You're right, it is the same way. I hope our vet will go ahead with the paperwork - and maybe we can find a way to come up with some $$. I sometimes wonder if it would be better to take in fewer animals and be able to concentrate more time and money both on their care - but then along comes another for whom we are the only chance - and - what do you do.
Hi Susan,
I think you're doing a wonderful thing, helping as many, as best you
can. Thanks to you and all those who take on so much. What else could
anyone ask for? Ah, a perfect world...
The cost of the feline interferon is high, $250 for a full 5 day
treatment. Yes, that will exclude so many from it's benefits, but isn't
that the way it is in the human world as well? I'm hoping the costs
will come down, maybe when it's finally approved.
Nina
Susan Loesch wrote:
> You know, I tend to wish that, too. Gloria and I are part of the same
> rescue group and we both are really concerned that this issue has come
> up with one of our cats.
>
> Several years ago I was so freaked out by FIV and Feleuk that when
> Gloria and I first met over a couple of cats who'd always been indoor
> who needed a foster home - and, I know now, didn't even need a test -
> I wouldn't take them until tested. Thanks to what I have learned both
> from Gloria and from the group, I don't get all that concerned any more.
>
> If I didn't have rescue group fosters I'd let my negatives,
> vaccinated, mix with my positives. I now have a "feline leukemia
> suite' at my house and have room for about 10 positives. They are
> separated from the rest of my house only by a screen door - which
> wouldn't be there if I didn't foster. When I have room I also take
> really elderly cats in and usually put them in with the feleuks
> because it is a small, less iimposing group to get used to. I figure
> that old age will kill them long before feleuk ever would. I have too
> many to go all-out on expensive treatments - but thanks to our rescue
> group's vet, who makes everything he can do available to us for very
> little to no cost, they have great care. Like someone else said, I do
> subq, some interferon - good basic care, and when that no longer
> works, I let them go -- after as long and happy a life as I can give
> them. Would I like to do more? Sure - but like all the rest of you
> guys, I just have to do the best I can given the circumstances. Ah,
> in a perfect world...things would be different -- but in a perfect
> world we wouldn't have feleuk to deal with.
>
> I don't know what I was expecting the feline interferon to cost - but
> the amount surprised me - our vet is willing to do all the paperwork
> and run a study using it - but the cost may stop us.
>
> but negatives need to be retested too, because they may have been
> recently exposed. I just wish now that shelters didn't test at
> all....
>
> */TenHouseCats <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>/* wrote:
>
> bottom line seems to be that ANY cat that tests positive for FeLV
> needs to be retested in 90 days.... the problem, of course, is
> that
> what rescue/shelter has the holding capacity for this....
>
> i've been thinking about this for awhile--whether folks with
> confirmed
> FeLVs would be willing/able to work with rescues and serve as
> foster
> parents during the waiting period. as we know, many cats will
> retest
> as negative if given the chance, but the panic induced by the term
> FeLV makes it hard for rescues to hear about options if they
> haven't
> already a plan for dealing with cats who test positive. (i'm
> working
> with two breed rescues right now re: developing such a plan... )
>
> another issue involved: we tell people NOT to euthanize their
> FeLVs
> because we love ours, but not everyone can handle the
> emotional and
> financial demands a FeLV involves--but how many of us
> realistically
> can/will offer to take in these saved cats? i don't know what the
> answer is--tho education is DEFINITELY part of it; i've had both
> rescues and catparents calm down enough to look at
> alternatives once
> they're given accurate information on what FeLV is and isn't, how
> it's transmitted etc.
>
> i'd really like to see this discussed--even better, to see it
> solved!
> (yeah, right.... and how long have i been delusional?)
>
