sick kitty

My 8 month old kitten who is normally very energetic and playful and the last few days all he does is sleep and he is very lethargic. he wont play and he seems to be a little bit weak in the way he walks or jumps. he uses the washroom but not as frequently as he usually does. he still get s up to drink but i have yet to see him eat. i bring food to him but he just turns his head. i noticed that his nose keeps changing from pink to a deep deep pale white throughout the day but most of the time its more white than pink. it is very dry and not wet like normal and his gums are very dry as well. i thought he was possibly dehydrated so i tried giving him something rich in electrolytes but it doesnt seem to be helping. he is still very cuddly and purrs when you touch him he just isnt playful and is sleepy and not eating. what can i do for him. i called my vet and they werent much help, over the phone she said he could have the flu and just to keep an eye on him but when i researched the flu he doesnt have any runny nose or anything like that. please help i want my playful kitty back.

[PrettyKitty1]

I cannot believe a vet would tell you something like that. It doesn't even make any sense. Sounds like a more serious problem and my best advice to you is to take him to another vet as soon as possible. The way you describe this, it sounds to me like he is very dehydrated and this is being caused by a far more serious problem. Your kitty needs some blood work done. Your kitty could have a great number of things. Has he been vaccinated? That pale color that you see could be from either dehydration or he could be Jaundice, meaning his bilirubin values are high, indicating damage to the liver.  Please make an appointment with a vet who knows what they are doing, and in the mean time, try to keep him hydrated via a syringe. Also, you could try baby food see if that stimulates him a bit. If not you will have to syringe feed him. He is probably very nauseous and most likely will not want to eat at all, so you'll have to force him to eat with a syringe until a good veterinarian can see him.

Poor kitten. I hope he will be ok. Keep us posted. Wishing you the best of luck.

PK

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

I have to concur with PrettyKitty and I urge you to get your little guy to a veterinarian today if at all possible.   Cats are not designed to go for more than 24 hours without eating.   Since your guy is refusing food, that's enough of a reason to go in for a good physical, bloodwork and maybe even xrays.

Good luck...let us know.