Nathan -- I'm sorry Mao is sick. But first off, which test was used to test for FeLV most recently? If it was the ELISA (in-office), it has a high incidence of false positives. If it was the IFA, that's more reliable. It's just odd that he would test negative when you got him and then "suddenly" develop it later on when chances were slim to none of new exposure.
The folks on this list will probably have a ton of suggestions on how to make him feel better. Diane R. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nathan Kennedy Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:59 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Late FeLV diagnosis Yesterday I got the bad news that my boy Mao was FeLV+. This was the worst-case scenario and one that I had dismissed because he tested negative when I rescued him from the street as a baby in October, as had the only other cat he had contact with. He saw the vet on his first visit, the next day for vaccinations and a checkup, a few weeks later for boosters, again for a nasty fever in December that cleared up shortly afterwards, and in January for neutering. Other than the fever, the only problems he had were recurring diarrhea that I tried to manage by modifying his diet and an occasional fit of whooping that the vet had dismissed as hairballs. Those worried me a bit, but the vet's clean bill of health, his big appetite, energy, and growth all reassured me. Until recently. Mao seemed to dull a bit, and started snoring during his naps. Over the past week, Mao developed a nasty case of earmites and increased trouble breathing, progressing into fits of gasping for air. Since he had no runny nose and his temperature was normal, I thought it might be asthma. I took him to the vet on Saturday, and he took a blood sample and X-rayed him, finding a constriction in his trachea. He prescribed prednisone to try to make it easier for him to breathe as well as treatment for the mites. Then Sunday night, Mao almost instantly developed a horrible eye infection. The third eyelid of his right eye closed over and swelled up, blinding him in that eye and making it impossible for him to close it--meanwhile, his breathing deteriorated. He went back to another vet in the morning, and got eyedrops and ointment as well as antibiotics. It wasn't until later in the afternoon I got the call that he had tested FeLV+. Mao's breathing is not improving. The slightest exertion is enough to send him into a loud fit of labored gasping, and when he is not napping every breath is strained--he can't climb his scratching post anymore, which used to be his favorite perch. Despite all that, he still wakes me up in the morning purring and rubbing my face. He still likes to eat and pauses between bites of his favorite food to give me his happy look through his squinting, red eyes. He has always been such a happy cat, and it still shows through all his suffering. But if his condition doesn't get any better I don't think he can last much longer. It's hard to see this happen to Mao at such a young age (not even 8 months yet). The vet who diagnosed him told me that he could have gotten FeLV shortly before I found him and tested negative. I didn't think I would lose him so soon. This electronic mail transmission and any attachments are confidential and may be privileged. They should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the transmission from your system. In addition, in order to comply with Treasury Circular 230, we are required to inform you that unless we have specifically stated to the contrary in writing, any advice we provide in this email or any attachment concerning federal tax issues or submissions is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, to avoid federal tax penalties.
