DELAYED, prolonged vaccine reaction

Tlhl

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hey everyone! My baby Jade is going through this now. She got her shots on June 17th, and by the 23rd she had a fever, was very lethargic and sleeping all day (she’s usually a playful and energetic cat) and completely lost her appetite. Took her to the vet and she got subq fluids and convenia. We’re now on day 9 and she’s feeling better - no more fever, more alert and less lethargic, eating and drinking regularly.... but she’s acting like her feet are killing her and doesn’t want to walk at all. Did any of you experience this, and how long did it last? I’m trying to avoid giving her anymore meds because I’m worried about side effects, but it’s been 3 days with this pain and I hate seeing her so uncomfortable so I’m getting desperate 😭
My cat keep standing with his front paws in his water bowl. I finally took him to get specialist week and a half ago even they couldn't find anything wrong ..they said it could be pancreatitis.i asked to please put hin on a course of prednisone .she said if he had pancreatitis it would make him worse .she put him on a course of prednisone and its been week and a half and he is great he felt better the next day ..both vets keep telling me he disnt have the normal symptoms of delayed vaccine reaction cause of the drooling ..1400.00 later and if they wouls gave him prednisone the first time it would saved me over 1000.00.so maybe have vet put ur baby on course of prednisone .not all cats have the normal symptoms of delayed vaccine reaction ..my cat waa lethargic drooling ans looked out of it .2 weeks after his shots .he never had a fever .he was still eating and his blood work was all good .hope this helps some.
 
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Has anyone had their cat get through this without intervention? I ask bc last year Frodo, 14 yrs old got his vaccines on June 27th. July 11th, he is walking stiff legged. I take him to vet, convenia administered, loxicom and sent home with gabapentin. Fever of 104.1. July 16th I take him back, temp is 103.1, seems better . Metacam injection & sent home. July 24th, he is not right, drop him off for xrays and blood tests. No bloodwork at first visit bc he had a fever. The vet calls and tells me he is in renal failure. When I had dropped him off, kidney failure did not occur to me. He was not THAT BAD. He was hospitalized and they tried to flush the kidneys. I bring him home on the 27th with Enrofloxacin. The next 10 days are hell for him and on August 7th, I had to let him go. Fast forward to JUNE 16, 2020, Ishmal, Frodo's brother gets vaccines and on July 2nd, I notice he is not acting like himself, the next day, I am freaking & call the vet. Deja Vu but we did all bloodwork and Ish has no fever. He is shaking his head so vet put claro otic in his ears. I ask about the vaccines, he said 24-48 hours. Ish is lethargic, stiff legged and when I tried to pick him up, he screamed in pain. If he makes, he will never have shots again. He has been sleeping all day and it looks like he would like to get up but in too much pain. He is eating, I have yet to see him drink today but I saw him use the litter and output was normal on both.
 

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My Dash and my Buddy are both having issues. They got boosters because the local shelter I foster for has recently started requiring this. They got the Felocell 4 + 2-velv + rabies on the 30th. Buddy has a lump near his spine that only showed up about 4 days ago, I guess. That's when I noticed it anyway. He's kind of hard to pet in a way, because he moves and rubs against things a lot when he is petted. I've read that's kinda common and am not really going to worry about it unless it gets bigger or doesn't go away by the end of the month. It's about the size between a nickel and a quarter, doesn't move, but isn't completely hard, it can be kind of "squished" down a little if I push on it. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but he's a cat, and he didn't seem to be in pain the last time he had issues w/ bladder, which...was bad. Anyway, keeping an eye on him.

Dash started seeming lethargic 2-3 days ago, and I thought maybe she's just hunkering down to grow her winter hairs. But she won't leave her little hidey spot. I have a little place she sleeps between my chair and a table, and she's only leaving to drink/eat/maybe potty. She won't play. The main two things that worriy me is that she is not grooming, and she is normally a very active groomer, and she is not attached to my husband's ankles all day, as she usually is. She's a little .. "wobbly" I guess, walking. Oh, I should add that she also had a sedative that day, and this wobbling is kind of similar to that, tho not as pronounced. She's a fighty cat, and I really can't afford to get scratched due to medical condition of my own (and being paranoid about covid, so not wanting to go to my own dr) so there is no way I would try to take her temp rectally, but I have an ear thermometer on its way.

