RE: Information Please
Susan, you've come to the right place. This bunch of folks will have a lot of useful info for you. One good supplement is L-lysine, which you can get at most drug and health-food stores, you just have to make sure it doesn't have propylene glycol as an additive. I've gotten it at GNC. Was the diagnosis based on an in-office test (ELISA) or one where they send the blood to a lab (IFA). The IFA is much more reliable, not to get your hopes up but sometimes there are false positives with the ELISA. Also, cats have been known to throw off the virus on their own. You should have Autumn re-tested with the IFA in a few months to allow for the possibility that she'll throw it. Good food is an essential, and it looks like you're on the right track there. So is freedom from stress, so try not to let the diagnosis worry you to the point where she's catching your vibes. Please know that there are people on this list who have FeLV+ kitties that are several years old and still healthy; others, of course (like my Patches) will sicken and fade despite your best efforts. I'm sure others will soon be chiming in with lots of stuff I've forgotten, or never got a chance to try. Bless you for taking on this responsibility. Autumn is very lucky you found her. Congratulations on your marriage! Diane R. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Susan Ang Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 10:23 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Information Please We have a new baby that we found outside a local apartment complex. We named her Autumn and she is sweet, affectionate and so smart. She is only 9 weeks old and FeLV+ This is the first cat that I've ever has with this disease and the diagnosis was a shock. I have been trying to research this illness, but there aren't many case studies. We've put her on Innova Evo dry food and I am supplementing with some treats that contain cranberry. We also have been giving her filtered water. I have read that many FeLV+ kitties suffer from teeth problems. does anyone brush their cat's teeth or is hard food good enough? Is there anything else I need to supplement with? What do I need to watch for? Is treating symptoms all we can do? I am looking for any information about Feline Leukemia. What age do you start to see symptom onset? Is there any effective proactive treatment? I am newly married and this is our first fur-baby and we don't want to let her go without a fight. Any info would be appreciated. ~Susan A. 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.
To Susan A. Re: Information Please
Hi Susan, Welcome to the group! This is the best place you will find for reliable info. on FeLV. I do not do any dentals on my cats at all. Some here do. Just depends on your philosophy (and bank account...lol). Did you know that cats can throw the FeLV virus? It's called seroconverting, and about 30-40% of cats do it after exposure. So retesting Autumn in 3-4 months might be a great idea. She may not have it next time you test! Keeping Autumn stress-free and feeding her a good diet are the two most important things you can do to keep the virus sequestered. I would also supplement her food with 250 mg a day of lysine (PURE lysine). You can buy it at the health food store and add it to her wet food; it's tasteless. I feed mine Innova Evo too. IMO, it's the best there is, mainly because of the protein content and lack of grains. What to watch for? Same as you would for a healthy cat: lethargy, white gums (anemia), inappetence, fever. The symptoms can onset at any time or never. Kittens are more susceptible because their immune systems aren't fully developed (thus the lysine). There are also proactive treatments. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah (the big kahuna of sanctuaries) gives their FeLV babies intramuscular shots of ImmunoRegulin once a week or month (can't remember). You might be able to find info. on their website. Other people use Interferon. You might post specific questions as subject headings in order to catch the eye of some of the members, because many don't read all posts, especially if they are crunched for time. A great place for you to go is the archives on the main webpage. There is SO much information there. You won't be lacking for info, that's for sure! Congratulations on your new marriage! And please keep us posted on your furbaby and any more questions you have! :) Wendy Dallas, TX Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC
Re: Information Please
Thank you for taking in Autumn. I'm sure you'll get a lot of advice from the list. Is she showing any symptoms or do you just have a positive test? tonya Susan Ang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We have a new baby that we found outside a local apartment complex. We named her Autumn and she is sweet, affectionate and so smart. She is only 9 weeks old and FeLV+ This is the first cat that I've ever has with this disease and the diagnosis was a shock. I have been trying to research this illness, but there aren't many case studies. We've put her on Innova Evo dry food and I am supplementing with some treats that contain cranberry. We also have been giving her filtered water. I have read that many FeLV+ kitties suffer from teeth problems. does anyone brush their cat's teeth or is hard food good enough? Is there anything else I need to supplement with? What do I need to watch for? Is treating symptoms all we can do? I am looking for any information about Feline Leukemia. What age do you start to see symptom onset? Is there any effective proactive treatment? I am newly married and this is our first fur-baby and we don't want to let her go without a fight. Any info would be appreciated. ~Susan A.
