[Felvtalk] please add Sylvia to the CLS
Dear all, I lost my sweet Sylvia cat this afternoon. Despite our best efforts with daily subcutaneous fluids, appetite stimulants, Interferon, probiotics, vitamins, steroids, and multiple antibiotics, she was still fading fast and appeared to be in a significant amount of pain yesterday. So, with a heavy heart, I took her to the vet one last time this afternoon for a consult. The vet looked over her chart thoroughly, took a close look at her gums and listened to her breath, and said that at this point we'd done all we could do; the anemia was causing her to crash. We agreed, sadly, that it was time to let her go. This was definitely the hardest choice I've ever made; I'm only 25 and Sylvia was my first cat as an adult. We bonded immediately and it has been awful watching her decline over the last month. I'd never been present when an animal has been euthanized before, and I was extremely reluctant to see her go this way. I'd hoped she might pass quietly at home, but she just seemed so uncomfortable that letting her linger struck me as cruel and selfish. I think I made the right choice. She went peacefully, wrapped in a clean blanket in my arms, with no pain. While we waited for the vet, she sat in my lap and purred just like she did as a kitten at her first vet visit. It broke my heart to let her go, even though I know it was the kindest thing I could do. Sylvia was the best cat I've ever had: smart, sweet, devoted, impeccably well-mannered, pleasantly chatty, cuddly. Up until last month, she was fat, sassy, and apart from gingivitis, quite healthy, so I am confident she had a good life. I will miss her terribly. I already do. I'm glad I have my lively little clownish siamese mix, Beatrice (who, as far as I know, is FeLV negative and healthy as a horse) to keep me company. It'll just be the two of us for a little while, so we have time to mourn the loss of a truly great friend, old soul, and gentle spirit. I am so, so sad...but also thankful for four years with a wonderful cat. Some animals make you a better person. I think Sylvia has done that for me, and I will always remember her. Thanks to all of you who have given me advice and support over the last few years. I'm grateful to have had a group of more experienced cat owners to turn to with questions and concerns; you all have been a great source of comfort and information. Best of luck to you and yours in fighting this awful disease. Sadly, Anna (and Beatrice) -- Anna Elisabeth Waltman PhD Candidate // Contemporary American Poetics Department of English and American Literature University of Massachusetts, Amherst awalt...@english.umass.edu ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] update on Sylvia
Hi all, Thanks to everyone who responded last week. Your advice means a lot to me, as do your kind words of support. Most of my friends here are not pet owners, so hearing from folks who have been through the same thing makes me feel way less alone. So again, thank you. At our last vet appointment, Sylvia's hematocrit was up to 31 from 28, which may be a good sign re: the anemia. I've switched the cats to EVO Herring and Salmon because that's the smelliest and seems to be Sylvia's favorite (she prefers it to A/D soft food). Her fever, unfortunately, has not responded to antibiotics. She's had a shot of Convenia, and I'm giving her antibiotics at home, too; we started with zeniquin, but it didn't seem to help, so the vet switched us onto doxycycline. She's eating enough on her own that the vet doesn't think we need to worry about assisted feeding or tube feeding, but she does have me giving subcutaneous fluids at home daily as long as Sylvia's fever is over 103 (she's been steady at 104 for over a week). We do have some new symptoms, too: her nose is extremely runny/stuffy, she's sneezing a lot and sniffling, and her eyes look very watery. The discharge is clear. Because she's not responding to antibiotics, the vet started her on steroids (prednisolone) today. She suspects that Sylvia has either an immune-mediated anemia or potentially FLV-related cancer, and thinks the steroids might help. I am under strict instructions to continue giving subcutaenous fluids and antibiotics along with the prednisolone. Sylvia seems to be feeling better than she was when I originally posted. She's not hiding under the bed, but has been sleeping out in the open on the couch and occasionally getting up to watch birds out the window on the armchair or hang out on the floor for a bit. She purred a little last night and seems quite happy to get attention/cuddles. She's still interested in treats, too. I'm trying to encourage her to eat as much as I can, and the vet says the steroids should help with that. Anything I need to look out for with the steroids? Have any of you had treatment go this route? I'm not at all clear on what the prognosis is for Sylvia right now, though I'd assume that if we're dealing with cancer that the steroids aren't a permanent fix. Any information you have that can help me figure out what to expect would be immensely helpful. Many thanks, and lots of luck to all of you and yours. Best, Anna, Sylvia, and Beatrice -- Anna E. Waltman PhD student Teaching Associate Department of English and American Literature University of Massachusetts, Amherst awalt...@english.umass.edu ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] thanks for your help!
