Re: [Felvtalk] Tests advice
I AGREE! Any time they are not acting normal for them, we go to the vet. It is necessary to ward off something before it gets a chance to do some damage. Beth create_me_...@yahoo.com wrote: Maryam - Always check their gums fro anemia. I could not agree with the vet who says to only go in emergencies. FeLV cats nee to be looked at if they are not feeling well to catch things early. Good luck! Beth Don't Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org From: Maryam Ulomi ava...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 9:55 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] Tests advice Hi everyone, I hope everyone is well. Kitty, FeLV +, who is now one year old has had a good year. She is on lysine, a fungi mush powder, tabby tabs multivitamin and is fed canned food for one meal, dr Pierson homemade poultry recipe for another meal and raw rabbit for another meal. She is growing and is now a little over 10lbs. Since Sunday afternoon she has been a bit off, not as eager to eat her food (usually she is very food oriented) or laying under the bed and not coming out unless its calm and quiet. I feel it's because this weekend and yesterday were a bit stressful, vacuuming and some loud voices. This morning she was more like herself but I'm still taking her to the vet tomorrow afternoon. I also work with a holistic vet but she is on vacation this week. I know taking her to the vet will stress her and the holistic vet recommended only going in emergencies but I'm concerned and the last time she went to a regular vet was in March. Do you have any recommendations in general and an specific tests to have done while at the vet? Thanks, Sent from my iPhone. ___ 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] Tests advice
CBC if she's never had one. Otherwise, it probably depends on what the vet sees in her physical appearance. Have them check her teeth and gums, too. I hope Kitty is back to normal very soon. Lance On Aug 6, 2013, at 8:55 AM, Maryam Ulomi ava...@gmail.com wrote: Hi everyone, I hope everyone is well. Kitty, FeLV +, who is now one year old has had a good year. She is on lysine, a fungi mush powder, tabby tabs multivitamin and is fed canned food for one meal, dr Pierson homemade poultry recipe for another meal and raw rabbit for another meal. She is growing and is now a little over 10lbs. Since Sunday afternoon she has been a bit off, not as eager to eat her food (usually she is very food oriented) or laying under the bed and not coming out unless its calm and quiet. I feel it's because this weekend and yesterday were a bit stressful, vacuuming and some loud voices. This morning she was more like herself but I'm still taking her to the vet tomorrow afternoon. I also work with a holistic vet but she is on vacation this week. I know taking her to the vet will stress her and the holistic vet recommended only going in emergencies but I'm concerned and the last time she went to a regular vet was in March. Do you have any recommendations in general and an specific tests to have done while at the vet? Thanks, Sent from my iPhone. ___ 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] Tests advice
Maryam - Always check their gums fro anemia. I could not agree with the vet who says to only go in emergencies. FeLV cats nee to be looked at if they are not feeling well to catch things early. Good luck! Beth Don't Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org From: Maryam Ulomi ava...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 9:55 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] Tests advice Hi everyone, I hope everyone is well. Kitty, FeLV +, who is now one year old has had a good year. She is on lysine, a fungi mush powder, tabby tabs multivitamin and is fed canned food for one meal, dr Pierson homemade poultry recipe for another meal and raw rabbit for another meal. She is growing and is now a little over 10lbs. Since Sunday afternoon she has been a bit off, not as eager to eat her food (usually she is very food oriented) or laying under the bed and not coming out unless its calm and quiet. I feel it's because this weekend and yesterday were a bit stressful, vacuuming and some loud voices. This morning she was more like herself but I'm still taking her to the vet tomorrow afternoon. I also work with a holistic vet but she is on vacation this week. I know taking her to the vet will stress her and the holistic vet recommended only going in emergencies but I'm concerned and the last time she went to a regular vet was in March. Do you have any recommendations in general and an specific tests to have done while at the vet? Thanks, Sent from my iPhone. ___ 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] Tests advice
Thanks Beth, I'm glad I made the appointment. Have a great day! Mally Sent from my iPhone. On Aug 6, 2013, at 11:02, Beth create_me_...@yahoo.com wrote: Maryam - Always check their gums fro anemia. I could not agree with the vet who says to only go in emergencies. FeLV cats nee to be looked at if they are not feeling well to catch things early. Good luck! Beth Don't Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org From: Maryam Ulomi ava...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 9:55 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] Tests advice Hi everyone, I hope everyone is well. Kitty, FeLV +, who is now one year old has had a good year. She is on lysine, a fungi mush powder, tabby tabs multivitamin and is fed canned food for one meal, dr Pierson homemade poultry recipe for another meal and raw rabbit for another meal. She is growing and is now a little over 10lbs. Since Sunday afternoon she has been a bit off, not as eager to eat her food (usually she is very food oriented) or laying under the bed and not coming out unless its calm and quiet. I feel it's because this weekend and yesterday were a bit stressful, vacuuming and some loud voices. This morning she was more like herself but I'm still taking her to the vet tomorrow afternoon. I also work with a holistic vet but she is on vacation this week. I know taking her to the vet will stress her and the holistic vet recommended only going in emergencies but I'm concerned and the last time she went to a regular vet was in March. Do you have any recommendations in general and an specific tests to have done while at the vet? Thanks, Sent from my iPhone. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Tests
