Dear Amy: I was away for several days and just read your post? Has anyone gotten back to you with feedback about your kitty. Kalleigh? How is she doing?
It is not uncommon for FeLV+ kittys to have gingivitis, stomatitis or other types of mouth sores as the virus enters the body via the tissues of the mouth and so that is a primary place of infection. Unless the ulcer is the result of a secondary bacterial infection, giving her antibiotics would not be of any benefit and abx can often upset the balance of beneficial intestinal flora, so it is always a good idea to give some sort of probiotics with abx therapy. I have used Prozyme and ProBi (both available from KV Vet supply -- kvvet.com; also have an 800 number). Or, you can use acidophilus capsules from any health food store. The abx of choice for mouth infections is clindamycin, but it is VERY gnarly tasting and I prefer not to use it unless nothing else seems to help. Did the vet give you any indication as to what was causing the ulcer in her mouth? Does she also have the characteristic gingivitis...a reddening of the gums just above the toothline? Some listmembers have used l-Lysine and enzyme CoQ10 supplements which are available at a health food store. A prescription medication called Peroxicam can also be helpful. Did the vet explain why Kalleigh may have become dehydrated? Usually it is from not eating or drinking and so not taking in enough fluids, prolonged fever, severe vomiting and/or diarrhea, kidney failure or hyperthyroidism. You can check to see if your cat is becoming dehydrated by pinching the skin between the shoulder blades and pulling it up, then releasing it and if the skin does not snap back down, but sort of oozes down slowly, that is a sign of dehydration. You can learn to do subQ fluids yourself, which is much less expensive, and it is not difficult to do. Did the vet do a blood test to determine Kalleigh was anemic (if so, what was her hematocrit?) or just look to see that her gums were pale. If she is severely anemic, giving significant amounts of fluids can cause the hematocrit to drop further, perhaps by thinning the blood. It can be a damned if you do, damed if you don't kind of situation. Did the vet suggest what may be the cause of Kalleigh's anemia? Since she is FeLV+ it is not surprising...while leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, it wreaks havoc on the red blood cells, too. Anemia is not an uncommon complication with FeLV+ cats, and in its most severe form, the bone marrow's ability to produce red blood cells is so compromised the anemia becomes "nonregenerative" and not enough RBC can be produced to keep up with the natural process of destruction, in which case the blood is not able to carry sufficient oxygen to sustain life. Sometimes the use of a drug called Epogen can stimulate the production of RBC provided the bone marrow still has some ability to function. Blood transfusions can become necessary if the hematocrit drops below 9, but unless the bone marrow can still function sufficiently that can only buy some time. It is important to determine the cause of anemia. There are other conditions that can cause anemia, too, such as internal bleeding from tumors or ulcers; severe infestations of worms, especially hookworms; and there is a blood parasite called hemobartonella that often goes undetected. Whatever the cause, in treating anemia enriching the diet with iron is important. Dr. Martin Goldsmith recommends purreed raw liver, raw egg yolks, green veggies, Vit. B12, apple cider vinegar, liquid chlorphyll and kelp. He uses a product called Hemaplex (Progressive Labs) which contains red cell-building components: beets, raw liver, chlorophyll and iron, among others. The Petinic your vet gave you is a B Vite and iron supplement (also available from KV Vet Supply), which is good, but it will also be helpful for you to give her a nutritional boost. Is she still eating on her own? Anemia causes a cat to be weak and depresses the appetite. You may have to "assist" her in eating with syringe feeding. There really isn't a whole lot we can do for FeLV+ cats except to protect them from being exposed to cats that could be a source of infectious pathogens, feed them the healthiest, most natural diet possible and give additional supplements to boost their immune system as much as possible. The key seems to be keeping whatever immune function the cat may have supported because once the virus gets the upper hand and the cat begins to develop major symptoms of illness and "crash" it is usually just a matter of time (often very little time) until there is insufficient immune function left to survive the onslaught. I do hope Kalleigh will respond to treatment and be able to hang in there and keep the FeLV virus from taking control. Try to stay positive because loving, positive energy can be very important in helping a furkid get well. If she has managed to live with the virus for 3 years now, she's already beaten the odds so don't give up hope. Do let me know how she is progressing and if I can be of any further assistance. I highly recommend the book by Dr. Martin Goldsmith, The Nature of Animal Healing. I lost two precious furbabys to this horrid virus and have three more FeLV+ still with me...two are just over a year old and have passed that first major milestone with only gingivitis so far; the third is a precious little guy who tested positive at just 6 weeks and was going to be PTS by an ignorant owner -- he is now 16 weeks and no symptoms so far other than a cyclical low-grade fever. They are on a natural, raw diet and supplemented with Vit. C, CoQ10 and Transfer Factors. I am hoping I learned enough from losing the first two that I can give these furkids a better chance for longer term survival. Wishing you the very best and keeping you and Kalleigh in my prayers. Sally in San Jose
