12 yo cat with fever, lethargy, won't eat

Hi All,

I adopted a senior cat 2 years ago (he is 12 years old now). He has had good health until a few days ago when he stopped eating or drinking anything. I took him to the vet right away of course, since not eating or drinking for even a short time can be very dangerous for a cat. The vet gave him a full examination, an x-ray, and did a full blood workup but everything came back normal other than a fever of 104F. She gave him some sub-q fluids and sent me home with an antibiotic which I give him twice a day. He does seem to be a bit better and has gone as far as licking at his food a bit, but I am still concerned. I am putting out his favorite food in hopes that it will tempt him to eat more.

Has anyone else had this experience with a general fever with no apparent cause (kidneys fine, no blockages, etc.). If so, did your kitty recover? How long did it take? I have had cats all of my life, but none of them quit eating until they were close to death and most even not then. Any input is appreciated. Thank you.

How's he doing?  If he's not eating on his own, you'll need to syringe feed him.  Take his food, water it down with some warm water and then offer it to him.  If he doesn't take it, syringe feed it to him.  Sometimes after fluids, the appetite can be "off" because the fluids hydrate them and give the kitty a "full" feeling.  If he's not improving, take him back to the vet.

He is eating and drinking a little more and hiding less, so that is good. I have just never had a cat get a fever for no apparent reason, so it worries me.

One day when it was feeding time my 2 year old didnt come running, so I knew something was up.  He was a little fireball so I took him to the vet.  The fever didn't seem to have any real cause.  She gave him subq fluids as well, and I think a shot of glucose saline to give him some nutrients to make up for the missed food.  Within a couple hours he was totally normal.  But he was a very healthy robust 2 year old, so it makes sense that your 12 year old is recovering more slowly.

Sorry though, I know how scary it is when they hide and dont eat, especially when they're getting old.  Keep an eye on him and I'll bet he'll be alright.

Thank you, Lightblue! It is SO good to hear that someone had a similar experience and it ended up fine. I had read other things hear and there that basically said the fever might come and go a bit over a few weeks but would ultimately be very bad news. I am hoping that maybe there are so many of the sad stories and so few of the good ones because people are more apt to write about bad things. I mean, "She had a cold and it went away" is not much of a story but "She had a cold and it turned out to be fatal so don't ignore seemingly trifling symptoms" is actually worth writing about. At least I hope that's why so many bad stories are out there and not as many good ones. At any rate, I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

Bundle said:

 
Thank you, Lightblue! It is SO good to hear that someone had a similar experience and it ended up fine. I had read other things hear and there that basically said the fever might come and go a bit over a few weeks but would ultimately be very bad news. I am hoping that maybe there are so many of the sad stories and so few of the good ones because people are more apt to write about bad things. I mean, "She had a cold and it went away" is not much of a story but "She had a cold and it turned out to be fatal so don't ignore seemingly trifling symptoms" is actually worth writing about. At least I hope that's why so many bad stories are out there and not as many good ones. At any rate, I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

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I think that's exactly what happens.  People tend to write about BAD stuff, but not so much about everyday, "normal stuff".  And I think sometimes cat's can just get a "bug", just like us.  Haven't you ever gotten a fever, then taken an aspirin, felt better, and that was that.  I know I have.  I figured I just picked up a "bug".  I'm guessing the same thing can happen to any animal.  I know once in a great while one of my cat's will have a about of diarrhea.  Nothing changed, (food, etc), but it happens.  I give them a little plain yogurt and then they're fine.  Again, I figure it's just a "bug". (maybe it WAS a bug ).

Anyway, hopefully if he has something, the antibiotic will kick-it and he'll be fine.  No reason to think not.

Well, he seemed like he was getting better but last weekend he took a quick turn for the worse so I brought him back to the vet. She gave him IV fluids and 2 antibiotics (different from the one he had previously). She taught me how to give sub-q fluids so I can do this twice a day for him. She will see him again tomorrow. So far, no kidney or liver problems that can be seen through blood work. He also has mucus dripping from one nostril so it looks like an upper respiratory infection at a minimum.

I really hope he pulls through this. 

Oh gosh....maybe a URI as been brewing this whole time.  Hopefully the new meds and TLC will do the trick.  You can try warming up his food, and give him the stinkiest food you can find so he can smell it through all that stuffiness in his nose.  If they can't smell their food, the don't usually eat.