TBT: Or maybe not, I'm not sure. I brought Marley to the vet yesterday. It's a good thing I started early! I had the carrier with the top door open and ready and put him in it. But the front door wasn't securely shut, so off he ran...
Under the bed headboard. Its a bookcase-style headboard, so there is a foot of overhang. The Mews all love it under there. Safe, secure, private. And damn hard to get them out from under! I had the bedroom door closed, so he couldn't escape the room, but he can run around the bed in a circle.
So I used a dry mop to push under until he finally gave up and moaned a bit. He knows I won't give up.
So I got him in the PTU again (securely) and off we went to the vet.
And THE GOOD NEWS IS: I did the fluidation procedure myself with the technician watching every step. I even added a step (marked the level of where to stop the drips, which the technician thought a really good idea).
Hung the bag, replaced the old needle (which has to be left on as a cap to the drip line until a new injection), pulled up his scruff and inserted it beveled side up and flat to assure no tissue penetration, held my finger on the ineedle, unclamped the drip line (moving the clamp to a slightly different spot to uncrimp the drip line), and made sure it was dripping at a decent speed).
At the 100 ml marked spot, reset the clamp, pulled the needle out and held a tissue on the spot in case of bleeding. Put the plastic cap over the needle. Told Marley "he was a brave mancat", and looped the drip line over the bag. And closed the PTU. End of procedure...
The staff congratulated me. They said they had seen worse on first attempts (and none better). Hurray!
It is straight-forward enough after a couple of observations. The clamp on the drip line (and uncrimping the previously pinched part) was actually the most difficult part.
Marley did his part, just sitting in the PTU calmly. I asked the technician about "uncalm" cats and she said sometimes it takes 3 people. So cheers to Marley, too.
I'll take a pic of the home fluids drip set-up when I get it set up.