Needles: Use the right type Vets routinely give #18 gauge needles, which are monsters ("Kitty Harpoons"). Most people find that #21 gauge works acceptably well and create a much smaller hole in the skin which heals faster with less tendency toward scarring. The most popular are Terumo (brand) 20- and 21-gauge needles, which go in smoothly and are relatively painless.

Needles: Don't re-use. Modern disposable needles are exactly that: disposable. After one or two insertions they're no longer sharp enough to slip gently through the skin and can be difficult and painful to use. I re-cap the needle after use and leave it on the setup to preserve a sanitary seal, then change to a new sterile needle immediately before the next treatment. Tubing sets may be reused as long as sterile precautions are taken: hang the new bag, remove the seal plug, remove the spike from the old bag and immediately insert it into the new bag. I only find it necessary to replace the setup when the tubing becomes crimped by the shutoff wheel. (Try to move the wheel slightly each time so it bites in a different place.)

Supplies: Shop around and buy in bulk.
When Coco had her first sub-q treatment at the vet's, the charge was about $15 (in 1995). When they showed me how to administer it and gave me a 1-liter bag and setup, the charge was the same. I imagine this policy is typical, though many vets now may charge up to twice as much. Since it became apparent that treatments would continue indefinitely I made some phone calls to pharmacies to check for case prices. It took a number of calls because most pharmacies don't deal in hospital supplies, but I finally found a pharmacy associated with a hospital (not the in-house, but in a medical office building adjacent) that filled the vet's prescription, charging $35 for a case of twelve 1-litre bags of lactated Ringer's.

Due to changes in the pharmaceutical industry it's necessary to use discount programs to get a decent price on fluids. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this in the U.S. go to: Sources for Fluids

Medications purchased from the vet often have a substantial mark-up in cost, so it's best to obtain prescriptions to fill from other sources. Fortunately there are many online suppliers catering to pets who can be found through an internet search or by recommendations from members of the various support groups.

Pills often have a per-unit price break if you order a certain minimum quantity, sometimes as much as 50%. Regardless of where you buy, always compare pricing and look for the break point. Some suppliers have carton prices for disposable items or may give a discount for ordering half a dozen venosets or syringes at a time, and most offer free shipping on orders totaling over a certain amount (typically $50-$75).

Some specialty pharmacies will compound medicines into cat-appropriate doses, often either in a chicken- or fish-flavored liquid or a trans-dermal gel that can be rubbed in the kitty's ear. For a list, see: Compounding Pharmacies