Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
You'll find opinions all over the place on the net. Some vets are very cautious but then they've probably never had FELV cats - just read the textbooks and seen the sick cats in their practices. However, quite a few people on this list do mix, with no problems. I've done that in the past, still do some. I think healthy adult cats have enough immunity to deal with the virus, whether vaccinated or not. But vaccination probably helps boost that immunity. I also like to use daily low dose oral interferon for FELV+ kitties, at least up until they're about 3 years old. The ones I've had that were born with FELV tend to die at about 3 years old. I think the interferon helps keep the viral load down, and a healthier kitty. I have a friend who does interferon with her FELV cat - she has 1 positive, and 1 negative, mixed of course. She got them when they were kittens. Both cats are well over 3 - maybe 6 or 7 yrs old now - and no problems whatsoever. The vet wanted her to have them retested, she did and nothing had changed (1 pos, 1 neg). Gloria On Aug 4, 2009, at 12:29 AM, Iva Lark Emily Seaberg wrote: Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV- infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I almost wonder if the positives that aren't infecting the negatives aren't at the viral shedding stage. Is it really safe to expose the other kitties? Should I keep her quarantined for the next 2.5 weeks or does it really matter? I'm torn. On one hand I don't want to stress her unnecessarily, especially when I'm about to have to give her antibiotics twice a day and steroids twice a day. She is going to hate that. I don't want her to lose weight either, she's always been a tiny, dainty thing and she doesn't have any weight to lose! On the other hand I don't want to infect my other babies and I can't help but worry that to let her out now, before they have full vaccine protection at least, much less before the steroids have a chance to calm her virus down would be to stack the odds against them. I need advice! Iva
Re: [Felvtalk] Vitamin C
Well, you might check out Dr. Belfield's vitamin C - http://www.belfield.com/ Gloria On Aug 6, 2009, at 9:53 AM, Sue Frank Koren wrote: Hello everyone, Does anyone have a good source for powdered vitamin C for cats. The shelter I volunteer for is looking to add vitamin C with the lysine and we are looking for a source that is tried and true. Thank you, Sue (katlover1300) ___ 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] Wolfie Update
You probably have to live in the boonies of Arkansas to know about stuff like that, cause you can't get it anywhere else ho ho Gary - Gloria On Aug 8, 2009, at 4:26 PM, MaryChristine wrote: gary, is there a link to walmart's specialty pharmacy? i've never heard of it as an entity before thanks! 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] Research into FeLV: was Staph Protein A
I've read this too, MC, that FELV is considered a closer analogy to HIV... Gloria On Aug 10, 2009, at 10:07 AM, MaryChristine wrote: wow, hebert, thank you for these great posts! (and your english is better than many who claim to be native speakers.) i have always been under the impression, tho, that FIV, not FeLV, was considered by researchers to be more analogous to HIV/AIDS (an early hypothesis which i believe has been adequately disproven), even tho it appears to those of us who aren't scientists but have done the best reading they can that FeLV is much closer in manner of transmission, manifestation, and course. gary, have pedersen or levy done any work with this? they're the two folks, off-hand, that i can think of who have consistently continued actually researching FeLV--susan little, as well, seems to have been fairly on top of what research is going on. might they know about any researchers currently working on this? i remember when i first got involved with FeLV, from living at a sanctuary, and i was asking why no one was doing safe, minimally invasive research on the three main populations of FeLVs in the countries, at that time Best Friends, us, and Angel Wings (in terms of population size)--i was told then that answering the questions that folks on this list and others were already asking would probably require catching the interest of a drug company, as private or academic researchers wouldn't likely have the funding. (back to my usual comment about how difficult it is to do research on a population that is regularly treated by immediate euthanasia.) i'm not sure how many folks here really realize that a great deal of research on genetic conditions in cats could not have come about without the involvement--and fundraising--on the part of breeders, determined to eradicate killers in their own breeds (HCM in maine coons and bengals immediately comes to mind.) FeLV owners aren't as identifiable an entity as cattery owners, and while their emotional investment is just as great, i'm not sure how to mobilize us to perhaps do the same for this illness. -- 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] Research into FeLV: was Staph Protein A
Thanks, Hebert, that's interesting, and glad to have the info correctly. However, I also wonder why FIV cats have so little problem - seems like HIV causes problems (Aids) quite frequently, but in my experience, FIV cats rarely have FIV related problems. Any thoughts or info on that? Thanks, Gloria On Aug 12, 2009, at 8:14 AM, hebert ferrarezzi wrote: Hi MaryChristine and Gloria, FIV is in fact a closer relative to HIV than is FeLV. The three belong to the same retrovirus family and subfamily, but FeLV belongs to the Gammaretrovirus group, whereas FIV and HIV belong to the Lentivirus group. The severe outcomes of the disease, however, make feline leukemia more analogous to AIDS in some aspects. The discovery of HIV as the causal agent of human immunodeficiency was due to the previous knowledge that FeLV (not FIV) virus causes a similar syndrome in cats. Moreover, FeLV is a model for the study of cancer. Indeed, most of the papers I have cited here about the use of Protein A came from the research group of the late Robert A. Good, a renamed immunologist and oncologist http://www.robertagoodarchives.com/biography.html Hebert From: twelvehousec...@gmail.com Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:07:37 -0400 To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Research into FeLV: was Staph Protein A wow, hebert, thank you for these great posts! (and your english is better than many who claim to be native speakers.) i have always been under the impression, tho, that FIV, not FeLV, was considered by researchers to be more analogous to HIV/AIDS (an early hypothesis which i believe has been adequately disproven), even tho it appears to those of us who aren't scientists but have done the best reading they can that FeLV is much closer in manner of transmission, manifestation, and course. gary, have pedersen or levy done any work with this? they're the two folks, off-hand, that i can think of who have consistently continued actually researching FeLV--susan little, as well, seems to have been fairly on top of what research is going on. might they know about any researchers currently working on this? i remember when i first got involved with FeLV, from living at a sanctuary, and i was asking why no one was doing safe, minimally invasive research on the three main populations of FeLVs in the countries, at that time Best Friends, us, and Angel Wings (in terms of population size)--i was told then that answering the questions that folks on this list and others were already asking would probably require catching the interest of a drug company, as private or academic researchers wouldn't likely have the funding. (back to my usual comment about how difficult it is to do research on a population that is regularly treated by immediate euthanasia.) i'm not sure how many folks here really realize that a great deal of research on genetic conditions in cats could not have come about without the involvement--and fundraising--on the part of breeders, determined to eradicate killers in their own breeds (HCM in maine coons and bengals immediately comes to mind.) FeLV owners aren't as identifiable an entity as cattery owners, and while their emotional investment is just as great, i'm not sure how to mobilize us to perhaps do the same for this illness. -- 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 _ Deixe suas conversas mais divertidas. Baixe agora mesmo novos emoticons. É grátis! http://specials.br.msn.com/ilovemessenger/pacotes.aspx ___ 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] Hello, I'm Snowball, Felv+, and I need your help. Please read my story...Thanks!
Hi Snowball, I just wanted to send a corrected version of your fundable address, it had extra spaces in it and didn't work - maybe that'll make it easier for you to collect some money. I'm sorry you can't stay with Reyna. I see you're in Los Angeles, and going to Reno, NV. http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-08-03.8415646672 You look like such a pretty, sweet kitty - good luck! Gloria in Arkansas On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:04 AM, Reyna Castano wrote: Hello Everyone, My name is Snowball and I have been given the opportunity to be part of a wonderful family and live with other cats like me. I can't wait to be in my new home and receive and give lots of love. If Reyna had not rescued me I would have died. When she found me I was severely anemic. I could hardly walk and open my eyes. I was very sick. After an emergency transfusion and 3 days at the hospital I'm doing much better now. My appetite and energy are back. I love to play... my squeaky mouse is my favorite toy! She, however, cannot keep me because her family suffers from asthma. Also, she is a college student and does not have the money to properly care for me. This is why I need your help to get to Second Chance Meow (a home based sanctuary in Reno, Nevada). We all know that cats like me are hard to place in homes and usually end up in sanctuaries or shelters. I'm happy to be going to a loving and caring home where the people there know about this disease and can properly care for me. The fundraiser that was set up for me will end in 6 days. We still need more donations to make my dream of having a family of my own possible. Please help me! You will not regret it because you will have made this blue eyed cat very happy. : ) Meow, Snowball Fundraiser: http://www.fundable .com/groupaction s/groupaction. 2009-08-03. 8415646672 ___ 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] Hello, I'm Snowball, Felv+, and I need your help. Please read my story...Thanks!