My vet is out til the 26th, but I have a "back up" vet I will take her to if she stops eating or drinking. Just wanted to chime in and say /me too, and will update.

UG. I didn't even get any paperwork with the SE on it, but the website says : "7. The use of this product has been associated with fever, anorexia, and lethargy in 1% of vaccinated cats, often occurring in clusters in association with multiple concurrent vaccinations. The onset is typically delayed 7-21 days after vaccination. Symptoms may persist for 3-30 days with an average of 12 days after onset. Veterinary intervention may be required. When treatment is necessary, supportive care, steroids, and antibiotics have been utilized. "

I wish he'd warned me or at least cautioned that I should not get them all done on the same day. So stressful and I'm so emo about it. She's my bff. Now I just wonder how nec. the boosters even are. My cats are inside/outside, so I figured they probably need them more than inside cats would. :(
 
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jstie

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My Dash and my Buddy are both having issues. They got boosters because the local shelter I foster for has recently started requiring this. They got the Felocell 4 + 2-velv + rabies on the 30th. Buddy has a lump near his spine that only showed up about 4 days ago, I guess. That's when I noticed it anyway. He's kind of hard to pet in a way, because he moves and rubs against things a lot when he is petted. I've read that's kinda common and am not really going to worry about it unless it gets bigger or doesn't go away by the end of the month. It's about the size between a nickel and a quarter, doesn't move, but isn't completely hard, it can be kind of "squished" down a little if I push on it. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but he's a cat, and he didn't seem to be in pain the last time he had issues w/ bladder, which...was bad. Anyway, keeping an eye on him.

Dash started seeming lethargic 2-3 days ago, and I thought maybe she's just hunkering down to grow her winter hairs. But she won't leave her little hidey spot. I have a little place she sleeps between my chair and a table, and she's only leaving to drink/eat/maybe potty. She won't play. The main two things that worriy me is that she is not grooming, and she is normally a very active groomer, and she is not attached to my husband's ankles all day, as she usually is. She's a little .. "wobbly" I guess, walking. Oh, I should add that she also had a sedative that day, and this wobbling is kind of similar to that, tho not as pronounced. She's a fighty cat, and I really can't afford to get scratched due to medical condition of my own (and being paranoid about covid, so not wanting to go to my own dr) so there is no way I would try to take her temp rectally, but I have an ear thermometer on its way.

My vet is out til the 26th, but I have a "back up" vet I will take her to if she stops eating or drinking. Just wanted to chime in and say /me too, and will update.

UG. I didn't even get any paperwork with the SE on it, but the website says : "7. The use of this product has been associated with fever, anorexia, and lethargy in 1% of vaccinated cats, often occurring in clusters in association with multiple concurrent vaccinations. The onset is typically delayed 7-21 days after vaccination. Symptoms may persist for 3-30 days with an average of 12 days after onset. Veterinary intervention may be required. When treatment is necessary, supportive care, steroids, and antibiotics have been utilized. "

I wish he'd warned me or at least cautioned that I should not get them all done on the same day. So stressful and I'm so emo about it. She's my bff. Now I just wonder how nec. the boosters even are. My cats are inside/outside, so I figured they probably need them more than inside cats would. :(
I'm the original poster on this thread, and it's distressing to see how many cats just on this forum seem to be having this problem. You obviously discovered the involvement of the Felocell combo vaccine stacked with the rabies - that seems to increase the risk. Our Pawnee went through a month of steroids, fluids, appetite stimulants, and buprenorphine for pain. It was a long and slow recovery, with several mornings spent at the vet clinic getting IV fluids - that really helped bring her fever down so she felt better, would eat, etc., and then a careful taper of the steroids at the end of the course of the disease. Do monitor her temp if you can, it helps keep an eye on how she's doing. We NEVER vaccinated her again, and she remained indoors-only. As all our cats are indoors-only, the only vaccines we give now are rabies (we get bats visiting occasionally). I know dog people get titers checked sometimes to test if they really need vaccine boosters; I don't know how widespread that is for cats. IF your cats continue to go outside, I'd talk with your vet about the minimal schedule required, and *definitely* do NOT give all the vaccines the same day. And Dash may need to forgo them altogether, and just stay inside. Good luck, keep us posted. It's a long, scary haul, but our Pawnee made it. She's passed away now - kidney failure in old age - and we will always miss her.
 