Re: Information re: Pippin's spay and more questions about spaying
At 05:59 PM 11/9/2006, you wrote: Iso is good, Sevoflourane is a but better but many do not have it. Find out if they moniter her Oxygen while she is under, Ask for desolving sutures. I think having an IV line and fluids running is grea and then you have IV access should you need it, Prophylactic antibiotics issomething I like to see used. Kelly I called my vet to ask more questions about the spaying procedures they use. This is what they said: *The anesthetic used is Isofourane gas. That is the only anesthetic they offer for spay; they feel it is the safest *A full blood panel (when requested) is done in the morning before the surgery. *Fluids (when requested) are given during and right after surgery. *The pain medication given (when requested) is Medicam liquid, given orally. I am going to request the complete blood panel, the fluids and the pain medication for Pippin. Their operating procedure is that I would take her in the morning. They do the blood panel. If it comes back normal, then they do the surgery. I can pick her up the next morning (appx. 24 hrs later) if she checks out okay. They said that they recommend she be kept quiet for 7 - 10 days after the surgery, preferably in a room away from the other cats (since I explained that she is very hyper and likes to play and rough house with my other cats.) Pippin is currently on L-lysine; is there any other supplement I should put her on before the surgery? I'm looking at the second week in December for her spay--a month from now--as my schedule at work is stable until then. After that, I change schedules and my job function itself is changing. What other questions do I need to ask my vet? Does anyone have any suggestions or concerns about their procedures or the anesthetic/drugs used? Thanks :) Gina Visit my Tigger Tales site! See my cats' gallery at Zazzle Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.0/525 - Release Date: 11/9/2006
Re: Information re: Pippin's spay and more questions about spaying
Thank you :) I will gather allthe suggestions and concerns I get from our list. Then Iwill ask for a phoneconsult with my vet before I make the appt.Gina kelly [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 05:59 PM 11/9/2006, you wrote:Iso is good, Sevoflourane is a but better but many do not have it. Find out if they moniter her Oxygen while she is under, Ask for desolving sutures. I think having an IV line and fluids running is grea and then you have IV access should you need it, Prophylactic antibiotics issomething I like to see used.Kelly I called my vet to ask more questions about the spaying procedures they use. This is what they said:*The anesthetic used is "Isofourane" gas. That is the only anesthetic they offer for spay; they feel it is the safest*A full blood panel (when requested) is done in the morning before the surgery.*Fluids (when requested) are given during and right after surgery.*The pain medication given (when requested) is "Medicam" liquid, given orally.I am going to request the complete blood panel, the fluids and the pain medication for Pippin. Their operating procedure is that I would take her in the morning. They do the blood panel. If it comes back "normal", then they do the surgery. I can pick her up the next morning (appx. 24 hrs later) if she checks out okay. They said that they recommend she be kept quiet for 7 - 10 days after the surgery, preferably in a room away from the other cats (since I explained that she is very hyper and likes to play and rough house with my other cats.)Pippin is currently on L-lysine; is there any other supplement I should put her on before the surgery? I'm looking at the second week in December for her spay--a month from now--as my schedule at work is stable until then. After that, I change schedules and my job function itself is changing.What other questions do I need to ask my vet? Does anyone have any suggestions or concerns about their procedures or the anesthetic/drugs used?Thanks :)GinaVisit my Tigger Tales site! See my cats' gallery at ZazzleCheck out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster. No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.0/525 - Release Date: 11/9/2006Visit my Tigger Tales site! See my cats' gallery at Zazzle Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
Re: Information re: Pippin's spay and more questions about spaying
Just make sure you let them know that they are authorized to perform all means necessary to pull her through if she crashes. Some vets do not "try" to "bring them back" like you expect with humans. Most vets don't even HAVE automatic respirator units or defibrillators. Sad, but true. I engrave all the cat name tags on the back side with the emergency vet number and the phrase "Use all means necessary to save cat!", and I also have that on my file, so if my cats end up at the clinic without me (heaven forbid a natural disaster or fire or something), they will get the care without my signature on the intake form. Phaewryn Please adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!! http://ucat.us/adopt.html Low cost SpayNeuter services in VT, and Emergency Financial Assistance for cat owners:http://ucat.us/VermontLowCost.htmlSpecial Needs Cat Resources: http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html The Sofa Poem: http://ucat.us/sofapoem.htmlFind us on PETFINDER! http://petfinder.com/shelters/VT44.html No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.0/525 - Release Date: 11/9/2006
