Chris and Sheila,
No matter how confusing an individual case-by-case
bases is, the IFA results absolutely ALWAYS overrides
the "in-house" snap-combo ELISA test results. Period.
Both professional lab technicians and veterinarians
alike cannot specifically determine or agree on as to
WHY an ELISA test would be a positive (or in Sheila's
case a FAINT positive) result while the IFA clearly
reads negative. Unfortunately, no one may never know
the "WHY."
The good news is that Monty and Simba are definitely
negative for FeLV (or at the very least an
asymptomatic carrier where the FeLV virus is latent or
dormant within the body.)
However, if Monty or Simba were one (1) of my furkids
I would have them tested with the IFA once a year for
life. (This is what I do with all thirteen (13) of my
kids.)
However, not all cat-moms (and dads) believe in this
is extra testing. For one, the cost can be pretty
expensive and for another some pet guardians believe
that an FeLV positive cat will eventually turn
negative as he/she grows older, therefore rendering
the extensive testing results useless and unreliable.
Unfortunately, for me I have never had the pleasure of
being owned by an FeLV positive that lived past the
age of two, but it DOES happen.
I just wish that my sweet Peeper had been one (1) of
the lucky ones. He was born on May 18, 2002 and pasted
away on July 3, 2003. He was almost 14 months old.
Good luck!
Lora
--- Sheila Coyle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I think maybe I should clarify this. I have had Simba
for 8-9 years from when he was a kitten and got him
from a farm.
He was never tested for leukemia til last summer and
came up with a very very faint positive. Then the IFA
done in Anteck, New York and it came back negative.
Finally in late August the snap test was ran again and
it was a very very faint positive.
He has always been as healthy as a horse, and weighs
16 pounds. This whole thing has me puzzled. Thanks.
Sheila and Simba
--- Sheila Coyle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I would be interested in any response to this as
well, as the same thing is true with my Simba, age
8-9 years. Thank you.
Sheila
Nebraska
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Chris Behnke
Here's the whole story. When Monty was 8 months
old, he became very sick. When I took him to the
vets, he was diagnosed as FeLV+. At the time, the
vet didn't think he would make it.
Now, a year later Monty is very healthy. He has never
been sick since his diagnosis and has not shown any
signs. Because of this, we had him tested again. The
ELISA test came back with a very faint positive but
the IFA test was negative. What exactly does this
mean?
Thanks,
Chris Behnke
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