Cat hasn't been the same since ER visit

[danielatv]

Hi everyone!

I have an 11-year-old FIV-positive cat. Here's the deal: we took her to the ER vet a week ago because she was looking very weak and didn't want to eat. They did some bloodwork, and everything came out normal. The only thing was that she had a fever (104). The vet advised that the cat stayed for the night, and we complied. They put her on IV fluids and antibiotics, and the fever subsided after that. They did another bloodwork the next day, and again, nothing out of the ordinary. X-rays, more antibiotics, and they told us our cat was looking pretty relaxed. She was purring and acting really sweet, but she didn't want to eat. So, we suggested that we could drop by and give her some of her usual wet food. She instantly devoured the can, and the vet told us that was a good sign. Finally, they released the cat and gave us some meds just in case she got sick again (amoxi/clav, cerenia, and elura).

The vet told us the fever may be secondary to an underlying infectious disease or because she recently had her vaccines.

It's been a week now, and she's not that active. She looks normal eats and drinks, but it's not the same as before (she had a great appetite) also, she stopped eating her favorite wet food and only wants kibble

Do you think I should take her to the vet again because she changed her eating habits? or should I give her more time?

Thanks

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. She has FIV and was vaccinated? Is it a state law regarding rabies vaccines or something like that? Do you know what vaccines were given?
Do you have any feline only specialists around your area?
FIV can cause them to have a compromised immune system. This means they can get sicker than a cat with a normal immune system, if exposed to anything contagious.
A visit to the vet is in order, but it sounds like the last hospital stay was hard on your cat.
Are you able to take the temp at home?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Your cat's age, FIV+ status, vaccines, and then meds with a hospital stay have probably taken a bit of a toll on her. Has she stayed pretty much status quo since she's been home, or have things degraded since then? Was she eating her wet food after she got home and then stopped, or has she been reluctant to eat it since she came home? Sometimes cats will correlate their food as being the culprit of their not feeling well and will shy away from it - at least for a while. You might try another wet food and see if she will eat it, but still let her have her kibble too.

Has she had to take any of the meds you were given when she was released to come home? If so, that could also contribute to her less than zealous appetite. Antibiotics will almost always disrupt appetite to some degree. And, if they gave her a long-acting antibiotic when she was in the hospital, that could also still be impacting her appetite. To the contrary, perhaps she needs a dose or two of the Cerenia or Elura, just to help her appetite improve.

Do you give her any kind of immune support supplements? If not, you might consider doing so. DMG is often touted to be more helpful than lysine, which used to be the standard go-to. One of the products that has been mentioned on this site is - VETRISCIENCE Vetri-DMG Liquid Immune Supplement for Dogs, Cats & Birds, 28-mL - Chewy.com.

Another thing to consider is ceasing any future vaccines. I am saying that on the assumption she is an indoor only cat. My cat stopped getting vaccines after the age of 10, and we even ceased with the rabies vaccine about two years later, as the vet felt they were 'overkill' at her age being an indoor only cat. In our state, the vet can make the determination about stopping all vaccines including rabies, if they deem them to be medically inappropriate.

I am NOT saying to NOT take her back to the vet, but whether or not it is necessary may depend on some of the things I mentioned above. Certainly, take her in if you see any signs that would suggest her condition is deteriorating.

 

[danielatv]

Your cat's age, FIV+ status, vaccines, and then meds with a hospital stay have probably taken a bit of a toll on her. Has she stayed pretty much status quo since she's been home, or have things degraded since then? Was she eating her wet food after she got home and then stopped, or has she been reluctant to eat it since she came home? Sometimes cats will correlate their food as being the culprit of their not feeling well and will shy away from it - at least for a while. You might try another wet food and see if she will eat it, but still let her have her kibble too.

Has she had to take any of the meds you were given when she was released to come home? If so, that could also contribute to her less than zealous appetite. Antibiotics will almost always disrupt appetite to some degree. And, if they gave her a long-acting antibiotic when she was in the hospital, that could also still be impacting her appetite. To the contrary, perhaps she needs a dose or two of the Cerenia or Elura, just to help her appetite improve.

Do you give her any kind of immune support supplements? If not, you might consider doing so. DMG is often touted to be more helpful than lysine, which used to be the standard go-to. One of the products that has been mentioned on this site is - VETRISCIENCE Vetri-DMG Liquid Immune Supplement for Dogs, Cats & Birds, 28-mL - Chewy.com.

Another thing to consider is ceasing any future vaccines. I am saying that on the assumption she is an indoor only cat. My cat stopped getting vaccines after the age of 10, and we even ceased with the rabies vaccine about two years later, as the vet felt they were 'overkill' at her age being an indoor only cat. In our state, the vet can make the determination about stopping all vaccines including rabies, if they deem them to be medically inappropriate.

I am NOT saying to NOT take her back to the vet, but whether or not it is necessary may depend on some of the things I mentioned above. Certainly, take her in if you see any signs that would suggest her condition is deteriorating.

Hi!
Sorry for the late response. She's been mostly normal but not very active. As for the wet food, since she came home from the hospital, she's been reluctant to eat it. However, yesterday morning, I gave her some Churu, and she ate it just fine. Maybe she's just being picky. I've already ordered the supplement that you mentioned.

Thank you for all your helpful information. You really put my mind at ease

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hoping that what the vet gave her was a long-acting antibiotic and that is making her less hungry. Some of them can last as long as 2 weeks. You might want to find out what they gave her and ask if that could be attributing to her picking eating.

Hoping to hear about some improvement in her in the coming days!