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Ask the Veterinarian/3 yr old cat lethargic/not eating
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Question
My inside cat (Jupiter) recently turned 3 yrs; he is an American short hair. He is neutered, up on his shots and has never been sick. We have one other cat who spayed, up on her shots and they have never had any problems. We got a puppy (half lab half retriever) a few weeks ago and he is getting is puppy shots.
Two days ago I noticed Jupiter was acting differently. When dinner time came he would just sit there and watch our other cat ear or just ignore the food. I picked him up and put him near the food and then he started eating. After that, I began watching him more closely and he isn't waking me up in the morning for breakfast, when I pet him he isn't purring (and he as a purr that can shake the house and comes easily for him) and then this morning he just ignore his breakfast all together. When I went to pet him he whimpered at me and just laid his head back down to sleep. I haven't seen him drinking any water but I do believe he used the litter box this morning.
I plan on taking him to the vet this afternoon but I'm very scared to loose him and don't know what this might be or if it's serious.
Thank you for any help you can offer.
Sarah,
you take very good care of your cats. He may just have a digestive upset from the food he is eating. He might have tusseled with the puppy and have a sore spot on him.
Don't work yourself into a tizzy over something you can't control until the vet sees him. You will only upset him. Take that energy and use it to think wonderful, healing thoughts that you send out to Jupiter.
Tell him what a great, vibrant, healthy cat he is and just keep repeating that until you know what is going on, and then continue thinking those thoughts.
You might want to change their food as well once he is past this. My cats have eaten Science Diet for over 25 yrs and they never, ever get sick. If your food is from the grocery store, or even Iams, then it's not made the same each time and can make your pet sick from sudden changes in their formulas.
So get past today at the vets and then make a plan to switch them over slowly.
Please let me know what you find out at the vets.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you so much for your response. It did help me feel better while I waited to take Jupiter to the vet. My vet ended up giving him a shot since he had a high fever and his leg was working on becoming swollen. Last night he was still pretty lethargic but this morning he was walking around and begging for food (which I was more than happy to oblige him!). He was purring and following me around and generally acting much more like is normal self. I actually have both our cats on Science Diet Indoor Cat food and they love it so I'll be sure to keep them on it since I've heard and researched and found that it's one of the best. Thank you again for your fast response it is truly appreciated! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Jana Connell RVT, CVT
Expertise
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!
Experience
I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina.
I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.
Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.
Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT.
Certified Veterinary Dental Technician
Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).
Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.
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