Wow! Am I ever behind on my email! Doing another IFA test sounds like good advice if the PCR is so unreliable. I'll probably go for that with Taco. I'm dead set against the FIV vaccine. Most so-called shelters will kill the cat before even asking questions. I have no doubt that if a cat tests positive for FIV, there won't even be a question in a private vet's mind whether the cat was vaccinated or not. One very weak protection would be micro chipping and including the vaccination info there so that if the cat is scanned, the info that he/she was vaccinated for FIV will show up. It has been my experience that I had to ask for a scan on some of my tame rescues before the vet would grudgingly get out the instrument and go over the cat with it. My own vet is good about scanning strays, even the frightened types who would be considered feral but a lot of vets still need to be asked. I now have two FIV/FeLv+ cats. Smooch needs his first IFA test after testing positive for both on the ELISA. Really, I don't feel that tests in general are very reliable. I usually go with the temperament of the cat. When they are neutered, there is less fighting. However, I do have a couple of belligerent Alpha cats who will pick a fight with anything, even a chair if they are in a bad mood. I wouldn't mix an FIV+ with a group containing that type of cat. But most of my cats are very lay back about new comers and don't do the macho thing. They just move one plate over and allow the new kid in town to eat. Lee --- On Mon, 10/26/09, MaryChristine twelvehousec...@gmail.com wrote: From: MaryChristine twelvehousec...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Tests To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Monday, October 26, 2009, 3:39 PM the problem with PCR tests is that none, as far as i know, have proven to be consistently valid and reliable, at least in this country. i know that they've been trying to create a reproducible test that can be counted on, but so far everything i've read has shown the same sorts of problems: getting inconsistent results within the same lab on known samples, and across labs when using samples from the same cat. i haven't read anything recently that contradicts this; i know that for a while UC Davis had a test for FIV that supposedly could tell the difference between wild and vaccine-induced strains; you can't even find any mention of said test on their website any longer. IDEXX has just put out a PCR test for the same thing, again, with FIV, but the accuracy rates are in question with that, too. i'd do another IFA if it were my cat, because if i got a positive from a PCR test, at this point in its development, i'd go and run another IFA anyway! MC -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ 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] Tests
the problem with PCR tests is that none, as far as i know, have proven to be consistently valid and reliable, at least in this country. i know that they've been trying to create a reproducible test that can be counted on, but so far everything i've read has shown the same sorts of problems: getting inconsistent results within the same lab on known samples, and across labs when using samples from the same cat. i haven't read anything recently that contradicts this; i know that for a while UC Davis had a test for FIV that supposedly could tell the difference between wild and vaccine-induced strains; you can't even find any mention of said test on their website any longer. IDEXX has just put out a PCR test for the same thing, again, with FIV, but the accuracy rates are in question with that, too. i'd do another IFA if it were my cat, because if i got a positive from a PCR test, at this point in its development, i'd go and run another IFA anyway! MC -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
well, the test wasn't FALSE, it was just taken at the wrong TIME. what none of us wants to deal with is that a NEGATIVE test is no more probative than a POSITIVE test is, because it can take as long as 120 days for the antigen to register on the test as it can to work its way out of the cat's system i know this; many of us know this--but we still take that negative as truth, unless we have a good reason not to. but it doesn't make the TEST wrong do you see the difference? about the bone marrow--that's why i'm asking--i've never found anything OFFICIAL that says that's what the IFA tests for. i know that's what it's generally believed to be, but i can't find where that is anyway actually defined. and whomever just wrote said, my vet doesn't think it's in the bone marrow. and again, if you do an IFA at the same time as the ELISA, you will often get the same result--but if you read the literature, even something that someone loudly used to prove me wrong earlier this year, it's always conditional: MOST cats who test positive in fact, one of the people who was most vicious to me about it just had one of her cats test negative on the IFA, after the cat has lived exclusively with positives for quite awhile. oops. personally, i wouldn't do