Hi Leslie
Somebody correct me if I am wrong here...
Interferon is an immune system booster...
The problem is that if you use it too much
the immune system can become totally dependent on it...
Most vets agree that 7 days on and 7 days off is the best
compromise...
It is diluted in water and tastes just like water...
Best given orally by syringe and usually not a problem to
give to tame cats.. Others mix it with canned food...
Some people have found that it work with neg. cats
with URI that won't go away...
If it were me I would give it right away to both
kites until any sign of a bug is present and many
people believe any pos kitties should stay on it
all the time.. Its not very expensive and easy to
give so why not....
Tad
Leslie wrote:
Hello,
I've decided to adopt the other FeLV+ kitten that was just given the
green light from her URI from her foster mom - after a month's
recuperation. I called today to let the humane society know and I
find that they've already put her back out in the adoption room
(though they are all separated by cages) so she's been exposed to any
airborne URI's again. Grr. They are a wonderful organization and
fabulous for listing both FeLV and FIV cats, but they told me that
she'd stay in foster care until I could pick her up! This was going
to work out great, because Satch is still getting over his cough. I
didn't want to introduce another until he was 100% absolutely over the
cough - which I was estimating worst case to be two weeks from now -
and now since the kitten has again been exposed, he'd be exposed to
something new if I brought her home. The longer that I wait to get
her, the odds of her getting another cold go up, but the if I push
bringing her home, then Satch will be exposed to something before he's
completely better, which I'm not going to do.
I've called the vet to see if Satch is more susceptible/still
contagious as long as he's coughing, though I know what they'll say.
Realistically, in my three room apartment, to keep someone cooped up
in the bathroom as quarantine isn't that great. A few days to a week
okay, but a it's no infirmary if the kitten does need to get over
another URI before being introduced. And as I learned from bringing
the last one home, it's also no guarantee that Satch won't get the
cold anyway. Grr. Sorry to vent! This isn't even why I started to
write you!
My questions are about Interferon. I'm being optimistic that this can
all work out and that the kitten will come home to me and will be
healthy enough to bring out into the open and then we can address the
leukemia. My vet is open to treating her with Interferon, but what
can I expect? Is it an injection? How often to they get it and over
how long? Are there any side effects that you've noticed.
See, for once that would have been a short post. ;)
Thank you, Leslie
