Here is the excerpt from The Merck Veterinary Manual, in the chapter entitled “Drugs Acting on the Blood or Blood-forming Organs”:
Anabolic steroids are compounds structurally related to testosterone that have similar protein-anabolic activity but minimal androgenic effects, such as masculinization. As part of their anabolic activity, these compounds increase the circulating RBC mass and possibly granulocytic mass. Clinical indications for use of anabolic steroids include chronic, nonregenerative anemias. Response to therapy is variable, and the time to clinical improvement is long, frequently ≥3 mo. The proposed mechanisms of action include increased ERP production via ERP-stimulating factor, differentiation of stem cells into ERP-stimulating factor-sensitive cells (eg, hemocytoblasts), and direct stimulation of erythroid-progenitor cells. The effect of anabolic steroids requires adequate ERP levels and sufficient cells in the bone marrow. Thus, the effectiveness of anabolic steroids in treating anemia may be limited, depending on the cause. Anabolic steroids can be divided into 2 categories depending on the presence or absence of an alkyl group at the 17-carbon position. They are available as oral and parenteral preparations, including oil-based products intended for slow release. The absorption and disposition of anabolic steroids depend on the type of preparation and the animal species. Most are eliminated after hepatic metabolism. The alkylated products are more effectively absorbed when given PO and are more effective stimulants of bone marrow. Alkylated anabolic steroids include oxymetholone (dogs and cats: 1–5 mg/kg, PO, every 18–24 hr). Nonalkylated anabolic steroids include nandrolone decanoate (dogs: 1–1.5 mg/kg, IM/wk; cats: 1 mg/kg, IM/wk; horse: 1 mg/kg, IM, once every 4 wk). Boldenone undecylenate is approved for horses at 1.1 mg/kg, IM, every 3 wk. Side effects of anabolic steroids include sodium and water retention, virilization, and hepatotoxicity. The alkylated products are more hepatotoxic than the non-alkylated products, particularly in cats. Cholestatic liver damage develops early and can be significant but frequently is reversible. From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Maya D'Alessio Sent: October-20-15 1:21 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update My vet is not supportive of winstrol treatment, does anyone know of any sources I could send him to change his mind? On Oct 20, 2015 11:34 AM, "Amani Oakley" <aoak...@oakleylegal.com<mailto:aoak...@oakleylegal.com>> wrote: Hi Maya The fever is secondary to everything else going on. Keep him on the rest of the stuff anyway, and just add the Winstrol. My experience is that the fever will dissipate with the improvement of his blood counts, etc. Amani From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org<mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org>] On Behalf Of Maya D'Alessio Sent: October-20-15 8:03 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org<mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update Does the winstrol work on the fever though? On Oct 20, 2015 3:21 AM, "Amani Oakley" <aoak...@oakleylegal.com<mailto:aoak...@oakleylegal.com>> wrote: Maya No matter what the outcome is of the temperature, I would suggest you start him on the Winstrol anyway. This is an omen of things to come. The virus is in there and causing a problem. It is unlikely to go away on its own. Don’t wait until he is doing badly to start the Winstrol. Again, with Zander, we saw very much the same course. Some abnormal haematology results, some lack of appetite, temperature, licking concrete. That was in June/July. We took him to the vets, he got some antibiotics and seemed to improve. Then in September, a HUGE crash back into serious illness and we almost didn’t get him back. If Merlot’s platelets dropped like that, the virus is affecting his bone marrow. Don’t wait until the effects are far-reaching and difficult to reverse. Athletes use Winstrol to build up their muscles and stamina and to repair damages tissue. My suggestion is that you use it as a supportive measure now and head off the very likely future crisis, even if it appears that you have achieved a bit of a reprieve now. Amani From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org<mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org>] On Behalf Of Maya D'Alessio Sent: October-19-15 11:19 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org<mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> Subject: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update So we can say relatively conclusively at this point that this is the FeLV, as his blood cell counts are going down and everything else has been ruled out. His fever hasn't changed, which is good and bad. Good that it's not worse, bad that it's not responding to drugs. We got to take him home tonight and I've just got him settled in Phil's office, where I'll be sleeping with him for the night. He's definitely in better shape than this morning, more perky and like himself, but we are still on high alert. The vet says he has roughly a 40% chance of a good prognosis. She's seen cats come back from this with FeLV, and others don't. We are taking him in first thing tomorrow to see the vet again and get re-evaluated, and we will make some more decisions about drugs at that point. The vet has agreed to try Winstrol tomorrow if the fever hasn't come down (he's on two antibiotics right now, an anti-nauseant and she upped the prednisolone). [https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif] -- Maya D'Alessio PhD student B1 377B, x32320 Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator Biology GSA Vice Chair GSA Director At-Large University of Waterloo _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org<mailto:Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org<mailto:Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
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