Unexplained high fever--Terrified it might be FIV

So Chaplin's fever has DEFINITELY come down--I took his temp a few hours ago, and it was 103.2, which is only about one degree above normal. He FEELS much cooler to the touch (he was burning hot yesterday). He's still eating and drinking like a champ, but he's also still INCREDIBLY lethargic. I've been waking him up so that he can eat and drink and potty (once he sees the food, he goes right to the dish), and then he'll hang around for a little bit, but he always goes right back to the couch and sleeps. He seems to be sleeping very, very deeply and peacefully. Is this normal, even though the fever is going down, for him to be so incredibly tired? I'm going to take his temp one more time before bed and give him his second dose of antibiotics. Since his fever is coming down with the antibiotics, can I be fairly certain that this is NOT the onset of something like FIP or FIV?

Thanks so much for your support! It's a strange feeling...I've cared for very, very sick cats for years at the shelter...but when it's my own kitty, I feel completely clueless, and everything suddenly seems a hundred times more overwhelming.

<3,

Chaplin's mom

He should be tired for awhile.
I am glad the fever is coming down.

I checked his temp again and it's back up to 104. The vet said it might fluctuate for awhile...when can I expect it to break? I really hope it doesn't stick around for weeks, like some fevers I've heard about. :/

Meekos took about 3 days before it broke.
Give him time to get better.
If he stays at 104 call the vet back.

Thanks so much, Mews. I've got him up in the bed with me, and I'm going to take his temp again in the morning. I'll keep everyone posted.

Fingers crossed, but i wouldn't worry about the lethargy

Well...Chaplin's temp is still stuck on 104 as of this morning. I really think the antibiotics aren't doing anything....The vet referenced several cases where cats had a fever for several days, with nothing working to bring it down, and just got over it on their own. I still think Dylan gave something to Chaplin...I just wish I knew what it was.

I'm going to put a page in to the vet today. He'll probably tell me to bring Chaplin back in tomorrow.

*sigh*

I'm so worried I'm shaking, and I can barely sleep or eat. This whole ordeal is wreaking havoc on my health, too!

It's been said on this site before and I've seen it with my own cats. They can feel our stress and our nervousness. Remain calm, talk to your kitty explain why you are scared and worried about him and explain that you're doing everything you can.

Trust in your vet, and if you don't find a new one right now that you do trust.

Leslie

I talked to the vet this afternoon, and he told me that when Chaplin came in, his temp was actually 105.8--so...pretty close to 106! He also said that antibiotics need 48 hours to build up in the system, and it's only just now been that long. Finally, he assured me that he's comfortable with where Chaplin's at right now, and that he thought 104 was an indication that things were starting to improve. Chaplin's not getting any worse...he's just not getting that much better. He is, however, still eating and drinking, and he batted at the feather toy a bit when I was playing with the other cat. I'm trying to calm down and trust my vet, and I'm trying to let Chaplin sleep as much as he wants, without "hovering" over him. My vet did, after all, save Chaplin from a very, very horrible urinary blockage when Chaplin was a mere few hours from dying.

The vet told me to take Chaplin's temp again in the morning and to call him with the results. We may do another CBC if things haven't improved a bit.

Thanks again, to everyone.

It does take time.
I am glad he is eating and drinking.
That is a good sign.

I just came across this thread, but wanted to add that last spring My Maggie, who had never been sick, suddenly spiked a temp of 105. She was not eating, but had no other signs of upper resperitory. She spent 24 hours at the vets on an I.V. drip with antibiotics in the drip. Her temp had not come down, but the vet sent her home. It took another couple days, but just a suddenly as it came on the temp went away. I too was very worried as I had never had a cat with only a high temp. Jordan is a differnt story, he has feline herpes. When he has a flare up, it is bad. He usualy has runny nose, runny eyes & sneezing, but in addition he normally has a temp of 105 for 7-10 days. In Jordan's case since they know it's a virus, it has to run it's course. He goes on anti-biotics to prevent a secondary infection & L-Lysine to help his immune system. Jordan was tested for FIV & FeLuk as a baby & tested negative, but he has never had a good immune system. I worry terribly about him every time he gets sick, but he has pull through so much. Cats are stronger than I give them credit for and it sounds like your kitty is preety strong. Do your best to think positive as your kitty can tell when you are nervous.

Chaplin's temp was down to 103.3 this morning! I checked it twice, just to make sure, and then rang the vet, who was very pleased. He seems a little more alert, especially to noises outside and whatnot, which he had been previously ignoring. Please keep those purrs and prayers coming that his temp is going down and STAYING down. I'm trying not to be too happy just yet (but I am very pleased). I'm just so care he's going to spike again! But I think it's a pretty good sign that after several days stuck on 104/105, we're down to 103.3.

Thanks again, everyone, for your support during this time. You all have been WONDERFUL. I'll keep everyone updated.

<3

Glad to hear he is feeling better.....I hope he is on the mend now and you can relax alittle....I get the same way when one of my pets are ill....Your not the only one )

I am glad it is going down.
Pretty soon it will be normal and you will not have to worry.

*sigh* Temp is holding at 103.6 and has been since last night. I'm so frustrated! This round of antibiotics will be done tonight, and the vet is thinking of putting him on a new type tomorrow...we're wondering if it's toxoplasmosis. I'm going to have him run another CBC, just to make sure nothing new his happening. :/

Poor cat.
What are they thinking of putting him on?
I hope something helps him.
My Cleo had clavamox then cefa drops.
The Cefa Drops helped her but the clavamox did not.
She never had a high fever like your cat.

I'm not sure, but I'm willing to guess that the vet will want to put him on a toxoplasmosis-specific antibiotic. HOWEVER, I still firmly believe that this is a virus of some sort. Chaplin seems to be fighting it on his own--he has his ups and downs, it seems. He just ate an entire jar of chicken baby food and is looking very happy and pleased with himself. I'm thinking of getting some nutri-cal paste to help him get enough calories and to stimulate his appetite. At least the baby food has a lot of water in it, which is good for his hydration.

Do you notice if your kitties shed more when they're sick? Chaplin's doing a good job of grooming himself, but he seems to be losing more hair than normal.