They get distracted easily too - looking out the window, etc (well kind of like me lol) Gloria On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:39 AM, Susan Hoffman wrote: Cats are such clumsy typists. That's why you never see one in a secretarial position. Thanks for fixing that for Snowball. --- On Wed, 8/12/09, Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net wrote: From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Hello, I'm Snowball, Felv+, and I need your help. Please read my story...Thanks! To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 9:13 AM Hi Snowball, I just wanted to send a corrected version of your fundable address, it had extra spaces in it and didn't work - maybe that'll make it easier for you to collect some money. I'm sorry you can't stay with Reyna. I see you're in Los Angeles, and going to Reno, NV. http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction. 2009-08-03.8415646672 You look like such a pretty, sweet kitty - good luck! Gloria in Arkansas On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:04 AM, Reyna Castano wrote: Hello Everyone, My name is Snowball and I have been given the opportunity to be part of a wonderful family and live with other cats like me. I can't wait to be in my new home and receive and give lots of love. If Reyna had not rescued me I would have died. When she found me I was severely anemic. I could hardly walk and open my eyes. I was very sick. After an emergency transfusion and 3 days at the hospital I'm doing much better now. My appetite and energy are back. I love to play... my squeaky mouse is my favorite toy! She, however, cannot keep me because her family suffers from asthma. Also, she is a college student and does not have the money to properly care for me. This is why I need your help to get to Second Chance Meow (a home based sanctuary in Reno, Nevada). We all know that cats like me are hard to place in homes and usually end up in sanctuaries or shelters. I'm happy to be going to a loving and caring home where the people there know about this disease and can properly care for me. The fundraiser that was set up for me will end in 6 days. We still need more donations to make my dream of having a family of my own possible. Please help me! You will not regret it because you will have made this blue eyed cat very happy. : ) Meow, Snowball Fundraiser: http://www.fundable .com/groupaction s/groupaction. 2009-08-03. 8415646672 ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Thank you for your help
I have to ask, Belinda - what are the clothes pins for? Have had CRF cats, never tried that. Gloria On Aug 12, 2009, at 1:11 PM, Belinda Sauro wrote: My thoughts on this: It tore my guts out to read about the horrendous things so many of the members were putting their very old, (16 to 19 years old) termininally ill cats through I just want to give another perspective, Fred is 18 or so now, he was 15 when he was diagnosed very early CRF and hyper thyroid, I'm on the CRF list you spoke of and I can't thank all of them for all the support I have gotten to keep Fred going. When I first started doing the fluids he needs daily he would bite me, he didn't like it, but after a week of using clothes pins on him he accepted it and has been getting them for over 2 years with no problems. Did it hurt him to put clothes pins down his neck for a week, no, I tried it on myself first, it felt like pressure but there was no pain, and he still tried to bite me but realised he couldn't reach me anymore and gave up. He also gets pills 4 or 5 times a day and of course he doesn't love it but my way of thinking is if you add it all up for the 30 minutes or so a day that it totals for the time I have to give him pills and fluids, he has lived a good quality of life for 3 more years ... I guarantee you he would have died years ago without my intervention. When anyone animal, person doesn't feel good they don't want to be messed with, I know that from my own experience, when I am sick, I don't want to eat or drink or want anyone to bother me. That doesn't mean I want to die. Once you get over the hump with help from your family and meds and feel better things get back to somewhat normal, as normal as they can be when you have a terminal condition. Yes I know at some point Fred will eventually not do as well and no matter what I do will keep getting worse because I do know CRF doesn't get cured BUT I will do everything I can to keep Fred here with me feeling as well as can be expected with his age and condition. Am I selfish, perhaps, but as you said, this is what I would want for myself, I am not leaving easily when it is my time and everyone that knows me knows that. Fred used to sleep on my pillow every night but I have his bed set up with everything but the litter box right there for him, so he prefers to stay there, he still comes in on occasion and stays a while, then goes back to his room. Do I think he doesn't like me anymore, no, he comes to me many times throughout the day and sits on my chest a few minutes so I can love him but he doesn't like me to give him his pills and if he weren't so lazy and a little weak he probably would run and hide, but it takes all of 10 seconds and it is over. It took a good 8 months or so to get him stable when we first found out he was CRF, he stopped eating and got a feeding tube. He gained back all the weight he lost and and pulled the tube out himself. Up until recently was keeping his weight pretty stable. He is losing weight now, he has virtually no muscle in either back leg and I can see he is getting to the point where things are going to start deteriorating as they do with this condition. I don't know how much longer we have but as long as he enjoys going out to lay in the sun, enjoys spending time with me I will do everything in my power to keep him going. Do I think anything I have done to keep Fred with me is horrendous, no, some people may, but I don't. I have gotten 3 more years of some very good memories with my Fred and I think for the most part Fred has enjoyed being here those 3 extra years. Everyone has their own ideas about quality of life, I personally think some people give up too early because of my beliefs and sometimes it is very hard for me to not say something but then I remember it is their pet and as long as whatever they are doing is out of love for that pet then I really can't say anything. What one person thinks is horrendous is loving and compassionate care to another. We can only do what we think is best for those in our care according to what our beliefs are ... When it is obvious to me that nothing I do will make any difference anymore then I will let Fred go. At some point the body, animal or human just can't go on anymore and when that is evident then I know I have done all I can I won't be happy about it but ... Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... http://bemikitties.com http://BelindaSauro.com ___ 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] Difficult decision
I personally have never seen anemia as a painful death. But The ace sounds like a good option. Gloria On Aug 13, 2009, at 8:13 AM, POTT, BEVERLY wrote: I have given cats ace promazine in situations like that, before I take them to the vet to be put to sleep. That way, they aren't stressed out from going there, and don't end up wasting away for days or weeks on end. I've often wished that a cat would pass away in his/ her sleep, so that I wouldn't have to take them in (of course that never happens), but it's just too painful to watch them gasping for breath, or trying to walk and falling down, etc. Just my personal opinion... -Original Message- From: Lorrie [mailto:felineres...@kvinet.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 4:03 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Difficult decision Dear Friends, I have a difficult decision to make, and I hope you can help... I have several FelV cats at a shelter I have in town. Most remain in good health by all appearances, however one 8 year old female has been steadily losing weight, she is now very anemic; extremely emaciatedm and she stopped eating two days ago. She will still lick a bit of baby food from my fingers, and she is still drinking water, but this is all. I know she is probably going to die soon, but I want her to die in familiar surroundings where she is loved, rather than having to make a trip to the vet which is always terrifying for cats. The vets here will not come out to see or euthanize a sick cat. This cat does not appear to be in any pain. She has no tumors, nor neurogical symptoms, but I know she will soon die from the anemia. I do not believe in extending the life of a cat who has a terminal illness, therefore I will not put her through transfusions or heroic measures. If I had a terminal illness I would not wish this for myself! What I'm asking is this I'm sure some of you have had anemic FelV cats and I want to know if dying from anemia is painful. If so I will have her put to sleep. Even though I know the trip to the vet will be frightening for her... I do not want her to suffer. Thank you for your help, Lorrie ___ 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] Felvtalk Digest, Vol 14, Issue 11- 2 cats
If they have trouble breathing consistently, I figure it's lymphoma and take them to the vet usually to have fluid removed. At times, I've had chemo (vincristine, or whatever), but ultimately they pass on. The fluid can buy a little time. If they start becoming neurological I haven't developed any options except to watch and wait and pts when time. If they act healthy, of course, I figure they can hang around and enjoy life a bit longer. Gloria On Aug 13, 2009, at 8:49 AM, Heather wrote: My 14/15 year old feral FIV+ feral kitty Bobbi had uneven pupils, the vet felt it was a tumor but in her remaining 9 months there were no further changes or indications, she also had toxoplasmosis my vet didn't think it was due to that, but, I sort of suspected it was since there were no further problems and to me it looked more normal after Toxo treatment. On Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 4:29 PM, Claire Smith sassybean...@yahoo.comwrote: I have a question - not sure how to submit it. I have 2 cats who are feline leukemia positive. From outward appearances, they look and basically act healthy. One of them has started having a dilated pupil - it is not constant but it has been occuring a lot lately. She will also start panting and breathing heavy - I have central air and keep it on all the time.The last time she did this, it was actually very cool in her room. The other one had seizures one day several months ago - that was the one and only time that occured. But several months ago, his 3rd eyelid (on both eyes) started staying out. He can still see but not too well. Is there anything I need to do or is this just part of the disease? There are no other symptoms for either one of them at this time. Claire ___ 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] Rebecca - Tummy troubles
I agree - sounds perhaps like this vet doesn't know much about FIV and full blown aids whatever that is. Perhaps she's assuming kitty has some kind of lymphoma in the intestinal area. I'd wait for the other vet to come back also. The metro (Flagyl) sounds good. I'm just wondering why kitty is on Prednisone, especially if kitty has no immune system. 1/4 Immodium sounds ok - I usually use old-fashioned Kao Pectin, although have to get the kind for animals at a farmers association store (NOT the grocery store, it can't be used on cats). I usually use Panacur as an initial effort for kitty diarrhea, assuming parasite, then if that doesn't work, I go to something else. Sometime I cut the kitty diet back to canned or boiled chicken and white rice, to placate the digestive tract. Never tried putting sugar in Clinda, but I'm inspired to try it sometime, thanks. Gloria On Aug 13, 2009, at 12:13 PM, Susan Hoffman wrote: full blown AIDS Does Rebecca have FIV (sometimes mistakenly referred to as kitty AIDS) or FeLV? Metronidazole is the metro you're referring to. It's typically prescribed for giardia and other intestinal parasites. Unless this gets significantly worse, I would hold off on the stool sample till your regular vet gets back. Half the time you get a negative on the fecal test only because the parasite has not reached sufficient mass to be detected on the test. A lot of vets treat symptomatically. Bonus with the metronidazole is that it supposedly will settle an upset tummy (I assume this is based on feedback from human patients) and may improve appetite. Are you giving pill or liquid metronidazole? The stuff is one of the worst tasting meds around. I usually liquify and add a little sugar to make it more palatable. --- On Thu, 8/13/09, Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net wrote: From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net Subject: [Felvtalk] Rebecca - Tummy troubles To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 9:57 AM Rebecca had a significant gum infection when she was diagnosed almost two weeks ago and the vet had placed her on Clindamyacin twice a day for ten days, and Prednisone twice a day for 7 days and then once a day for 21 days. I started the Clindamyacin about 7/8 days ago and the Prednisone a few days ago. Becca has gradually developed diarrhea, and this morning it was worse, to the point she had leaked a bit on the bed where she slept. I felt so bad for her! So I called the vet to see about stopping the Clinda or if there were other options/causes I should be concerned about. The vet said to give her a quarter of an Immodium AD pill twice a day, and reduce the Prednisone to once a day and to switch to an antibiotic Metro something for a week. The vet said Clinda doesn’t usually give diarrhea? She said it could be the Prednisone but her bigger concern is that it may be a gut bacteria making her sick so the Metro should help with that. She really stressed that Becca is in full blown AIDS essentially, has no immune system and is a ticking time bomb for something so I need to stay on top of this and if Becca isn’t 100% better in 48 hours she wants to do a stool sample culture. This is not my usual vet, who is still on vacation until next week. Aside from the diarrhea Becca is acting just fine, though she didn’t finish all of her dinner last night which I can understand. Should I be terribly concerned at this point? I almost felt like the vet was trying to panic me a bit and brace me for this being the end. How likely is that? I’m heading on my lunch to get her new meds, but I was going to go to the gym after work as usual but if I need to rush home after work instead I will. Iva ___ 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] Rebecca - Tummy troubles
I've never seen Flagyl cause diarrhea, but gave it to an older siamese the other day (had been giving him Panacur) and darned if he didn't have awful diarrhea (on the floor). I was surprised. I've never seen Clinda cause diarrhea. Gloria On Aug 13, 2009, at 5:30 PM, MaryChristine wrote: there's a whole subset of vets and individuals who insist upon considering FIV the equivalent of HIV/AIDS (joel is of that school), and use not only human terminology (ARC, full-blown AIDS, etc) but treating FIV with AZT and the drug cocktails that are used in humans. luckily, i have never encountered any of these folks in real life, as everything i've read shows that while this might have made sense when the virus was first isolated in the late 80s, subsequent research has shown that the viruses are not that similar. (despite what we've just learned re: their both being lentiviruses!) so i'm with my friends here saying wait til your regular vet gets back! if this one is claiming your cat is in some full-blown-HUMAN-disease, i'd be terribly concerned, myself, especially if kitty is supposed to have FeLV and not FIV to start with folks, doesn't met often cause diarrhea, too, tho? i'm not accustomed to clindamycin doing that, myself, tho it could just be the disturbance of the intestinal flora. i go for yogurt or pumpkin before i add any other antibugs. 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] Felvtalk Digest, Vol 14, Issue 11
Absolutely - On Aug 13, 2009, at 5:50 PM, MaryChristine wrote: good reminder that just cuz a cat has FeLV, doesn't mean that everything else it has is related! -- 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] Mo Please add to the CLS :(
