|
Sue------while looking for the Frazier info I came across another of Sally's invaluable emails on Elisa to another listmember(s) that you might find useful. I'll be back as soon as I find the Frazier info. Kerry
Dear Jim and Rhonda: How wise of you not to listen to that vet and accept an FeLV+ test result as an automatic death sentence. You were right to question such a grim recommendation...there IS much that can be done for FeLV cats. There seems to remain quite a bit of confusion about the relative merits of the ELISA vs. the IFA tests for FeLV. A positive result on either of these tests indicates the same thing, i.e. that FeLV ANTIGEN (which is produced by the replicating virus) has been detected in the cat's blood. The difference between the two is that the ELISA (the in-house "snap test" which only takes a few minutes) is 100 times more sensitive than is the IFA and can detect even minute amounts of antigen, so detects FeLV infection in its earliest stages. There are 6 stages of infection with FeLV. Considering that healthy, adult cats are quite likely to shuck the virus even up to stage 4, a positive ELISA, by itself, is not necessarily a good indicator as to whether or not a cat will remain persistently viremic and should not be used to determine whether or not a cat be PTS, as is sadly the case at most shelters. A positive result on an IFA test is indicative of later stages of infection (stage 4-6). While some cats can still clear the virus at stage 4 of infection, a postive IFA result is a more reliable indication that a cat will remain persistently viremic. Neither the ELISA, nor the IFA can detect a "latent" infection that is not currently replicating. Only the PCR, or bone marrow biopsy, can detect latent infection. To say that there is a high rate of false positive with the ELISA test may be a bit of a misnomer, because a true "false positive" would be to detect antigen when none was actually present. It is much more likely that an ELISA positive (due to perhaps only minute amounts of antigen present) can later test negative because the cat was only TRANSIENTLY infected. This is much more likely to be the case with adult cats, rather than kittens. Lymphocytes in kittens replicate 50 times more FeLV virus than do those in adult cats, which is why it is less likely for kittens who are infected at a very young age to be able to clear the virus and they are more likely to remain persistently viremic. So if Pilgrim tested ELISA positive, but IFA negative, that is good news in that she is still in stage 1-3 of the infectious process and there is a chance she can clear the virus and revert to negative status. And, according to Dr. Pitcairn in his book Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, cats do not begin shedding the virus and become infections to other cats until they have reached stage 5. I would put Pilgrim on the most natural, healthiest diet you possibly can and give her aggressive immunosupportive therapy. Then get her retested in 60-90 days. If she is retests ELISA negative, at that point you will have one very lucky kitty who has managed to clear the virus. If she is still ELISA positive at that point, you might want to repeat the IFA to confirm whether or not she is likely to remain viremic, or if she may still have a chance of clearing the virus. It IS possible for FeLV+ cats to revert to negative status. I've had three so far...two adults and one kitten, who was positive at the tender age of 6 weeks and was going to be euthanized if I had not rescued him. I put him on a raw-based diet with Transfer Factor, Oli-Vet (olive leaf extract). Vit. C and CoQ10 supplementation. When he was neutered recently at 6 mos., he retested NEGATIVE. Good luck with Pilgrim. Do find a vet who is FeLV friendly and willing to work with you. I highly recommend Dr. Martin Goldstein's book "The Nature of Animal Healing" and also the aforementioned book by Dr. Eugene Pitcairn. You can get much helpful information about diet and regarding vaccines from both of those books, also from the website Holisticat.com. Some listmembers do vaccinate their FeLV+ cats. I have chosen to follow the recommendation of vets, like Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Pitcairn, who consider vaccines for FeLV+ cats as unnecessary assault to an already compromised immune system. Don't be in too big a hurry to give any vaccines to Pilgrim until her FeLV status has been confirmed. If she has already come into season once, she must be at least 6 mos. old, so and has managed to beat the odds with regards to any of the illnesses from which a 3 or 4-way vaccine is supposed to protect, and the only one of those which is truly life-threatening is Panleukopenia. The best thing you can do is to keep her away from any potential pathogens that might harm her and keep the stress level in her life to a minimum. Other cats represent more of a threat to FeLV+ cats that the postive cat does to other, negative cats. Here's hoping your Tuxie girl, Pilgrim, will become another one of those lucky kittys who is able to clear the FeLV virus and retest negative! Sincerely, Sally in San Jose
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sue Taft Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 10:48 AM To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: New here I've joined this group to get advice for a friend who doesn't have internet
access. We both work in cat rescue. Last month we took in a number of cats that
had been abandoned by their owner. All tested FeLV/FIV negative. Today my friend
was concerned about one of them, he was off his food and seemed depressed. She
took him to the vets who re-ran the ELISA test and it has come up FeLV positive.
How reliable is the snap test for FeLV, I know for FIV it can't be relied on (I
always get a re-test done at Glasgow)?
He's started on the Virbac Omega Interferon injections immediately,
fortunately the vet stocks it as I use it for my FIV boy Eric with great success
(he had terrible mouth problems which it cleared up and has kept at bay). Is
there anything else we should be doing, he's a lovely boy and apart from the
slight fever he has at the moment which he's also on antibiotics for, he has
been doing really well. He's had a lousy life so far so we really want to give
him the best possible chance.
I'm new to FeLV so any advice will be gratefully received
Sue IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. |
Title: Message
