Warming Up Sub Q Fluids

[homoki2002]

With the help of this wonderful site I've been giving our baby her sub q fluids now for several months. She just got a vet visit and our vet said she was doing really well. We need to keep on the fluids but we have been using one of those neck warmer kind of things I think with little beads or something in to warm up the fluid. Put it in the microwave and then wrap it around the bag when it's done. But there is a slight odor when the bag is heating up and I think our Greta smells that because now she runs behind the couch when we heat up the bag. We haven't tried putting it in hot water as that seems kind of messy but does anyone have a better suggestion for warming up the fluid bag? Our little girl is getting very smart about hiding when she thinks we're about to do fluids. We're going to try a heating pad and see how that goes but I wondered if anyone else had some ideas.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Wouldn't gently heating a pot of water and submerging the bag work?

 

[artiemom]

When I was giving Artie sub-q's; I would run hot water into a 4 quart pan. I put the bag in there, with the port/line not getting wet. I let it sit in the hot water for a while.

I would wipe down the bag, run the cold fluid out of the line, and then use it...

Worked great..

Good Luck!

 

[kittypa]

I use a heating pad. If the bag is more than half full I lay it on and fold the pad over it so it’s heating both sides of the bag. If it’s less than half full I just lay the bag on the pad. Usually the pad is set to low heat. Occasionally medium for short times.

I have heard more than once that it is ungood to use a microwave.

 

[homoki2002]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We finally found the heating pad does the trick!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[35 year catdad]

I wish I read this last week. I use a magnetic induction cooktop set at 105 and what a difference!
Thanks Amy my ex vet assistant friend. This is an older thread and I hope your kitty is doing great still

 

[Antonio65]

Are you sure that warming up the bag and then let it cool down after the sub-Q and the re-warm it up and cool it down on a few repeated cycles is good for the fluid in the bag?

I know that different parts of the world have different market solutions.
Over here the RL or saline solution come in glass bottles (500 ml bottles) with a rubber cap, so the content is always sealed from the environment.

When I used to give my cats some fluids, I would just draw the necessary quantity of fluid from the bottle with a large syringe. Then, with the needle and its cover still on the nozzle, I would submerge the syinge in a container with hot water from the tap for about 5 minutes. This way the fluid was approx the body temperature, then I would swap the straight needle with a butterfly needle and administer the fluid to the cat.
The bottle with the rest of the fluid never had a thermal shock which, in my opinion, might not be good for the fluid.

 

[35 year catdad]

Same exact questions I've been wondering! Just called the emerg. vet and they said dont heat it.
Even slowly to 105, and instead take the chill off by wrapping with warm towel.
She squirms a lot with cold fluids going in and first time it took 4 pokes to finally get 50 cc in.
105 degrees is not that hot and I imagine where they store it in heat waves it goes to that temp. a few times.
It was 113 here this summer. Its Vetivex brand made in El Salvadore. Expre date 05 2023


Will get second opinion from our other vet when they open and report.
New bag is only $35 with all the tubes etc so I will replace it. Next time I put it in small bathroom the night before with my oil filled heater set at 100 degrees. If my vet says dont even do that then well I just hold her tighter during infusions. Shes such a trooper!
Your Tortie looks a lot like her Antonio! Ciao!

 

[Antonio65]

Same exact questions I've been wondering!
105 degrees is not that hot and I imagine where they store it in heat waves it goes to that temp. a few times.
It was 113 here this summer.
Will call vet and ask. Thanks for remiinding me.
Ciao! Grandpa was from calabria.

As I said, different contries have different ways to manage things, but over here, everything that is medical (medicines, materials, supplements, etc) is stored in controlled temperatures storage places, and are transported on controlled temperature vehicles, and pharmacies have controlled temperature rooms.
So, as far as I know, over here meds are never exposed to temperatures higher than 85°F.
And some drugs are delivered on refrigerated vehicles.

Many drugs and medicines (and maybe RL and saline solution too) labels warn not to expose the package to temperatures higher than...°F.
In summertime I use to keep some medicines in the fridge.
Ringer's Lactate and Saline Solution should never go in the fridge, the lowest temperature thay can be exposed to is 8°C / 46°F.

