My rescued cat is thin and won't eat. What are Lyme disease symptoms?

Poor Little Bit! In a young cat an infectious disease would have to be high on the list. I would be suspicious that she could have the dry form of FIP, eventhough the bloodwork is not showing typical changes that usually occur with the disease. Unfortunately, FIP is difficult to diagnose but you could ask your vet about doing an xray and ultrasound of her abdomen to look for changes. Hope she feels better soon!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor appetite in cats can be caused by several problems, like fever, pain, infection, stomach upset and more. Ticks rarely produce bad infections or transmit diseases in cats but if Jasmine remains quiet and does not want to eat, you should take her to your local vets for an appointment.

If it isn't raised or inflamed, it likely is not a tick bite. It is uncommon, buts cats can become infected by the Lyme organism. Ticks need to be attached and feeding for 36-48 hours though before transmission is possible. This would leave a noticeable tick bit granuloma. Chiky should be bumped up to the next size of Advantage Multi since she is outside of the weight range of the product you have. She is being underdosed and could potentially get fleas or ticks.

Poor Lorelei! Sounds like she s has had a bit of a rough go at things recently. As far as the unkempt, greasy coat this could be due to her not feeling well and subsequently not grooming herself well. Alternatively she could also be dealing with an ongoing flea or food sensitivity. I worry about her weight loss and her decreased appetite though. This makes me worried she could be dealing with an underlying health issue such as an intestinal issue such (eg inflammatory bowel disease) or even some infectious disease (eg fip, felv) or even a kidney issue. I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian. They may suggest some blood work to look at her overall health to start and even test her for viral illnesses such as felv/fiv. They may also discuss other tests down the line such as an x-ray or abdominal ultrasound. I hope you get some answers soon and she is feeling better !!

I recommend that you take Jade to the vet as soon as possible. From her history, there are a few things that I am concerned about. The first is intestinal parasites, she needs to be tested and treated accordingly. The other is viral infections such as panleukopenia. She may also benefit from bloodwork to check for malnutrition, anemia, kidney disease, etc. Continue to encourage her to eat wet kitten food, and check her thoroughly for fleas. I hope Jade will be on the mend soon!

Hi there and thanks for posting on PetCoach! I'm sorry to hear Tom is having all of these health issues. Poor guy! Spinal injuries can take a while to heal and some do require surgery. Spinal injuries are also often quite painful so making sure Tom has some pain medication on board would be helpful. If no pain medication was given, you may ask your veterinarian about this. Special food can be prescribed by your veterinarian or an appetite stimulant medication can be prescribed by your veterinarian to help increase his appetite. You can also heat up the wet food at home a bit to bring out the flavor and may entice him to eat a little bit. Ticks and fleas in small young kittens can actually cause anemia (low red blood cell count) which can cause weakness and lethargy. The ticks will need to be safety removed either by you or your veterinarian. If you are unsure how to remove a tick, I have linked a video below. You may use a bath of dish soap (Dawn dish soap works well) to help get rid of flea infestation until he is old enough to be on a month flea preventative such as Revolution or Advantage. If Tom is still not doing well, I would recommend he see his veterinarian again to see what else your veterinarian would recommend. I hope this helps and best of luck to you! https://youtu.be/0wotB38WrRY

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your new kitten. I recommend that you seek veterinary care. The kitten appears quite thin. If he is not eating and drinking properly, this can be a sign of illness. It is worrisome that he is inactive as well. Kittens should be very playful. Infections (respiratory or gastrointestinal intestinal) are common causes of illness in kittens. Once the cause of his problems can be identified, treatment can be started. I hope this information helps!