Hi Jenny, Thanks for your helpful emails-- this listserv is a lifesaver. I really hope you're right that this is an infection and treatable; Sylvia is such a wonderful cat. I'll keep an eye out for anything from Laura, as well, and bring up your treatment regimen when I see the vet again on Wednesday. Sylvia seems stable at the moment. She's out from under the bed, at least, and has curled up on the couch instead. She's still eating, and she hasn't been trying to get away from me when I pick her up to hold her (she wasn't interested in any kind of cuddles at all on Friday). Yesterday her fever had come down from 105 to 103 (I'm checking every 24hrs). She's had an injection of Convenia and the vet has me giving her broad-spectrum oral antibiotics (Zeniquin) daily as well. We go back to the vet on Wed. for more bloodwork and to see if she's improving at all. Fingers crossed! Thanks again! Best, Anna, Sylvia, and Beatrice -- Anna E. Waltman PhD student Teaching Associate Department of English and American Literature University of Massachusetts, Amherst awalt...@english.umass.edu ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Re: Bridget is dead
I'm so sorry to hear about Bridget's passing and will be keeping both of you in my thoughts tonight. It's heartbreaking but at least she passed peacefully and quietly; I'm sure she's watching over you, thankful for all the love and friendship you gave her during her time in your care. I'm absolutely positive that this is NOT your fault. You did the right thing in having Bridget spayed and trusting your vet. Even if his views differ from ours on euthanasia of FLV+ cats, it's his duty to do right by you and abide by your wishes for your companion, who cannot speak for herself but relies on you (not him) to speak for her. I sincerely doubt any vet would go against the owner's wishes, as well as professional ethics, and put a cat to death surreptitiously (except perhaps in the case of PETA). You did the right thing. In solidarity, Anna, Sylvia and Beatrice ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] I Hate PETA
Sharyl, I am so, so sorry to hear this happened to your kitties; it's incredibly angering that PETA not only undermined your plans to give them a happy, healthy existence, but also absconded with your money. Like others on this list, I'm pretty sure they tested before performing the surgery, and so had no right to keep your payment-- especially after killing two cats that had a safe haven waiting for them! What disgusting, abjectly unethical behavior on their part! They'll never get another dime (nor any kind words) from me following this... Gentle bridge vibes to your two babies... Best, Anna ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Scratchy meow
Hi Tracy, My vocal 1 1/2 year old positive female, Sylvia, sometimes changes her voice when she's not feeling well. It drops into a lower register and gets scratchy, like she has laryngitis. She's spayed. Most of the time she's got a fairly melodic, medium-pitched meow-- that scratchy voice is what originally led me to take her to the vet, who tested her for FLV (her third time being tested)...and she came up positive. Since then, she's only had that voice change one time, and it was when she caught a cold from my other (so far negative) kitten, Beatrice. She recovered quickly and the meow went back to normal. Cats have a million different ways of communicating with us; this is just one way Sylvia tells me she's feeling unwell. She also follows me around more often, begging for attention, and gets irritable with Beatrice (hisses, etc). So pay attention to your girl-- if she's still scratchy as she comes out of heat, pay close attention to her and take her to the vet if something doesn't seem right. Follow your instincts and pay close attention to hers. You'll get wonderful advice on this forum. They're a wealth of information and have been incredibly helpful to me. All my best to you and your kittycat! Cheers, Anna -- Message: 5 Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:36:55 -0500 From: Tracy McLendon tracymclen...@gmail.com Subject: [Felvtalk] scratchy meow To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: d7ffb22e0911241336n54701704pcd43673aa9165...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hello! I am new here! I have a 1 1/2 year old blind FLV cat. Two days ago, she started to have an odd scratchy sounding meow. She also went into heat about the same time. She is eating and playing normally. Her meow just suddenly changed and sounds raspy, almost like a parrot. This is my first experience with a FLV cat. She is not on any type of vitamins, she is just like all the other cats, until she started with this weird meow. When she went in originally for her eye enucleation, the vet just said she would be more susceptible to infections and that she would not live long. Can someone help me? Any other signs I should look for? She seems normal otherwise but I am such a hyphochondriac for myself and my animals! I just want to know if anyone else has experienced meow changes Thanks in advance! -- Tracy -- ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] LCTI, etc.