FosterFurEver

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awwwwwww RIP Pawnee <3 I'm glad she made it through all of that. But sad that you lost her.

I don't think we'll be getting any more boosters. I've had cats my whole life, all outdoors, and they've been fine without boosters. And with both cats having issues? None for me, thanks. And all this while covid is going on. If she needs a vet, there is one who is only taking drive ups, so I guess they could just take her in for iv/steroids if needed so I would have minimal contact with people. Though she is drinking plenty of water, which makes me the tiniest bit more comfy about it (wish Buddy would!). ug! I get so emotional.

Anyway, I'll keep updated. Thanks for your response.
 

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Have seen many of your posts on immediate (within a day) reactions to vaccines, but has anyone any experience with a severe DELAYED reaction? Pawnee (5 yrs old, spayed DSH) got a Felocel 4 FVRCP and an Imrab 3 rabies booster on April 30. She was totally, completely fine for 8 days. On Friday (a week ago today) she gobbled up her breakfast, seemed just fine, but got quieter and quieter through the day. Would not eat Fri eve or Saturday, Saturday eve temp at 104.5. Took her to emergency vet on Sunday - temp 105. CBC, basic blood panel and FeLV/FIV tests ALL normal. Got 250cc fluids subcu and Convenia. I asked vet about vaccine reaction and he said "very unlikely that far out." Regular vet (Best Vet in The Universe) saw her Monday and her first thought was vaccine reaction. Sure enough, Felocell 4 website says 1% of cats develop fever, lethargy, anorexia beginning 7-21 days AFTER vaccine was given, lasting an average of 12 days. She has spent the week on fluids (subcu and IV), prednisolone, and we've been coaxing her with every possible kind of food (incl KMR). She had one day of a normal temp (and she ate everything in sight), then it went back up, hovering between 103.5 and 104. She's still basically very lethargic, eats very little, feels like crap. Every blood test we've done has come in normal. We do really think this is vaccine-related, but if anyone has been through this, I'd be grateful for your input. It seems we just have to do supportive care, with fluids, steroids, and painkillers, and hang in there till it clears. But it's feeling like a very long haul, and it just kills us to see our tough, smart, active, healthy, opinionated, willful Pawnee in such straits... :-( She was a stray who adopted us, and has been allowed to continue life as an indoor/outdoor cat, and we do get bats in the house occasionally, so I thought I was being a good CatMom by getting her vaccines. I also made a mistake in getting the vaccines from the local vet where our vacation home is instead of from our usual home vet, who would not have stacked the vaccines. She had no difficulty with her first set of vaccines; this was her second vaccination since she's lived with us, and of course we have no clue what her previous history was. I'm beating myself up royally for all this, of course.
But if anyone has seen this happen and has any advice, we'd be so grateful...
Unfortunately I have had a recent experience with this. My cat received the rabies and fvrcp vaccine about 4 months ago. About 20 days later she started limping. At the time I didn't attribute this to the vaccines, I thought she just did something while playing. I took her to the vet and they did x-rays and put her on buprinorphine. Needless to say she was back at the regular vet and ER vet three more times over the next several weeks. She wasn't eating, shivering, very lethargic. At one point we thought she wasnt going to make it. The vet we had at the time wasn't very helpful and I even brought up the idea of a vaccine reaction or limping syndrome. They basically said the same thing that it wouldn't happen that long after. After doing my own research and looking back on my cats records, every time she was into the vet for vaccines about 20-25 days later she had some sort of health problem (usually limping, lethargy) that we took her in for which I didn't put together at the time. After no answers from the vet and several.meds that seemed to make it worse I basically had to hand feed her to make sure she was getting enough nutrition and fluids into her. I did get a cream for on her ear from the ER vet to stimulate her appetite which was a life saver. It took about 2 months for her to get back to normal. It just gradually got better with patience and care from us. This was after many visits to the vet, sc fluids, labs, x-rays, urine tests etc. They never found an answer. I ended up consulting a new vet because the one I was using wouldn't call back when they stated they would and just seemed to blow me off. The new vet stated he hadn't personally seen a delayed reaction but stated it's possible. He stated that since my cat was indoors strictly he would just recommend no vaccines in the future. He stated since she has been vaccinated several times her immunity will probably last year's anyway. I was surprised to hear him say this as most vets won't as vaccines are where they make money. I can tell you in my experience I firmly believe the vaccines caused all my cats health issues. It's just too coincidental not to be. Hang in there. Things will get better with time. Don't blame yourself. You were just trying to do the best thing for your fur baby and had no idea this would happen. I would rethink getting vaccines again. I know I won't put my cat through that again.
 