an IFA for 120 days following a positive ELISA. i'd never believe either a positive OR a negative result, because i know that tests are looking for EXPOSURE. if i got a positive on an IFA 120 days after an ELISA, i'd accept it. if i got an positive on an IFA earlier, i wouldn't, because i've known too many cats to show positive IFAs early on, and then negative ones later. as stated originally, an OLD version of the merck manual mentioned a study with a cat not reverting to negative on an IFA for a much longer time--had i know they were going to pull that reference, i would have copied it down! if anyone has a really old copy--prior to 2002, please check... i read that very early on when i was living at the sanctuary, so i NEVER heard the bone marrow, thing, nor the IFA can'ts turn negative til years later--long after i'd seen positives turn negative. that's why i'm asking--so that once and for all, we can track it down, and find out what is REAL. i know that a few months ago, i asked this on another list, and tried to find it myself--and never got any responses, NOR was able to find one citation that said, the IFA tests for presence of the virus in the bone marrow. i know that the wording is, in most cases, most cats about the accuracy of a positive IFA because that's in many references--but MOST is NOT ALL, and none of those articles ever factor in the exposure. which, as chris says, is the entire issue with FeLV. i don't know why we test for antigens in FeLV and not antibodies as we do with most other things; i think that's part of the confusion.. i've also found out that anything published before about 2004 can't necessarily be taken as FACT, because they have finally started doing research on FeLV--so some of the things we thought we KNEW back then have been proven untrue. which makes it that much harder to keep up on stuff. and all the more important that we, their only advocates, makes sure that WE are informed. sometimes it seems that we're the only ones who care. MC On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 2:22 PM, Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Just for my own info... I thought IFA would show if the virus has spread to bone marrow and that a pos IFA was pretty accurate determination.. Am I wrong on that? And you can have false neg Elissa --My Tucson was one of those--she got tested as a very young kitten and obviously, exposure had been recent--5 years later she (an indoor spoiled 18 pounder), tested pos on both Elissa and IFA. Two vets confirmed that neg test was likely because of timing. Christiane Biagi Cell: 914-720-6888 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MaryChristine Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:13 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests please provide information about the PCR test you're talking about. the last i'd heard, there were none available that wree consistently accurate and reliable--they've been working on this for a long time and haven't been able to establish a test that's acceptibly accurate across many labs. i know that they HAVE developed one for FIV to determine if the virus is vaccine-induced or not, but as of a month or so ago, it still wasn't commercially available, tho it's expected to be soon. as far as everything i've read, at this time, the IFA is still considered the confirmatory test for FeLV. i'd love to see anything newer. what has to remembered with FeLV is that, unlike FIV, the ELISA test is for ANTIGENS, not antibodies--so a cat can test negative merely because the exposure was too recent tos how up--so the negative isn't false, it just was too early. likewise, false
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long lives. I don't know about financial assistance, but you should try and talk to your vet about payment options. The cheapest ELISA test I found ran about $25-30 here in LA. Also, you can do you best to change their positive status to negative in the next few months. Even if they don't, you can adopt them out when they are a bit older after you've tried or just try to adopt them out now and tell people they are positive for now but could change.. On Oct 28, 2008, at 7:51 PM, SALLY NORDSTROM [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm getting real confused about the available tests and their accuracy. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I had to file a bankruptcy and can't afford testing. Is there someplace that can give me help? How hard is it going to be to place my rescued kittens in homes? What resources should I be using? ___ 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] tests
You and the others on this site are ANGELS! You will be glad to know that I stopped crying, called my vet, and have a plan of action. Please, keep us in your hearts and heads, I will be asking a lot of questions in the months to come because I am keeping the mom. --- On Wed, 10/29/08, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 10:36 AM The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long lives. I don't know about financial assistance, but you should try and talk to your vet about payment options. The cheapest ELISA test I found ran about $25-30 here in LA. Also, you can do you best to change their positive status to negative in the next few months. Even if they don't, you can adopt them out when they are a bit older after you've tried or just try to adopt them out now and tell people they are positive for now but could change.. On Oct 28, 2008, at 7:51 PM, SALLY NORDSTROM [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm getting real confused about the available tests and their accuracy. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I had to file a bankruptcy and can't afford testing. Is there someplace that can give me help? How hard is it going to be to place my rescued kittens in homes? What resources should I be using? ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
