bag I had already
paid $15 for? Today the vet on duty, not the one we usually see,
insisted on adding B1 vitamins to the bag for $16.

A new profile was due March 3, so they just did that today too to the
tune of an additional $52. Just have to add that we also buy the
prescription CRF Innovative food from the vet. So it is not like we are
bashful about handing our money over to them :-)

So...are we being ripped off? Are all of these charges reasonable? I am
ready to go in search of a new vet. We live within 1 1 /2 of the Univ.
of Georgia Vet. School and it seems many of their graduates are ending
up in our area, so no shortage of new vets around here...Maybe someone
else could use us more?

Arubalisa wrote:

Just a couple of questions for you kind souls, if you do not mind :-)

Do you pay your vet for your fluids or just puchase them off the
internet?

I buy mine from the vet. A script is needed for the fluids and the line,
you can usually by needles on the web without a script, depending on where
you live. Around here, even PetSmart carries needles in the horse section,
along with syringes.

What sort of supplements are in the fluids?

Nothing--Just Noromosol-R.

If by chance, you must have a vet assistant in the office administer
fluids what do they charge?

Never had this done, so I don't know.

Situation is our guy Tiggy who was Dx with CRF, just under 3 months
ago. A bag of fluids was $15, including a bunch of needles. Fluids to
be administered 2 X / week. We took him in 4 or 5 times to learn how

Very resonable. I think my cost is ~$17

Tiggy just absolutely hates the whole fluids process. At home between
dh and myself we are not able to get him to take the full 100 ml?

Why does he hate the process? Are you restraining him properly? Are you
warming the fluids? Are you actually comfortable with it, or nervous?
Tiggy will pick up on it if you're nervous. Also, if you're not really
comfortable sticking him, you may be causing more pain than necessary.

Earlier this week I had picked up a new bag of fluids and charged the
$15 we had been charged in the past. Tiggy would not take the needle
last night, so today my husband goes to the vet and they charge him
$15 for administering the fluids. Remember the brand new bag I had
already paid $15 for? Today the vet on duty, not the one we usually
see, insisted on adding B1 vitamins to the bag for $16.

So your total was $15 for fluid administration + $16 for B1? Total $31? I
don't think that's out of line, but it's certainly worth a call to your
regular vet to see why B1 was added.

A new profile was due March 3, so they just did that today too to the
tune of an additional $52. Just have to add that we also buy the

Lucky you! My cost is almost $100 for a full blood panel!

So...are we being ripped off? Are all of these charges reasonable? I
am ready to go in search of a new vet. We live within 1 1 /2 of the
Univ. of Georgia Vet. School and it seems many of their graduates are
ending up in our area, so no shortage of new vets around here...Maybe
someone else could use us more?

I think these charges are completely and totally resonable. But if you'd
like to save some $$, try using the vet school. I think Georgia is one that
charges much less than vets out on their own, since you're helping to train
the students. (Not the case here in CO, unfortunately.)

Corey

Margarita Salt wrote:

What he said. :0

looks around Oh, you're talking about me. That would be "she"

I forgot to mention that part. I fold Kami's in a
heating pad an hour +/- to warm them up. For faster warming, use hot
water (I just don't like to waste water).

I seal the bag of fluid in a gallon size ziplock, and drop it in a sink full
of hot water for about fifteen or twenty minutes.

If you really want to get fancy, buy a diaper wipes warmer. I
considered doing that, but I'm just not sure of the investment given
her condition of late.

Interesting recomendation!

I think that proper restraint and personal confidence are probably the most
important aspects of admistering sub-q fluids. Comfort to the cat comes in
a close third. After all, the vets are probably not warming the fluids past
room tempuature for the OP's cat, and yet he accepts them.

Corey

"Arubalisa" wrote in message
ups.com...

Do you pay your vet for your fluids or just puchase them off the
internet?

I just buy from my vet. I don't have a lot of storage space to stock IV
bags.

What sort of supplements are in the fluids?

My vet prescribes sodium chloride.

Situation is our guy Tiggy who was Dx with CRF, just under 3 months
ago. A bag of fluids was $15, including a bunch of needles.

Ouch. My vet charges $5 per bag and 20 cents per needle.

Okay, dh spoke to the vet office today. They stated that, our regular
favorite vet as a courtesy, does not charge for administering the IV to
Tiggy. We will receive a credit. So I do feel better about the
situation. Now if I call to ask if I can bring Tiggy in for some
fluids, I will specify our favorite vet be on duty.

Thinking back this was not the first problem we had had with them. In
the past, Mickey our boy with a history of herpes in his left eye, was
treated by the owner of this veterinary clinic. She covers days off for
the other two vets since she homeschools her 5 kids (God bless) She
examined him an claimed it was just conjunctivitis. I plainly stated
that it appeared to look the same as his herpes outbreak 2 years
earlier. Nope, she insisted it was not. With the eye looking worse 2
days later, Mickey and I were in the veterinary opthamologist's office.