Re: Information
Niki, Yes, the vet would prescribe interferon for you. It is a clear liquid, (looks and tastes just like water) that you give orally. I don't know if I would start an asymptomatic kitten on interferon right away because of the immunity factor, (because it's human interferon, not feline), we are told that eventually their bodies develop immunity to it and it stops working for them. You may want to save that for when he's symptomatic. Tonya has a point though, if Ziggy is actually fighting the disease itself, it will help boost his immune system. I would think he'd be showing symptoms, at least a fever, if that were the case. I'm still hopeful that he has tested false positive. Can you get any information about his mother? If we knew her status, (positive or negative), that would tell us if Ziggy was exposed invitro, or somewhere else. I'm not sure about this, but I think cats that have gotten FelV and cleared it can still test at least faint-positive. Adult healthy cats, have a very good chance of clearing the virus. Cats that are immunized, don't get it at all. Hopefully someone will step in here with more info. That brings us to whether or not you should proceed with vaccinations. If Ziggy is otherwise healthy, I would get him his shots, (except FelV, of course). This is only my opinion, and he could have a bad reaction because of his status. I'd talk to your vet about this, research it, and again, others on the list may have different advice. If he's truly going to stay an indoor only cat, and he has no siblings that come and go from the house, it would make a difference in considering vaccines. Please don't feel at all uncomfortable about asking so many questions. You are a concerned and loving fur-mom trying to make the best decisions possible for your Ziggy. Believe me, we get that! Nina Nicholena Rushton wrote: Tonya: Ziggy is strictly an indoor cat only. Would the vet be the one to prescribe the interferon? Would this boost his immune system? Alos the vet gave him kitty shots and now I am wondering if I should continue with his next round when I take him back to the vet as I am now wondering if these vacs are going to compromise his immune system. Do you have any info regarding this? I apologize in advance for asking so many questions but I trying to do what is best for Ziggy and do not want to compromise what health he has right now. Niki - Original Message - *From:* catatonya mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org *Sent:* Sunday, June 12, 2005 12:48 AM *Subject:* Re: Information Niki, I'm not the best one to give advice on the supplements as I'm not using them right now on any of my own. I have read a lot about transfer factor, but have never used it myself. If I were in your position I think what I would begin with is interferon. I would call the vet and ask if it's ok to start Ziggy on it to hopefully help him fight off the virus and seroconvert. Vets usually are ok with this. Most vets usually recommend a half cc of diluted interferon (Your vet will give you the amount.) for kittens. Once you get going on the interferon if things are going well you might then try transfer factor next, and so on. That would be my opinion. Does Ziggy stay indoors only? I would keep him away from other cats right now because you don't want to risk him being exposed to the virus at this stage obviously. You also don't want to take chances with kitty colds or anything else when you're trying to boost his immune system. I'm sure others will chime in with more advice and you can just pick and choose what works best for you and Ziggy. tonya */Nicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED]/* wrote: Hi Tonya: Thanks you so much for the information. Any suggestions on food that I should be giving him? Right now I am giving him Iams Kitten Formula and catmilk (I think by Wiskas) every once in a while as a treat. Should I start vitamin C and the interferon now? If so what would the dosage be? I have been reading some stuff about something called Transfer Factor and am a bit confused by what I have read about it. DO you have anything yu could tell me - is it even worth it? I have to let you know that you have quelled my nerves somewhat as I went bonkers when I first heard of the + test and began to think the worst. Now it is nice to know Ziggy can have a productive life for whatever time I am going to be blessed by him. Niki - Original Message - *From:* catatonya mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Re: Information
