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Treatment

If infection is suspected, antibiotic treatment will be the most likely treatment. The specific antibiotic prescribed for your cat will depend on the location of the infection, as well as the suspected contaminants behind the infection (if no culture is available at the time). Additional medications may help to make your cat more comfortable by alleviating related symptoms.

Living and Management

After the initial treatment, antibiotic therapy should be adjusted based on the follow-up culture tests. Certain veins, known as phlebotic veins, should be avoided for IV therapy or blood collection until your cat has completely healed. With proper antibiotic treatment, the most severe cases may still take up to three weeks to resolve.

Prevention

Because the main cause of phlebitis is poor quality catheters or improper catheter care, this is the primary area to target when thinking about prevention. Any IV catheter sites should be cleaned regularly with antimicrobials and treated with antimicrobial ointment, in order to avoid bacterial infection that may lead to phlebitis. Sterile dressings should be used, and catheters should be changed within 24 hours, especially if they were placed in an emergency situation. Longer catheters may reduce the incidence of phlebitis.