Welcome, Sally. I'm glad you got so many good answers so quickly -- we've all been through what you're going through now, some many times over. It's great that you and your vet are working together on this and that you already have a plan. Best of luck to you and the kitties. Nobody can guarantee that there won't still be some crying down the road for you, but at least it won't be from powerlessness and lack of information. This list is a great source of advice, emotional support and good information. Many of us, like me, don't even have an FeLV+ cat anymore, we just stuck around because everybody is so nice! Diane R. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of SALLY NORDSTROM Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 10:43 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests You and the others on this site are ANGELS! You will be glad to know that I stopped crying, called my vet, and have a plan of action. Please, keep us in your hearts and heads, I will be asking a lot of questions in the months to come because I am keeping the mom. --- On Wed, 10/29/08, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 10:36 AM The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long lives. I don't know about financial assistance, but you should try and talk to your vet about payment options. The cheapest ELISA test I found ran about $25-30 here in LA. Also, you can do you best to change their positive status to negative in the next few months. Even if they don't, you can adopt them out when they are a bit older after you've tried or just try to adopt them out now and tell people they are positive for now but could change.. On Oct 28, 2008, at 7:51 PM, SALLY NORDSTROM [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm getting real confused about the available tests and their accuracy. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I had to file a bankruptcy and can't afford testing. Is there someplace that can give me help? How hard is it going to be to place my rescued kittens in homes? What resources should I be using? ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org 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
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
please provide information about the PCR test you're talking about. the last i'd heard, there were none available that wree consistently accurate and reliable--they've been working on this for a long time and haven't been able to establish a test that's acceptibly accurate across many labs. i know that they HAVE developed one for FIV to determine if the virus is vaccine-induced or not, but as of a month or so ago, it still wasn't commercially available, tho it's expected to be soon. as far as everything i've read, at this time, the IFA is still considered the confirmatory test for FeLV. i'd love to see anything newer. what has to remembered with FeLV is that, unlike FIV, the ELISA test is for ANTIGENS, not antibodies--so a cat can test negative merely because the exposure was too recent tos how up--so the negative isn't false, it just was too early. likewise, false positives may be false positives from all the things inherent in the test, but they can also be true at that time: the cat has been EXPOSED to the virus. antigens are NOT an immune response, however, just an indiciation that the kitty has been closely exposed to the virus. this is where the biggest misunderstandings arise: most adult cats will throw the virus off anywhere between 30-120 days--their immune systems will just knock it out. then a test will be negative because there are no longer antigens wandering around irritating them. but if you test too soon, you'll just get another positive result because the cat's body hasn't had the chance to work the virus out. doing an ELISA and an IFA right away will probably give you the same result on both of them, because it's the EXPOSURE that's showing up. the only real way to know is to consider a positive result for what it is: an indication that kitty was in close contact with someone who had the virus. (we don't know for sure, as far as i have seen, that a cat on the edge of throwing off the virus itself can't still pass it on, perhaps at a subclinical level?)--if you know when the last date the kitty could have been in contact with another cat, test if 90-120 later than that. with the IFA (or if there really is a DNA/PCR test newly available, that one) and then make the decisions. MC On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long lives. I don't know about financial assistance, but you should try and talk to your vet about payment options. The cheapest ELISA test I found ran about $25-30 here in LA. Also, you can do you best to change their positive status to negative in the next few months. Even if they don't, you can adopt them out when they are a bit older after you've tried or just try to adopt them out now and tell people they are positive for now but could change.. On Oct 28, 2008, at 7:51 PM, SALLY NORDSTROM [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I'm getting real confused about the available tests and their accuracy. Can anyone shed some light on this for me? I had to file a bankruptcy and can't afford testing. Is there someplace that can give me help? How hard is it going to be to place my rescued kittens in homes? What resources should I be using? ___ Felvtalk mailing list
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
