My cat is sick, not eating, lethargic. What to do before the vet?

These symptoms can be caused by a range of diseases, and are often accompanied by severe dehydration. Without an exam and some testing, I can't make a diagnosis, and it is illegal for us to make specific recommendations on medications. You should call your local vet for further advice.

It sounds like he is getting sick. Without additional clinical signs it is hard to say exactly what is causing his lethargy and decreased appetite but he could be starting with a respiratory virus or a gastrointestinal virus. He could also have parasites that need to be treated. If it continues than he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. Your vet can run lab work to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. If he is unvaccinated, please discuss a vaccine plan with your vet once he has recovered from this illness.

Poor Uncle Fester. Thanks for more information on it. If you are really worried about it, and I understand why you are, there's no harm in taking him into an ER vet. He may need intensive care. I recommend doing that now.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite and lethargy can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Gimli evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear Zoey isn’t feeling well. I recommend taking her back to the vet for diagnostics- blood work and radiographs- and more aggressive treatment. It sounds like testing hasn’t been done yet and the fluids and anti nausea meds haven’t helped. Cats cannot go very many days without eating and forcing them to eat can make things worse. Good luck and kisses to Zoey!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Jax hasn't been feeling well. Does he go outside? If he does, even if you can't find one right now I would be concerned that he suffered a bite of some kind, as cats can develop abscesses fairly easily when they suffer a trauma. I would be concerned by his behavior, as it does sound like there may be an underlying issue going on, such as an infection, GI upset, or an underlying medical issue (such as kidney disease or diabetes). If he doesn't perk up, start eating and getting some energy back, I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his change in behavior, have any necessary testing done (xrays, bloodwork) and start any treatment he may need to resolve it. Good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would agree with the veterinarian that the blood work does not look concerning at this time. If his appetite has decreased with antibiotics, I would recommend discontinuing the antibiotics and seeing how his appetite improves. If he continues to be inappetant or is lethargic, I would have the veterinarian recheck him to ensure everything is ok. If he continues to be itchy, I would recommend using a topical shampoo such as Douxo PS shampoo which can be found online quite easily and bathe twice weekly until resolved. I would also recommend using Essential 6 spot on by Dermoscent, which can also be found online. If he continues to be itchy, it may be time to consider switching to a different food or even consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!