Idea Exchange: Use IV catheters to unblock cats
In cats that are difficult to unblock, we use the soft portion of a 22-ga intravenous catheter and sterile saline solution in a 3-ml Luer lock syringe.
In cats that are difficult to unblock, we use the soft portion of a 22-ga intravenous catheter and sterile saline solution in a 3-ml Luer lock syringe. The force that you can get with an intravenous catheter seems to be stronger than other options and is relatively atraumatic. If we are unable to unblock the cat using sterile saline solution, then we use a mixture of lubricant and saline solution that, with time and persistence, always works. By using these two methods, we haven't yet encountered a cat that we have been unable to eventually unblock relatively atraumatically.
Dr. Bill Feeman
Medina, Ohio
Inhaled albuterol offers more accessible treatment option for elevated potassium levels in cats
April 2nd 2025A recent study explored the effect of inhaled albuterol sulfate in reducing blood potassium levels in felines, which offers a potential treatment option for urinary obstruction-related hyperkalemia
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