The only thing I know about his mom is that she was a stray a friend of mine took in over the winter and low and behold she was preg. Ziggy has three other siblings and I know my friend is trying to see if the other two she gave away have tested pos. (I guess it's kind of difficult to ask someone especially if they have not had them tested but I was of the mindset she should at least let them know one of the litter had a pos test). I know she was going to take the last one - whom she still has - to the vet this week coming up to test her. She was also going to let her ex know about Ziggy for his mom to be tested(he took her and she does not care to be an indoor cat - she escapes). As far as I know he is otherwise healthy --his temp was normal ,his gums are pink, he is grooming himself regularly, going to the bathroom regularly and being as playful and mischievous as ever. The only thing I know is he has no desire to eat is wet food although he has had this aversion since he was weaned (he does come running at the sound of a tuna can being opened though!). Niki - Original Message - From: Nina To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 3:04 PM Subject: Re: Information Niki,Yes, the vet would prescribe interferon for you. It is a clear liquid, (looks and tastes just like water) that you give orally. I don't know if I would start an asymptomatic kitten on interferon right away because of the immunity factor, (because it's human interferon, not feline), we are told that eventually their bodies develop "immunity" to it and it stops working for them. You may want to save that for when he's symptomatic. Tonya has a point though, if Ziggy is actually fighting the disease itself, it will help boost his immune system. I would think he'd be showing symptoms, at least a fever, if that were the case. I'm still hopeful that he has tested false positive. Can you get any information about his mother? If we knew her status, (positive or negative), that would tell us if Ziggy was exposed invitro, or somewhere else. I'm not sure about this, but I think cats that have gotten FelV and cleared it can still test at least faint-positive. Adult healthy cats, have a very good chance of clearing the virus. Cats that are immunized, don't get it at all. Hopefully someone will step in here with more info. That brings us to whether or not you should proceed with vaccinations. If Ziggy is otherwise healthy, I would get him his shots, (except FelV, of course). This is only my opinion, and he could have a bad reaction because of his status. I'd talk to your vet about this, research it, and again, others on the list may have different advice. If he's truly going to stay an indoor only cat, and he has no siblings that come and go from the house, it would make a difference in considering vaccines.Please don't feel at all uncomfortable about "asking so many questions". You are a concerned and loving fur-mom trying to make the best decisions possible for your Ziggy. Believe me, we get that!NinaNicholena Rushton wrote: Tonya: Ziggy is strictly an indoor cat only. Would the vet be the one to prescribe the interferon? Would this boost his immune system? Alos the vet gave him "kitty shots" and now I am wondering if I should continue with his next round when I take him back to the vet as I am now wondering if these vacs are going to compromise his immune system. Do you have any info regarding this? I apologize in advance for asking so many questions but I trying to do what is best for Ziggy and do not want to compromise what health he has right now. Niki - Original Message - *From:* catatonya mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org *Sent:* Sunday, June 12, 2005 12:48 AM *Subject:* Re: Information Niki, I'm not the best one to give advice on the supplements as I'm not using them right now on any of my own. I have read a lot about transfer factor, but have never used it myself. If I were in your position I think what I would begin with is interferon. I would call the vet and ask if it's ok to start Ziggy on it to hopefully help him fight off the virus and seroconvert. Vets usually are ok with this. Most vets usually recommend a half cc of diluted interferon (Your vet will give you the amount.) for kittens. Once you get going on the interferon if things are going well you might then try transfer factor next, and so on. That would be my opinion. Does Ziggy stay indoors only? I would keep him away from other cats right now because you don't want to risk him being exposed to the virus at this stage obviously. You also don't want to take chances with kitty colds or anything else when you're trying
Re: Information
Niki, The fellow that adopted Ziggy's mom has had her spayed, right? If not, she needs to be spayed asap. If she does have FeLV, or is a carrier, then she's spreading it to not only every litter she conceives, but to every Tom she mates with. Having her spayed will make her less likely to want to escape outside as well. I know it's hard to transition an outdoor cat to indoor life, but it's worth the trouble in this case. If she's just recently been spayed, it may take her a while to work the hormones out of her system, she may still be looking for boyfriends. It was wonderful of this fellow to adopt Ziggy's mom, but please see if you can convince him to get her off the street altogether. I would absolutely tell the other folks that adopted from the litter. It doesn't mean that they will necessarily test positive too, but they should know. Please let your friend know that just because a kitten at their age tests positive