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- Chemotherapy in Cats
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- An IV (intravenous) catheter will be placed. The placement of this catheter depends on the veterinarian’s personal judgment and the health of the feline.
- To place a catheter, the feline’s hair may be shaved to view the vein. The area will be cleansed with alcohol prior to catheter insertion.
- The catheter has a needle inside the catheter casing and once the correct placement is made, the needle will be removed, leaving the catheter in place.
- The catheter will be capped off to prevent blood from leaving the vein. The technician will tape the catheter in place to ensure it will not move out of the vein during feline transport.
- The technician will take a sample of the cat’s blood during the IV placement to perform a complete blood cell count. A CBC simply evaluates the number of white and red blood cells the feline has at the current time. The results will be evaluated before chemotherapy drug values will be calculated.
- A pre-chemotherapy medication will likely be administered to the feline at to prevent nausea and a possible allergic reaction. Nausea and an allergic response are common responses to chemotherapy.
- The veterinarian technician may begin administering fluids through the IV catheter before infusing the drugs, as fluids help the drugs work more efficiently.
- The feline’s vital signs will be taken again.
- The infusion process will begin. Chemotherapy infusion can take several hours to complete.
- After the infusion process is complete, the technician will remove the IV and ensure the feline is stable by once again recording her vital signs.
- Before being released, the veterinary oncologist will review possible side effects (nausea, tiredness, etc.) and a schedule for the next chemotherapy session.
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