Hi, I just wanted people to be aware of the dangers of unsupervised or untrained attempts at administering sub-q fluid therapy. I know of two cases where people read about it and attempted to do it without training; one seriously harmed a ferret, and the other caused the death of the ferret. In the injury, the needle went under the right scapula, and the infusion of fluid tore ligaments and did severe muscle damage. The ferret STILL has limited motion of the arm. In the later case, the needle went into the pulmonary space, filling it with about 40 cc of Ringers solution. The ferret could not recover from that mistake. If you have been trained by your vet in the procedure, you are probably doing things correctly. My concern was that some people woud read about the procedure and attempt it on their own. I have a moral and ethical obligation to discuss any possible negative aspects of any technique that could end in disaster, and I take it very seriously, hence the strong warning. Bob C [Posted in FML issue 4407]