it doesn't necessarily mean they actually have the virus, or will continue to test positive. I know I've seen studies to back this up, but I'd have to do some research to find it. Anyone else on the list have this info at your fingertips? I would introduce Ziggy to different taste sensations. Cats tend to get stuck on one thing, if that's all you feed them. When/if he ever needs to get meds, or is giving you a hard time eating, he will accept different foods better, if he's been exposed to some variety. Besides, it's fun to be indulgent with the little buggers! Nina Nicholena Rushton wrote: The only thing I know about his mom is that she was a stray a friend of mine took in over the winter and low and behold she was preg. Ziggy has three other siblings and I know my friend is trying to see if the other two she gave away have tested pos. (I guess it's kind of difficult to ask someone especially if they have not had them tested but I was of the mindset she should at least let them know one of the litter had a pos test). I know she was going to take the last one - whom she still has - to the vet this week coming up to test her. She was also going to let her ex know about Ziggy for his mom to be tested (he took her and she does not care to be an indoor cat - she escapes). As far as I know he is otherwise healthy -- his temp was normal ,his gums are pink, he is grooming himself regularly, going to the bathroom regularly and being as playful and mischievous as ever. The only thing I know is he has no desire to eat is wet food although he has had this aversion since he was weaned (he does come running at the sound of a tuna can being opened though!). Niki - Original Message - *From:* Nina mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org *Sent:* Sunday, June 12, 2005 3:04 PM *Subject:* Re: Information Niki, Yes, the vet would prescribe interferon for you. It is a clear liquid, (looks and tastes just like water) that you give orally. I don't know if I would start an asymptomatic kitten on interferon right away because of the immunity factor, (because it's human interferon, not feline), we are told that eventually their bodies develop immunity to it and it stops working for them. You may want to save that for when he's symptomatic. Tonya has a point though, if Ziggy is actually fighting the disease itself, it will help boost his immune system. I would think he'd be showing symptoms, at least a fever, if that were the case. I'm still hopeful that he has tested false positive. Can you get any information about his mother? If we knew her status, (positive or negative), that would tell us if Ziggy was exposed invitro, or somewhere else. I'm not sure about this, but I think cats that have gotten FelV and cleared it can still test at least faint-positive. Adult healthy cats, have a very good chance of clearing the virus. Cats that are immunized, don't get it at all. Hopefully someone will step in here with more info. That brings us to whether or not you should proceed with vaccinations. If Ziggy is otherwise healthy, I would get him his shots, (except FelV, of course). This is only my opinion, and he could have a bad reaction because of his status. I'd talk to your vet about this, research it, and again, others on the list may have different advice. If he's truly going to stay an indoor only cat, and he has no siblings that come and go from the house, it would make a difference in considering vaccines. Please don't feel at all uncomfortable about asking so many questions. You are a concerned and loving fur-mom trying to make the best decisions possible for your Ziggy. Believe me, we get that! Nina Nicholena Rushton wrote: Tonya: Ziggy is strictly
Re: Information
Niki, Yes on both questions about interferon. On the shots, your kitten is too young for rabies, so I hope you did not get that. I would go ahead with the fvrcp because you don't want to take chances with distemper, etc...I assume, since he tested positive the vet didn'tdo a leukemia shot? Were other vaccinations given? The only one I would follow through with would be fvrcp, and that 'should' have been the only one given t Nicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Tonya: Ziggy is strictly an indoor cat only. Would the vet be the one to prescribe the interferon? Would this boost his immune system? Alos the vet gave him "kitty shots" and now I am wondering if I should continue with his next round when I take him back to the vet as I am now wondering if these vacs are going to compromise his immune system. Do you have any info regarding this? I apologize in advance for asking so many questions but I trying to do what is best for Ziggy and do not want to compromise what health he has right now. Niki - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2005 12:48 AM Subject: Re: Information Niki, I'm not the best one to give advice on the supplements as I'm not using them right now on any of my own. I have read a lot about transfer factor, but have never used it myself. If I were in your position I think what I would begin with is interferon. I would call the vet and ask if it's ok to start Ziggy on it to hopefully help him fight off the virus and seroconvert. Vets usually are ok