P.S. Chemo can cause anemia. I don't know if I
mentioned this or not.
:)
Wendy
--- Caroline Kaufmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
---------------------------------
Hi everyone. I wanted to provide an update on my FeLV
pos. and lymphosarcoma cat Monkee. He saw his Vet
yesterday to determine whether the Epogen had helped
his anemia. The news was very bad. Apparently last
week, when the anemia started, his Red Blood cell
count was 13%. After a week (& 3 doses of the
Epogen), his RBC count was actually worse, 10%.
However, Monkee’s White Blood Cell count is normal (it
was down last week) and his lymphocyte count is
normal. Dr. Daley also found a lymph node in his
groin that is enlarged (but it can’t be felt from the
outside- it runs along the artery in the leg). His
Vet said she thinks the FeLV is causing the problem,
or it could be the lymphosarcoma, but when pressed,
she said that she honestly doubted it was the cancer.
She presented 3 options: (1) a bone marrow
aspirate/biopsy to determine what is going on at the
cellular level; however, it is invasive and Monkee
would need sedation- which he couldn’t get anyway
while so anemic (so he'd need a blood transfusion 1st,
just to be able to do the biospy); However, the
biopsy, in her opinion, would probably just tell us
it’s FeLV causing the anemia; (2) a blood transfusion
to literally buy me more time with him; (3) try
another dose of chemo in hopes that the anemia is
being caused by lymphosarcoma, although, as I said
previously, she doubted it and that was a shot in the
dark.
My mother and I did not want to put this cat through
chemo again (although he did very well with the first
round). But now that he is actively anemic, there was
no way I would do it, especially knowing that Dr.
Daley really didn’t think the chemo would actually
help the situation. We also didn’t want to put him
through a bone marrow biopsy that would probably tell
us what we already know, but don’t want to admit…that
for four years, I had the healthiest, beefiest,
toughest cat in the world, who never even suffered
from a urinary tract infection; who was so healthy, I
wanted to test him a 3rd time this summer for FeLV
because I was sure he didn’t have it….To now, out of
nowhere, in a span of 2 months, we have gone from
that, to a severely anemic, suffering, FeLV cat with
lymphosarcoma.
Dr. Daley gave him days. Days. Which my mom and I
were not prepared to hear at all. I mean, he is
eating, drinking, using the litter box, he is thick
(he was slightly overweight to begin with, so that is
helping him now). Yes, he’s not “Monkee” as I have
known him, but he just doesn’t look to me like he’s on
his last leg. When we questioned her on the “days”
prognosis she explained that due to the FeLV virus,
and the anemia, his body is not making RBC and his
brain is not getting enough oxygen and although he
seems okay now, he is dizzy, lightheaded, probably
having vertigo, and all of that will continue to get
worse because his body is not manufacturing RBC- which
carry oxygen in the blood, and eventually, his
eating/drinking and making it to the litter box will
all drop off.
We asked what could be done and she said, if you “are
not ready yet,” she recommended the blood transfusion,
which will give him about two weeks, and then the
benefits of the transferred blood will wear off and he
will start suffering the anemia symptoms again because
his body is not producing it’s own RBC. She also said
that morally, with FeLV cats, she will do 2 blood
transfusions, and then that is it. It is fighting a
losing battle and that is as far as she will take it.
I was wrecked and my mother was crying too. I decided
to pull myself together and still take Monkee to the
Holistic Vet, Dr. Susan Maier, after we left Dr.
Daley’s. It was our first visit and I thought, I am
so desperate right now, it can’t hurt. A funny story
about this visit: Monkee totally perked up as soon as
we left Dr. Daley’s (he hates it there!). Dr. Maier
has a few black and white “clinic cats” that roam
around and as soon as we walked in, Monkee, in his
carrier, freaked out (he hates other cats—which is
probably why he ended up with FeLV to begin with!). I
was carrying his carrier on my shoulder to an exam
room and I instantly felt the carrier get completely
light- there was no longer 13 lbs of weight on my
shoulder! I didn’t understand what happened, but I
turned around and all I saw was black and white x 3
(Monkee is black and white), and I just grabbed the
first black and white form that was closest to me, and
thank god, it was Monkee! He had opened the front
flap of his pet carrier—widened the zipper I guess
with his paw and then his face, and jumped out…in an
effort to “get” the clinic cats that were following us
to the exam room! I grabbed him just in time because
he was already facing off against them ready to
attack, and because he has FeLV, it scared me to
death! But that is not the behavior of a cat on his
last leg! As soon as we got in the room, he walked
around and dug his paws under the door and meowed and
basically, obsessed about the cats just outside the
door! It was so funny! He really put on quite a show
for Dr. Maier at his first visit! So there I am, with
my tear streaked face, Kleenex all over the place and
swollen eyes, and my cat is basically prancing around
Dr. Maier’s exam room acting like the King of the
Jungle!
Dr. Maier said there are things she can do to help
support Monkee’s blood transfusion and make him feel
better. So, we are trying Phosporus 30C, Clostrum,
Thuja 30C and essence of flowers. Has anyone else
tried these on an anemic cat and had any success? At
this point, we will try anything. Plus, Monkee seemed
to enjoy his Dr. Maier visit and the whole office had
a totally different feel (far less clinical and
hospital-like), which was good for both of us. Dr.
Maier said he looks great and she is by no means ready
to "give up on him yet."
However, the one thing that is troubling me the most
is that, my mom asked Dr. Daley if a FeLV cat
suffering from anemia could ever “come out of it”/beat
the anemia to a point were the anemia is in remission
and the FeLV goes dormant again? (She was a biology
teacher so she was thinking in terms of how other
viruses behave). Dr. Daley responded, flat-out, “no.”
Meaning, once it’s started, all you can do is buy
more time via blood transfusions because it is a
losing battle. I wanted to know what people on this
list serve thought about that? I know I need to work
on my “denial”- this is my first and only FeLV cat, so
it’s all new. But this just seemed like such a
troubling response?
Monkee is at Dr. Daley’s right now (and pissed!)
getting his blood transfusion.
I would appreciate any insight that anyone may have,
now that I finally have some more info about Monkee’s
condition….
Thx,
Caroline in Kentucky
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