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Gosh, this makes my heart just sink. I thought I was doing what was best for them, and ... it makes me so mad/scared. Mine won't get any more boosters, either. *Both* my cats? sheesh. I hate to hear that you had to go through all of that. I'm glad you got a better vet. The vet that gave them these vax said that he wouldn't suggest any more boosters, but I wish he'd ... I'm not blaming myself, but I am so emo about it. :)

She seemed to be doing a little better earlier. Ate a little food and some treats and stayed out in the front of the house for about a 1/2 hour. Groomed a tiny bit. When I brought my dinner in here, she decided she wanted it and tried to get my taquito off my plate, so I fed her some beans from that. Maybe it's easier for her to smell than her food. She doesn't have any uri symptoms, though. Anyway, she's back here and I've just been petting her and brushing her. Found out why she is such an avid groomer: after having not groomed for a couple days, I brushed a LOT of hair off of her. Hope that's not a symptom, but there is no hair missing or anything like that. That's about it, still hanging out with me. No shivering or anything, just sleepin.

Le sigh.
 

FosterFurEver

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She seems to be feeling a tiny bit better, getting out into the main house a little more, and sitting on Daddy's lap. Still mostly back here, tho. Eating fine, but still seems to be losing weight. Tried to pick her up to weigh her, which she doesn't really like anyway, but she acted like it hurt. I was holding her just the way she tolerates, and she stood there in the way she does when I have permission to pick her up (lol weirdo), but still kinda screeched, definitely the sound she makes when she is hurt. :( Not dehydrated, drinking plenty of water and passes the scruff test or whatever it's called. However, it looks like she has ataxia, which I don't see as a side effect on the Felocell site. Definitely taking her to the vet Monday unless that stops. So... I don't know if this was caused by the vaxx, or if she has an ear infection or something else, but I'll update.
 

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Ok, so check this out. I forgot the exact test names, because we were on the phone and I was kind of freaked out already, but the blood tests show elevation in sdma (?) and something bun creatin? and something else, all which are slightly elevated and show inflammation. She was slightly dehydrated and has tiny bladder, so they couldn't get urine yet, so she's going to stay there and get iv/urine test. She said these results could mean she has kidney disease, but a cat her age really shouldn't be having those issues yet. Also said it could be from an injury or toxin. But a little googling and I see this: Feline Vaccination Risks | Uniquely Cats® Veterinary Center.

"Many, if not all, Panleukopenia (“Distemper”) vaccine products (edit mine: felocell) 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.

We need to protect our kitties from Panleukopenia, but with this in mind, we should make every attempt to ensure immunity with the fewest vaccinations possible."

So, we'll see what the urinalysis says, and if it doesn't really show anything, ultrasound is next. I don't know if this is caused by the vaxx, but... it seems like there are too many coincidences, and there are definitely too many side effects from boosters for my taste, in general. I'm so worried. I am glad that we can afford this. Growing up, there is no way we could've begun to afford it, but my cats then didn't get boosters. They got what they came home with from the shelters or from being strays who adopted us, which, back then may not have even been vax at all. All lived to ripe old ages. Not saying that they don't need the first vax, but ... Anyway, who knew 2 regular old domestic tabbies could end up costing so much? I hope the urine test shows something that is easily treated. ug.
 

