Steven, It is a difficult diagnosis to hear, so first, I am sorry.
Second, Felv+ is not an immediate death sentence for all felines in a household. I agree with what has already been said, in that separating him may only cause stress, and this is a huge factor for felv+ cats. It can push them over the edge. There is a great fear among vets with felv+ cats and often times they recommend euthanasia or at least strict separation. I think this is unfortunate, but because of the unpredictable nature of disease transmission; development, or lack of such development, of immunity; disease carrier state; and progression of disease, this is often what vets fall back on. In any event they almost always adovcate separation, but after a long history of prolonged exposure, it may be a mute point. Some vets believe transmission can occur at any time despite having been exposed to it in the past. In other words just because a cat has been exposed to the virus and fought it off, it they are exposed again they may acquire the disease, i.e. there is no lifetime immunity. It is a great source of debate, and the knowledge simply isn't there. Ultimately, it is a decision only you can make. Certainly people in this group have had good success with intermingling. I would recommend vaccinating any negative cats if you do comingle them. Do not, however, vaccinate a positive cat Third, felv is a virus that gets inside the cells responsible for a cat's immune response - white blood cells, including lymphocyts and macrophages. The virus actually implants its DNA into your cat's cells DNA and uses your cats cells to replicate itself. Because it is living inside of and playing with the DNA of your cats cells, these cells no longer function properly and can start to multiply out of control. This is why they develop into lymphomas - uncontrolled replication of lymphocytes. Additionally, your cats immune cells work to keep other cancers from forming - they actually kill other cells that start replicating out of control. In felv+ cats the immune cells are not working properly and can't kill those other out of control cells. This can lead to increased risk of other types of cancers as well. Finally, because your cats immune cells are also responsible for fighting off infections and they are not working properly, your cat is at an increased risk of developing infections. Often it is either these infections (or their sequelae) or the cancers that act as the cause of death in felv+ cats. So armed with this knowledge, it is understandable why everyone here strongly suggests decreasing stress (as increased stress often leads to decreased immune response), giving an excellent diet, give what can be given to strengthen the immune system, treat infections as necessary and give as much supportive care as possible. Since there is currently no cure for felv, supportive care and treatment of infections and secondary cancers (including lymphomas or sarcomas - another form of cancer) are currently our only options. This is perhaps another reason why vets are so fearful of this disease. There are many here that advocate different medications that help boost the immune system. Immulan and Acemannan are two such meds that have been discussed with this groups. There are others. Fourth, with respect to the lung mass. It is likely that it is a lymphoma or lymphosarcoma, but it generally helps to get a diagnosis first. There are different types of lymphomas that respond differently to chemotherapeutic regimens. In general a sample of the mass is taken first to be evaluated by pathology for a diagnosis. Once diagnosed treatment options can be discussed. Generally, any cancer treated earlier, rather than later, has a much better chance of a good outcome. There are a lot of questions you will likely be faced with concerning this situation. I am constantly amazed at the sincerity, support, and willingness to share that this group provides. If you need any help on this journey, this group is certainly one to rely on. Good luck and God bless. Jenny ---- spertus...@aol.com wrote: > Hello everyone, > > My name is Steven with a long history of feline stewardship; will not say > owner because who owns who is always in question! :) Sorry for a long post. > I > am confused and wanting to make sure I get the most efficient and best > treatment possible for a recent diagnosis: > > I have 6 felines in my household: > Rosie-12 year old female brown tabby > Samauri a/k/a Sammy- 9 year old male blonde tabby > Olivander- 7 year old male Maine Coon > Maggie- 3 year old female blonde and white tabby > Squeaky-2 year old female tuxedo > Fuzzy-2 year old male long haired tuxedo and brother of Squeaky > > My 9 year old Samauri just diagnosed yesterday with FELV and x-rays show > moderate cancer mass in his chest cavity. His comprehensive blood work shows > all > is normal and in range so I am confused. He eats, drinks, sleeps, plays and > behaves normally as he always has, would not know he was sick at all. All > other felines being tested on Monday 3/23 and Samauri is currently > "quarantined" in 1 large bedroom and we are all not happy about this. Is > the cancer > which my vet says is of the lymphoma type caused by the FELV virus as a > "secondary disease" or is it possible the cancer is in addition to the FELV > positive > status and the virus is not causing havoc yet? Would the blood work be > "normal" or are "we" just lucky so far? Samauri has been going to the vet > lately > for a cronic upper respiratory infection where his eyes tear because the > nasal passages were clogged. Medication clears it up as it has occurred 2-3x > per > year for the past several years. > > I am seeing a specialist on Tuesday for the cancer that shows up on the > x-rays. I imagine this is what I fight and do other things to ensure his > immune > system stays as healthy as possible? My vet has given me liquid Immuno > Support Vitamins that contains Lysine, Larch Arabinogalactan, Reishi > Mushroom and > Lutein. He wants the specialist to come up with a cancer fighting > chemotherapy protocol. > > Also, I have read posts regarding separating or not separating positive and > negative felines, and my vet actually is already assuming the other cats to > be tested will test positive. Should he be making that assumption? I am > fairly convinced right now that I could let all kitties roam the house under > certain managed conditions relating to shared bowls, etc. > > Am I even close to being on the right track here? I have supported CRF and > Cardiomyopathy felines at home in the past but this is all new to me > regarding FELV status and cancer. > > Thank you to everyone for bearing with me > > God Bless all our felines! > > Steven > New York > **************Feeling the pinch at the grocery store? Make dinner for $10 or > less. (http://food.aol.com/frugal-feasts?ncid=emlcntusfood00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