I'm so sorry, Sherry - what a wonderful boy - Gloria On Aug 15, 2009, at 8:53 PM, Sherry DeHaan wrote: We lost our sweet three legged Mo(missing one) tonight.he was quite a character.I used to get a laugh when he would swat at the other Sids kids with his phantom leg and THEY would actually duck like he was going to hit them.He also would scratch at your foot to get your attention.He also would put his paw up on your back while you sat on the floor.He sure made it clear he wanted to be loved. :) Dr. Jen gave me the chance to go say my good byes today and he purred like a motor boat.He also gave me a quick kiss on my hand.We will miss you our beautiful black tripod boy. :( Sherry We who choose to surround ourselves with lives more temporary than our own, Live within a fragile circle,easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps. We still would have it no other way ___ 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] FeLV+ FIV+ cat with liver problems
I'm so sorry about your kitty. He's so fortunate to have you both to love and care for him. I have had double positives get in bad shape like this, although I can't quote the blood parameters. They haven't survived - once they get in bad shape it's hard to come out of it. Doesn't mean he can't of course. As I recall, the last one, B.B., I brought home and gave him fluids and syringed him liquid food, tried various remedies both allopathic and homeopathic, but essentially he just drifted away. Best of luck, thanks for writing. Gloria On Aug 19, 2009, at 6:17 AM, Luísa Maria Azeredo Rodrigues Coelho (DGR) wrote: Hi everyone Miles, a 6 year-old cat positive for FIV and FeLV, is in a very poor condition and has now been admited to the vet hospital. He was not eating, he vomited and is dehidrated. Miles was a stray cat I took in 2,5 years ago. He stayed with me until December '08 when he was adopted by Joana. Throughtout these years he has always been a very healthy cat. Two weeks ago Joana took him for his vaccines and blood tests. The vet did not vaccinated him because he relies on a 2-year period for vaccination and took his blood for testing. Then he left for holidays and said nothing to Joana about the tests' results. Joana was away for the week-end of 15th -16th and when she got back, Miles did not eat much. On Monday he did not eat at all, he drank a lot of water and urinated a lot, also. Yesterday he vomited and Joana took him to the vet hospital. She rang the other vet's clinic for the tests' results and surprisingly ALT values were almost 10 times the maximum. At the hospital, blood tests were again done, liver parameters were sky high (so much so that some of them did not show up). He is anemic and jaundiced. The ultra-sound did not reveal much. He is now having fluids and antibiotics. The prognosis is bad. Do you have something to share on similar conditions of positive cats? Thanks very much ___ 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] Urgent! FeLV cat -New Jersey- I need to find him a Sanctuary
Well, that's so gratifying that you're trying to help this sweet kitty. You might try Tabby's place in NJ - http:// www.tabbysplace.org/. Even if they can't take, they might have suggestions. I'm sure there are other options from other members of this group. Of course the vets are more paranoid about it, but I do understand your caution. However some of us do mix our + and our - FELV cats. Also, I have a friend locally with an FELV + cat, and one FELV- (indoors of course). We recommended that she give the FELV+ cat a daily low dose oral interferon, and both kitties are still alive and happy after 4 years - one is still + and the other still -. Best of luck, Gloria On Aug 19, 2009, at 7:52 AM, Donna Hotz wrote: I live in Central New Jersey and I have a cat that showed up on my doorstep about 10 months ago. He is so super friendly that my husband and I decided that we wanted to take him in as one of our own. We took him to the vet about 3 weeks ago and he tested positive for Leukemia. We were heartbroken. We cannot take him inside due to the fact that we have 2 healthy cats inside already. The vet said that he is about 2-3 years old and in good health with the exception of testing positive for Leukemia. (by the way - he did test negative for HIV and he has been neutered) He is the sweetest cat and just wants to be petted and loved and talked to. I was out back the other back in my lounge chair and he jumped up onto my chest and wanted me to pet him, which of course I did. He is also very friendly with the neighbor children. I would love to find a safe place for him where he can get some interaction with humans as well as other cats. We have a few other cats that we feed outside and he seems to get along well with them. I need to find a safe place for him where he will be loved and cared for. We really need your help!!! Any information in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania area will be helpful. Thanks! Donna ___ 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] Mae Please add to the CLS
I'm so sorry, Sharyl, she was so fortunate to have you. Gloria On Aug 24, 2009, at 3:14 AM, Sharyl wrote: Please add Mae to the CLS. Mae was a 2 y/o FeLV+ dumpster kitty I TNR'd last year. I had trapped her again to relocate her to my back yard since the area the colony was living is being developed. She was living in my garage/cat enclosure while acclimating to my yard and seemed to be doing fine. She was a brave little thing and would almost let me pet her. She was fine Friday morning but I found her passed away Friday night. At least I know she had a safe home and was well fed. Sharyl ___ 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] Imulan
Would be interesting to hear from folks who have used Imulan - Gloria On Aug 30, 2009, at 12:15 PM, Jane Lyons wrote: This is the third time, in the two plus years that I have been on this list, that people have come on to talk about the benefit and promise of Imulan. Each time this has happened I have asked my vet, then a friends vet, and then just last week I went back to my original vet with the information that was posted here. Each time I have been told, emphatically that ( to quote MC ) the science is not there. My vet has called Imulan twice and each time she has been turned off by the lack of, to quote her 'transparency' and clinical data. If anyone who is using Imulan has a vet that my vet can talk to I would appreciate the information. Thanks Jane On Aug 30, 2009, at 12:11 PM, MaryChristine wrote: . promising is the word, in fact, it's the same word that the dept of agriculture uses. LCTI has been around for years before imulan bought it, and it's been promising for all that time. i think it'd be GREAT if it works, but when you have something that's not proven, you don't run out and put it on the open market priced and promoted as if it were proven. that's my objection: it's too early, the science isn't there, and if they REALLY thought they had the answer to the FeLV problem, they'd be doing major clinical trials that every scientist in the country could believe in. and people don't have to pay to be in clinical trials, nor do they have to pay for the testing involved to see how things are going. think how many FeLV parents would willingly partake in actual clinical trials if they weren't priced out of the option--and then imulan could get real data. 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] IMULAN
I do that too - try things to see what works, when they sound possible and likely. When they can't breathe, due to mediastinal lymphoma, I have the fluid drawn off, and after that it's up for grabs - have treated each one differently. One of them, Mittens, I treated that way, and the vet treated him with Vincristine (chemotherapy) for a few weeks. He had transfusions too. He died quietly of anemia, most likely. Course there are different types of FELV that morph into different symptoms and problems. I have one friend who has had hers on oral interferon alpha daily, and kitty has made it past 3 years, think is now 5 or 6. Thanks for your email, Gloria On Aug 30, 2009, at 12:54 PM, Alice Flowers wrote: After hearing about this product-I called our vet here in Sacramento and she agreed to order it for us. I want to try it because we lost the 4th kitty this morning-my son drove him to UC Davis emergency early this morning because he was struggling to breath and crying out. Out of the 5 kittens in the litter-Schatzi is the 4th brother to pass in 41/2 months-he just turned a year old this month- we even tried a transfusion that Jack had a reaction to and was euthanized (over $1500). Buster, the first to die-screamed out...Oni died in Corey's arms. I still have the sister, Rosie and another cat-Murphy, the tuxedo polydactyl that was dumped into the feral colony that the litter came from-he was positive also. So why do I want to try this product? I have HOPE that it may prolong Rosie and Murphy's lives- These 6 have been on antibiotics most of their lives-Finally now it's been a good month and a half without them, maybe we've turned a corner. We have upped them to Interferon 2x a day. When the FeLV switch gets tripped-they just crash so fast. If we can postpone it for months or years.that's great. We are down to 2 cats left out of 6-we have cried rivers of tears, and spent over 6 grand-and we weren't cat people a year ago. How do we know it will work? We don'tbut if we don't try, no one will know. What I do know is that Rosie is due to die soon-being from the same litter, she is due to crash with anemia like all her brothers. But I have HOPE, otherwise I should just euthanize the last 2 now and call it a day. Rosie and Murphy are racing up and down the hallway and up the cat trees right now- they are healthy (appearing), loving and happy. They are a year old- I think they deserve to live longer. Alice, Rosie and Murphy ___ 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] feline leukemia virus outdoors
I would agree - certainly it's safe. It's gone by now. Gloria On Sep 5, 2009, at 5:24 PM, TANYA NOE wrote: Cindy, The FELV virus is not hardy and cannot survive long outside the body. There is still debate over whether it lasts for hours or days on dry surfaces (though most will say hours), and obviously it will last a bit longer on a wet surface. I personally would think that 2 weeks is more than enough time for the virus to have cleared your yard. Any cat going outdoors should be vaccinated against feline leukemia which you have done so I think you would be fine. Hope this help! Tanya --- On Fri, 9/4/09, Cindy Jackson qne...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Cindy Jackson qne...@yahoo.com Subject: [Felvtalk] feline leukemia virus outdoors To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Friday, September 4, 2009, 5:32 PM How long can the feline leukemia virus live outdoors? Is it safe for a healthy cat, up to date on her vaccines, including the felv vaccine, to roam and play in the same place a felv positive cat used to play, roam, pee and poop? The positive cat use to play, roam, pee and poop in my back yard (grass). This was happening less than two or three weeks ago. She is now with a best friend who adopted her from me. She was an indoor cat but I allowed her to be outdoors, only in my back yard, she didn't go anywhere else, once a day (each day). My back yard is filled with flowers, grass and tall plants. She loved my back yard. I want to let the new cat I got, who is healthy, be outdoors too. She will be an indoor cat but I want her to get fresh air once in a while. Specially now during the summer. My house gets really hot and humid. I don't have AC. Is it safe? ___ 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] RIP Mattie 7/09 - 8/09
When mine have died, it's been mostly around age 2.5 to 3 years. I have two that are over 10. Gloria On Sep 6, 2009, at 9:32 PM, Laurieskatz wrote: I am so sorry to hear this...I have heard that if they make it to age 2 their chances are pretty good. I also think I've heard around age 5 can be a challenge. Mine lived to ages 16 and 22 years! Laurie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of catatonya Sent: Sunday, September 06, 2009 9:48 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] RIP Mattie 7/09 - 8/09 I'm so sorry for your loss. tonya --- On Thu, 8/13/09, Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com Subject: [Felvtalk] RIP Mattie 7/09 - 8/09 To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Thursday, August 13, 2009, 4:42 PM I had to make that last vet trip with my dear sweet Mattie today. She lost the use of her back legs last week due to neurological issues from the FeLV. The paralysis spread and she had lost bladder and bowel control. She was still eating and grooming herself but I couldn't wait until she was suffering. She deserved better than that. She fell asleep in my arms from the sedative and never felt the 2nd shot. Even though blind since birth she was the most inquisitive kitten I've ever had. No challenge was too great for her. She is the last of a litter of 4 positive babies I rescued last summer. What amazes me is that their mom and 3 aunts, all positives and now spayed, are still doing fine. All I can say is Mattie had a wonderful 12 months wanting for nothing and teaching me so much. I learned not to let a handicap limit me. It sure didn't limit her love of life. She is now at the Rainbow Bridge with Bright Eyes, Houdini, and CJ. Sharyl ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Administrative List
Hey there Terrie - Gloria On Sep 21, 2009, at 10:23 AM, ter...@tazzys.org wrote: Hello, Can anyone read this? TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS/SIAMESE COLLIE RESCUE Sultan, WA. 98294 Terrie Mohr-Forker http://tazzys.org/ 501(c)3 Non-Profit national rescue. All donations are tax deductible. http://www.hurricanepetsrescue.org/ Copyright © 2007-2009 Tazzy's.org. All rights reserved. Original Message Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Administrative List From: ter...@tazzys.org Date: Sun, September 20, 2009 8:19 am To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc: James Wilson phaed...@charter.net ___ 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] eye (pupils) changes and transport
Hey Lance, nice to hear from you. The only time I've had that happen with the pupils being different sizes is with an FIV+ kitty, can't say what caused it or what it related to. Re air travel: The last time I flew with a cat in the cabin - which was probably 2004 or thereabouts - was taking a cat from Little Rock (where I live) to Minneapolis/St Paul. Airports were just getting acclimated to the post 2003 airport procedures. I fortunately had a harness on the kitty, and she was inside the soft sided carry on cat carrier. As we approached the airport scanner, thy told me to take her out of the carrier and carry her separately. But THEN they told me to take my shoes off (lace up running shoes), which was interesting while carrying a cat - and put the shoes, carrier, purse, etc, on the moving belt to the separate xray scanner. Then I carried her thru the airport security scanner, with her carrier going thru separately. Glad I had the harness and leash. I had cat, then had to retrieve purse, carrier, shoes, etc, and reassemble myself. It was no fun. Gloria On Sep 24, 2009, at 7:42 PM, Lance wrote: Hello List, It's been a long time since I've posted anything, and I must admit that I haven't been keeping up with posts for quite awhile. Some of you may remember that I have an FeLV+ named Ember. She's still with me, though I have noticed something different lately, and I have another question about transporting her. In the last week or so, I've noted that Ember's pupils are sometimes not the same size. I did a search for anisocoria and found nothing in the archives. Has anyone seen this occur in their cats? It seems to be similar to how headaches are in people... could be just normal stuff all the way up to being a really serious issue. The articles seem to indicate that this can happen with viral infections like FeLV, but other than low wbc, there aren't any symptoms. It doesn't really make sense. Ember's last CBC had an especially low white blood cell count... I think it was 4.2. She's been on interferon ever since testing positive in 2006, and while I'd taken her off DMG, she's going back on it as soon as I get my shipment. Also, it looks like I'm going to be moving back to Madison, Wisconsin. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get Ember to our new home. I'm willing to pay to fly the both of us up (with her being in the cabin with me), but I'm wondering if anyone has any other ideas or tips they'd be willing to share. I know that transport is frequently done by so many of you, which is why I ask this here. My best to all of you and your cats, Lance ___ 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] Xana, FelV positive - interferon?
