Supportive Care

BELLY FLUID: Do not drain belly fluid unless your cat's belly becomes so full that eating, bowel movements, ambulating, or breathing are affected.

Draining all abdominal fluid is risky and can cause your cat to shock and pass away.

If the fluid must be drained, it should be no more than 30%

Get a soft seamstress measuring tape from a fabric store or Amazon and measure the widest part of your cat's abdomen daily to monitor the effusion progress.

CHEST FLUID: If the cat's breathing is labored, thoracic fluid must be drained. It should be drained 100 %.

Your cat may need hospitalization for supportive care such as blood transfusions, subcutaneous or intravenous fluids, a feeding tube placement, incubation/warming, or oxygen.

If your cat is unstable at the start of treatment or begins to decline (aka "crash"), your team may recommend dosing twice daily until the cat stabilizes. This means you'll administer a dose every twelve hours for three to five days and occasionally longer. Once the cat is stable, every 24-hour dosing resumes.

Tips for Successful Syringe Feeding

Never forcefully push food or liquid diet (like Ensure) into a cat's mouth. Slowly push the food or liquid diet. If your cat struggles, it's okay to take a break and return to the feeding after a short break.

A great rule of thumb is one ml every minute

Always feed your cat on its belly with its head up or while sitting. NEVER syringe-feed a cat on its back.

It's important to STOP syringe feeding if your cat vomits or regurgitates during the feeding.