Fever In Cats – Step By Step Guide On How To Lower It And Prevent It

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Fever Cats

Fever is a clear symptom that manifests itself in the body of a living being as a means of warning of a condition or as part of an incubation process. We can verify that our cat has a fever through its symptoms and we must bear in mind a series of measures to try to lower it and prevent its appearance.

One of the first symptoms that your cat is not going through its best moment of health is the appearance of fever. This defense mechanism can be noticed for several reasons and it is convenient to act quickly and following a series of measures to try to check why your cat has a fever and try to lower it and that it does not go further.

For starters, your pet’s temperature does not have to exceed 38ºC or 39ºC. If this occurs, our cat will have a fever, which means it may be incubating a virus or other condition that should be stopped before it spreads and affects it more. In that case, the most immediate recommendation to follow, especially if the temperature is too high, is to go to the vet and thus make sure that a professional offers you an accurate diagnosis and treatment to follow.

But if the fever is not excessive, you can choose to use the odd “homemade” procedure with which we can lower it and slow down the progress of the condition or the virus that the pet is incubating. All this as long as their condition requires mandatory consultation with a professional, but if we are facing a cold or constipation we can try to slow its progress and lower the fever by means of practical and effective advice that we will review below.

What Causes Fever?

Fever is caused by microorganisms in the cat’s blood called pyrogens. Usually pyrogens enter the bloodstream from the environment, but they are able to stimulate the body to produce pyrogens, that is, their own kind. The reasons for these microorganisms entering the blood are:

  • Infection
  • Some drugs recation
  • Endocrine (hormonal) system disease
  • Unknown reasons

Pyrogens cause a shift in normal temperature through the thermoregulatory center located in the hypothalamus. After that, physiological reactions occur in the body that increase the body temperature.

Fever, or high fever, can be beneficial for the body as it interferes with the ability of viruses and bacteria to multiply and improves the immune system’s response to foreign bodies. However, if the body temperature remains high (over 40.5 ° C) for more than one or two days, then the cat becomes weak and loses its appetite, which can lead to dehydration. If the temperature remains above 41.1 ° C, then cerebral edema, bone marrow suppression, and blood clotting disorders may develop.

A persistent high fever that persists for more than 48 hours is considered very serious and potentially life-threatening for the cat.

How to know if my cat has a fever?

If you have noticed that your cat has been acting strangely for a few days and you suspect that it may have a fever because it is too dull or with some apathy, then it will be time to look at the details of its behavior more frequently to check if it presents other symptoms that can indicate more precisely if the cat is too high in temperature and is incubating a virus.

That your nose is dry, that lately you eat less or have less appetite, that you drink less water, that you are low on energy … But also if you are too restless and anxious or if you notice that you have been neglecting your hygiene for a few days, some the most unusual thing in a cat to be very clean animals. If they also have a high fever, you will see that they will suffer chills and tremors, and they will breathe rapidly. Also keep in mind that the health problems that your cat may suffer and that cause fever in him, are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as sneezing, a frequent cough, diarrhea or vomiting.

All these signs should help you take the pet’s temperature and check if it is at the level it should be or, on the other hand, it is higher than it should be (reaching or exceeding 40ºC) as we suspected. Remember that to take your cat’s temperature you must have a digital rectal thermometer, in addition to petroleum jelly or some lubricant and use a clean towel or cloth. Do not forget that if it is 41ºC or higher, you should go to the vet immediately so that it can be examined as soon as possible.

Fever Cats

Most often, an increase / decrease in temperature can be determined by the following signs:

  • The cat’s ears and fur get warm.
  • The animal has chills.
  • The pet begins to be afraid of people.
  • The cat refuses food.
  • The animal has an increase in breathing and heart rate.
  • The cat is weak, does not want to move, hides.
  • The animal is vomiting.
  • The pupils are dilated.
  • There is pallor of the mucous membrane and skin.
  • There is discharge from the eyes, ears, nose.
  • The cat is thirsty.

How to lower fever in cats?

Being aware that our pet has a fever, in the mildest cases we can try a home remedy to lower its temperature, as long as it is a common cold and not something more serious that requires the attention of a professional.

The first thing of all is not to decide for ourselves the medicine that the animal must take, since for this we must follow the indications of a specialist in case of a more serious disease or pathology. And if fever is a symptom of a bacterial infection, the vet should also prescribe the antibiotic that the pet must take. Self-medicating your cat can only worsen its condition, and even more so with specific products for humans, which contain substances that can be toxic to pets. Yes, we can medicate the animal with an anti-inflammatory, pain reliever or antibiotic that your vet prescribes and that serve to combat the origin of the problem and lower the fever.

