15 year old cat got vaccines 6 days ago, now not eating, drinking lots of water

myfamily

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I am worried sick. He has always been a voracious eater. I thought i was helping him by giving him vaccines, but now I question this choice. They gave him his one year FELV, FCRPV, and rabies on Thursday. It is now Wednesday. He stopped eating about Sunday, and is constantly drinking from the water bowl, which I know is a dangerous sign. I talked to the veterinarian today while i was there bringing my other cat in for his vaccines. She said vaccines can make cats lose their appetite and have a fever.... but didn't really answer the question about why he's drinking so much water. I think she said maybe the vaccines pushed him over the edge in regard to his kidneys. He had his teeth cleaned 4 months ago, and his blood work showed mild stages of kidney disease but nothing alarming. I just need a better answer. I got some cerina to help him regain his appetite.
 

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Try other enticing foods like sardines, mackerel--any canned fish. I have tried butter (all unhealthy items) and it kickstarts their appetite sometimes. Some people recommend meat baby food (but no onions or garlic in it) but I have not tried that successfully.
Hope he turns 'round the corner.
Just curious: is he an indoor/outdoor cat? I have a 14 year old indoor only cat and we are not planning on vaccinate him.
 
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myfamily

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Yikes, 6 days? I'd call another vet and get a second opinion immediately. Have you tried warming up some wet food to enhance the aroma?
I'm sorry I must have been unclear. The vaccines were 6 days ago. He stopped eating 3 days ago. I began force-feeding him this morning. I just don't understand why everything was fine til he got the vaccines, and now he's acting like his kidneys are failing.
 

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If he does have a fever, that is contributor to dehydration and might help to explain the excess drinking, rather than kidney failure. I'd ask the vet about what you should do to counteract a fever, should he actually have one. You should also ask them based on their experience, how long before you might expect the side effects of the vaccines to subside. I have never heard of vaccinations 'pushing a cat, who had mild kidney disease, over the edge'. And, she needs to explain to you what exactly does that mean?

Feeby, who is 16+ yo and indoor only, stopped getting vaccinations at least 5 years ago. And, we even stopped giving her the rabies shot, which is done every 3 years - her last one was 4 years ago. Most US state laws allow a vet to forgo rabies shots if the cat is indoor only and the vet deems they should be stopped for (any) medical reasons.

I sure hope the Cerenia helps and he starts getting back to normal very soon! Please keep us posted.
 
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myfamily

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If he does have a fever, that is contributor to dehydration and might help to explain the excess drinking, rather than kidney failure. I'd ask the vet about what you should do to counteract a fever, should he actually have one. You should also ask them based on their experience, how long before you might expect the side effects of the vaccines to subside. I have never heard of vaccinations 'pushing a cat, who had mild kidney disease, over the edge'. And, she needs to explain to you what exactly does that mean?

Feeby, who is 16+ yo and indoor only, stopped getting vaccinations at least 5 years ago. And, we even stopped giving her the rabies shot, which is done every 3 years - her last one was 4 years ago. Most US state laws allow a vet to forgo rabies shots if the cat is indoor only and the vet deems they should be stopped for (any) medical reasons.

I sure hope the Cerenia helps and he starts getting back to normal very soon! Please keep us posted.
I am sick to my stomach right now with regret. I should have not given him the vaccines. I didn't know. The vet didn't caution about it. I've been reading that vaccines in older cat can harm the kidneys, and lead to kidney disease. It is very complicated and I don't quite understand it, but that was the gist of it. I think the period has passed for him to recover from the vaccines. He got them Thursday, or one week ago today. Here is what I found onlilne:

Feline Vaccination Risks
Chronic Renal Disease:

Many, if not all, Panleukopenia (“Distemper”) vaccine products use virus grown on feline kidney cell cultures, the Crandall-Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cell line. Cats who receive a vaccine grown on this cell line develop antibodies to renal proteins and can develop interstitial nephritis. Chronic interstitial nephritis (whether caused by vaccines or other issues) leads to chronic kidney disease in the cat. Many researchers now believe that the current nearly universal epidemic of chronic renal disease in the senior pet cat population is related to, if not a direct result of, what is, in effect, repetitive vaccinations against feline kidney cells.
 