I'm sure if Michael has had interferon himself it's a high dose and injected, and I certainly humbly respect his personal experience. I have to say, I've used low dose oral interferon with several kitties, and never noticed any side effects, although there certainly could be. The only thing I noticed was that when I stopped the interferon, like when I was on vacation and the person couldn't catch the cat - the cat got sick and died when I returned. Kitty was about 3 yrs old, which is when I've seen several of mine die. Gloria On Sep 29, 2009, at 5:45 AM, Hotmail Junk wrote: What are the side effects? Sent from my iPhone On Sep 27, 2009, at 11:02 AM, Second Chance Meows secondchanceme...@yahoo.com wrote: I run a FeLV sanctuary here in the states and have found that the best treatment is love and attention. Having spent almost a year on interferon, I know the side effects of it very well, and would not wish them on any living being.( human or feline). spend time with them, show them that you really care about them when no one else did. Let them spend hours in your lap, sleep on the bed, sun in the window just as any other healthy cat would do. just so you know Esther, my oldest cat here is about 16 and has had FeLV since birth, the rest are all about 3-6 yrs old and doing well Michael Johnson Founder/Owner Second Chance Meows A FeLV Sanctuary From: Esther Jorda estherjo...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 5:45:27 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] Xana, FelV positive - interferon? I am new to this group. I live in Spain and have some language difficults, so, sorry for the faults. I am an active member of a cat rescue group. In july I found a kitten in the street with the eyes seriously dammaged. We went to the vet and all was well, excep the positive result to FelV. A friend on mine is fostering her. She seems to be healthy and hapy. I want to give her an opportunity to live with good QOL as long as possible. Unfortunately most vets does not share my opinion, and they think it is not worth. I insist... I read all I can find. I am giving Xana L-Lysina (for her eye condicion) Vetinmune (as inmunomodulator) And I insist to put her on interferon. The vet said that -in that subclinic stadium- the alfa (humane) interferon is the election treatment. When symtoms appear, then it will be the moment to give the omega interferon... My questions are: 1) HAVE ANYONE EXPERIENCE IN THE USE OF FELINE OMEGA INTERFERON WITH ASYMPTOMATIC CATS?? I know it can not clear the virus, but ... Can it to prevent the development of any of the illness related with FelV?? 2) About propiobacterium acnes. I cant find it in Spain. The laboratory does not produce it anymore, and change it for a new product: Corynebacterium parvum (inmufort complex (R). It is used for cows. A colegue (that has a FelV shelter) wrote me to advice she is using it in her 8 FelV+ cats... she said is working well... her oldest cat is now 8 years old. 3) Xana has also chronic diarrhea, in spite I put her on intestinal diet, does no make solid faeces... Any other non invasive tratment can be usefull??? Thanks for your atention Esther ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Xana, FelV positive - interferon?
This is very very low dose - and has to be oral, apparently to hit the back of the throat. I had good luck with it, but when it was withheld, like I said, things didn't go well. My kitties showed no apparent side effects. But many people have and are using that protocol, someone oughta research it. Regards Gloria On Sep 29, 2009, at 10:24 AM, Second Chance Meows wrote: my suggestion is to do some research on it. Interferon is used to fight forms of cancer, and is considered to be chemo. side effects include: loss of weight, nausea,hair loss, heart issues, pain, chills,temperature, and many others. I know your talking about low doses of it but anything that is placed into these little bodies that has the power to kill not only the bad cells BUT THE GOOD ONES TOO can not be good for them. their systems are compromised already. JUST MY OPINION. before you make the decision to give this to the cat...look into your own heart and ask is this for the cat..or for yourself?? will this really improve the quality of its life or just prolong the agony its going thru or create more agony,stress for it? Michael Johnson Founder/Owner Second Chance Meows A FeLV Sanctuary From: Esther Jorda estherjo...@gmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 8:56:10 AM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Xana, FelV positive - interferon? Dear Michael, Congratulations for your old kitty and thanks for your sanctuary. Actually vets recommend me to put xana under low dose of interferon (via oral) ... they do not agree if human alfa or feline omega some of them say one some of them the other... *Can you, please, give some advice aboud side effects??* You can be sure Xana has all my love. The problem is that actually she is not living with me. My home is a sort of urban shelter where live 24... too much cats... too much riscs... Xana needs a clean and quite environment... A friend gave me the opportunity, Xana is living in her appartment. She has to go to work, and so do I... So, Xana is alone all the day... I go as often as I can... 1-2 times daily... I spend with Xana 2-3 hours every night... unfortunately she can not sleep with me... I must go home, when others need me too... Speedy (my oldest baby) will be 20 y.o. He is at the end of his life... with CRF, IBD... I want to care him until the end Best regards, Esther ___ 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] Interferon-Article that explains why I now give it 2x daily
Thanks very much for the article. This is consistent with what I've heard, mostly in years past on this list, possibly from Tally (www.tallyville.com/interferon.html) . It is Low Dose Oral Interferon alpha, as I understand drastically different from high dose injected interferon given to humans for cancer treatment. The other protocols I've seen listed are 3 days on/3 off, and 7 days on/7 off. I've seen folks express concern that cats will become immune to the interferon, if they're not off it for a while. One justification for daily use is that FELV cats don't have enough naturally occurring Interferon to support their immune systems.Now that's just a theory I've seen posted on this list, from years back. Gloria On Sep 30, 2009, at 2:10 AM, Alice Flowers wrote: Here are some excerpts from some research on Interferon-I have been giving it 2x a day-orally 1 cc to Rosie and Murphy. I had been giving it onece a day to the other 4 that passed away. I always give it right before the canned food-they both come into the kitchen and pester me, Murphy bangs the cabinet door until I get the little syringe filled. Then they sit and wait for the little squirt, Rosie will tilt her head sideways-she likes it squirted on the right side of her mouth, I don't have to force them to take it, it's just the routine. I even tasted it, just tastes like saline solutine-similar to sinus rinse or saline nasal spray. I have not noticed any side effects, except maybe lately, combined with the Imulan treatments the last 2 weeks-they are playing much more and are awake for longer periods and are looking for things to get into. They are making up for being so sick the first year. WHY IS DAILY DOSING BETTER? Jere Hough Three Times Weekly Is A Terribly Poor Way to Dose Interferon This is a great article and also discusses the development of longer acting pegylated interferons to better manage the peak and valley effects of the current generation of Interferons: “PEAKS AND VALLEYS - Because interferon has a half-life in serum of only about 7 -10 hours. This means it peaks in the body at about 12 hours and is then rapidly metabolized and excreted. At 24 hours after injection it is barely measurable. By 36 hours it is not detectable with current measurements. During this peak the is a rapid, dramatic drop in viral load. As the levels of interferons quickly drop to negligible levels at about 24 hours viral loads start rapidly climbing again. By 48 or especially 72 hours much of the gain in viral reduction has been lost. In other words, viral loads in the body fluctuate directly and rapidly along with levels of interferon in serum, and when plotted on a graph look like a sine wave, or a roller coaster. This graph, along with a description of this phenomena, can be viewed on many websites and texts on the subject, including the http://www.roche-hepc.com/ page. These peaks and valleys have been followed for days in human subjects, and are invariably similar in those who respond to IFN. As interferon levels go up viral loads go down immediately. Then as IFN levels drop, viral loads increase again rapidly. In the period from 24 to 48 hours viral loads peak to erase most of the gains made. In standard TIW dosing the increase in viral loads is even more pronounced during the 72 hour break once each week.” 1) NEVER give with food. Inteferon breaks down in the stomach with stomach acid. Always squirt it directly into the mouth where it is absorbed in the mouth and throat lining. #2) ALWAYS keep refridgerated. It's useless if it hits room temperature. Keep unused dilutions frozen until needed. It's unknown how long Interferon stays effective in the fridge. Keep unused dilutions frozen until needed. #3) It's USELESS to do on/off dosing. It MUST be given every 24 hours to maintain consistent levels in the bloodstream. (See excerpts below regarding peaks and valleys). It must be kept in the blood at all times. On/Off protocols are worthless because it progresses forward in times of no intervention. ___ 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] Interferon-Article that explains why I now give it 2x daily
What I've always heard and done, is you use it *when* they're asymptomatic, on a regular basis. If you wait till they become ill, it's too late. Gloria On Sep 30, 2009, at 11:11 AM, Esther Jorda wrote: *Do you use interferon (alfa) with asymptomatic cats or once they become ill???* 2009/9/30 Alice Flowers aliceflow...@sbcglobal.net Here are some excerpts from some research on Interferon-I have been giving it 2x a day-orally 1 cc to Rosie and Murphy. I had been giving it onece a day to the other 4 that passed away. I always give it right before the canned food-they both come into the kitchen and pester me, Murphy bangs the cabinet door until I get the little syringe filled. Then they sit and wait for the little squirt, Rosie will tilt her head sideways-she likes it squirted on the right side of her mouth, I don't have to force them to take it, it's just the routine. I even tasted it, just tastes like saline solutine-similar to sinus rinse or saline nasal spray. I have not noticed any side effects, except maybe lately, combined with the Imulan treatments the last 2 weeks-they are playing much more and are awake for longer periods and are looking for things to get into. They are making up for being so sick the first year. WHY IS DAILY DOSING BETTER? Jere Hough Three Times Weekly Is A Terribly Poor Way to Dose Interferon This is a great article and also discusses the development of longer acting pegylated interferons to better manage the peak and valley effects of the current generation of Interferons: “PEAKS AND VALLEYS - Because interferon has a half-life in serum of only about 7 -10 hours. This means it peaks in the body at about 12 hours and is then rapidly metabolized and excreted. At 24 hours after injection it is barely measurable. By 36 hours it is not detectable with current measurements. During this peak the is a rapid, dramatic drop in viral load. As the levels of interferons quickly drop to negligible levels at about 24 hours viral loads start rapidly climbing again. By 48 or especially 72 hours much of the gain in viral reduction has been lost. In other words, viral loads in the body fluctuate directly and rapidly along with levels of interferon in serum, and when plotted on a graph look like a sine wave, or a roller coaster. This graph, along with a description of this phenomena, can be viewed on many websites and texts on the subject, including the http://www.roche-hepc.com/ page. These peaks and valleys have been followed for days in human subjects, and are invariably similar in those who respond to IFN. As interferon levels go up viral loads go down immediately. Then as IFN levels drop, viral loads increase again rapidly. In the period from 24 to 48 hours viral loads peak to erase most of the gains made. In standard TIW dosing the increase in viral loads is even more pronounced during the 72 hour break once each week.” 1) NEVER give with food. Inteferon breaks down in the stomach with stomach acid. Always squirt it directly into the mouth where it is absorbed in the mouth and throat lining. #2) ALWAYS keep refridgerated. It's useless if it hits room temperature. Keep unused dilutions frozen until needed. It's unknown how long Interferon stays effective in the fridge. Keep unused dilutions frozen until needed. #3) It's USELESS to do on/off dosing. It MUST be given every 24 hours to maintain consistent levels in the bloodstream. (See excerpts below regarding peaks and valleys). It must be kept in the blood at all times. On/Off protocols are worthless because it progresses forward in times of no intervention. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Esther = ^..^ = ___ 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] Adopting neg kitten to family with positive cat
