Hello,
I know *exactly* how you feel. A year ago last Tuesday, our family
was thrown into the same, painful spiral that you're going through.
We lost one kitten to FeLV, and her playmate, who is my own cat,
tested positive for FeLV. I spent the next month just trying to
emotionally recover, but it does get better. My cat, Ember, is still
with me, and seems to be doing well. It's possible that, if we had
ignored the inexperienced vet who gave my mom no hope for her kitten,
Sadie might be still with us today. I've since taken Ember to a new
vet who is open to trying whatever I want to try and who doesn't
recommend euthanasia right off the bat for something like this. I
also found a nearby holistic vet who has been invaluable.
Not only is there no cure for FeLV that we know of, but it seems that
every cat reacts differently to the disease. In Ember's case, she is
on interferon alpha, which is what I'd imagine your vet will be
getting for your cats. There is another interferon (brand name:
Virbagen Omega) that is specifically for cats, though unfortunately,
it's vastly more expensive. It also seems to have a more dramatic
effect, especially when FeLV+ cats are having problems.
My Ember is on interferon alpha doses, which she gets orally at home.
I also have good reason to believe that Transfer Factor Plus Advanced
and Liquid DMG have helped boost her immune system. Finally, Ember is
getting Mega C Plus in her morning bowl of food. We only started this
recently, and I can't vouch for how much it may have helped. It makes
sense that it would at least provide good nutritional support.
I also feed Innova EVO, which is a high quality, high protein food.
Most of us on this list try to feed higher quality food when we can
afford to do so. This seems to be the top recommendation from most
folks on how to treat FeLV+ cats. There are other good brands, and
high quality does not necessarily mean a much higher price. Others
here can probably recommend other foods. Other brands that have
worked well for Ember are Felidae and Chicken Soup for the Cat
Lover's Soul.
The treatments that we have used for Ember (as listed above),
**seem** to have helped her. Last October, her white blood cell count
went way down, and she also developed anemia. I started her on Liquid
DMG and Transfer Factor Plus Advanced, and she was back to normal
within a month. Did those supplements help, or did something else
happen that helped her to recover? There's no way to know,
unfortunately.
I'll be more than happy to answer any other questions you have via e-
mail or the list. We are here to help you. Tomi and Kisa will be in
my thoughts and prayers.
Lance
On Mar 10, 2007, at 7:32 PM, C & J wrote:
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.
