Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Thomas Johnson — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 15:46:05 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]occasionally but that's usually based on a gut feeling that I will find something that may alter my treatment plan, just based on my experience with cats. Occasionally down to owner pressure or knowing particular owners quirks shall we say as well. [/quote]

My normal approach would be an injection of meloxicam and see back the next day, as long as the cat was fairly bright and not clinically dehydrated. If the cat was very subdued then that might prompt me to put it on fluids for the day and run some bloods.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Sammy82 — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 19:40:26 GMT

I would never dismiss the effect of excitement in cats. So if the cat is fine otherwise, eg. brought in for vaccination, and temp was just an incidental find there might be nothing wrong at all. I noticed that my cat always got hot pink ears when he was in the car- out of curiosity I took his temp once after a 10min car ride when there was nothing wrong with him and it was 40c.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 11:13:14 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]In my limited experience, [before Betsolan and B12] [joke], and in purely indoor cats was the commonest cause of a pyrexic unhappy anorexic cat.[/quote]

Sorry, just reread the above which is total nonsense!

"indoor" should have read "outdoor" unless it was a multi-cat indoor household where fights and attacks are common!

In fact pyrexia, in an single indoor cat, must be pretty rare?

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 13:54:33 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]

Has anyone blood sampled these on first presentation, what did you find? Did you get lots of negatives

Neil

[/quote]

occasionally but that's usually based on a gut feeling that I will find something that may alter my treatment plan, just based on my experience with cats. Occasionally down to owner pressure or knowing particular owners quirks shall we say as well.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Dennison — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 12:28:09 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Has anyone blood sampled these on first presentation, what did you find? Did you get lots of negatives[/quote]

A few of our new graduates would admit a cat like this, do full bloods and IVFT. Bloods are usually unremarkable, poss sometimes a leukocytosis. Maybe a mild pre-renal azotaemia from being a bit dehydrated.

Cats would be fine within 12 hours. Doesn't happen as much now, we've managed to discuss these sorts of cases with them and they tend to go for single NSAID +/- LA antibiotic.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Neil Wheadon — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 09:28:28 GMT

Can I put this back on track please?

In this the cat DOES NOT have a cat bite abscess. Can we please stay of this now.

The question merely was what are your first steps when these cats are seen potentially leading onto what they might be an the medication that could be given initially that will do the least harm.

Patterns here

1) Antibiotics are given by some

2) NSAID's seem to be used by most

3) Dexamethasone by David Mills and was something that I changed from a number of years ago for a reason I'm not sure about

4) Resee in 24-48 hours.

Has anyone blood sampled these on first presentation, what did you find? Did you get lots of negatives

Neil

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 08:56:48 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]do you seriously think the only viruses that infect cats are herpes, calici, parvo and felv? i really do give up[/quote]

Touche, but how are they often, or usually, transmitted? [lame, desperate cover up of gaffe...]

I give up too.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 08:46:37 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]there are other viruses in the world[/quote]

What, infecting fully vaccinated cats in the UK??

[/quote]

do you seriously think the only viruses that infect cats are herpes, calici, parvo and felv? i really do give up

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 08:19:23 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]there are other viruses in the world[/quote]

What, infecting fully vaccinated cats in the UK??

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 07:54:47 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

Would I be right in thinking that cats, particularly ones fully vaccinated, are far less likely to have a viral infection and for more likely to have a bacterial infection than today's children, or adults [cough, cough]?

[/quote]

there are other viruses in the world

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 23:52:17 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]This quandary relates to a cat with PUO, nothing else found.[/quote]

I should not have added the confusing after thought and just said that a cat with a PUO, if it goes out, is very likely to have a cat bite, and a shot of pen was my first approach.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 23:48:46 GMT

[quote user="Nicola M"]Don't want to mask significant symptoms but the vast likelihood is its not serious....but if then poorly responsive to anti-pyretic or relapses then obviously would look further[/quote]

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:59:37 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]Just added the "painful area" 'cos it might be helpful[/quote]

Kate's right, that wasn't the question.