I've done that too - a friend of mine adopted 2 kittens quite a few years ago - 1 kitten from our group, and 1 from another. The other kitten at some point tested positive. She keeps the FELV+ kitten on low dose interferon, and the other kitten vacccinated. They must be 6 or 7 years old now, still 1 pos and 1 neg. Gloria On Sep 30, 2009, at 4:04 PM, Lorrie wrote: Last year I adopted a FelV positive kitten to a couple who had two neg. cats. They knew the kitten they wanted was positive, but they fell in love with him and took him anyway. I kept him until their other two cats were vaccinated against Felv and had time to build up immunity. I'm still in touch with this couple, and all their cats are doing fine, including the FelV pos. one who is now 18 months old. People who adopt a FelV cat or kitten are tops in my book! Lorrie On 09-30, MaryChristine wrote: hard choices re: all the usual vaccines plus the FeLV one, but these folks have taken on the task of dealing with a positive cat, which rather raises them up on MY scale of being good cat-parents if they're in love with the little one, and you can hold it long enough for the two shots (which would give you a bit longer to do the neutering, too), i'd probably go with them. MC ___ 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] Interferon, etc
We all have different ways of dealing with these problems, but we care. Interferon, as I understand, isn't so much a 'drug' - it's a naturally occurring protein substance in the body. Overdosing on it is similar to OD'ing on a nutrient such as Vitamin A (or something like that). In human treatments for cancer, etc, you get injected with a huge OD. For FELV, cats, however, it more of a food supplement. So it's indeed much more ' natural' than antibiotics. I personally think it's a helpful thing for FELVs, but don't use it as much as I used to. I used to use it with all FELVs less than 3 yrs old. Guess I've mellowed, and I just don't have time. Gloria On Oct 2, 2009, at 2:57 PM, Lorrie wrote: Hi Michael of Second Chance Meows... Just a note to let you know I agree with what you wrote. I have seen people put their cats through all sorts of painful, invasive proceedures, and use numerous powerful drugs which make the cats sicker than they are already, when there is no hope for a cure. In my opinion this only prolongs the life of a cat, and I feel it causes the poor animal to suffer longer than it should. It breaks my heart to see what some owners put their cats through. I wouldn't want to be kept alive if I was suffering from something incurable. I also have FelV cats who live in a two large cageless rooms in my cat sanctuary, which is a 2,000 sq foot building I bought as a cat shelter. I do not give them any drugs like interferon, I only give them antibiotics if they come down with a URI or have any other condition which requires veterinary treatment. As long as they respond to the treatment I know they will have a few more good months or years before FelV eventually claims them. Thank you for asking people in the group to look into their hearts to see if these treatments are for the cat or for themselves because they want to keep the cat alive no matter what it has to endure. Lorrie On 09-29, Second Chance Meows wrote: my suggestion is to do some research on it. Interferon is used to fight forms of cancer, and is considered to be chemo. side effects include: loss of weight, nausea, hair loss, heart issues, pain, chills,temperature, and many others. I know your talking about low doses of it but anything that is placed into these little bodies that has the power to kill not only the bad cells BUT THE GOOD ONES TOO can not be good for them. their systems are compromised already. JUST MY OPINION. before you make the decision to give this to the cat...look into your own heart and ask is this for the cat..or for yourself? will this really improve the quality of its life or just prolong the agony its going thru or create more agony, stress for it? Michael Johnson Founder/Owner Second Chance Meows A FeLV Sanctuary ___ 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] PA Sanctuary
I agree - didn't used to, but after living with FELV and FIV and normal cats for several years, I really think that's a better approach. Gloria On Oct 5, 2009, at 11:55 AM, CATHERINE DIDONNA wrote: THANKYOU.CATHY --- On Fri, 10/2/09, Stray Cat Alliance stray_cat_allia...@hotmail.com wrote: From: Stray Cat Alliance stray_cat_allia...@hotmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] PA Sanctuary To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Friday, October 2, 2009, 11:12 AM Here here! I wish we would no longer test at all. If a cat is sick, they are sick. Treat that. It just seems like cats always get the short end of every stick - while I love dogs - they are much higher up the totem pole than cats, who are way down at the bottom. Why don't we declaw dogs? Or test them for parvo - or whatever? _ Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd_062009 ___ 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] Interferon thoughts?
Impressive vet. Yes, there has been some varied opinions about it. But I'd put her on oral Interferon - a very low dose. I think 30 units is a standard for adult cats so would ask the vet how much she thinks - c ertainly lower than an adult dose. Gloria --- Original Message --- From: Jeff Mills[mailto:jeffkmi...@yahoo.com] Sent: 10/8/2009 2:05:16 PM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: [Felvtalk] Interferon thoughts? I have a little 4.5 mo. old black kitten rescued as a stray who tests FeLV+ on a snap test. They won't do an IFA until he's been separated for three months (he lives in my bathroom currently), 9 mos. old would be better. My vet is recommending we put the kitten on Interferon *now,* that she has had good results with it (she has an FIV kitty of her own who she allows to mix with her negative 5 kitties). She thinks it could help him with quality of life down the road. What do you guys think? I've seen some conversation on this list previously, but hadn't paid much attention to it because I didn't think I'd be in this position, at least not this soon. Jeff ___ 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] new with questions
I agree with the others, stop worrying. Guess many of us have been thru this, I certainly have. I remember putting tape at the bottom of a door to keep the pos cat from sniffing the neg, lol. But- It's just not that contagious. I got to the point where I mixed my pos with my neg, and no problems. I think in general, the vet research just hasn't been done on FELV, so we're told it's contagious. Gloria On Oct 20, 2009, at 11:42 AM, mary (merlin) marshall wrote: Hi, I've just subscribed. My friend and I picked up a stray calico and planned to get her spayed and adopted out. We named her Patches. Patches was spayed last Thursday and tested for FIV/FeLV. She tested negative. We had her vaccinated with the basics, including FeLV. Thursday night after her spay, she went to my friend's house to recover. Patches was kept in a separate bed room with her own food and water dishes that hadn't been used by the house cats, her own litter box with fresh litter, and not allowed contact with the house cats. I'm not sure how good my friend was about washing her hands between Patches and her cats. Monday afternoon, my friend found out that her cat Kitty who had been throwing up for a few weeks and now with depressed appetite, tested positive for leukemia. This was the SNAP test. I came and picked up Patches and took her to my house, where she is caged in my basement, separate from my cats. Patches was at my friend's house for 5 days. Do I have to worry that Patches might have caught leukemia from the carpet, bedding and cat bed in those 5 days? The room had been used as a foster room but in between was open so that Kitty could go in there if he wanted. He also sometimes slept in the cat bed. Should I continue to keep her separate from my cats and for how long? Do I need to retest her at some point and when? My own cats have been vaccinated annually against leukemia, except for Rusty who has not been vaccinated in about 5 years. Rusty was sick for 2 days after her first leukemia vaccination since I have had her. She may or may not have been vaccinated at the shelter where I got her, so she has had at most 2 vaccinations, and maybe only one. As for my friend, she has 4 cats, 2 kittens, and a foster kitten. She has had Kitty for a year and a half to 2 years, and he probably was infected before she got him. She never had any of her cats tested, I doubt vaccinated, and all of them have mixed freely. One older cat was tested last spring when he was brought into the house and was positive for FIV only. What are the chances the others are infected now? Does it make a difference if it is a kitten or adult? This is heartbreaking news to both of us, and neither of us know that much about feline leukemia except that it is very contagious and bad. Merlin ___ 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] 2008 AAFP Feline Retrovirus Management
H - I'm concerned about the statement about when to vaccinate FIV cats: Cats living with FIV-positive cats, particularly if there is fighting. Gloria On Oct 21, 2009, at 6:09 PM, MaryChristine wrote: for those who haven't seen it--or to play out for your vet! http://www.catvets.com/professionals/guidelines/publications/index.aspx?ID=323 -- 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] OT: Fluid buildup in the chest
Hey James, I've had several FELV cats that developed mediastinal lymphoma. I tried chemo with one of them, but in general, the (traditional) treatment was prednisone, and drain the fluid. So I'd take the kitty in periodically to have the fluid drained. When they got anemic, then 1 blood transfusion. There may be newer or alternative treatments, I hope so. Ironic, when my sister got sick in NYC in 2003 - breast cancer - and got fluid (ascites) in her chest cavity, I said how about draining the fluid? and they did. I learned from the cats. Course the fluid always comes back. I'm so sorry - Gloria On Oct 23, 2009, at 2:28 PM, James G Wilson wrote: Hey all, Sorry for the off-topic post. But, my male cat, LG, is sick. Took him to the vet this morning because he wasn't breathing right. He had 288cc's of fluid built up around his heart and lungs :( :( :( They drained the fluid, and his color came back almost immediately. He's on prednisone and a diuretic to help curb the fluid buildup... Unfortunately, there were lots of leukocytes in the fluid which means a great chance of lymphatic cancer :( :( :( The prednisone is giving him his appetite back at least. He hadn't eaten in two days now... And, he was already too thin. Does anyone here have any experience with all of this? LG is twelve years old and quite healthy otherwise. Thanks for any and all assistance. Best wishes to everyone! James G. Wilson - phaed...@charter.net http://www.felineleukemia.org (FeLV Research Support) http://www.facebook.com/crambone http://weather62025.com (Weather for Edwardsville, IL) ___ 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] OT: Fluid buildup in the chest
