My kitten is recovering from fever. Why isn't she active or playful?

I would recommend taking the kitten back to the veterinarian for a recheck and further testing to see what could be going on with Meow. Meow will likely need further treatment. He may be dehydrated and may need other additional treatments. I hope this helps and hope Meow gets better soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Without a full history and physical it is impossible to guess exactly what the cause of her fever is. Antibiotics will only help to treat bacterial infection but will not help with viral infections. Blood tests for FELV/FIV and feline herpes virus may help to identify underlying causes. I would continue with the lysine, a high quality kitten food and probiotics until test results come back

Poor Jasper! In addition to antibiotics, I would start Jasper on an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) to help with the fever, if they have not already done so, since his kidney values are normal. It does happen occasionally that we see a cat that is obviously experiencing symptoms of a severe infection or inflammatory response, but we are unable to locate the source of the infection. If abdominal radiographs and ultrasound were not done, this is something additional that could potentially help discover the source of the infection. At this point, make sure he is eating, get the antibiotics into him, ask for pain medication like an nsaid (metacam, onsiar, etc.) or an opiate (buprenorphine) if they didn't send you with one, and give him time. Best of luck!

I typically don't recommend treating the fever specifically as fevers are a normal reaction to fight infection in the body. Like a cold in people, upper respiratory infections in cats can take several days to resolve. As long as she's eating and drinking normally, that is a good sign. If she stops eating and drinking or gets very congested and is breathing through her mouth, I would recommend taking her back to the vet. Occasionally upper respiratory infections get so severe that cats need to be hospitalized for IV fluids and syringe feeding until the symptoms improve.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds that your cat had a thorough investigation at your vets. Some cats are lethargic and less playful when they have fever (I guess that was checked by your vet) or painful condition, for example muscle pain, joint pain, spinal pain and more. If his activity is not back to normal in 2-3 days I would suggest trying a short course of anti-inflammatory medications.

If the fever persists longer than 12hours, she becomes weak or refuses water for longer than 4hours you should return to your vet. Do not give any human or other medications to such a young kitten but keep her in a cool, well ventilated area with easy access to fresh water and soft food. Most cases resolve uneventfully without additional treatment

You can try warming the food or mixing in a teaspoon of baby food into it. This could stimulate her appetite. You can also take her temperature to check for fever. Use a rectal thermometer and sterile lube. Normal temp is between 37 C and 39 C (100 F- 102.5 F). Anything above that is considered a fever and should be addressed by your veterinarian.