with this. Most vets usually recommend a half cc of diluted interferon (Your vet will give you the amount.) for kittens. Once you get going on the interferon if things are going well you might then try transfer factor next, and so on. That would be my opinion. Does Ziggy stay indoors only? I would keep him away from other cats right now because you don't want to risk him being exposed to the virus at this stage obviously. You also don't want to take chances with kitty colds or anything else when you're trying to boost his immune system. I'm sure others will chime in with more advice and you can just pick and choose what works best for you and Ziggy. tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Tonya: Thanks you so much for the information. Any suggestions on food that I should be giving him? Right now I am giving him Iams Kitten Formula and catmilk (I think by Wiskas) every once in a while as a treat. Should I start vitamin C and the interferon now? If so what would the dosage be? I have been reading some stuff about something called Transfer Factor and am a bit confused by what I have read about it. DO you have anything yu could tell me - is it even worth it? I have to let you know that you have quelled my nerves somewhat as I went bonkers when I first heard of the + test and began to think the worst. Now it is nice to know Ziggy can have a productive life for whatever time I am going to be blessed by him. Niki - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 1:42 AM Subject: RE: Information Hi Niki! I'm glad you found the list. You'll get lots of support and advice! First of all congratulations on your new baby! The good news is that if Ziggy is only 8 weeks old he could still fight off the virus (which it sounds like you've already learned). I'm not sure what the total time you would need to be sure with a kitten this young. But I think by June 30 he could still be positive even if he were eventually going to be negative. In the meantime I would get directions from the archives on feeding Ziggy good, nutritional food. I would probably add some vitamin c and get interferon from my vet. My vet used to give interferon to negative shelter cats to keep them from catching URI's at the shelter. It's supposed to boost their immune system, so I would give it a try. You'll get lots of other advice. The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to over worry. Even if Ziggy remains positive, it is possible he could only be carrying the disease and never get sick from it. Also, add one thing at a time. Try not to overwhelm yourself and Ziggy witha zillionnew foods and additives, etc. all at once. Good luck with Ziggy! I like the name! tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to
RE: Information
Hi Niki! I'm glad you found the list. You'll get lots of support and advice! First of all congratulations on your new baby! The good news is that if Ziggy is only 8 weeks old he could still fight off the virus (which it sounds like you've already learned). I'm not sure what the total time you would need to be sure with a kitten this young. But I think by June 30 he could still be positive even if he were eventually going to be negative. In the meantime I would get directions from the archives on feeding Ziggy good, nutritional food. I would probably add some vitamin c and get interferon from my vet. My vet used to give interferon to negative shelter cats to keep them from catching URI's at the shelter. It's supposed to boost their immune system, so I would give it a try. You'll get lots of other advice. The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to over worry. Even if Ziggy remains positive, it is possible he could only be carrying the disease and never get sick from it. Also, add one thing at a time. Try not to overwhelm yourself and Ziggy witha zillionnew foods and additives, etc. all at once. Good luck with Ziggy! I like the name! tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
Re: Information
Hi Tonya: Thanks you so much for the information. Any suggestions on food that I should be giving him? Right now I am giving him Iams Kitten Formula and catmilk (I think by Wiskas) every once in a while as a treat. Should I start vitamin C and the interferon now? If so what would the dosage be? I have been reading some stuff about something called Transfer Factor and am a bit confused by what I have read about it. DO you have anything yu could tell me - is it even worth it? I have to let you know that you have quelled my nerves somewhat as I went bonkers when I first heard of the + test and began to think the worst. Now it is nice to know Ziggy can have a productive life for whatever time I am going to be blessed by him. Niki - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 1:42 AM Subject: RE: Information Hi Niki! I'm glad you found the list. You'll get lots of support and advice! First of all congratulations on your new baby! The good news is that if Ziggy is only 8 weeks old he could still fight off the virus (which it sounds like you've already learned). I'm not sure what the total time you would need to be sure with a kitten this young. But I think by June 30 he could still be positive even if he were