Subcutaneous (SQ) fluid administration is providing fluids into the space under the skin from where it can be slowly absorbed into the blood and body. This is a very useful way of providing additional fluids to cats and helping to manage and prevent dehydration. With chronic renal failure, cats usually lose more fluids than usual through their kidneys, and as the disease progresses they often become dehydrated as they do not drink sufficiently to compensate for this fluid loss. This has several detrimental effects, including potentially worsening the kidney failure – regular SQ fluid administration in the home environment can therefore be an extremely valuable part of the management regime for these cats.
To download our Subcutaneous Fluid Administration handout with detailed instructions, click here .