If you find a painful area then a CBA is high on the list as the pyrexia was a give away.

This quandary relates to a cat with PUO, nothing else found.

Neil

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:43:03 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]3 year old cat, nothing found aside a temperature of 40 degrees, what do you do?[/quote]

If it goes out dinovet approach was a look for a CBA, and anything obvious like gut pain etc. if nothing then shot of pen and usually that was it.

If no better in 24 hours then think of all the rarities and look again.

Raised temp should mean some sort of infection or reaction so steroids, even for me, would be contraindicated.

As I said originally???

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:38:23 GMT

[quote user="Nicola M"]If it's actually got one then normally would be easy enough to find and would be lanced.[/quote]

I'd say once the abscess has "matured" the owner usually presents for a lump or a discharge and the cat is usually better, I suggest??

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:37:03 GMT

Read the OP( original post)

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:36:08 GMT

[quote user="janine redman"]PenLA not stocked though [/quote]

Supply and demand obviously; pity.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:35:06 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]That wasn't the question[/quote]

Sorry, what was the question, again. Just added the "painful area" 'cos it might be helpful and confirmatory for some. [no contributors here, obviously]

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

janine redman — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:34:47 GMT

PenLA not stocked though

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Nicola Cole — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:31:50 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Nicola M"]If no obvious cause and not obviously horribly dehydrated then meloxicom to knock temp down, most will then start eating again and re-check following day if not eating. If suspicious for cba then will give antibiotic injection as well.[/quote]

Surely you don't want to mask significant symptoms...

I'd hate to be in the tropics and only be given something to get my malarial temperature down....

[/quote]

Don't want to mask significant symptoms but the vast likelihood is its not serious....but if then poorly responsive to anti-pyretic or relapses then obviously would look further.

If my daughter has a temperature and it's affecting her so she's not eating or sprawled on the sofa looking rubbish then I'll give her calpol....however, if we lived in the tropics and weren't taking anti-malaria precautions then I would probably act differently!

P.s. Sorry, I should have clarified re cat bite abscesses-I meant if I'm suspicious its brewing one then would add in antibiotic injection. If it's actually got one then normally would be easy enough to find and would be lanced.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:29:12 GMT

[quote user="janine redman"]If a bite wound is more likely I would use a long acting Amoxy LA[/quote]

Sorry, unless bacteria have changed since around 2000 penLA works so much better! [surprised me]. And it's one LA shot too.

PS and why use a broad spectrum in these days of antibiotic resistance when a narrow spectrum works better.

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Anthony Todd — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:27:15 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]How many are bacterial infection and need an antibiotic?[/quote]

If it's a cat that goes out I'd say 7 or 8 out of 10 and to suggest leaving it until the CB becomes a CBA is bad practice.

As Penicillin is so infrequently used but still [2000] the antibiotic of choice for CBs I'll rsisk eternal damnation and fix most cats that go out and are febrile with one shot.

BTW cat's that don't "go out" don't get PUOs often [crikey i'm getting TLAid]

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

janine redman — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 21:06:09 GMT

Go with clinical suspicion. If a bite wound is more likely I would use a long acting Amoxy LA, if virus or flu or pancreatitis more likely an NSAID . Then see back 24-48 hrs

especially with long haired cats it is easy to miss the bite wound. Then difficult to know if pain or infection causes the pyrexia

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 20:50:12 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]A painful surrounding area is the clincher for me.[/quote] And I thik we would all agree this would likely be a cat bite. That wasn't the question

RE: Pyrexic 3 year old cat - what do you do?

Kate Richardson — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 20:48:40 GMT

These are the days of not giving antibiotics unnecessarily ie obvious or strong suspicion of infection or hgh potential of getting one. A significant number of pyrexic cats (and dogs) get better with no tx other than symptomatic ie anti-pyrexia medication. Those that don't are likely to get antibiotics as the next step. Perfectly logical in my mind

(posted on the other thread discussing antibiotic use, got muddled up)