Thanks Maureen. You made it sound so logical, thanks! I will add that my vet
told me that Crash's ELISA test was a "faint" positive. I read that a faint
positive means that he does have the virus, but it's not very active in his
system. Knowing this, I'm sure hoping that he was not shedding the virus and
be contagious to my other cat. Scientists have not determined when they
actually shed the virus but it does make sense that once the virus reaches
into the bloodstream, I would think they are shedding it.
The other thing that puzzles me is that if it was not very active in his
system, why was he so lethargic and at death's door? He was a very sick
kitten & would have died in my house that day if I did not take him in to my
vet.
Thanks for your input Maureen! It was very helpful :0)
Have a great weekend and please pray that my other kitty will be fine.
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maureen Olvey" <molvey...@hotmail.com>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2011 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Question re positives & negatives
Even though this wasn't directed at me I thought I'd give my input (my
husband says I do this all the time - LOL).
The only way I think this would be possible is if the virus is in
transition. Like, it has just gotten into the body and it hasn't had time
to do what ever it does to get into the blood stream. The ELISA test and an
IFA test would be negative at this point. I'm not sure if the cat can pass
it at this point though since it hasn't really gotten into the saliva or
bloodstream. Not sure about that but it seems logical to me. Then the
virus progresses and gets into the system/bloodstream or saliva and the
ELISA test would be positive but the IFA test would be negative. I'm
guessing at this point the cat could spread it. After this if the cat can't
extinguish the virus or put it into latentcy then it gets into the white
blood cells and the IFA test would eventually test positive. The cat could
definitely pass it at this point. I did for sure read that if the virus if
put into latentcy then it is carried in the bone marrow but not in the white
blood cells or bloodstream or saliva so it can't pass the virus to other
cats.
That's my thoughts but I'm not a vet. I know that if it's in latency they
can't spread it which I found very interesting. The cat wouldn't test
positive at that point either, even on the IFA test.
“I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are
profitable to the human race or doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon
unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me
sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark
Twain
From: longhornf...@verizon.net
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:40:17 -0500
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Question re positives & negatives
Sharon,
I have read that some cats can be carriers of FeLV and test negative, but
can transmit it to other cats. This is a crazy disease that has so many
"if's" that it's confusing. Have you heard of this as well?
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Catalan" <scata...@gmail.com>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2011 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Question re positives & negatives
> Hello Pam,
> Yes, they did share everything for 10 years up until a month ago when we
> found out that the other one is positive. That is actually the biggest
> mystery - the 2 other cats never got infected. The doctor did say that
> we
> should test them again every 6 months.
>
> Sharon
>
> On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 12:20 PM, Pam Norman <pam_nor...@charter.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Sharon,
>>
>> What about grooming? I would assume that those cats, having lived
>> together for 10 years, would mutually groom. That's sharing bodily
>> fluids &
>> I would think would be potentially harmful to the negative ones.
>>
>> Pam
>>
>>
>> On 4/15/2011 1:28 PM, Sharon Catalan wrote:
>>
>>> Hello Pam,
>>>
>>> My 3 cats have been living together for 10 years now until my boy-cat
>>> was
>>> just recently diagnosed with FeLV. He may have contracted it 2 years
>>> ago
>>> when he ran outside and got into a fight with another cat. We had the
>>> 2
>>> other girl-cats tested and they're both negative. We had the 2 other
>>> girl-cats vaccinated and currently, they are separated. Doctor said
>>> that
>>> they can be together 30days after the 2 other cats receive their 2nd
>>> shot
>>> of
>>> FeLV vaccination. Also, according to our doctor, it should be okay for
>>> them
>>> to be together again as long as they don't bite/scratch each other or
>>> share
>>> bodily fluids. Just keep their feeding stuff completely separate. My
>>> cats
>>> never fight with each other although occasionally, the other cat will
>>> eat
>>> someone's leftover and I think that is the reason that the 2 others
>>> cats
>>> never contracted it considering that the other one had FeLV for quite
>>> some
>>> time now.
>>>
>>> Sharon
>>>
>>> On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:00 AM, Pam Norman<pam_nor...@charter.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> I am trying to determine what to do with Poppy both now& when the IFA
>>>> test
>>>> results come in. I've been reading& reading& from what I can gather,
>>>> the
>>>> old dictums about NEVER havinig positive& negative cats even in the
>>>> same
>>>> house has been abandoned. From what I have read, the general sense is
>>>> that
>>>> it's fine for positives& negatives to be in the same home, but should
>>>> be
>>>> separate so there is no chance of exchanging fluids such as with a
>>>> bite,
>>>> but
>>>> more importantly with mutual grooming. But I know also that some of
>>>> you
>>>> have both positives& negatives really living together, not separate.
>>>> Right?
>>>>
>>>> What about if I put Poppy in her condo in the spare bedroom& let me
>>>> cats
>>>> visit, so at least she SEES other cats. What is she hisses& spits?
>>>> Would
>>>> that have a chance of infecting any of mine who were nosing around
>>>> her
>>>> condo? My feeling is that it would.
>>>>
>>>> Also how effective is the vaccine these days? I know that some years
>>>> ago
>>>> the figure was about 30% so I never had any of my cats vaccinated.
>>>> Has
>>>> it
>>>> been improved?
>>>>
>>>> Right now we are still waiting for the IFA test for Poppy. And I
>>>> guess
>>>> she
>>>> needs retesting on that in at least a month. I do NOT want to keep
>>>> her
>>>> alone
>>>> until then. We have a sanctuary for her if she tests IFA positive
>>>> cause
>>>> then we know that she is really positive. But the person who runs it
>>>> tells
>>>> me that regardless of how she tests on the IFA, she HAS leukemia.
>>>> Period.
>>>> And would go in with the positive cats. But my understanding is that
>>>> if
>>>> she is IFA negative, she has a chance of fighting it off& putting her
>>>> in
>>>> with the positives is giving up. I think she should only go in with
>>>> the
>>>> positives if she tests IFA positive.
>>>>
>>>> Can anyone help me sort this out?
>>>>
>>>> Pam
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> Sharon F Catalan
> Cell: (408) 398-5647
> Home: (408) 229-2298
> Carpe Diem!
> _______________________________________________
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
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