eventually going to be negative. In the meantime I would get directions from the archives on feeding Ziggy good, nutritional food. I would probably add some vitamin c and get interferon from my vet. My vet used to give interferon to negative shelter cats to keep them from catching URI's at the shelter. It's supposed to boost their immune system, so I would give it a try. You'll get lots of other advice. The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to over worry. Even if Ziggy remains positive, it is possible he could only be carrying the disease and never get sick from it. Also, add one thing at a time. Try not to overwhelm yourself and Ziggy witha zillionnew foods and additives, etc. all at once. Good luck with Ziggy! I like the name! tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
RE: Information
You know, I have had 3 of my cats since they were young kittens NONE liked the Iams Kitten Food. They all like the regular Iams, dry wet---try to get Ziggy on wet food. Also, my vet game me 3 supplements whose brand was RX Vitamins for Pets---a liquid B complex multi-vitamin, Immune Support, and Vitamin C. The cats dont have a problem with it in their food though the Vitamin C does not particularly taste good. All mine also like a little people food from time to timeanything from yogurt to cottage cheese to some veggies to scrambled eggs on on. I sort of let them taste a little of things that are not spicy or too rich. Once in a while I give them some of the cheaper canned tuna as a treatthey love the tun water as well as the tuna. I have two pos in my five have not put them on interferon but many people here have. I basically concentrate on a well balanced diet, Be sure to test ziggy again, perhaps more than once as kittens can throw off the virus. Also, if no one has mentioned it, make sure that vet does both the in-house Elissa test but also does the IFA (blood sent to lab). I saw in another post that hes playing with your dognot to worrykittens love to roughouse it sounds like hes found the perfect playmate! Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nicholena Rushton Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 11:51 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Information Hi Tonya: Thanks you so much for the information. Any suggestions on food that I should be giving him? Right now I am giving him Iams Kitten Formula and catmilk (I think by Wiskas) every once in a while as a treat. Should I start vitamin C and the interferon now? If so what would the dosage be? I have been reading some stuff about something called Transfer Factor and am a bit confused by what I have read about it. DO you have anything yu could tell me - is it even worth it? I have to let you know that you have quelled my nerves somewhat as I went bonkers when I first heard of the + test and began to think the worst. Now it is nice to know Ziggy can have a productive life for whatever time I am going to be blessed by him. Niki - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 1:42 AM Subject: RE: Information Hi Niki! I'm glad you found the list. You'll get lots of support and advice! First of all congratulations on your new baby! The good news is that if Ziggy is only 8 weeks old he could still fight off the virus (which it sounds like you've already learned). I'm not sure what the total time you would need to be sure with a kitten this young. But I think by June 30 he could still be positive even if he were eventually going to be negative. In the meantime I would get directions from the archives on feeding Ziggy good, nutritional food. I would probably add some vitamin c and get interferon from my vet. My vet used to give interferon to negative shelter cats to keep them from catching URI's at the shelter. It's supposed to boost their immune system, so I would give it a try. You'll get lots of other advice. The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to over worry. Even if Ziggy remains positive, it is possible he could only be carrying the disease and never get sick from it. Also, add one thing at a time. Try not to overwhelm yourself and Ziggy witha zillionnew foods and additives, etc. all at once. Good luck with Ziggy! I like the name! tonya Nicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
Re: Information
Niki, I'm not the best one to give advice on the supplements as I'm not using them right now on any of my own. I have read a lot about transfer factor, but have never used it myself. If I were in your position I think what I would begin with is interferon. I would call the vet and ask if it's ok to start Ziggy on it to hopefully help him fight off the virus and seroconvert. Vets usually are ok with this. Most vets usually recommend a half cc of diluted interferon (Your vet will give you the amount.) for kittens. Once you get going on the interferon if things are going well you might then try transfer factor next, and so on. That would be my opinion. Does Ziggy stay indoors only? I would keep him away from other cats right now because you don't want to risk him being exposed to the virus at this stage obviously. You also don't want to take chances with kitty colds or anything else when you're trying to boost his