Nearly 7 month old kitten with fever and elevated liver enzymes.

[Jenna_Nicole105]

Hello everyone new here and after looking thoroughly into the website you all seem quite knowledgeable.

I have a kitten named Bentley who turns 7 months old on the 23rd of this month. Aside from being a big old boy (not so much overweight, at least as far as I can tell... Just a big cat at 9.79 pounds) he has shown no outwardly signs of anything being wrong. Well with the exception of one thing. He will occasionally poop outside the litter boxes, he pees in them fine and after recently changing from the world's best cat litter to Dr Eisley Kitten attract he's pooping in the boxes around half the time. I have used enzymatic cleaners in his favorite carpet pooping spots, so it shouldn't be him smelling the spots again, he just has an odd and unexplained habit of pooping on the carpet at times.

I took him to the vet last Thursday intending to get him neutered and they called me and said he had a fever and while they would still do the surgery, they recommended against it and I had them instead do an exam and blood work.

His exam was normal, as they have all been to date, but in addition to the fever his liver enzymes were slightly elevated. He is currently on a ten day course of amoxicillin clavulanate in the hopes that helps, in the meantime I keep fearing the worst.

He's still eating, is super playful, has the occasional bout of the zoomies like you would expect, I was shocked to find out he was even sick as outside of the occasional floor pooping and being large for his age, he seemed like a perfectly healthy and happy kitty. Any ideas of what this might be? I forgot to mention one last thing, he has a pet fountain that I clean extensively every week and change the filter every four weeks. He loves that thing and thus gets plenty of water as well.

 

[fionasmom]

Welcome to The Cat Site! He is an adorable big baby! Which enzymes were elevated and by how much? Did your vet say anything else about this? Your vet erred on the side of caution in not neutering him, so don't read too much into that. I have had the vet refuse to spay or neuter if something else seemed present.

 

[Jenna_Nicole105]

I believe he said ALT and that they were only very slightly elevated, but could be wrong on which enzyme, definitely right about the only slight elevation though.

Fever was 103.6. I remember asking him if it could be something bad and he mentioned something, though I forget what it was (I was a bit in a daze and shocked when he called due to the lack of outwardly signs)

But he also specifically told me not to freak out and to "treat the treatable" as he put it and see if the antibiotics work.

Again other than being larger the average and the pooping on the floor (which the vet believes at least currently is more behavioral rather than a health issue) he has shown no signs of being ill whatsoever and acting like one would expect a young cat to act like.

I plan in calling the vet's office on Friday as we will just a few days left for his antibiotic course by then and see if they want to retest his fever once the ten days are up and anything else they might recommend based on that

Welcome to The Cat Site! He is an adorable big baby! Which enzymes were elevated and by how much? Did your vet say anything else about this? Your vet erred on the side of caution in not neutering him, so don't read too much into that. I have had the vet refuse to spay or neuter if something else seemed present.

 

[Jenna_Nicole105]

I'll also mention before I forget that he's caught up with his vaccines with the exception of rabies which he was going to get same day as the neuter surgery.

 

[carebearbaby1]

103.6 is only one degree above normal for a cat. A stressed cat could very easily have a temp like that at the vet. I was a vet tech for 6 years, it seems like your vet is being overly cautious. Liver enzymes, especially ALT fluctuate. If that was the only thing elevated I don't know how concerned I'd be. You might what to seek a second opinion. As for the pooping outside the box. He may need a larger than normal litter box since he's a big boy.

 

[fionasmom]

ALT definitely fluctuates, including in humans, and a slight change is not usually considered bad. I would have another discussion with the vet about what he suspects could be serious. It can be hard to think in the moment, but try to get as much information as you can. Ask if any other blood values were of concern, as often it takes more than one fluctuation to add up to any conditions which might concern you. While we are not vets, it seems that your kitten is on the young side to have some serious liver condition. Please let us know what you find out.