Dear all, My positive kitty, Sylvia, has been largely asymptomatic for a month or two now, and has only had one bout of immune suppression since testing positive (a sore in her mouth, which was taken care of with antibiotics and went away quickly). She is positive on both the snap and IFA tests. My five-month-old kitten, Beatrice, was negative as of a month or so prior to being vaccinated. I'm feeding both kitties a mix of Wellness Indoor Health, Wellness Kitten Health and Evo; Sylvia has actually put on weight (1/2 a pound) and looks good. Bea is growing like a weed and very energetic, but has intermittent issues with diarrhea and flatulence. The vet thinks it might be that the high-quality food is too much for her system, but I'm wondering if we might need to re-test her for giardia (which she had when she came to me) and do another snap test for FLV. The vet wants to wait at least six months from the first FLV snap test before we test her again. What are your thoughts on this? I want to test her early and put her on LCTI if she's positive; if there's a chance that she's positive but can beat the virus with some medical help, I'd like to give her that chance. And if she's still dealing with giardia (after several rounds of antibiotics she shouldn't be), I'd like to get that totally cleared up. Luckily, Sylvia doesn't seem to have contracted it. Diarrhea has only been an issue for her when she's been on oral antibiotics. Also: Sylvia periodically throws up immediately after eating. It's something she's done since young kittenhood and it happens every other week or so, sometimes slightly more often, sometimes way less (she occasionally goes a month or two without it happening). Is this vomiting something I need to be concerned about? It's only right after she's eaten and doesn't seem to affect her appetite, bowel movements or behavior. These two are my first pets as an adult (I'm only 23 and a first-year graduate student); I'm doing my best to do right by them. It's a wonderful thing to have this forum to turn to when I'm feeling confused about something. The girls and I both thank you heartily in advance for your advice! All best, Anna, Sylvia and Beatrice ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Mystique? Please add to the CLS? :(
Dear Pat, I'm so sorry to hear of Mandy's passing. Your cats are blessed to be cared for so wonderfully and loved so deeply. I'm sure Mandy had a peaceful and comfortable journey to the Bridge and is looking down on you, purring, grateful for all you gave her in the time you had together. In sympathy, Anna ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] New Here with Questions
Hi Ellie, My year-old kitty, Sylvia, tested negative and was healthy as a kitten, but the stress of a move seems to have turned her a strong, symptomatic positive (my vet says that some cats are latent carriers and suddenly become positive/symptomatic after a stressful situation). If a move can have that devastating an effect on an otherwise healthy latent carrier, it could do serious damage to a cat who already tests positive. We've been able to get her symptoms under control with antibiotics and a few vet visits, but she really wasn't feeling well for a while after we moved. Everyone I have spoken to, including my vet, has emphasized how unhealthy stress can be for a cat (especially one with FLV) and how important it is that the health of an FLV+ cat be monitored carefully. Being alone for many hours a day can be seriously stressful for any animal, cats especially; additionally, if your sister spends no time with the cat, how will she know if Brie is acting lethargic or somehow off? Cats are stoic animals, so often the signs of illness are subtle and easy to miss until the problem becomes serious. With the right care, FLV+ cats can live long and healthy lives. If, in your heart, you think you're more capable of caring for Brie than your sister (it sounds that way from your email), please do the kitty a huge favor and take her in. Your conscience, your karma and Brie will all thank you (Brie will likely reward you tenfold with love). All best to you and yours, Anna -- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:34:45 -0400 From: Ellie Foster elliefost...@gmail.com Subject: [Felvtalk] New Here w/Questions To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: e924fb900910122334q6b306137sdc4de2d89d439...@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hello, Im new here, my name is Ellie. I joined because my niece kitty, Brie, is one year old and was diagnosed with FeLV about a month ago with a faint positive result (she is supposed to be retested in 2 months). My question is - my sibling is planning a move across quite a few states (USA), about 12-14 hours travelling by car, to New York City. Her job will keep her very occupied, literally up to 20 hours a day!! (I couldnt do it lol). No one knew Brie was + until last month because my sister never took her to the vets after finding her outside, alone, at about 4 weeks old. So, I finally convinced my sis to let me take Brie in to be spayed, vaccinated, tested - and, that is when we got the diagnosis. Just wondering, vet said that stress on kitty is *bad* - is this type of fairly long-distance move something that qualifies as stressful? (will ask the vet of course too!) Has anyone used lysine supplements in an FeLV kitty? Will my sister encounter any problems in trying to rent an apartment with an FeLV+ cat? I ask because I can easily give Brie a home; I have no other kitties (anymore - both of my elderly (16 19) baby boy cats passed on early this year, one of CRF, the other of a sudden massive stroke, within 2 months of each other). And if I can help Brie live a longer, happy life, I would be incredibly glad to do so. Brie knows my house, my family, has stayed with us up to 3 weeks in the past when my sister has been out of town on business. And I love the little baby Brie anyway! Just want her to live the best life possible, and am debating offering - again - to let kitty live with me. Thank you so much for your help info! Ellie ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Thanks for the thoughts!
