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Old February 5th, 2011, 02:25 AM
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growler~GateKeeper growler~GateKeeper is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PMFan View Post
how do i know when it's time to start sub q fluids?

i have two with CRF

female 17yo CREA is 2.7 and holding steady for a year w/ no intervention

male 16.5 yo CREA is up to 3.5 from 2.7 six months ago
One indication is when you see a significant consistant increase over time of the amount of water consumed per day.

How much water are they drinking per day? Can you pour a measured amount in the water bowls, write it down, then re-measure after 24 hrs, write that down. I would do this once a week for a few weeks to get a clear view how much they are drinking.

If the cat is showing consistant signs of dehydration ie: pinch test, drinking more, feeling grouchy/not themselves.

Some vets will wait until there is 2-3 tests (showing consistant numbers) with the cre between 3.5-4. Many will base the decision of when to start on a combination of the numbers & physically how the cat feels. There is no strict guidelines since every cat will be different, some are better able to use the water they are drinking to combat dehydration even with higher numbers.

When I started Duffy on fluids the amount she was drinking had increased noticably in the three months since her previous exam/test, and her cre was at 3.03 up from 2.45 - the decision to start her on fluids was actually made before the vet & I got the results of that test back.

Have a chat w/the vet see what their opinion is on how both Rachel & Max are dealing with hydration, if there are any personality changes (more grumpy than usual, not sitting in a favorite place/interacting as much w/you or each other anymore etc) and see when they have recommended starting fluids for other CRF clients.

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