Thanks, Hideyo, good information -
Gloria
On Jun 14, 2005, at 6:17 PM, Hideyo Yamamoto wrote:
I am so sorry for your loss –
When a cat is tested positive for FeLV, I read that there are
different scenarios and I am copying the article below: Please
know that there is a good chance that Petal might have either
transient infections (30 to 35% of cats) or latent infections
(5-10%) – please put him on the good diet and good supplement as he
might be able to get rid of the virus – I have heard and read many
articles where cats live healthfully for a long time (can be over
10 years) even with the positive status – so please don’t be
discouraged – it seems that the critical survival time for FeLV
cats are for the first three years, the fact that he is already 5
years old, he might have just transient infections from the other
kitty – please keep the hopes high – I have one FeLV+ kitty,
Ginger, she is only 1 year old, but I am taking one day at a time
and do the best that I can do for her -
What happens to a cat after being exposed to FeLV?
If the cat becomes infected from the exposure, 2-4 weeks later, in
the acute stage of infection, large numbers of the virus can be
found in the bloodstream (viremia). Cats in the acute phase usually
do not show signs of disease. If they do, the signs are usually
mild fever, slight lethargy, and swollen lymph nodes
(lymphadenopathy). When an adult cat is exposed to FeLV, four
things can happen:
1. Approximately 30% of adult cats will not be infected due to
inadequate exposure.
2. 30-35% of adult cats have a transient infection; over the
course of 6 months or so, the cats will eventually kill all of the
virus.
3. 5-10% of adult cats will develop latent infections; these
cats will not be able to kill all the virus, but will be able to
hold it in check. This is called a latent infection. These cats
usually show no signs of infection and usually do not shed virus in
their saliva or other body secretions. Queens, however, may still
pass the virus in utero or through the milk.
4. 30% of adult cats will become persistently infected; these
cats will not develop an adequate immune response and will remain
permanently infected with FeLV. These are the cats who will become
ill and die of FeLV-related diseases, usually within 2-3 years of
infection. These cats will shed large amounts of virus in their
saliva.
Age is a very important factor in determining what will happen
after a cat is exposed to FeLV. Almost all FeLV-exposed kittens
less than 8 weeks of age will have persistent viremia and show
signs of disease during the acute phase. As kittens get older,
there is the probability of becoming persistently infected after
exposure lessens, until it reaches approximately 30% in adulthood.
The prevalence of FeLV infection is highest in cats between 1 and 6
years of age, with a mean age of 3 years. Males are 1-½ times more
likely to be infected than females. This may be due to the
frequency in which intact males roam and fight.
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:Felvtalk-
[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of catatonya
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 5:01 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: New to felv have questions
Peggy,
I am so sorry for your loss. How long have Petal and Flower lived
together already? How long did they live with Thorne? When I was
in a similar situation I separated like you have done, but mine had
already lived together at least 3 months, so I just brought my
positive cat back home and let her live with the rest of my cats.
No one ever caught it from her.
It's important to know who was newest to the household, etc... to
try to determine what's best, but most likely, if Flower has
already lived with the other 2 positive cats for any amount of time
she either already has it and is just not testing positive (yet) or
she's not going to get it.
tonya
Peggy Rankin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
This alst week has been the worst for me, I have three cats,
Flower Petal and Thorne. Last thursday we had to put Thorne to
sleep she was diagnosed with felv and lymphoma, she was barley a
year old. Yesterday we were told that Petal is positive and FLower
is negative. I have placed Flower in my father home for now. My
concern is for Petal, she is 5 years old and the vet said she is
healthy but positive. The vet told for now all we do is wait and
retest in six weeks but I feel I should be doing more. I sorry ot
say I didnt know much about Felv till now but I am so confused. so
for this is the only palce I found for help.
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