A couple of week's ago, our "trusted" vet phoned to say that she had
the latest results of Tiggy's blood work. The numbers were bad, real
bad. He had taken a turn for the worse, his creatin levels were sky
high, blah, blah. I thought to myself, this is not possible. My husband
snuck the cat out of the house without my knowing? We had had Tiggy in
just a few days prior for "fluid assistance" and I didn't see anyone
draw any blood and I was there the whole time. Got off the phone with
the vet, and immediately called dh crying. I said it cannot be true. He
said that it was obvious a misunderstanding, told me where our copies
of the two previous tests were, and to call back the vet.

So I called back and "gently" explained that I "believed" she was
mistaken. I asked her to compare dates and she still couldn't get it
right. Dealing with fax copies (and not originals) she all of a sudden
realised her mistake. That morning the lab had just "RE-FAXED" the
original results from his very first test a month and a half prior.
Something about updating the thyroid levels. Well I could hear her
embarrasment over the phone. One of the girls at the front desk
received the fax, brought it to her and she just assumed it was
"new"...

I so wish we lived closer to the Univ. of Ga. But 1 1/2 - 2 hours each
way just gets to be too much, especially with 5 cats who never get sick
at the same time, just one, right after another! I cannot say enough
good things about their Small Animal Hospital. Tiggy was treated there
for his obessive compulsive licking and spraying. His behaviorist Dr
Terry Curtis is now at Univ. of Florida running the behavior program
there. Prior to that while we were still in Indiana, Tiggy was seen by
the world famous :-) behaviorist, Dr. Luescher at Purdue University.
Again, especially for someone who does not have a lot of money for
treatment, these Veterinary schools are a God send.

Now about our probems administering the fluids...I was an EMT for 7+
years so was always comfortable being around needles. My husband on the
other hand, can not stand the sight and was a wreck. He has finally
gotten comfortable. We have tried table level, in our laps and have
settled upon the floor in Tiggy's room (dh and my bedroom). A few
weeks ago we also purchased an IV pole. Dh holds Tiggy, with one hand
on each of the cat's sides, from behind, while I stick him kneeling
next to him.

One thing which we tried and failed was the whole treat thing. He sees
the treat and Tiggy even less wants to have anything to do with this
whole process. Right now dh is trolling eBay looking for an IV warmer.
If not I am going to try the heating pad suggestion. The vet had just
told us to keep the fluids on top of our refrigerator to keep them
warm. I am going to make it a point to go back and review all my
bookmarks on "how to administer" and dh is researching needles. My
favorite is
http://www.weirdstuffwemake.com/weir.../catjuice.html

Alas, I do have some fantastic news to report. The vet did phone late
yesterday afternoon with the test results. Thank God, his levels have
improved so much that he is on the "high side" of normal. So much joy
after the last couple of months of tears. Why do we get so attached to
our fur babies? For this weekend though, I am going to just enjoy the
sweet little fluff ball Tiggy. Monday I'll go back to coping mentally
with the prognosis of his illness.

http://www.hoosierkitties.com/boys/tiggy.htm

Arubalisa wrote:

Now about our probems administering the fluids...I was an EMT for 7+
years so was always comfortable being around needles. My husband on
the other hand, can not stand the sight and was a wreck. He has
finally gotten comfortable. We have tried table level, in our laps
and have settled upon the floor in Tiggy's room (dh and my bedroom).
A few weeks ago we also purchased an IV pole. Dh holds Tiggy, with
one hand on each of the cat's sides, from behind, while I stick him
kneeling next to him.

This is really not an appropriate way to restrain an unwilling cat.

Try this:

http://www.doctordog.com/catbook/cathand.html

Or search google.

You can also practice restraint while not giving fluids--make sure you don't
let go of Tiggy when he struggles. Wait until he's stopped squirming, and
then let him go. Practice where you give him fluids, all over the house,
and outside (if he's an indoor/outdoor kitty.) Teaching a cat to accept
restraint is really something that's best done as a kitten, but can be done
at any time. Your vet will thank you, and your job will be easier.

One thing which we tried and failed was the whole treat thing. He sees
the treat and Tiggy even less wants to have anything to do with this
whole process. Right now dh is trolling eBay looking for an IV warmer.
If not I am going to try the heating pad suggestion. The vet had just
told us to keep the fluids on top of our refrigerator to keep them
warm. I am going to make it a point to go back and review all my
bookmarks on "how to administer" and dh is researching needles. My
favorite is
http://www.weirdstuffwemake.com/weir.../catjuice.html

A good site!! I looked over that one when I started fluids for Ginger.

Alas, I do have some fantastic news to report. The vet did phone late
yesterday afternoon with the test results. Thank God, his levels have
improved so much that he is on the "high side" of normal. So much joy
after the last couple of months of tears. Why do we get so attached to
our fur babies? For this weekend though, I am going to just enjoy the
sweet little fluff ball Tiggy. Monday I'll go back to coping mentally
with the prognosis of his illness.

Congrats on the good news!

Corey