immune system. I'm sure others will chime in with more advice and you can just pick and choose what works best for you and Ziggy. tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Tonya: Thanks you so much for the information. Any suggestions on food that I should be giving him? Right now I am giving him Iams Kitten Formula and catmilk (I think by Wiskas) every once in a while as a treat. Should I start vitamin C and the interferon now? If so what would the dosage be? I have been reading some stuff about something called Transfer Factor and am a bit confused by what I have read about it. DO you have anything yu could tell me - is it even worth it? I have to let you know that you have quelled my nerves somewhat as I went bonkers when I first heard of the + test and began to think the worst. Now it is nice to know Ziggy can have a productive life for whatever time I am going to be blessed by him. Niki - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2005 1:42 AM Subject: RE: Information Hi Niki! I'm glad you found the list. You'll get lots of support and advice! First of all congratulations on your new baby! The good news is that if Ziggy is only 8 weeks old he could still fight off the virus (which it sounds like you've already learned). I'm not sure what the total time you would need to be sure with a kitten this young. But I think by June 30 he could still be positive even if he were eventually going to be negative. In the meantime I would get directions from the archives on feeding Ziggy good, nutritional food. I would probably add some vitamin c and get interferon from my vet. My vet used to give interferon to negative shelter cats to keep them from catching URI's at the shelter. It's supposed to boost their immune system, so I would give it a try. You'll get lots of other advice. The most important thing, in my opinion, is not to over worry. Even if Ziggy remains positive, it is possible he could only be carrying the disease and never get sick from it. Also, add one thing at a time. Try not to overwhelm yourself and Ziggy witha zillionnew foods and additives, etc. all at once. Good luck with Ziggy! I like the name! tonyaNicholena Rushton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
RE: Information
Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
Re: Information
Hi Niki, I'm sorry your little Ziggy has tested positive. I'm sure you're already head over heals in love with him, how could you not be? When I first found out my babies were positive I was devastated and very confused. You've come to the right place to help you sort through all the information out there We can also help you with our personal experience in dealing with FeLV. First, let me try and help reassure you that even though Ziggy may be positive, (he may be testing false-positive because of his mom's antigens, or is it antibodies?), it isn't the automatic death sentence that so many people, and even some vets, think it is. Many, many of our angels live happy, healthy lives, (although, unfortunately, they usually have shorter life spans). You can't expect this disease to manifest the same way for any given cat. What it does is impair their immune system so that they have a harder time fighting off diseases that other cats might not even have a problem with, they are also much more prone to different kinds of cancer. The most important things you can do for Ziggy, are to feed him the best quality food you can afford, put him on immune supportive supplements, keep his home environment as stress free as possible and never take a 'wait and see' approach to any signs of illness. Make sure you have a vet that has treated FeLV kitties before, or at least one that is willing to keep an open mind about alternative treatments. Most of us have found Board Certified Internists that are necessary for any unusual circumstances that regular vets just aren't equipped to handle. I'd start asking for referrals right away so you have someone to go to when/if the need arises. I also suggest waiting on re-testing Ziggy. Usually people wait 3 to 6 months. Someone else on the list I'm sure will jump in here with advice on that and the many other questions I'm sure you have. I'm sorry you had the need for us, but welcome. The members of this list are wonderful, supportive and very well informed. Give that Ziggy a kiss for me! Nina Nicholena Rushton wrote: Hello. I have just adopted a 8 week old kitten named Ziggy. Ziggy had his first vet visit on 6-9-05 and since I knew nothing about his mom or dad I decided to have a FeLV test done which resulted in a positive. I was devastated and am now trying to figure out the best course for Ziggy. He is acting like a normal kitten would, getting into all sorts of trouble and shows no signs of the diease. I am trying to stave off anfull blown attack and would like to have information regarding what I should be doing right from the start. I am going to have retested in a follow up visit on 6-30 and am also curious to know if he could come up neg by then? I know relatively little about this disease and am becoming increasingly confused by all of the information on the web. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks you Niki Rushton
