Hi all, I found this article on the new vaccine that my vet uses--scroll down near the end of the article for the substance of it. http://www.mvtimes.com/calendar/11032005/visiting_vet.html
----- Original Message ----- From: "TenHouseCats" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 10:00 AM Subject: Re: Some good news--and thanks to Nina & Hideyo!! i mentioned the new vaccine to a vet tech who cohosts with me at www.cathobbyist.com, and she's gonna look into it and see what she can find out--she knows that in her area they're using the nasal vaccine a lot.... i remember, tho, when the first FeLV vaccine came out and was considered so ineffective--i wonder how and if these have been tested for efficacy..... (you all know my theory about how difficult it is to do research on a population when the main treatment for that group is automatic euthanasia.....) On 4/30/06, Kerry MacKenzie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thanks Susan. I still can't believe it. I wanted it so much for the others > but they succumbed. And now by some miracle Mickey has made it. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Susan Hoffman > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 12:17 AM > Subject: Re: Some good news--and thanks to Nina & Hideyo!! > > Congrantulations. This gives me great hope as well for an FeLV+ I have in > a foster home. > > Kerry MacKenzie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here's some good news. > But first, the background for those who don't know it: of the feral colony > of 5 kittens (Caramel, Levi, Flavia, Snoball and Mickey) and I adult cat > (Momcat) I took in in December 2003, 4 of the kittens ---Caramel, Levi, > Flavia & Snoball--tested positive in Feb 2004 and all 5 kittens tested > positive in July 2004. Momcat tested negative both times. > All were quarantined in my 2nd bedroom, away from my 3 existing negative > cats. The 4 kitties that tested pos twice succumbed between November 2004 > and July 2005. That left 1 pos, Mickey, and 1 neg, Momcat, both of whom I > continued to quarantine. They were buddies and it would have been cruel to > separate them, particularly as Momcat appeared immune to FeLV. > My dream has been that Mickey would revert to neg, and I could then > integrate them both in my household. Hope springs eternal as they say-- I > dreamed of that before, and it didn't come to pass. > Nonetheless for about 10 months, I dreamed....and procrastinated over > re-testing them for a variety of reasons, not least fear of Mickey testing > pos again. > Today I trapped Mickey, had him re-tested, and......he's NEGATIVE!!! > Because I'm anal, I'm going to trap Momcat next weekend and have her tested. > I fully expect her to have remained negative. But, if by some horrible twist > of fate she is not (because she caught it from the pos kitties before they > passed away) I plan ----at last----to vaccinate my negs and integrate them > all anyway. There is a much better vaccination available now, and my vet has > the special equipment to do it. > This is such wonderful news on so many levels, not least because it > demonstrates -- again---that FeLV is simply not as contagious as most people > believe. Mickey lived with his siblings all his life, tested pos once, but > has thrown it off. And Momcat, who also lived with them all, never got it in > the first place. (And neither of them has ever been FeLV vaccinated!) > It's also something I'm going to highlight in the letter to Paula F in my > lobbying for the new Chicago PAWS shelter to have an FeLV annex. I had > intended the letter to be (finally) mailed on Friday. But I'm glad that it > wasn't! > I now want to thank Nina for coming to my rescue when I called her at 11pm > last night (1am my time) in a panic because Mickey walked into the trap way > before I expected him to. How could I reasonably expect him to stay there > all night? What was I going to do about his bodily needs?? Nina reassured me > a) that she has had to do that too on occasion (so I stopped feeling like a > monster) and b) advised me to elevate the trap and layer the floor with > paper. Sure enough, everything fell through the wire mesh on to the paper so > Mickey was not in the discomfort in which he would otherwise have been and > he survived the night. > And I have Hideyo to thank for the success of the next stage--I was gearing > up for a chase & catch battle in transferring Mickey from the cage to a > carrier to take to the vet (I don't have a car; so carrier is easier for > standing in street hailing cab). But Hideyo has a great technique that she > shared---uncover the cage the cat is in, and cover (or provide dark-colored) > carrier you want to transfer the cat to. The principle being that they will > always prefer the dark option. (Correct me if I'm wrong about the principle > Hideyo) Sure enough--my little feral Mickey WALKED from the cage straight in > to the carrier. No battle necessary!! > So, today is a happy day at no 603, to say the least. > Also, last but not least, I want to say, I'm sorry I continue to only post > sporadically. I pray for all your sick kitties and send healing vibes. And > my heart goes out to all those that have crossed the bridge. > I hope that I will be in a position to post more regualarly when I get back > from UK mid-June. (I go there mid May.) (I had a month's FMLA approved > yesterday, to be with my dad, who has Stage 3 cancer.) I *really* miss > being part of the everyday list. This group is just the best EVER. > love and hugs to all of you and your furballs.Kerry > > > -- MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
