when do fevers break in kittens?

Hi all, last Tuesday we brought our beautiful 13 week old Burmese boy home. He was active and alert, followed us every where... then yesterday suddenly things changed. The day started out normal... he woke up with us and was playing. .. then after a long session of chase the ball.. went into my sons playroom to lay down .. we thought for a nap.. we went grocery shopping and when we came home some hours later, he hadn't moved. I took him upstairs to try and get him to drink, he wouldn't. . And he didn't want to be held.. just wanted to lay down . I called the animal hospital and they said to bring him in at 6pm (I called at 4pm) by 5:30pm he couldn't stand. His back legs wobbled. On the way to the hospital he had a bad bout of diarrhea. His temp when they took it was 41.5C. He was admitted, given IV fluids and two types of antibiotics. .no change really in his temp overnight. He was put on ice packages and given a 3rd antibiotic... it's down to 40.3C. When should antibiotics kick in? He was tested for fiv and leukemia. . Both negative and he had his vaccines before we got him. His cbc was close to normal we were told. He was never outside. My other cat is not sick, fully vaccinated, and never outside (they were also kept apart). The breeders other kittens are healthy. .. I'm just so stumped. . It all happened so fast. I went to see him a few times today and he looks terrible. . I miss him... and it's cost me about 1700 already... should these antibiotics take effect soon? PS. . He is going pee on his own, eating via a syringe and hasn't had a #2 yet so I'm hopeful he's on the mend. The doc said she believes it's viral. Thanks for any help.

If this is viral (which I also suspect, especially since blood work is normal) antibiotics aren't going to "fix" the problem. They will, however, prevent or treat any secondary bacterial infections.

With a virus, it's kind of a wait and see thing. Providing good supportive care (which it sounds like he is getting) is usually the key. Keeping him hydrated and fed are the most important things.

I've had kittens come down with strange viruses before and the recovery was typically 3-7 days, depending on the severity of the virus. In these cases the adult cats, and typically litter mates, never showed any sign of illness.

CatPack said:

If this is viral (which I also suspect, especially since blood work is normal) antibiotics aren't going to "fix" the problem. They will, however, prevent or treat any secondary bacterial infections.

With a virus, it's kind of a wait and see thing. Providing good supportive care (which it sounds like he is getting) is usually the key. Keeping him hydrated and fed are the most important things.

 

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  It's scary how fast little kittens can get sick.  It sounds like he is getting good care.  I'm glad you were able to bring him in to the vet quickly!  I hope he is feeling better soon!  

Thanks for the responses! It is scary.. I'm happy we live in a big city where we have a few 24 hour animal hospitals near us. I guess I should have figured antibiotics can't kill viruses. . I mean I worked with humans in a hospital lol... just in panic mode. He is so little and I'm so worried. His fever this morning they said was 39.1C so it's going in the right direction. They said he seems more alert. . And even ate a small bit on his own. I said to my husband that though we are unlucky .. our little friend is very lucky we can afford his care... I had a mixed Russian blue some years ago that I rescued.. cost thousands in vet bills. He always had infections.. I thought with a purebred we might be a little more lucky on the health end... but I guess in the end you never know with either a rescue or one from a breeder... he got sick only 5 days after I got him.. but already I love the little guy... I just hope he can beat this again thank you for reading and responding.