Just for my own info... I thought IFA would show if the virus has spread to bone marrow and that a pos IFA was pretty accurate determination.. Am I wrong on that? And you can have false neg Elissa --My Tucson was one of those--she got tested as a very young kitten and obviously, exposure had been recent--5 years later she (an indoor spoiled 18 pounder), tested pos on both Elissa and IFA. Two vets confirmed that neg test was likely because of timing. Christiane Biagi Cell: 914-720-6888 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MaryChristine Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:13 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests please provide information about the PCR test you're talking about. the last i'd heard, there were none available that wree consistently accurate and reliable--they've been working on this for a long time and haven't been able to establish a test that's acceptibly accurate across many labs. i know that they HAVE developed one for FIV to determine if the virus is vaccine-induced or not, but as of a month or so ago, it still wasn't commercially available, tho it's expected to be soon. as far as everything i've read, at this time, the IFA is still considered the confirmatory test for FeLV. i'd love to see anything newer. what has to remembered with FeLV is that, unlike FIV, the ELISA test is for ANTIGENS, not antibodies--so a cat can test negative merely because the exposure was too recent tos how up--so the negative isn't false, it just was too early. likewise, false positives may be false positives from all the things inherent in the test, but they can also be true at that time: the cat has been EXPOSED to the virus. antigens are NOT an immune response, however, just an indiciation that the kitty has been closely exposed to the virus. this is where the biggest misunderstandings arise: most adult cats will throw the virus off anywhere between 30-120 days--their immune systems will just knock it out. then a test will be negative because there are no longer antigens wandering around irritating them. but if you test too soon, you'll just get another positive result because the cat's body hasn't had the chance to work the virus out. doing an ELISA and an IFA right away will probably give you the same result on both of them, because it's the EXPOSURE that's showing up. the only real way to know is to consider a positive result for what it is: an indication that kitty was in close contact with someone who had the virus. (we don't know for sure, as far as i have seen, that a cat on the edge of throwing off the virus itself can't still pass it on, perhaps at a subclinical level?)--if you know when the last date the kitty could have been in contact with another cat, test if 90-120 later than that. with the IFA (or if there really is a DNA/PCR test newly available, that one) and then make the decisions. MC On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long lives. I don't know about financial assistance, but you should try and talk to your vet about payment options. The cheapest ELISA test I found ran about $25-30 here in LA. Also, you can do you best to change
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
I was told about the PCR test from my vet just about 2 weeks ago. I had never even heard of it, despite researching the other 2 tests extensively. I just tried a Google search for PCR feLV test and got lots of hits so try that for more info. Some of the articles on PCR are outdated, as this test is now currently touted as a fast, effective method of detection. We thought the IFA was the most accurate, but our vet recommended the PCR bc it detects actual viral DNA not just the presence of antigens or the body's response to the virus. It's recommended after a positive ELISA test. Yes, the vet said there can be false negatives on the ELISA due to recent exposure, and that it can take up to one month to show up on the test. On Oct 29, 2008, at 11:12 AM, MaryChristine [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: please provide information about the PCR test you're talking about. the last i'd heard, there were none available that wree consistently accurate and reliable--they've been working on this for a long time and haven't been able to establish a test that's acceptibly accurate across many labs. i know that they HAVE developed one for FIV to determine if the virus is vaccine-induced or not, but as of a month or so ago, it still wasn't commercially available, tho it's expected to be soon. as far as everything i've read, at this time, the IFA is still considered the confirmatory test for FeLV. i'd love to see anything newer. what has to remembered with FeLV is that, unlike FIV, the ELISA test is for ANTIGENS, not antibodies--so a cat can test negative merely because the exposure was too recent tos how up--so the negative isn't false, it just was too early. likewise, false positives may be false positives from all the things inherent in the test, but they can also be true at that time: the cat has been EXPOSED to the virus. antigens are NOT an immune response, however, just an indiciation that the kitty has been closely exposed to the virus. this is where the biggest misunderstandings arise: most adult cats will throw the virus off anywhere between 30-120 days--their immune systems will just knock it out. then a test will be negative because there are no longer antigens wandering around irritating them. but if you test too soon, you'll just get another positive result because the cat's body hasn't had the chance to work the virus out. doing an ELISA and an IFA right away will probably give you the same result on both of them, because it's the EXPOSURE that's showing up. the only real way to know is to consider a positive result for what it is: an indication that kitty was in close contact with someone who had the virus. (we don't know for sure, as far as i have seen, that a cat on the edge of throwing off the virus itself can't still pass it on, perhaps at a subclinical level?)