Hi, Lorrie -- Glad you found this group. You'll get lots of great advice here.
Firstly, don't beat yourself up too much -- it's too bad about the kitties you put to sleep, but nobody knew much about FeLV back then, it would have been universally considered to be a death sentence anyway. Now, there is so much hope for your positive kittens! Admittedly, your vet was probably trying to let you know the worst of what you're facing, but if all she can offer is grimness, you might want to consider finding another vet, at least for these babies. The fact that she didn't suggest euthanasia is a point in her favor, but the kittens would be better served by someone on the cutting edge of FeLV. Or, if she's willing to work with you, you can print off stuff from the files on the felineleukemia.org website and help her expand her knowledge base. ;-) I assume the kittens are not showing signs of disease. If they aren't, depending on their age, they may yet shake off the virus. But if they don't, there are still ways to keep them asymptomatic. FeLV *isn't* an automatic death sentence these days. You'll get lots of advice here on diet and supplements, and (along with some heartache) some nice success stories. Diane R. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lorrie Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 9:34 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] New member Hello Everyone, I'm a new member to the FelV group, but not new to cat rescue and TNR, which I've been doing for a long time. For years I didn't test for FelV, because back in the 1980's I tested all of my cats for it, and two were positive, so I put had them put down to protect my other cats. I've felt horribly guilty ever since, and because of this I quit testing. I started testing again about 4 years ago when I began taking care of a feral colony I discovered in our small town of Terra Alta, WV. There were always kittens I couldn't find homes for, and if I kept them, or kept any strays that were dumped at our house I felt I should have them tested...... None of them were ever positive. I guess I was just lucky, but now my luck has run out. Several kittens in a litter I rescued have tested positive for FelV. I intend to learn everything I can about FelV, and meanwhile I'll vaccinate my negative cats with the FelV vaccine. In the 80's it wasn't too effective, so I hope it's improved.... I'd appreciate input on the efficacy of the vaccine. I understand FelV is contagious, but not highly contagious. From what I've read it is apparently spread through blood (bites) food dishes, water bowls and mutual grooming. The virus apparently doesn't live long outside the cat's body, but in even a few hours other cats could be infected. The vet didn't tell me to euthanize the positive kittens, but she did give me a grim outlook :-( I'd appreciate hearing from any of you in regard to this. Lorrie in Terra Alta, WV _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org 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. _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