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We didn't go the route of an ultrasound, because the other vet there said we'd probly be ok just watching her for a while before doing that. They were finally able to get some urine and it was fine, and he said that that made the other test that said she might have kidney issues a lot less worrisome and that her urine said her kidneys were working fine. Still has a little fever. He says maybe FUO, and that cats are kind of stubborn hanging on to fevers. I asked him about the vax and he said he couldn't rule it out, but that they couldn't prove anything, either, as none of the tests would be able to tell. I bet she will be glad to come home after 2 nights away. Wish us luck, and thanks for the replies. <3
 

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Hey Everyone, I’m sorry to hear about all of your kitties. I can unfortunately relate. I am glad to hear of all of the kitties who made it through, that’s keeping me optimistic.

Louie’s story sounds very similar, he got just a rabies shot 9 days ago and symptoms really started showing up on the 8th day. I took him to the vet this morning because he seemed lethargic and I found a lump on at injection site. The doctor thinks it’s too fast for it to be a tumor, and it’s probably a delayed response. He also said Lou has a slight fever.

He’s still eating and drinking for now, but from reading other responses it sounds like this will be an uphill battle.. he’s a Siamese seal point, I didn’t realize how sensitive these guys are.

Did anyone else see a lump by the injection site? I’m curious if this could be due to the delayed
response, or if I need to worry that it is something else? He’s only 6 months old, was a rescue who had a tapeworm/ear infection/ URI as a baby. Poor guy just can’t catch a break!! (He was past all of this when he received the shot though)

thank you for all of your responses. This has been very helpful
 

FosterFurEver

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Yes, my big cat, Buddy, had the lump at the injection site. I read that it's not uncommon, and to wait a month after the shots before becoming worried, or if it becomes bigger. His did go away. It got a little bigger, then slowly absorbed. I'm guessing it was a cyst.

My little one, who was so so sick finally got better after a round of antibiotics. He said it was a FUO, but the antibiotics working tells me there was an infection. There was nothing in the tests that showed infection, and nothing on her body that seemed like it could cause an infection, so I really don't know what happened, and I still think it might be related to the vax.
 

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Okay, that gives me hope that it is part of his reaction.

His fever is looking like it’s getting worse, very sleepy. My vet doesn’t seem very hands on.
Did you guys feel like the steroids and liquid injections for dehydration really helped? I want to do whatever is best for him, but my vet really isn’t much help.
I really appreciate your answers!
 

FosterFurEver

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I think the IV helped mine a bit, because she was a little dehydrated, though she passed the scruff test for that here. But I think the antibiotics helped more than anything. He was saying that 'fever has a purpose,' which I agree with, but she was sick for too long for it to just be something she was fighting off herself. They didn't give her any steroids.
 

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It is so crazy to finally find this thread after racking my brain for almost a week trying to figure out what was wrong with my cats! I had all three of our cats (2 liter mate 1 yo females and another 1 yo female). Same vaccination combo as everyone else described and after about 10 days the sisters showed signs of the side effects, specifically lethargy and lack of appetite. Vet (as many of you stated) kind of dismissed the vaccination impact as being to long ago. The stronger of the cats is close to back to normal, while the puny one is still wrestling with it. We've been forced to syringe feed her blended soft food which has been pretty successful and has kept her weight up and hydrated after the initial few days of her not eating and us not thinking about the syringe feeding option. Last time I spoke with the vet, they wanted to do blood panels and at this point I am not going to do that as their symptoms are EXACTLY as most describe on this thread. Thanks to all the folks and kitties on this thread that contributed data and thoughts, it was quite a relief to find I wasn't alone. We're about 9 days from noticing the symptoms and are hydrating and feeding and hopeful that we're on the backside of it.
 

Elvisrocks

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Okay, that gives me hope that it is part of his reaction.

