I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was.
Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV.