Very interesting - thanks for posting that - Gloria On Oct 23, 2009, at 10:00 PM, S. Jewell wrote: Belinda, You would not have heard of it, unless you follow the likes of Robert Cathcart http://www.orthomed.com/publications1.html , Linus Pauling, Hugh Riordan, Irwin Stone, and Ewan Cameron, etc. regarding intravenous sodium ascorbate for treating disease. For the past decade I have worked in the distribution of the Pauling therapy (vitamin C/lysine) for reversing coronary artery plaques (www.HeartTech.com http://www.hearttech.com/ ) and as such have many connections in the alternative medicine circles including groups that currently treat cancers including stage IV with intravenous ascorbate, with frequent remissions (especially with lymphoma). I also knew about this from my familiarity with Dr. Cathcart's protocol for intravenous vitamin C in veterinary medicine. See http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/197x/belfield-w-j_int _assn_prev_med-1978-v2-n3-p10.htm. I am also acquainted with Wendell Belfield, http://www.belfield.com/ DVM, now retired, who knew Linus Pauling and who in his vet practice reversed FeLV http://www.belfield.com/pet_health_art2.php in the early stages with high dose oral vitamin C, as well as FIP, and also hip dysplasia, distemper and parvo in dogs. Lastly, again, this therapy is used at Smith Ridge Veterinary Clinic in Salem, New York and I have consulted with Dr. Martin Goldstein and one of his associates on separate occasions. To my knowledge, Linus' lymphoma is not mediastinal, as there has been no fluid retention and no chest mass. His spleen remains slightly enlarged, as well as his submandibular and popliteal lymph nodes. He is due for a complete exam, x-rays and workup to see if his remission is maintaining and whether we need to begin the intravenous ascorbate again. After his terminal diagnosis last May 2008 he underwent IV drips during June, July and August and did fine until his foster caregiver dumped him in January of this year and I noticed the lymph glands enlarging again somewhat. At that time a different vet suggested palliative care only, though we had come too far not to try and repeat the drips, which I did again from January through March. He has had no drip since March and remains active, healthy, and happy, though the lymph nodes are still palpable. He will likely get some more drips in the coming month depending on what his next workup shows. The drips are very benign and do not cause him much discomfort other than placement of the catheter. Also, because he has received a good number of drips the skin on his forearms has toughened and it has become more difficult to find a place to insert the catheter (the last was placed in his back leg, which was a bit more uncomfortable to place). His cathethers are left in place for 2-3 days, depending on what he will allow, and he usually receives two drips in that period of approximately 12 grams each in ringer's solution (worked up to over time). Lukey was Linus' best friend and we never expected Lukey to die first. A flood in Louisville back in August triggered what we now suspect in Lukey was dry FIP, though at the time it went undiagnosed and the focus was placed on administering the Imulan LTCI. Had I known we were dealing with FIP, we may well have reversed it using the same protocol as we used for Linus. In fact, Lukey received two IV vitamin C drips and with each he seemed improved, though again, we didn't really know that we may be dealing with FIP at that time and so I did not think to continue the intravenous drips, thinking that they would do little to help his nonregenerative anemia that began to appear weeks after his initial possible FIP symptoms of anorexia, lethargy, borderline low lymphocyte count, and chronic fever that we could not attribute to infection, etc. In retrospect, that is exactly what we should have done for the FIP symptoms. Sally Jewell ___ 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] OT: Fluid buildup in the chest
I guess it depends. I don't know where the fluid comes from, whether FELV or not, maybe it's all the same. With my sister, it was coming from the liver, being taken over by cancer and putting out fluid in the process. But that was a different type of cancer. Wonder if it comes from the blood itself. Gloria On Oct 24, 2009, at 2:36 PM, James G Wilson wrote: Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and suggestions on LG's chest fluid. Thankfully, he is not FeLV+. This fluid just seemed to come out of nowhere because he is so healthy otherwise. He is on prednisone and a diuretic (salix- 12.5mg). He is going to the litterbox about every three hours to pee now. He is eating, and I saw him drink some water just awhile ago. I was worried about how to pill LG because he is so stubborn about such things. The vet gave (sold!) me these treats called LeanTreats from NutriSentials. I was skeptical since LG is so finicky. I put the pills in the treat and squished it up and put it front of him. He sniffed it for a bit, licked it once and then acted like he was going to walk away. Then, he came right back and wolfed it down in one bite! I was shocked! :) So, he's getting his pills. I guess the main questions I have are these. How long before the fluid builds up again? He's on seven days straight of the pred and diuretic.. then it goes to every other day. I was given 20 pills each. He's breathing SO MUCH better today- no heavy breaths at all. Even after they drained the fluid yesterday, he was still breathing a bit heavy. But, that could have been the stress of it all too. I just want the best for him- a good quality of life for as long as he wants it... Thanks again for everyone's assistance. Best wishes to all. James G. Wilson - phaed...@charter.net http://www.felineleukemia.org (FeLV Research Support) http://www.facebook.com/crambone http://weather62025.com (Weather for Edwardsville, IL) ___ 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] Clifford Please add to the CLS :(
I'm so sorry - lucky guy to have someone be there for him - to love him and miss him. Gloria On Oct 25, 2009, at 9:19 PM, Sherry DeHaan wrote: Well this guy I only got to meet briefly last night at Sids before we had Dr Jen come take him to the clinic.He was in distress but still wanting his belly rubbed and purring in appreciation.He stole a little piece of my heart with his cute rugged orange face.I wish I had time to love you sweet Clifford. Sherry We who choose to surround ourselves with lives more temporary than our own, Live within a fragile circle,easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps. We still would have it no other way ___ 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] Reversal of FIP in my six-month-old kitten
That's what I understand. ITs proved through necropsy of the dead cat. However, with certain signs yellowish fluid from the belly, high corona titre, etc, vets tend to project that a cat has FIP. I heard by the grapevine recently that Cornell is doing FIP research. I am always very interested in and respect Dr. Belfield's approaches, so am very interested in this and will have to read more. Gloria On Nov 23, 2009, at 8:08 AM, MaryChristine wrote: corona virus titres do NOT prove FIP. cats can have high FeCoV titres and not progress to FIP, and cats who have progressed to FIP can have low titres because their exposure was so long before that the virus itself is out of their systems, although the FIP mutation is not. FIP is the new favorite diagnosis for, we haven't a clue. like susan, i would love for there to be an answer for FIP--it's much worse than FeLV, because there's no way to predict who will get it, no way to prevent it, and no way to treat it. but calling everything FIP, as has become the habit over the past three years or so, just makes actual diagnosis and learning more muddier. 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] Reversal of FIP in my six-month-old kitten
I do think that part of the issue with this fortunate situation, is that some of us have seen vets call anything they can't explain, or anything with a high corona titer, FIP, and it's frustrating, for lack of a better word. I had a lovely healthy Persian kitten that died AFTER spay surgery, a few years ago, and the vet said must have been FIP. I think the vet and his assistant probably just weren't careful with her airway after surgery, after they put her back in the cage. Gloria On Nov 23, 2009, at 5:00 PM, Diane Rosenfeldt wrote: I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but did want to make one point -- just in case it hasn't been addressed previously (although with the knowledge base here, I can't imagine it hasn't). So apologies if this is a dead horse but: It's been drummed into me that the presence of coronavirus alone is not an indicator for FIP since many if not most cats have it in their systems. This has been such a cause of panic even among vets who should know better and has resulted in so many needless deaths that I thought it bore repeating. What causes the coronavirus to mutate into FIP is a combination of heredity, circumstance, and possibly God having a sh-tty day and wanting to punish some innocents. All the best vibes to the kitten in question! Hang in there, darlin'. Diane R. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of jbero tds.net Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 4:30 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Reversal of FIP in my six-month-old kitten I find the skepticism and questioning surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of FIP interesting. I have to say, however, that every laboratory test, whether it be in human or veterinary medicine, is subject to failure; either giving false positives or false negatives. This is a far more common problem than most people may understand. Nothing is 100% in any test, ever. The best and really only currently known way to deal with this is by looking at the clinical presentation, history and lab work together. In this case, the presence of coronavirus in a related kitten, the age of the kitten, the clinical symptoms of fever, anemia and central nervous system impairment, I would say, that you are very very very likely looking at FIP or at least the entity in how it is understood. As far as diagnosing it by autopsy, it can also be done with a tissue biopsy. You are looking for pyogenicgranulomas, a histologic (microscopic) diagnosis. FIP is an entity that is not entirely understood therefore diagnosiing it accurately is difficult. It is simply a constellation of symptoms and lab work. That is precisely what you are looking at in this situation. What I am saying is that there is a cyclical line of reasoning here. FIP cannot be easily diagnosed and all are in agreement with that, so dismissing that this is FIP on the grounds that it's not been definitively diagnosed is nonsensical. Given the fact that it fulfills most of the criteria for FIP we have to go with the most likely scenario that it is. It fits a non effusive form of FIP almost perfectly. Given that, I am excited about the possibility of a treatment. Whatever this cat had, whatever you believe was the diagnosis (and by the way it is obvious that extensive tests, looking to identify alternate causes, were done). Whether you call FIP a wastebasket diagnosis, this cat responded and survived. The other cat, with identical symptoms, did not receive this full treatment and died. There is some success here, whatever your belief on the diagnosis is. I understand skepticism but there something happened here, even with don't fully understand what. Is it not worth, therefore, investigating? Well, that's just my opinion. Jenny On 11/23/09, MaryChristine twelvehousec...@gmail.com wrote: corona virus titres do NOT prove FIP. cats can have high FeCoV titres and not progress to FIP, and cats who have progressed to FIP can have low titres because their exposure was so long before that the virus itself is out of their systems, although the FIP mutation is not. FIP is the new favorite diagnosis for, we haven't a clue. like susan, i would love for there to be an answer for FIP--it's much worse than FeLV, because there's no way to predict who will get it, no way to prevent it, and no way to treat it. but calling everything FIP, as has become the habit over the past three years or so, just makes actual diagnosis and learning more muddier. 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Reversal of FIP in my six-month-old kitten