His fever is looking like it’s getting worse, very sleepy. My vet doesn’t seem very hands on.
Did you guys feel like the steroids and liquid injections for dehydration really helped? I want to do whatever is best for him, but my vet really isn’t much help.
I really appreciate your answers!
My car got sc fluids three times and honestly she probably wouldn't have made it through without them initially. After that we pretty much hand fed her every couple hours to get fluids in her for several weeks. It was terrible! I wish you the best of luck and hope your kitty is better soon! We never got steroids.
 

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Okay, that gives me hope that it is part of his reaction.

His fever is looking like it’s getting worse, very sleepy. My vet doesn’t seem very hands on.
Did you guys feel like the steroids and liquid injections for dehydration really helped? I want to do whatever is best for him, but my vet really isn’t much help.
I really appreciate your answers!
My kitties are still working through it. The big one of the two is much stronger and healthier than her sister and we've just been monitoring her to make sure she's eating some of her food. Her sister, who's generally a little punier has had the sc hydration injection once when she hadn't eaten or drank for almost two days. After that, we've been syringe feeding and giving water via syringe a couple of times a day and while she still isn't back to normal, she's doing much better. I think the sc injection was necessary when she was really dehydrated but we've kept her hydrated with the syringe. Just be careful how you syringe feed/hydrate and do it from the corner of the kitties mouth so that it doesn't go down their wind pipe. You'll lose a lot of water and food to the floor at first but it has been worth it for us to keep her level with water and nutrition. Also, we blend the food with a bit of water in our magic bullet so that it's kind of a paste that you can control through the feeding syringe. Your vet should have a syringe you can purchase or they might just give you one.
 

Anna5anastasia

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I know this is an older post put so glad I found it. Seems my 11wk old kitten is having this delayed reaction. My vet said he's seen this kind of reaction in some cats and he thinks it's due to the vaccine as he had it 1 weeks ago exactly. He had a temp of 103.7 so the vet gave him a dose of steroids and I have to ring him with an update tomorrow. He's very lethargic, limping and totally not himself. :(
 

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I was just referring to this forum to let a friend of mine know what to watch for/do about vaxxing her cat, but hadn't seen your post before. How'd it go with your kitten, Anna?
 

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Hello everyone, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have found this post! My 7 y/o neutered cat, Jack, was vaccinated on Feb 1 for both distemper and rabies. All good until a week later when my normally food obsessed cat lost his appetite and started sleeping in the same spot round the clock. He would get up briefly to use the litter box and eat/drink. I noticed he was very stiff and his feet seemed extremely sensitive and he didn't want them to touch the floor. Not sure if links work here but I am including a little clip I took of him trying to sit down. Because my normal vet was backed up for appointments I took him to a different vet and they did a senior blood panel, urinalysis, and fecal test. All show he should be in perfect health but he obviously isn't. He also lost nearly 1/4 lb. in the two weeks since having the shots. He is a big cat but at a healthy weight. The vet was stumped but suggested trying pain meds for a week to see if it was an arthritis issue. So far the pain meds have not made a difference.

I have been scouring the internet for anyone whose cat has had these symptoms and here all of your cats experienced nearly the exact same thing. It has given me so much hope that he could recover! While his appetite hasn't been great it is has improved a little in the last day and he seems a bit perkier (but not by much yet). Thankfully he has been drinking a lot so he seems well hydrated. I contacted my normal vet via email tonight and I am hopeful they will believe me and consider submitting this to the vaccine manufacturer.

I am taking it day by day but his small improvements are very encouraging. There has been no other change to diet or environment that would have caused any issue. My main fear was something with his kidneys but the testing has ruled that out. The only thing that was different were the darn vaccines! My second cat had a reaction to the distemper vaccine several years ago and barely moved for 24 hours but that was immediately after the vaccine and she looked really sick so I just didn't put it together when Jack started showing these strange symptoms. He has seemed in good spirits and doesn't look sick, just tired. Thank you again for all your stories. I am hopeful Jack will make a full recovery and am anxious to hear what my vet will say. I also want it documented so that I can have a medical reason for not vaccinating my cat in the future.
 
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