Dear all, Thanks for the kind thoughts and advice regarding Sylvia's recent positive diagnosis. She and I both really appreciate and feel encouraged by your support. Beatrice goes for her vaccine today; I am going to ask the vet tech to test her before giving her the vaccine. She's about four months old, was negative when I adopted her at ten weeks, and from what I gather, if she's positive and we put her on Interferon, she may have a better chance of fighting it off before it gets into her bone marrow. Thoughts? And how expensive is Interferon? I'm a graduate student and have a small reserve of funds from a loan excess check, but I'm certainly not rolling in cash. These two are such wonderful kitties, and excellent friends to me and each other. I want them both to have the longest, happiest lives possible. I'm so, so glad we have good people to turn to for advice on how to live with this disease! In solidarity, Anna ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] New to FLV and have a cat that just tested positive...
Hi everyone, I've been lurking around for the last day or two reading your posts. My darling Sylvia, the first cat I have owned as an adult, just tested positive for FLV on both the in-office and IFA tests. She's one of my best friends and I'm devastated; she was negative as a kitten and has lived inside for most of her life (as a little baby, she was a stray-- I adopted her from the SPCA at five months, and I know she was there for a while before I adopted her). She was given a confident all-clear by my former vet to move with me to Massachusetts and live in a multiple-cat household less than three months ago. Upon moving, it became obvious that Sylvia doesn't like being left alone in the apartment for long periods of time (prior to our move, we lived with my retired parents and their two dogs so she was almost never home alone). I decided to adopt a kitten, Beatrice, a few weeks after we moved in, after Sylvia had gotten comfortable in the apartment. So when Sylvia started meowing strangely and acting a little lethargic, I assumed it was a kitty flu but took her to the vet anyway, just to be safe, and tested her just to be absolutely sure she was still negative. What a horrible surprise. She's been living with Bea for a month or two now and they're best friends; they wrestle all the time, share food bowls, groom each other, etc. I feel sick with guilt about bringing a young kitten into a house with a FLV+ cat, and now chances are I have two positive cats to care for. Our current vet is wonderful, though, and she feels that if we vaccinate Bea ASAP and keep a close eye on Sylvia (treating her problems as they arise), there's a good chance we can keep both of them healthy for a long time. She says she has other patients and co-workers with FLV+ and negative cats living in the same household who never pass it to each other. I'm feeding them a mix of Wellness and Innova ENVO and giving the kitten multivitamins to boost her immune system and help her fight off the exposure. I'm a young graduate student in an MA/PhD program and I don't have a ton of money. These kitties had been the most stable thing in my life and this diagnosis is totally eating me up, from the inside out. I love them to pieces and want to be the best cat-parent I can to my girls (having chronic illnesses myself that significantly increase my risk of certain health problems, I'm as empathic about this as anyone). The horrible potential of this disease breaks my heart every time I think about it. My childhood cat passed away a few months before I got Sylvia, and I can't bear to lose another one like that (he was very sick for a long time before he died, but we don't know what it was. Could've been FLV or FIV; he wasn't tested every year, though he was vaccinated. He was indoor/outdoor and a fighter). What do you wish you had known when your cat was first diagnosed, if anything? If there is any advice people have, I would appreciate it, and as I gain experience caring for my girls I will share what has worked and what hasn't with anyone who asks. Many thanks and best wishes to you and your families, furry and otherwise. Anna ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
