Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my 11y.o. male cat recovered from a bout with acute renal failure a month ago and the vet said I wouldn't need to give him fluids and that i just need to go back in about 3 months to check his bloodwork and see how he's doing. i've done a lot of research and it seems that cats who have ARF or CRF need to have fluids administerd to them under the skin on a regular basis. so is my vet correct in telling me i don't need to do this? its been a month since my cat came home from the vet and i haven't given him any fluids and he seems to be fine. he's eating and drinking water pretty much normally now and he uses the litterbox and likes to play like normal.

If he is doing well and is showing no signs of dehydration, he doesn't need any additional subcutaneous fluids. To check for dehydration, lift the loose skin on the back of the neck and release it. In a healthy cat, it drops right down, If the cat is dehydrated, it drops down slowly, or even stays up in severely dehydrated cats. If you suspect that the cat is dehydrated, bring him immediately to your vet.

i check the loose skin behind his neck several times a day and it springs right back. sometimes a few hairs will come out but it does spring back. thanks for your help!