My kitten won't eat after first shots, only chicken. What to do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lily! Lily is likely having a reaction to the vaccines. If she has a fever she needs to see a veterinarian. When animals have fevers they do not want to eat. Your Vet, after their exam, will likely give her subcutaneous fluids and steroids. Once the fever and the reaction has subsided Lily will likely eat. There is nothing to do at home besides wait out the fever and that may take to long. Cats can not go more than 3 days with out eating or they get sicker. I hope this helps and I wish you and Lily the best!

Hello, sorry to hear about Cello. This could be considered a type of delayed vaccine reaction and can be either due to pain at the injection site or a direct reaction in her stomach. If she is vomiting a lot, then I would definitely recommend she is seen by a veterinarian to avoid severe dehydration. However, there is a chance that this may pass on its own if you monitor her for the rest of the day. On the other hand, there are other things that can cause a decreased appetite and vomiting such as foreign bodies, worms, and viruses. So if you think Cello is feeling ill, then consider visiting your veterinarian sooner rather than later. Hope this helps.

It is possible that the worms were the reason why he wasn't eating, and the deworming treatment itself can make him feel nauseous and unwell. It's the result of the dead worms moving through his GI system. I would recommend offering him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts to try to tempt him to eat. You can also soak his dry food in tuna juice, or offer him gently warmed really smelly wet food, such as sardine or fish based. If he still isn't eating in the morning, I would have him seen by the vet again. It will take at least two deworming treatments to kill all the worms.

I would recommend that you have the kitten examined by a vet if she isn't interested in eating food. You can try a variety of wet kitten foods, or mix dry kitten food with water or kitten milk replacer (not cow or other types of milk). At 6 weeks of age, she needs an FVRCP vaccine.

I am concerning that Luna isn't eating or drinking, and while you can see a decrease in appetite and activity after vaccines, it isn't normal to stop both eating and drinking completely. First I would try to tempt her to eat with some boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in some low sodium gently warmed chicken broth or tuna in spring water. You can also offer her small amounts of Pedialyte. If she refuses to eat or drink those things, then yes I would take her into an emergency vet right away.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from vaccine side effects to any gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Some poor appetite can be considered normal after vaccinations. Vaccines stimulate the immune system to help protect your pet from common diseases they could be exposed to. Vaccines can sometimes cause minor changes in appetite or behavior. Usually I tell clients some decrease in appetite and decreased activity can be normal for 24 hours but for any issues lasting more than 24 hours they should call me ASAP. Some of the major issues (although rare) associated with vaccine reactions are trouble breathing and anaphylactic shock. If you notice any trouble breathing, severe lethargy or swelling of the face or at the vaccine site you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. If the poor appetite is still an issue after 24 hours or If any other issues are going on contact your veterinarian ASAP.