Thank You so much for your informative information. I really appreciate it! Jannes
________________________________ From: Jacquelyn Gonzales <jgonza...@pacbell.net> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Mon, March 14, 2011 4:08:44 PM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Any advice appreciated. Hi Jannes: The FELV/FIV Combo SNAP tests can have a lot of cross-reactivity resulting in false positives. IF you tested via the in-house FELV/FIV Combo test (the test they run in the vet's office) you should retest via the ELISA test that is sent to the lab. Alternatively, you could test via the IFA test now and if the test is positive, the cat is considered persistently viremic and no further testing is required. The ELISA test shows the presence of an antigen created by the cat's immune response to FeLV infection in the red blood cells, while the IFA shows this same antigen in the white blood cells. The difference is that the antigen only goes into the white cells at a later stage of infection, which is why IFA+ cats are considered persistently viremic while an ELISA+ / IFA- cat may have a transient viremia that can be completely thrown off. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the testing. You can test via the IFA now and if it is positive, the cat is considered persistently viremic and no further testing is needed. If you test via the IFA test and it is negative, you have to test via the ELISA lab test. I have FELV+ cats of my own and have rescued others. If you have discordant test results, you cannot consider the cat FELV negative until you get results that match. There is no need to wait 3 months. If I were you, I would test via the ELISA test that is sent to the lab now. If it is positive, the next step is to test via the IFA test. --- On Mon, 3/14/11, Jannes Taylor <jannestay...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Jannes Taylor <jannestay...@yahoo.com> Subject: [Felvtalk] Any advice appreciated. To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Monday, March 14, 2011, 1:50 PM Hello, I rescued a stray two weeks ago. Took her to the vet a week ago and they said she was FELV positive. She was starving when I found her, but she has gained weight and is looking good. Her eyes just glisten and she seems healthy. The vet said she was about a year old. She only weighed six pounds last week. I did not have the heart to euthanize her when she is not suffering. However, I have three healthy cats upstairs and I live in constant fear that they will escape to the basement where this cat we now call Amber is staying. I keep her in a nice cage during most of the time and let her out to get her exercise in the basement about four hours per day. My husband is building her a 8' long x 4' wide x 6' tall cage so she will have more room I do hate keeping her caged up, but don't have a choice. She is very sweet and it is just a sad situation. I tried to find a home for her but no one seems to want a cat with her issues. We are trying to be very cautious regarding the other cats, but it is does make me fearful. I plan to have her rested in three months. I am so new to this situation, so any comments or ideas are much appreciated. Jannes _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
