[Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
My condolences on your loss of Yang. You just have to take it one day at a time with Merlot, and savor each day of good health. Survival time seems to be such a roll of the dice with FeLV. I lost FeLV+ Milkdud in May, after 4.5 good years. His buddy Harley is still with me after 3.5 years, but he is lonesome for his friend. I don't think probiotics would be helpful for a FeLV+ cat. Feed the highest quality diet you can afford, avoiding grains like corn on the ingredients list. I personally would not feed a raw meat diet to a cat with a disease that compromises their immune system. For symptom-free Harley, I am currently giving a few drops of Vetri-DMG in his canned food, and a VitaChews multivitamin. I am looking at other possibilites also, but didn't want to throw too much at him at once. He appeared to have the beginnings of stomatitis at his last checkup, but it hasn't bothered him - he eats with no discomfort. He will have a 3-month follow-up, and if there has been progression, I will be looking at importing Virbagen Omega. My vet conferred with others through the Veterinary Information Network, and looked at informational material I gave him, and didn't feel it would be beneficial at this time. Marsha On 7/24/2014 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
GOOD ADVICE! I can only add to watch him, don't drive him crazy with your attention, but be aware and at the first sign of something NOT normal with him, get to the vet. If you catch something when it first starts, your and his chances are better. ABOVE ALL, LOVE HIM and prayer does not hurt, worked for me. Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote: My condolences on your loss of Yang. You just have to take it one day at a time with Merlot, and savor each day of good health. Survival time seems to be such a roll of the dice with FeLV. I lost FeLV+ Milkdud in May, after 4.5 good years. His buddy Harley is still with me after 3.5 years, but he is lonesome for his friend. I don't think probiotics would be helpful for a FeLV+ cat. Feed the highest quality diet you can afford, avoiding grains like corn on the ingredients list. I personally would not feed a raw meat diet to a cat with a disease that compromises their immune system. For symptom-free Harley, I am currently giving a few drops of Vetri-DMG in his canned food, and a VitaChews multivitamin. I am looking at other possibilites also, but didn't want to throw too much at him at once. He appeared to have the beginnings of stomatitis at his last checkup, but it hasn't bothered him - he eats with no discomfort. He will have a 3-month follow-up, and if there has been progression, I will be looking at importing Virbagen Omega. My vet conferred with others through the Veterinary Information Network, and looked at informational material I gave him, and didn't feel it would be beneficial at this time. Marsha On 7/24/2014 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Hi Maya, I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a gift. Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be afraid to trust your gut. For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good times together. We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. Katherine On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
IT HURTS TO LOSE ONE AND EVEN MOE WHEN YOU LOOSE 3 CLOSE TOGETHER. YOU TAKE SOLACE FROM THE ONES YOU HAVE REMAINING. THEY SENSE YOUR LOSE AND ARE ALSO GRIEVING SO YOU HELP ONE ANOTHER WILL KEEP YOU ON MY PRAYER LIST. Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any boosters or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Maya, I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a gift. Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be afraid to trust your gut. For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good times together. We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. Katherine On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Thank you for all of the support everyone. Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now. I don't know which cat had it and then gave it to the other. I feel terrible, I was not informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in to my house, so one of them gave it to the other. I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you! I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking in to those as well. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any boosters or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Maya, I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a gift. Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be afraid to trust your gut. For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good times together. We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. Katherine On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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 --
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
I have been unable to pinpoint who got it from whom in my house, and could go in circles about it all day if I let myself! Did you get Yang first, and then Merlot? For how long did they live together? On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Thank you for all of the support everyone. Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now. I don't know which cat had it and then gave it to the other. I feel terrible, I was not informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in to my house, so one of them gave it to the other. I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you! I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking in to those as well. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any boosters or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Maya, I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a gift. Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be afraid to trust your gut. For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good times together. We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. Katherine On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ Felvtalk mailing list
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