--if you know when the last date the kitty could have been in contact with another cat, test if 90-120 later than that. with the IFA (or if there really is a DNA/PCR test newly available, that one) and then make the decisions. MC On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct,etc), clean the litterbox and dishes daily and have more than one box, vaccuum and keep them flea and worm free, as well as spend time playing with the kittens and giving them affection, toys, warm places to sleep. There are no guarantees but it is possible to go from positive to negative. Just takes dedication and having hope... And others will tell you a felv positive diagnosis is not a death sentence! There are plenty of people here who have healthy cats with felv that have had long
Re: [Felvtalk] tests
RE; COST AND FINANCIAL HELP in Missouri, at least in Lincoln County, we have a thing called care credit. my vet holds charges until we reach $400.00 then puts it on my account with care credit. i can take up to 1 year to pay with no interest charged unless i go past the year limit. you can also use for glasses, dentist, etc. on the monthly statement, they list each charge, and its expiration date. this way, you can pay off a little each month instead of a lot at once. you can contact them at www.carecredit.com or 1-866893-7864 to find out if it is available in your area. dorlis Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Just for my own info... I thought IFA would show if the virus has spread to bone marrow and that a pos IFA was pretty accurate determination.. Am I wrong on that? And you can have false neg Elissa --My Tucson was one of those--she got tested as a very young kitten and obviously, exposure had been recent--5 years later she (an indoor spoiled 18 pounder), tested pos on both Elissa and IFA. Two vets confirmed that neg test was likely because of timing. Christiane Biagi Cell: 914-720-6888 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MaryChristine Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:13 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] tests please provide information about the PCR test you're talking about. the last i'd heard, there were none available that wree consistently accurate and reliable--they've been working on this for a long time and haven't been able to establish a test that's acceptibly accurate across many labs. i know that they HAVE developed one for FIV to determine if the virus is vaccine-induced or not, but as of a month or so ago, it still wasn't commercially available, tho it's expected to be soon. as far as everything i've read, at this time, the IFA is still considered the confirmatory test for FeLV. i'd love to see anything newer. what has to remembered with FeLV is that, unlike FIV, the ELISA test is for ANTIGENS, not antibodies--so a cat can test negative merely because the exposure was too recent tos how up--so the negative isn't false, it just was too early. likewise, false positives may be false positives from all the things inherent in the test, but they can also be true at that time: the cat has been EXPOSED to the virus. antigens are NOT an immune response, however, just an indiciation that the kitty has been closely exposed to the virus. this is where the biggest misunderstandings arise: most adult cats will throw the virus off anywhere between 30-120 days--their immune systems will just knock it out. then a test will be negative because there are no longer antigens wandering around irritating them. but if you test too soon, you'll just get another positive result because the cat's body hasn't had the chance to work the virus out. doing an ELISA and an IFA right away will probably give you the same result on both of them, because it's the EXPOSURE that's showing up. the only real way to know is to consider a positive result for what it is: an indication that kitty was in close contact with someone who had the virus. (we don't know for sure, as far as i have seen, that a cat on the edge of throwing off the virus itself can't still pass it on, perhaps at a subclinical level?)--if you know when the last date the kitty could have been in contact with another cat, test if 90-120 later than that. with the IFA (or if there really is a DNA/PCR test newly available, that one) and then make the decisions. MC On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Saehwa Kang [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The ELISA test takes a blood sample from the lower leg, and is inexpensive. It's not that accurate, as there are false positives and sometimes false negatives. We had 2 three month old kittens who became negative within 1 month, and one that became negative 3 months later. You can retest after about 2-3 months with the Elisa again. Better yet is the IFA test. It checks whether the felv has reached the bone marrow- the vet sends a blood sample to a lab and is a tad more expensive but much more accurate. However,the best alternative after a positice elisa test is the new PCR test. It's so new you won't see it in many google searches. It can detect even minute quanitites of the virus and is the most accurate test out there- also sent to the lab. Best after two consecutive positive ELISA tests. Your kitties can fight off the virus and change to negative though it's not guaranteed. They probably got it from their mother. Many kittens can and do fight it off which is why early testinf is often inaccurate. In order to do so, you'll need to provide a low stress environment, indoor only home to reduce exposure to germs, premium food mostly canned (wellness, innova evo, natures variety instinct
