Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My 4-week-old kitten is lethargic. Should I test her for FeLV/FIV?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Female | unspayed | 25 days old | 0.5 lbs

I'm starting to worry that the 4 week old kitten I've been fostering has FELV or FIV. Vet thought it was URI but even with antibiotics she doesn't seem to be getting better or worse, just remains highly lethargic. All she does is sleep and eat for weeks now. Vet has tried doxycycline oral, clavamox, clindamycin injections which she is on now. Her congestion is gone but her eye is still squinty and still very lethargic. Is she too young to test for FIV or FELV? Do you think I should get tests?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on May 1st, 2018

I'm so sorry that your foster is not doing well. It sounds like she has been through a lot in her short life. Certainly, kittens that have a severe upper respiratory infection young in life can take a while to bounce back. You can perform a FeLV and FIV test at any time, but the results will have to be taken with a grain of salt at her age. The FIV test is an antibody test, so she could test positive if her mom was positive, but she may not have the virus. The FeLV test is usually a little more accurate in young kittens, but not always. The FeLV test looks for virus in white blood cells, so if her white blood cell count is low from her infection if may appear negative even if she has the virus. So while you can test at any age, you may need to repeat the tests again because of the reasons discussed above. So, I would recommend discussing it with your veterinarian to decide on the right route to go for your foster.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

How can I tell if my 6-week-old kitten has FIV or feline leukemia?

Keep in mind that many diseases have similar symptoms, so the only way to definitively know if a kitten has a specific disease is to be blood tested for it, and I do recommend having that done if you suspect your kitten may have one of these diseases. Kittens born to mothers infected with feline leukemia can have it, and symptoms include anorexia, slow and progressive weight loss, poor coat condition, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, pale gums and other mucus membranes, persistent diarrhea, eye conditions, and infections of the skin amount many other symptoms. Symptoms of FIV include fever, poor coat condition, anorexia, diarrhea, eye conditions, infections of the skin, bladder, and upper respiratory tract, weight loss, and various types of cancer and blood diseases which are more common in cats with FIV.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my kitten lethargic, not eating, and has weak legs and tremors?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

When can my kitten get an accurate FeLV test to end isolation?

Most tests are fairly accurate if the results are negative. However there can be false positive test results if done early in age due to antibodies from the mother. I would recommend a vet visit and discuss your concerns with Cagney's vet. But many times it is worth testing earlier and start vaccines. If the test is positive then further testing or quarentine may be required but if negative he may be able to be intetgrated into the rest of the household.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 4-month-old cat is cold and lethargic. What virus is this?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. There are many viruses so it is difficult to say for sure what this could be. Feline herpes virus is something we see quite common in cats so this may be what he has. Lysine supplementation typically helps shorten the duration of the viral infection and severity. I would make sure that he is tested for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What contagious virus is killing my 6-week-old foster kittens?

Hello, several viruses such as panleukopenia and FIP can cause this. Parasitic infections such as coccidia and giardia may also cause this. Testing with a parvo test and checking a stool sample may help you rule some of these diseases out. Hope this helps and best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my FIV+ cat not eating, using litter box, or jumping?

I agree, those symptoms are concerning for intestinal, oral, or kidney disease. Unless the test was falsely positive, cats don't outgrow FIV. There is also no cure for the virus, though not all cats that have it will develop disease. I would recommend that Tiger get checked out by the vet. After a thorough physical exam and review of his symptoms, the vet may recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, or x-rays to see what is going on. Here is more information on FIV in cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv-in-cats/

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat had FeLV symptoms, but now seems normal. Does she need a test?

If there is any suspicion of FeLV, an immediate check up is required as this can be ruled out easily with a simple in house test. Please get in touch with your local veterinarian. 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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share