Cats Fever Causes & Solutions: Quick Guide to Healing

Febrile states refer to an abnormal increase in body temperature due to alterations in the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center. Fever plays a crucial role in the body's defense against infectious diseases by enhancing phagocytosis, releasing interferons, and promoting lymphocyte transformation. On the other hand, hyperthermia is characterized by an elevated body temperature resulting from factors such as inadequate heat dissipation, increased muscle activity, and accelerated metabolism, without any changes in the thermoregulatory center.

1. Symptoms and Causes

Cats experiencing fever may exhibit symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, and atypical behavior changes, such as hiding or increased excitement.

The diseases that can trigger fever in cats include infections, inflammation, tumors, and immunemediated diseases. Common medications used to treat fever in cats include cephalosporins, griseofulvin, methimazole, penicillin, propylthiouracil, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and thioacetamide.

Unexplained fever is often used to describe a situation where a cat has a fever for 1 to 2 weeks without any apparent or detectable cause. Routine diagnostic tests may reveal abnormalities, making this syndrome relatively common in cats.

2. Treatment

Treating the underlying disease is the key to managing fever. This involves diagnosing and treating any potential diseases.

Fluid support therapy is essential, as cats with fever often show signs of anorexia and dehydration. Ensuring adequate hydration is crucial.

Antibiotic therapy is commonly used, as bacterial infections are the most frequent cause of fever. Cats with unexplained fever may be treated with broadspectrum antibiotics for a short period.

Nutritional support is necessary when a cat experiences prolonged anorexia or is at risk of developing it. This approach helps maintain the cat's overall health and wellbeing.

Antipyretics are only used when the fever exceeds 41°C. Commonly prescribed medications include aspirin, ketoprofen, and meloxicam.

3. Precautions

Antipyretic therapy can interfere with observing the progression of the disease and may impact treatment outcomes. Generally, fevers below 41°C do not cause brain or organ damage or dysfunction and can even be beneficial to the body. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a longer elimination time in cats and should be used cautiously to prevent toxicity, particularly renal toxicity.