How to Give Subcutaneous Fluids to your Cat at Home

Details on how to do subq fluids for your cat at your home if he/she has chronic kidney disease or requires hydration for other illnesses.

NOTE: We are not veterinarians and are not providing any recommendations as to when a pet parent should give subcutaneous (subq) fluid to his/her pet(s). The purpose of this video is to show you how to do it ONCE your vet has prescribed giving subq fluids. We strongly urge pet parents to consult their vet and receive his/her authorization before providing subq fluids.

Most sellers of subq fluids will require a prescription from your vet.

For those concerned about marking the IV bag with a Sharpie, please read the following study which indicates ink from Sharpies does not leach into the bag: google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s…

We would like to honor and dedicate this video to our Gus who crossed the Bridge on November 21, 2013 with dignity. Going on his fourth year with CKD, he was still stable but intestinal issues decreased his QOL. He was an incredible soul with an enormous spirit, full of love and joy. Our wish is that this video will help increase the longevity and QOL for any kitties needing subq fluids.

Updated August, 5, 2025
The price of LRS bags is much higher than it was a few years ago. I have found Chewy.com to have the least expensive prices on bags and you can order them in the numbers you want instead of by a case. You can also by different sizes of bags there.
chewy.com/vetivex-veterinary-dehp-free-lactated…

Be sure and check other local sources, such as Walgreens, Costco, or Medical Supply Stores, to see if they can order LRS bags for you. You will likely need a prescription from your vet no matter where you source the bags.

Additional equipment we used in the video:
IV Admin Sets (Braun): thrivingpets.com
Terumo Ultra Thin Wall 21g needles: thrivingpets.com,vetrxdirect.com
Infrared Thermomenter: Harbor Freight
IV Stand: local medical supply store; shop around as prices vary; we paid $35 for ours new
Cat Condo: PetsMart
IV Harness for fractious cats: ezivharness.com/index.html

For help and support with CKD in cats:
Tanya’s Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease is the gold standard and has everything you need to know and can be found at:
felinecrf.org
There is also a support group/forum where you can post for assistance: tanyackd.groups.io/g/support