I just wanted to say that everyone here has been so nice and responsive. Most lists just ignore your post. Thanks to everyone again. I will check in once I am home for now I best get back to work.
Our
-----Original Message-----
From: Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Feb 26, 2007 2:05 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Re: Help neededHello Debbie and welcome. I'm so glad you found us, you sound like you'll fit right in here. Most of us, and I would guess most folks that have had to deal with felv are the type that bring in the wayward ones off the street. Bless you and your husbands for having such open and caring hearts.
I'm so sorry for your recent losses. I understand completely how heart wrenching it is to find an animal in need when it's already too late to save them. Please take some comfort in knowing that you helped relieve their suffering and gave them the opportunity to be loved and cared about. As far as sweet Elsa goes, it does sound like she was in the last stages of a very serious illness, (kitties with felv are immune compromised and succumb to secondary illness, not felv itself). Once they start developing symptoms like fluid build up it's costly both in suffering and expense to turn them around, usually, unfortunately, it does signal the beginning of the end. You did the best you could for her and you have nothing to feel guilty about with what took place. Life's hard lessons can really get you down, but you have learned and will learn more as you do your homework about the realities of felv. That's a good thing. You might be able to help educate your vets too, so you may be influencing the lives of many kitties and their guardians in the future. It's an unhappy fact that many well intentioned vets still think of felv as a death sentence and advise euthanasia when someone tests pos, even if the kitty has no symptoms of illness. It's probably because, like you kind folks, the vets usually don't know they are dealing with felv until the end stages when not a lot can be done to turn things around. They see kitties suffering and they just don't know the facts. The facts are that many cats test pos and throw off the virus, the test is actually a false-pos, or they do actually have felv, but with aggressive preventative care, (acting immediately at the first sign of illness, good nutrition, low stress environment, etc), they can and do live happy and healthy lives for a long time to come. It may just be Elsa's legacy to enlighten not only you but your vet as well. That little girl may change the lives of many to come. Please do your best to fight the feeling that you did/do the wrong thing in giving cats in need refuge and love. It's always a good thing to help those in need to the best of your ability. Just look around you at all the sweet angels that call your house home when you start to doubt that.
As others have stated, a good many of us have mixed felv pos and negs together. It's a judgement call to do so, but in your case it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to separate cats that have been living together for so long. They've either caught it or they haven't, separating them now will only cause them stress, (one of the no nos with felv). Healthy adult cats have a very good chance of not catching it at all or catching it and fighting it off. I would probably test the four you mention here, and would separate any newcomers that enter your household until they are tested and if neg, vaccinated. If anyone starts acting sick, I'd bring them to the vet immediately and the first thing I'd do is get them tested so you know whether you are dealing with felv or not. Did you say they are all indoor kitties? I probably wouldn't even vaccinate indoor only cats. If you do decide to vaccinate, then you should test those cats first because imo there's no sense, (and could be harm, although there has been debate about that), in vaccinating a cat that already has felv.
It is suggested to retest anyone testing pos because the snap test isn't 100% reliable, and also because an infected cat can throw the virus and become neg later. You wouldn't retest a cat that tests neg on the snap test, (false neg tests are more unlikely than false pos), unless you had reason to suspect they had been infected since the last test. The reason it has been suggested to retest using the IFA is because it is more reliable. You asked if you can be sure that a neg snap test result means the cat is truly neg... The answer to that is no, but it is more likely that they are neg though. Felv can be sequestered in the bone marrow, (not present in the blood), and a ELISA test would not show that. If your kitties are acting healthy, then I wouldn't worry, I know that is sometimes easier said than done, but worry does not help. Arm yourself with information, watch them all carefully, get the ones that seem compromised tested and go from there. That's my two cents, (well, I guess it's more like a buck fifty :-) ).
Nina
Debbie wrote:
