Sick little kitten, lots of symptoms but unsure which are relevant

Hi guys,

I have a very sick little kitten. Before I start I'd like to just say that I've been reading up a lot on the different cat diseases, but it's really difficult to string my kitty's symptoms together into a single Google search. I know that there are numerous things that might be wrong, which is why I will point out that we have been to the vet.

We moved to a new place about a month and a half ago. Our kitty has always been shy and she tends to sleep 90% of the time. I realise that this might sound normal, but what worries me is that she seems to stay in the same spot all the time. She also has no interest in playing which makes means she's either lethargic or perhaps she just doesn't have a playful personality.

One of the first symptoms we noticed was that she seemed to be struggling with her back legs (her left leg seems to be the culprit). Initially we thought that she was just slipping on the tiles (as our new place has 90% tiles). But it's gotten progressively worse these past two weeks. The vet ruled out neurological issues but this might not be the case. The reason I'm sceptical is that she always seems to get her left paw stuck on things, we end up often manually unclawing her from our bedding, her bed etc. Is it a coincidence that her left leg and left paw seems to have trouble? Furthermore she has been getting more and more poop stuck in her fur, perhaps because she has trouble standing when doing her business. 

Recently she started developing new symptoms; excessive drooling. I've read a lot about the possible causes and we've seen the vet. She has inflamed gums which would cause the problems with drooling. The weird thing is that she's eating, her appetite seems fine. She also drinks a lot of water. The drool has become a problem as her entire chest and front paws are covered in drool. We try and clean it off but it just becomes a problem again... The vet gave her something for it but it only lasted a day. She also gave her an antibiotic.

This past week her sister has also been throwing up. It's most likely coincidence... but my thoughts are just really "what if it's not". I'm worried that there's something in the house that we might be unaware of, that's making them sick. Perhaps it's something with their diet.

My first question is, how long does it take for an antibiotic to "manifest" itself - when will we know if it's working?

My second question is - the vet mentioned that she might have FIP. Do these symptoms sound like FIP? Have any of you experienced something similar? The vet mentioned that Birman's often get FIP.

Thanks guys.

This might be a little weird, but what are you using to clean your tiles? Something (a chemical perhaps) could be making the kitten uncomfortable walking on the tiled floors (and in turn licking its paws) and making your sister sick.

Hiriji said:

My first question is, how long does it take for an antibiotic to "manifest" itself - when will we know if it's working?

My second question is - the vet mentioned that she might have FIP. Do these symptoms sound like FIP? Have any of you experienced something similar? The vet mentioned that Birman's often get FIP.

Thanks guys.

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I am a human doctor, not a cat doctor and any advice that I give you about your cat should be checked with your vet. 

To answer your first question - Usually within two days in humans, probably less in cats. If the inflamed gums are causing excess salivation, as is likely, probably within two days.  However antibiotics do not help in viral illnesses such as FIP and I am sorry, but in my opinion, you will get no improvement if this is the cause of your cat's problems.

To answer your second question "Do these symptoms sound like FIP?"  -  I am not really qualified to answer this question and you should ask your vet as soon as possible.

With best wishes,

Geoffrey

Geoffrey said:

 
I am a human doctor, not a cat doctor and any advice that I give you about your cat should be checked with your vet. 

To answer your second question "Do these symptoms sound like FIP?"  -  I am not really qualified to answer this question and you should ask your vet as soon as possible.

With best wishes,

Geoffrey

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As you probably know, FIP can not be diagnosed 100% except from a necropsy. In my experience vets use the FIP diagnosis when they are stumped for an answer. I am not a  vet, but the drooling sounds similar to my boy with stomatitis. However  that may not be the case since the cat has other symptoms. I would look at cleaners used and ask the vet about a toxic reaction being a possibility.  You did not mention the cats age. Did the vet check her heart and do a blood panel?