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I would still ask the vet what can be done to help him. IV fluids are given in many cases (help to flush out the kidneys), and would likely be more productive than him trying to get enough fluids through drinking. Changes to his diet and certain medications can also help him.

Have you checked out this web site to see if you can glean any treatments options? Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat (felinecrf.org).

I asked my vet about Feeby's age and the need for vaccinations, so don't beat yourself up about this aspect. It was just something I happened to come across while researching elderly cats and then pursued it with my vet, who agreed. Tbh, people are only just becoming more in tune with this - and, it is generally because of having cats that are getting older.

I am still wondering if you don't get a better response from your vet if you shouldn't consider finding a new one. Friends/neighbors/co-workers/family are the best folks to ask for a referral.
 
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BlackCatOp

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I believe vaccines are super important for our young pets and have seen way too many puppies die of parvovirus but I too haven’t vaccinated my indoor only adult cats in nearly 5 years. Not to question your vet’s judgement, but I would be especially hesitant to vaccinate an indoor only adult cat for FeLV as adult cats are relatively resistant to the disease.

My one kitty had a feverish episode after he received his vaccines when he was younger. It took several days for him to be back to his normal self. He experienced GI upset and diarrhea but I don’t recall increased water consumption.

The increased water consumption could be associated with his body trying to eliminate the adjuvants and other inflammatory mediators due to his rampant up immune system. However, I agree it is unusual and concerning.

Hope you are provided with some answers and your kitty improves soon!
 
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myfamily

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I believe vaccines are super important for our young pets and have seen way too many puppies die of parvovirus but I too haven’t vaccinated my indoor only adult cats in nearly 5 years. Not to question your vet’s judgement, but I would be especially hesitant to vaccinate an indoor only adult cat for FeLV as adult cats are relatively resistant to the disease.

My one kitty had a feverish episode after he received his vaccines when he was younger. It took several days for him to be back to his normal self. He experienced GI upset and diarrhea but I don’t recall increased water consumption.

The increased water consumption could be associated with his body trying to eliminate the adjuvants and other inflammatory mediators due to his rampant up immune system. However, I agree it is unusual and concerning.

Hope you are provided with some answers and your kitty improves soon!
He is an indoor-outdoor cat, mainly outdoors as he sleeps in my garage with other stray cats. He's not a stray, but that's where he likes to sleep. I've force-fed him twice so far today using a syringe, and some recovery cat food the vet gave me. Yes, I will be finding a new vet. My vet is closed until Monday, which is very inconvenient. Maybe this is normal business hours for all veterinarians this weekend. I hope not, I'd like to get him in tomorrow, i.e., Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to see someone for testing.
 

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I am worried sick. He has always been a voracious eater. I thought i was helping him by giving him vaccines, but now I question this choice. They gave him his one year FELV, FCRPV, and rabies on Thursday. It is now Wednesday. He stopped eating about Sunday, and is constantly drinking from the water bowl, which I know is a dangerous sign. I talked to the veterinarian today while i was there bringing my other cat in for his vaccines. She said vaccines can make cats lose their appetite and have a fever.... but didn't really answer the question about why he's drinking so much water. I think she said maybe the vaccines pushed him over the edge in regard to his kidneys. He had his teeth cleaned 4 months ago, and his blood work showed mild stages of kidney disease but nothing alarming. I just need a better answer. I got some cerina to help him regain his appetite.
Please contact another vet if possible. I stop giving older adult indoor pets vaccines and I had a vet argue with me when I refused to get a rabies for my 15 year old cat. You might want to have those blood panels done again renal failure can progress slowly or rapidly. Is there an Emergency Vet you can go to if needed? Prayers for you and your kitty.
 

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Here is a link to a FB group who you could dialog with others that might have experienced what you are dealing with.
FELINE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (facebook.com)
myfamily myfamily my older cat went through chronic renal disease. Hers progressed slowly. She also developed diabetes prior to the end. I can tell you finding the right vet makes all the difference. I was seeing an associate at my vets office and she I believe did what she thought was the right thing. One day I gave my kitty insulin and she went into a comatose state but did come back out of it off and on. The clinic owner received my call and told me that would be the last injection she will ever get because he knew it was the end.

Years earlier my one cat was diabetic and that cat was near death but the vet wanted to keep trying things even though all the signs of his body were shutting down.
 
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