Good points. We've just learned so much skepticism about everything FIP. I'm wondering also - how do you get a vet to do something different - like a vitamin C drip? I know one vet who would and could do that, I'm pretty sure - but she's 60 miles away, and I have trouble finding free time to do drive away for a day.. Guess I just have to look around some more locally. Gloria On Nov 25, 2009, at 9:33 AM, jbero tds.net wrote: I think you all have valid points. Here are my thoughts. 1. Overdiagnosis of FIP - this is way hard to estimate because the diagnosis is difficult to come by. In fact, the pathophysiology of the disease is poorly understood so it may actually represent a constellation of diseases. In the end, however, the question is treatment. I think it is foolish to give a diagnosis of FIP if you are simply going to give up and put the animal down. If, however, you have no other explanation and the clinical signs are highly suspicious then you have to look at the possibility that it is. That's what I see happened in this case. Given that, what are you going to do. You have no other explanation, so how do you treat, do you wait until they die and do an autopsy to prove it's FIP or do you try something. I would try something. 2. Skepticism - I understand skepticism because I have tried and failed on more than one occassion with difficult viral diseases in cats. I really get that. What I do not understand (and if someone can enlighten me, I would be open to it) is how someone can see an animal suspected to have FIP, treated successfully and then say it was not FIP. How does one know that, how does one know that they did not successfully treat the disease? If someone says the only way to truely diagnose is by autopsy and the cat survived, prove to me they did not have FIP. If someone is saying it's not FIP only on the basis that the cat survived, well that's a useless statement to me. The skepticism works both ways - you can be skeptical it wasn't or skeptical it was. But in the end the difference is the treatment. I know it's not perfect science but medicine never is. So if you have tested for a number of common diseases, and all but the coronavirus were negative; there was a familial association, recent history of stress (spay, neuter, vaccination) in a young cat, and clinical signs/symptoms of the disease - short of putting the animal down and doing an autopsy, you've got a good of a diagnosis as you can get. 3. Medicine in general - Medicine is truely an art. Every individual is different. Every individual responds differently to life, stress, disease and treatment. Simply because a treatment works on one animal and not another does not mean they carry a different diagnosis. Especially in an immune related disease. The spectrum of disease presentation can be broad and the spectrum of response to treatment can be equally as broad. Does that mean we don't try? I don't think so. We all fail, it's whether or not we get back up and try again that determines our character. High dose Vitamin C appears to work for some (and there is a good scientific basis for why if you look into close enough) maybe not for all, but at the very least, it is an option where there are so few. I respect all you for your dedication to understanding, treating and erradicating the diseases that plague these animals. I know we are all trying to do what's best for them. We each may have a different approach but I am glad to know there are people like all of you with such a desire and passion to help. I have learned from all of you. God bless. Jenny On 11/24/09, Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net wrote: I do think that part of the issue with this fortunate situation, is that some of us have seen vets call anything they can't explain, or anything with a high corona titer, FIP, and it's frustrating, for lack of a better word. I had a lovely healthy Persian kitten that died AFTER spay surgery, a few years ago, and the vet said must have been FIP. I think the vet and his assistant probably just weren't careful with her airway after surgery, after they put her back in the cage. Gloria On Nov 23, 2009, at 5:00 PM, Diane Rosenfeldt wrote: I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but did want to make one point -- just in case it hasn't been addressed previously (although with the knowledge base here, I can't imagine it hasn't). So apologies if this is a dead horse but: It's been drummed into me that the presence of coronavirus alone is not an indicator for FIP since many if not most cats have it in their systems. This has been such a cause of panic even among vets who should know better and has resulted in so many needless deaths that I thought it bore repeating. What causes the coronavirus to mutate into FIP is a combination of heredity, circumstance, and possibly
Re: [Felvtalk] I Hate PETA
That really sucks big time. I knew that Peta had problems, and I haven't contributed to them in a long time. But I've never heard of this idiocy. I'll pass this info on - thanks for posting. Gloria --- Original Message --- From : Sharyl[mailto:cline...@yahoo.com] Sent : 12/3/2009 1:51:08 PM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: [Felvtalk] I Hate PETA Thnksgiving Day I finally trapped Smoky Jo in the dumpster colony I feed. Then Sunday I trapped Butterball. A new group is organizing here on the Eastern Shore to help with low cost speutering of ferals. Wed. the PETA SNIPS van came to speuter pets ($45) and ferals (#25). I took Smokey Jo and Butterball. My other low cost speutering place had fallen through and the only other option is $200 per cat at the animal hospital. I knew PETA sucks but had no idea how bad. The release form I signed said they could kill any animal testing positive for FeLV or FIV. I explained to the vet I would sanctuary them if they tested positive in my garage/cat enclosure. She checked with her supervisor and told me no exceptions. I should have left then but both of mine seemed healthy. When I went to pick them up I found out they had killed both Smoky Jo and Butterball!! I am devastated. PETA has a real problem with feral cats. The only way they'll let their van spay/neuter ferals is if all who test positive for FeLV or FIV are killed. PETA's way of exterminating ferals I guess. Smoky Jo tested positive for FeLV and Butterball for FIV. What really burns me is the SNAP test used is not 100% for FeLV. Don't know about FIV. But FIV is generally spread by deep bites. Once Butterball was fixed he wouldn't be fighting anymore. Just PETA's way of 'thinning the herd' I guess. Then they kept my money. Needless to say I won't be going back unless I find a way around the PETA policy. The Spay the Shore guy is going to try and find a vet to pre-test any future ferals I trap. Then if they are positive for either I'll have to find some other way to have them fixed. I'm broken hearted. Those two kitties trusted me to do right by them. Neither was ill. And now they are gone. It rained all the way home. Almost like the heavens were crying with me for them. Please consider what PETA stands for before donating any money to them. Sharyl ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Just got FIV+ diagnosis
I'm so sorry, Natasha. I've had several double positives, and they have lived normal lives for a while, but getting sick with anything was taxing on them. I don't have any double positives right now...I think the first one I had was Mr. Black Kitty back in 2002 or 3, and I'm so glad I took him in. But I'd sure wait and see before assuming that your kitty has FELV also. The other thing - I think vets don't see healthy FIV and FELV cats as much as they see sick ones - makes sense. So they think of them as sick, when actually they can have some good healthy years. Sending you some good thoughts - Gloria --- Original Message --- From : Sharyl[mailto:cline...@yahoo.com] Sent : 12/3/2009 12:16:58 PM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: Re: [Felvtalk] Just got FIV+ diagnosis Natasha, I see no reason why you can't cut and paste Ben's test results. You may want to start a new message since there is a limit on the size of a message. Sharyl --- On Wed, 12/2/09, Natasha Hinsbeeck n.hinsbe...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Natasha Hinsbeeck n.hinsbe...@yahoo.com Subject: [Felvtalk] Just got FIV+ diagnosis To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 5:23 PM Hi there! I've just subscribed to Felvtalk, and I'm not at all sure how this system works, so please forgive me if I mess it up. I've been through a rough time with my kitty lately. His name is Ben, and he's about 5 months old. He developed toxoplasmosis on Saturday (28/11/09), and initially responded well to treatment, we caught it in an early stage. Yesterday his condition started deteriorating, which is when my vet suggested we test him for FIV/FeLV, and my baby tested positive for FIV. The vet thinks he probably has FeLV as well, because of his age, he might not have enough antibody response to the FeLV yet. I lost a cat in June who only had FeLV, not FIV, and we lost him in the space of 24 hours after the diagnosis was made. I dont know enough aboout this subject, and I'm struggeling to get the answers I need to my questions. I was wondering - I've been blogging about this on the dailykitten website, could I paste all that info here? I'm going to start crying again if I have to repeat all that information again? ___ 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] Bridget will be started on LTCI
Thanks, Laura, I'm very interested - keep us up to date on what's going on! Gloria On Dec 3, 2009, at 10:21 AM, LauraM wrote: We are going to start Bridget on LTCI. Many thanks to all the members of this group - I would not have known about this drug without you. She's doing great. Very active and lively and not acting sick at all. She's a little unhappy because I've moved her into the garage with the other positive cats, but she does seem to enjoy the heat in there - I keep it real warm because of the tortoises and it's much more comfortable than the house. Bridget generally is not fond of other cats, and my FeLV guys and girl are all huge, so she's a little intimidated right now, but she'll adjust. I'll keep you all updated on her progress. Laura ___ 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] Help - I can't get LTCI in Georgia!
Very nice summary, Gary, thanks - Gloria On Dec 11, 2009, at 1:34 AM, Gary wrote: How odd. Has your vet spoken to Imulan about this problem? There isn't anything I know for sure that helps a lot other than a good diet and low stress. There are many things that people use with varying success. I just started using Acemannan and had success turning to FeLV positive anemic kittens into what appears to be pretty healthy positive cats. You already know about Interferon. Best Friends uses Immuno Regulin (now available as EqStim) .5 ml sub-q once a month on their positives. I have used Moducare and there is Transfer Factor and several others. There is oral vitamin C using Mega C. Does anything work all the time on every cat? I doubt it and we may be throwing our money away most of the time, who knows? Dr. Belfield claims he cured every positive cat that came through his practice of 30 years with his Mega C. My cats don't seem to like it so I haven't figured out how to dose them with enough to experiment with that. Gary LauraM wrote: As some of you may have read in my post from last week, my vet and I had planned to start Bridget on LTCI. Unfortunately, when my vet tried to order it, there was a problem. For some reason, the GA state vet isn't allowing the drug into the state at this time, for anybody - some legal issue. So.what are my options? I was excited hopeful about the possibilities of this drug now Bridget can't have it. What other therapies can you folks recommend? I've used interferon with two cats with no success. Bridget is currently asymptomatic, but I would like to try something, anything, to buy her as much time as possible. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks. Laura ___ 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] Help - I can't get LTCI in Georgia!
