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Severe loss of appetite after vaccination

post #1 of 7
5/22/10 at 12:23pm
Thread Starter 
My healthy 3 year old went in for an annual check up and got a rabbies vaccine, required by law but really not necessary IMHO for an indoor cat. He suffered a severe loss of appertite as a result and didn't eat for days. He is now eating after treatment with the appetite stimulant cipro, but not nearly enough to sustain his body weight. He is also much less active than before. Any tips, thoughts, or suggestions?
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post #2 of 7
5/22/10 at 2:31pm
Try and find someone who uses the Purevax Rabies vaccine next time your cat is due. Two of my cats used to have bad reactions to the adjuvented 3 year vaccine. My cats don't have problems with the Purevax Rabies shot at all. You can also talk to the vet about giving an antihistamine shot before vaccinations. My cat Nabu needs that if he gets a distemper vaccination, otherwise he has a bad reaction.

Rabies vaccine is required by law here too. We have also had bats get into the house, so I make sure everyone is up to date on vaccinations.

Edit:
Can you ask your vet about Hill's A/D food? That is very high calorie and supposed to be really tasty for eating problems. I use Fancy Feast appetizers also.
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post #3 of 7
5/23/10 at 7:10am
asntp, one of mine developed pancreatitis after a 3 year rabies booster, so I'm worried about your kitty. Please talk to your vet about doing blood work. CBC and chemistry profile. Most importantly, because of having been vaccinated, kidney and liver function need to be checked. Blood levels related to pancreatic function (amylase and lipase) should also be checked. A specific separate test for pancreatic function can also be done. (That one is the definitive test.) If a kitty has pancreatitis, usually these tests are sufficient for a diagnosis, but, if necessary, X-rays and an ultrasound can also be done. Certain results in the CBC might also reveal something very important your vet would want to follow up on.

Loss of appetite, depression/lethargy, are just a few of the many symptoms of pancreatitis, but they can also be related to kidney and liver function, so there is reason to be concerned and follow up if they don't clear up quickly after vaccination. I would urge you to take him in for complete blood work tomorrow.

In the future, using Purevax rabies vaccine and pretreating even before that vaccine is given as a precaution, will prevent complications.
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post #4 of 7
5/23/10 at 11:59am
Thread Starter 
Dear Violet - thank you for the information. Did you kitty have loss of appetite due to the pancreatis? What were the symptoms? How was it treated?
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post #5 of 7
5/23/10 at 4:00pm
Mine started throwing up as soon as we got home after the vet visit and just couldn't stop. After the first emergency treatment didn't work my vet put her in the hospital on IV fluids and medications. On this treatment she recovered in a few days.

This is very good info on symptoms from Dr. Mike Richards:

Quote:
Understanding the symptoms of feline pancreatitis is key to getting your pet the help it needs. Many cats never show the full range of symptoms making it hard to know if your pet is ill.

Watch for the Key Symptoms

Lethargy occurs in every case of feline pancreatitis. Many cats lose their appetite and become dehydrated. A cat throwing up may have pancreatitis, but not always. Symptoms do not show up in every case. They include:

abdominal pain
breathing difficulties
diarrhea
fever
jaundice
low body temperature
vomiting

Many diseases share some of the same symptoms. Anytime cat eating habits change and the cat becomes listless, visit your vet. He will run tests to rule out or confirm pancreatitis in your pet.
Link to this article:
http://www.vetinfo.com/clinical-sign...creatitis.html

Somewhere else on his website he writes:

Quote:
Diagnosis of Pancreatitis in Cats

Perhaps the greatest roadblock to diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats is simply recognizing that it might be present. Cats are much better at hiding the pain and other symptoms of pancreatitis than dogs and it is very likely that the number of cats who have pancreatitis far exceeds the number of cats who are expected of having it --- meaning that very often no one looks for the disease even though it is present.
Link to this info:
http://www.vetinfo.com/cpancrea.html
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post #6 of 7
6/5/10 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Violet View Post
asntp, one of mine developed pancreatitis after a 3 year rabies booster, so I'm worried about your kitty. Please talk to your vet about doing blood work. CBC and chemistry profile. Most importantly, because of having been vaccinated, kidney and liver function need to be checked. Blood levels related to pancreatic function (amylase and lipase) should also be checked. A specific separate test for pancreatic function can also be done. (That one is the definitive test.) If a kitty has pancreatitis, usually these tests are sufficient for a diagnosis, but, if necessary, X-rays and an ultrasound can also be done. Certain results in the CBC might also reveal something very important your vet would want to follow up on.

Loss of appetite, depression/lethargy, are just a few of the many symptoms of pancreatitis, but they can also be related to kidney and liver function, so there is reason to be concerned and follow up if they don't clear up quickly after vaccination. I would urge you to take him in for complete blood work tomorrow.

In the future, using Purevax rabies vaccine and pretreating even before that vaccine is given as a precaution, will prevent complications.

Violet, unfortunately my cat has suffered a similar problem as yours. Following his rabies vaccine, he stopped eating. After multiple attempts failed to stimulate normal feeding, he underwent all kinds of tests including blood panels, x-ray, ultrasound, etc. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis based on a fPLI test. Now he has an E-tube inplace for nourishment, and the feeding is going well. A complication is that he now has nonregenerative anemia, and his recovery is slowed by this.

How do you deal with this pancreatitis issue? Do you have any advice for me? What about his anemia? How do I best help him get well again?

Hoping for advice,
Lester
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post #7 of 7
6/8/10 at 2:14pm
Hi - I was just wondering how your kitty is doing. Mine just had his 3 year rabies a few days ago and it always makes me nervous. If it wasn't for the fact that I get him groomed, and they require it, I would skip it all together.

Please give us an update.
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