Cats reaction to leukemia vaccine shot

we gave our cat the leukemia vaccination yesterday and he is very lethargic and not eating/drinking today. he is my son's cat who is very concerned and worried at this point. i expected the cat to possibly not feel good for a day or two because after one of his other shots a few months ago, he acted the same way. the only difference then was that he would still eat/drink when we would put him in front of his food. this time he is meowing when we pick him up and isn't interested in anything but being left alone. should we do anything or just wait it out? thank you.

  • Vetinfo

    By: Kara McCarty El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    It is not uncommon for pets to run a low grade fever and be quite lethargic for 24 hours after a vaccination. Rabies vaccinations and Feline Leukemia vaccinations tend to be of the ones that most commonly cause this type of reaction. It is of concern that your cat isn't eating or drinking. It is fine to tempt him with favorite foods like tuna, cooked chicken or meat baby food to perk his appetite as he will feel better if he eats. Let your veterinarian know about his reaction to his vaccine. He or she may want to use a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory to help counteract the muscle aches it sounds like he's having. He should be feeling better by tomorrow, if not he should be seen by his veterinarian. Kara, DVM

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