Ciao, I'm based up in the north

 

[artiemom]

When I was using sub-q's for angel Artie, I would take a 4 quart pan, put the bag in the pot, with the line sticking out.. fill it with hot water. When it cooled down to what I felt comfortable with--warm to me.. I ran the cold water out of the line and used the warm lactated ringers for the sub-q...

Good Luck...

 

[Antonio65]

Same exact questions I've been wondering! Just called the emerg. vet and they said dont heat it.
Even slowly to 105, and instead take the chill off by wrapping with warm towel.
She squirms a lot with cold fluids going in and first time it took 4 pokes to finally get 50 cc in.
105 degrees is not that hot and I imagine where they store it in heat waves it goes to that temp. a few times.
It was 113 here this summer. Its Vetivex brand made in El Salvadore. Expre date 05 2023


Will get second opinion from our other vet when they open and report.
New bag is only $35 with all the tubes etc so I will replace it. Next time I put it in small bathroom the night before with my oil filled heater set at 100 degrees. If my vet says dont even do that then well I just hold her tighter during infusions. Shes such a trooper!
Your Tortie looks a lot like her Antonio! Ciao!

35 year catdad , I saw you edited your post since my reply.
Giving your cat cold fluids isn't good. Firstly, you cool down her entire body. Depending on the quantity of fluids you're giving her, it's a lot of room temperature water into a tiny little body. It is something that lowers the body temperature, at least in the point where you give the injection and its close surroundings. That explains why she squirms.
Furthermore, a cold fluid is more slowly absorbed by the tissues.

I don't know about your Vetivex and its shipping and storage, but as I had told you in the other post, over here all the storing, shipping and delivery chain is temperature controlled, I know that there's no thermal shocks.
Anyway, I'm curious to read what your other vet says about this.

It's a little of money $35 for a bag and lines and all, so I hope you don't have to replace anything.
The bottle I showed you in my other post is just €3, and syringes and needles are a few cents each, much cheaper than in the US, it seems.

The tortie cat in my avatar was my beloved sweet Lola, I miss her a lot, I cry over her every day. Thanks for your dear words. Ciao!

 

[35 year catdad]

By cold I meant room temp prob 72 back in october here.
I called the emergency vet who first saw her after we spent a few hours in the car waiting. She would not drink the water I brought with us and that made things worse. It took 5.5 hrs to finally get her tests and re hydrated etc.

I called them, and talked to an assistant who said don't warm it up. They are so rushed she may lost the question I posed and thought Microwave?
Then I called and talked to our vet directly, and he was irritated and not so pleasant with all my Tortie questions and asked how do you warm it?
I said emersion in a large pot of water about 105 degrees and he said thats fine do 101 so I will set it at 100.
She was hypothermic at emerg. visit and I dont need her chilled.
Something about Torties is different than the rest besides always being female. The queen bees of catdom?
.

Vet said do the warming for the rest of the 1000nl bottle. Hes about 60 so been a vet a long time. Bad bedside manner, But more experienced than the youngsters at emerg. vet who wanted 350-400 for blood work
the ringers is as you know just electrolytes and sodium etc and I dont think get affected by warm/cold cycles gradually. I would worry more about the bag they are in being denatured and offgasing.
.
Its 31 degrees outside here but better than 113 in worst of the heat/smoke. Shes trotting across the living room and has rallied like the trooper she has always been.
Off to do the sub Q its great when she sleeps during it! BREAKING NEWS! SHE WAS SO STILL AND COMFY I LEFT FOR ONE SECOND TO CHECK BAG LEVEL AND SHE WALKED OFF 3 ft NEEDLE STAYED PUT. never a lump yet compared to my first 18 yr old patient 20 years ago.
some skin had blocked needle at first
I need an assistant
We had a sickly runt at 6 weeks about to die on a Sunday so the lady at shelter where we got him said we have a couple (not vets)
that do this in their home so we rushed him there and they said he would have been gone by Monday. They used their kitchen countertop as the sub Q station. I think I want to do that too! after I have more experience with problem cats etc.

My old girl and I are both Ostinato Gabast and even testa durda!


Chow! Manja time