I got Yang first, when she was 5 months old. A little over a year later I got Merlot when he was 3 months old. They lived together for over 1.5 years. I think it's more likely that Yang gave it to Merlot, as he was so young when he came in to our house, and I have read that kittens are much more likely to succumb to the virus than adult cats. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:57 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: I have been unable to pinpoint who got it from whom in my house, and could go in circles about it all day if I let myself! Did you get Yang first, and then Merlot? For how long did they live together? On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Thank you for all of the support everyone. Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now. I don't know which cat had it and then gave it to the other. I feel terrible, I was not informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in to my house, so one of them gave it to the other. I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you! I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking in to those as well. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any boosters or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Maya, I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a gift. Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be afraid to trust your gut. For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good times together. We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. Katherine On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Milkdud was a young feral when I got him, about a year old. He turned into a total cuddlebug. Harley came to us as a kitten no more than 4 months old. He tested positive on both the ELISA and then the IFA test his first year, but will re-test at his next checkup, just in case he has had a rare conversion to negative. But when he showed the beginnings of stomatitis in June, I think he is probably still positive. Marsha On 7/24/2014 3:40 PM, Katherine K. wrote: Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any boosters or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
I’m very sorry to hear about Yang’s passing and that Merlot has tested positive. Hopefully, Merlot has a lot more time ahead of him. I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She also got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I wasn’t consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might have eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of third-party data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. FeLV is scary, but don’t lose hope. Ember had minor illnesses here and there: sneezing (likely due to allergies) and an occasional day or two of diarrhea. For the latter condition, I would fast her for 12 hours (going much longer could cause liver damage), and I would feed her canned pumpkin (not pie filling but plain pumpkin) for a day to give her some fiber. These problems weren’t frequent for us, thankfully. Blood tests were moments of anxiety at times (Ember usually had low wbc). Ember lived for at least eight years from testing positive to her death two months ago. I would have liked to have had her longer (she was a little over 12 years old), but I feel very fortunate for all the time we had together. Lance On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Wow. That really gives me hope. My guy is only 2, so I hope I get to have him as long as you had your Ember. I am sorry you lost her. On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 5:37 PM, Lance lini...@fastmail.fm wrote: I’m very sorry to hear about Yang’s passing and that Merlot has tested positive. Hopefully, Merlot has a lot more time ahead of him. I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She also got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I wasn’t consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might have eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of third-party data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. FeLV is scary, but don’t lose hope. Ember had minor illnesses here and there: sneezing (likely due to allergies) and an occasional day or two of diarrhea. For the latter condition, I would fast her for 12 hours (going much longer could cause liver damage), and I would feed her canned pumpkin (not pie filling but plain pumpkin) for a day to give her some fiber. These problems weren’t frequent for us, thankfully. Blood tests were moments of anxiety at times (Ember usually had low wbc). Ember lived for at least eight years from testing positive to her death two months ago. I would have liked to have had her longer (she was a little over 12 years old), but I feel very fortunate for all the time we had together. Lance On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello everyone, My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That was the hardest day of my life. Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay healthy for? -- Maya D'Alessio ___ 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 -- Maya D'Alessio PhD student B1 377B, x32320 Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator Biology GSA Vice Chair GSA Director At-Large University of Waterloo ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
Note to Maya on interferon alpha: that is human recombinant interferon, much easier to obtain and less expensive than Virbagen Omega, which is feline recombinant interferon that must be imported. I feel that the feline recombinant is a better choice, and currently can afford it, so I will go with that rather than the human version when the time comes. Butwe all seem to be pioneers here. You'd think that with FeLV being the one of the biggest causes of cat death, there would be more research, more certainty on courses of treatment. But while I've heard of one or two vets that swear by LTCI, more say they've had no luck with it. The latest flash in the pan is a drug from Malaysia. A couple years ago, the company signed up with another company that helps them through the FDA approval process. But that takes a long time, and what if the company fails before then? There has been at least one product that was being used in FeLV+ cats where the company went belly-up. Not approved by any govermental agency, but being used off-label, some people felt it was helpful. Marsha On 7/24/2014 4:37 PM, Lance wrote: I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She also got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I wasn’t consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might have eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of third-party data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very frustrating. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Need help moving 2 felv+ kitties
From mobile al to St. Louis mo. Any suggestions welcome. Sent from my iPhone ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left with my heart tonight. On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote: I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very frustrating. ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Smoosh
Jennifer, my heartfelt sympathies on your loss of Smoosh. Marsha On 7/24/2014 11:01 PM, Jennifer Lewis wrote: We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left with my heart tonight. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