If your cat has tenths because he suffers from a common cold, you can choose to provide him with a soft diet that prevents him from being malnourished, including chicken and rice, until the fever subsides and you can combine these foods with dry feed. But if the fever, however little it is, is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, you should consult with your veterinarian about the diet you should give him to improve his condition. Also try to make her feel as comfortable as possible during those days when the fever appears, since this will help her recovery.

That it has wet and fresh compresses that moisten its body and keep it hydrated with cold water are other remedies that you should use to lower your cat’s fever and that will be useful if the animal does not suffer from a more serious pathology. Even if you are apathetic and do not feel like eating or drinking, we must try to keep it hydrated and avoid being malnourished with soft foods that are easy to digest. You can crush the food or use a syringe if you are unable to keep the pet from even trying to eat any food. If you find that after 48 hours, these measures do not help to reduce the fever, we should immediately go to the vet.

Fever Cats

What can be done at home?

With a slight increase in temperature, it is not necessary to take any measures, but even this does not cancel a trip to the doctor. If the cat has a high fever, then you can use a tincture of echinacea, which stimulates the body’s defenses. For 1 kg of weight, there should be 1 ml of medicine:

  1. The required amount of tincture should be mixed with boiled water (1 tbsp. L.).
  2. Draw the liquid into a syringe without a needle and forcefully give to the pet.
  3. It is not recommended to use the product more than 1 time a day.

Additionally, you can use the Rehydron solution, which will replenish the fluid deficit in the pet’s body and improve its well-being, preventing dehydration. Pour 1 sachet with 1 liter of water and mix thoroughly. The solution should be given 20 ml 3-4 times a day forcibly.

To lower the pet’s body temperature, it is not recommended to give non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Diclofenac, etc. Such drugs can provoke bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, especially when taken on an empty stomach.

Traditional methods

To reduce the temperature of the pet, you can use cool water, which you need to moisten the animal’s paws. However, in no case should you bathe a cat during illness. Cool water should be used not only externally, but also given to the pet internally with a syringe every few hours, 10–20 ml to prevent dangerous consequences. If the temperature is close to 41 degrees, then it is recommended to wipe the pads of the cat’s paws with vodka or alcohol every hour (it should be diluted half with water). For the same purposes, you can use 4% apple cider vinegar diluted with water 1: 1. Such a procedure will ease the condition of the animal and help slightly bring down the temperature.

In extreme heat, you can apply ice wrapped in a towel to the pet’s body, avoiding the abdomen. You can use such a tool only urgently. It is not recommended to use it regularly. To alleviate the condition of the pet, you can turn on the air conditioner, but so as to reduce the temperature in the room by only a few degrees.

Some cat breeders recommend massage therapy to relieve fever. It is necessary to feel the area under the knee bend on the outside of the hind leg. Then massage this area for 5 minutes. This area is responsible for thermoregulation and will slightly reduce the manifestation of heat.

How to prevent fever in cats

After the vaccination, it is common for the feline puppy to have a fever, since this is one of the most common side effects of these, along with diarrhea and vomiting. This must occur after 24-48 hours at the most and must remit in the same space of time. If it does not, you should go to the vet to examine the animal and diagnose the main cause of the fever. Do not forget that before any disease that may be more serious than a simple common cold, such as a tumor, pancreatitis, lupus, or other viral or bacterial infection, the sooner the treatment process is addressed, the greater the chances that the condition will remit. soon as possible.

If this is not the case, rest assured that fever is a clear symptom of a pathology that the animal is beginning to suffer, and that it can either be mild or severe. That is why the best method against fever is to prevent it and prevent our domestic partner from suffering any condition that could make him sick. We know very well that it is sometimes inevitable, but by following the appropriate prevention methods we will surely delay as much as possible that our cat can get sick. For this, it will be essential to follow the usual vaccination schedule, go to the pertinent check-ups regularly at the vet and provide the animal at home with the basic care it needs for its well-being. He must be well fed, comfortable both in his resting place and in the rest of the house, entertained with toys with which he can release accumulated energy and avoid apathy, scrapers, well washed and brushed to avoid hairballs, etc.

In short, basic measures for the care of this pet that, combined with our love and company, we can facilitate the well-being it deserves. Of course, we must always keep in mind having the support of a specialist, a fundamental factor that will allow us to maintain the health of our cat in the best conditions and to deal with any condition that arises in time.

Disclaimer! This article is merely informative, at Petsfeed.co we do not have the power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the vet in the event that it presents any type of condition or discomfort.

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