Thanks again, Sally. I'm a great believer in vitamin C, have taken megadoses of it myself with good results. I haven't used it methodically in cats like you have, although I have used Belfield's Vitamin C. When I get another cat with early FIP or FELV like you're talking about, I'll see about finding a vet who'll do an IV drip - wish I'd done it with some of my cats who've now passed on. Gloria in Arkansas On Dec 11, 2009, at 10:44 AM, S. Jewell wrote: Gary, I used the Mega C Plus on a feral FeLV cat for six months but ultimately he did not seroconvert because it was already in his bone marrow. Had I the opportunity to start megadoses of oral vitamin C at the beginning stages of his virus he would likely still be alive, because like taking C for the common cold, timing is key in stopping the progression of viruses. Ascorbic acid is critical for prevention and optimal health in cats and dogs, but it is nearly impossible to get enough of it into a cat orally to eradicate an aggressive, life-threatening virus once well-established. Cats and dogs make very little vitamin C in the liver compared to most animals, hence the reason they succumb to these diseases. I talked with Wendell Belfield, DVM about his use of this protocol and he confirmed that if the infection/disease/virus is too advanced a more aggressive approach is necessary through sub-Q or IM injections or intravenous infusions. Though an excellent formula, his oral Mega-C Plus contains iron, which can limit the amount than can be used therapeutically. Otherwise, there is no toxic limit for pure ascorbic acid and the more you can get into the cat up to bowel tolerance, the more beneficial. When the body is under stress (animal or human) and fighting illness, more vitamin C is tolerated and necessary to eradicate the disease/virus. The myths about kidney stones, peeing expensive urine, etc., are just that - myths, propagated by those who would stand to lose huge money were ascorbic acid widely accepted and used for eradicating disease. Vitamin C has been known to fight 30 major diseases for over 50 years, and as Wendell Belfield DVM knew well and practiced from the 1960s on, it also cures cat and dog viruses, infection and disease. Giving high doses of sodium ascorbate intravenously to an FeLV cat in the early stages of the disease should permanently eradicate the FeLV virus as it did with FIP in my kitten, and in fact, ANY virus. I am preparing to do just such a trial on the next newly diagnosed FeLV kitten that comes into my care. The key is catching it early and administering enough to permanently destroy the virus. With my two FIP kittens, Chuckie was the first to become symptomatic. We administered IV sodium ascorbate (vitamin C) at 1 gram per pound of body weight (5,000 mg daily) for five days. We stopped the drips when he appeared better, though he soon took a nose dive and by the time my vet opened again he was too far gone from a neurological standpoint. The virus had not been totally eradicated in those five days at that low dose, and when the C was stopped the virus replicated and killed him. When his sister Angelica began to manifest with the same chronic high fevers, weight loss, lack of appetite, and transient neurologic symptoms, a passage in Klenner's Clinical Guide to the Use of Vitamin C grabbed my attention, to wit: . . . failure to benefit from Vitamin C use is usually due to inadequate amounts being used for too short a period of time. Newly armed with this information, we doubled Angelica's IV C to 2g per pound of body weight so that she was getting 10g daily. We continued the drips daily and on day 7 her 105 fever came down. We continued for 4 more days to make sure the virus was killed and we didn't have a repeat situation as with poor Chuckie. Her fevers remained down through day 11 and then we tapered her off of the C and gave it orally to avoid rebound scurvy. It has been 3 weeks and she is eating well, gaining weight, and totally asymptomatic. Needless to say, she now gets C in her food every day. The difference between the two treatment scenarios is that Chuckie received too many immune-destroying antibiotics and steroids before his official FIP diagnosis returned and by the time we started the IV C drips he was terribly compromised, though he probably would have survived had I only realized that we were administering too little vitamin C for too short a time. When Angelica became sick I went straight to the IV vitamin C as my first line of defense and apparently that, and the proper dosage amount and administration length, were the keys to curing her. I hope this helps some of you. I posted much of this information before but it seemed to be dismissed a priori with few appearing to consider it legitimate or worthy of greater investigation. This is sad, because while everyone continues to talk of what to do for these poor FeLV, FIV, FIP and other sick cats, with a little
Re: [Felvtalk] stomatitis
I'll have to think - for Stomatitis/gingivitis, I've used 1) pulling the teeth (seems to work well) 2) Oral dexamethasone (some folks have good luck with that - made my kitty cough a little but helped somewhat) 3) Monthly Demo (steroid) shot - nice but if it gets too frequent, kitty comes down with other things 4) Convenia antibiotic shot, followed by oral Axithromycin as needed (worked pretty well) There's another oral med that I've tried but can't remember the name right now, have to look it up. It was pretty good. I'm sure there are some other options. As I understand, Stomatitis can be called by several different things... Best of luck, Gloria On Dec 13, 2009, at 3:54 PM, lernermiche...@aol.com wrote: Hi. I'm fostering an FIV+ cat right now who has pretty bad stomatitis. We had his teeth cleaned and 6 of them removed, and after a few weeks of antibiotics post-dental surgery he was doing much much better-- eating a lot more, gained 3 pounds in 3 weeks, not seeming to have any mouth pain and the redness was all gone. We stopped the antibiotics (which had been clindamycin then switched to clavamox) and he remained ok for a few days. He then went to a potential adoptive home with another FIV+ cat. A week later she called for us to get him back, largely because his mouth got really bad again. He is back on Clavamox, and has been for a few days, but is growling when he eats and can only eat wet food that we break up into very small pieces. His gums are very inflamed again. I had 6 FeLV+ cats, but was lucky that none had stomatitis like this. For those of you whose cats have it or had it, what do you recommend? thanks, Michelle ___ 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] stomatitis
That's interesting I'll start that (orally) with a cat I have. Gloria On Dec 13, 2009, at 9:55 PM, S. Jewell wrote: Michelle, No amount of antibiotics will do for your cat's stomatitis what ascorbic acid will do. See http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/197x/belfield-w-j_int _assn_prev_med-1978-v2-n3-p10.htmstomatit for an idea of how much to use for different similar conditions in animals. I would put the cat on oral vitamin C or subcutaneous or intramuscular injections of sodium ascorbate. Better yet would be asking your vet to put the cat on intravenous vitamin C (in a sodium chloride drip) from McGuff - http://www.mcguffpharmaceuticals.com/ascor_l_NC.htm. I can give you the protocol for your vet if you would like to have it. The key is dosage - using enough vitamin C for long enough to clear the infection and inflammation (again, see the general guidelines in the Belfield paper). Vitamin C used in any of these forms is safe, nontoxic and highly therapeutic for a myriad of conditions in animals when given in sufficient doses. Sally Snyder Jewell Tower Laboratories Corporation ___ 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] Suggestion
Welcome, this is in general a great list! I totally agree - and I've been on the list for maybe 6+ years. I've tried a number of things, and very open to trying other things that come along. We need all the help and suggestions we can get. Gloria On Dec 15, 2009, at 11:37 AM, Sara Kasteleyn wrote: Good morning everyone, I'm new to the list, so please take my suggestion with the appropriate weight, but it seems to me that every approach to coping with, keeping at bay, and dealing with the ravages of these diseases and their associated symptoms should be welcomed and left to individual feline caretakers to investigate with the vets we are working with. It is understandable that emotions can run high..so many have lost precious little lives, sometimes after great expense, hope and ultimate failure. It's the sharing of that experience, receiving suggestions, asking questions.that makes this such a valuable resource for those of us dealing with the everyday joys and setbacks of our caretaking roles. I can only speak for myself, but I truly welcome every suggestion offered. It takes courage to share what can be viewed as outside the traditional box therapies. As a user of these posts, I am actively seeking any treatment that might enhance the lives of my little ones. I think we all are. Just my little two cents from SoCal this morning. Thanks to you all and blessings of the season! Sara Sara F Kasteleyn CIC Research, Inc. 8361 Vickers Street San Diego, CA 92111 T - 858-637-4000 F - 858-637-4040 skastel...@cicresearch.com ___ 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] Help - I can't get LTCI in Georgia!
If you can find a vet to do it, I'd try the vitamin C therapy in a New York Minute. I've never used Acemannan, but have read a lot about it and it sounds good too. When I checked into it a few years ago, it was hard for me to get. Course you'd have to find a competent vet willing to do that too. Good luck! Gloria On Dec 16, 2009, at 8:10 PM, LauraM wrote: My vet spoke with several people at whatever state department deals with drugs and so on, and apparently nobody can get LTCI, even the clinics who'd been previously using it. It is so, so frustrating (especially since I just refinanced and so - for once - I actually have some money!). Since I'm so close to Alabama, going out of state might be my best bet. In the meantime, the vitamin C therapy sounds interesting and so does acemannan. I'm still hopeful! ___ 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] Zapper
It would be definitely be considered alternative, Roseann. I have one at home somewhere - got it from my sister's things after her death, I'm not even sure where it is, guess I'd better find it. Gloria On Dec 20, 2009, at 7:48 PM, Roseann Fitzgerald wrote: My vet has never mentioned anything about a Zapper. Do most vets have these in their practice or are they used by vets in holistic medicine? How can you find out which vets have them? ___ 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] FELV+ kitten needs a foster home for a month
Anybody in Philadelphia? This is from the FIVcats list - Gloria 1. Fwd: [phillytnr] -- FELV+ kitten needs a foster home for a month ON Posted by: cwynnecolly...@aol.com cwynnecolly...@aol.com whitehorsegoddess1990 Date: Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:43 am ((PST)) In a message dated 12/19/2009 8:05:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, greenst...@aol.com writes: - Forwarded Message From: cvzra...@aol.com cvzra...@aol.com To:nee1...@yahoo.com Sent: Fri, December 18, 2009 3:48:08 PM Subject: Cat Foster needed Renee- Do you know anyone who could take a feline leukemia positive cat for about a month until it can get into a rescue for cats with this disease? It could go to someone without cats or to someone who has cats, but has a separate room to keep it in. As long as the cats are separated, any cats that are negative cannot contract the disease from the positive cat. He is much more pressing than the other guys. If you are emailing about reservations for the PCCC clinics please email: cli...@phillycats.org Philadelphia Community Cats Council, President www.phillycats.org Green Street Rescue, President http://www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/shelter72272-pets.html (\___/) (= ' . ' =) ( *)___(* ) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Bridge list - SnuggleBunny and Calico
Some for the Bridge List - Susan, a rescuer here in Little Rock, just lost 2 very dear FELV kitties during the last two weeks - first SnuggleBunny, then Calico yesterday(Jan 9, 2010). I lost some beloved kitties recently - Oliver, a 13-14 year old FELV from Oklahoma that I've had for maybe 4 years, died in Dec 2009. I also lost some non-FELV kitties recently - Tillie (age 18, Oct 2009), Violet (FIV adult kitty, Nov 2009), Toby (age 14, Dec 2009). Thanks, Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Oh yeah - VOTE FOR ORANGE TABBY ALEX in the Bissell contest
Meant to include this! Please help if you can! Susan is a librarian at the Arkansas School for the BLind, and has a Library Cat who goes to school with her - hey! IF possible, please vote for ALEX- she's entered him in a Bissell contest, and if he wins it will benefit our rescue, Feline Rescue and Rehome. Thanks very much - we really appreciate it! I've included her info below -Gloria - http://mvp.bissell.com/mvp_PetDetail.aspx?id=8589935526 This is the link to follow for the Bissell Most Valuable Pet contest which Big Footsie placed in (one of the weekly contests) last year! Let's beat the over 600 votes Footsie got and send Alex to the finals! They have never had an orange tabby in the top 5 so I think he has a great chance. He can win up to $5000 for FuRR and appear on Bissell packaging for a year. The voting is a little harder this year - you have to create an account to do it. Follow the link , click on Please Log In to Vote, click on If Not a Member Click Here to Create an Account, once that is done click on VOTE, then search for Alex, click on the picture and then on the Vote tab just to the right of the tab that shows the number of votes. You do NOT have to use your email account's actual password. BUT - if this is too much hassle but you'd still like your vote to be counted, just reply to this email and say vote for me, and I can do it! Please forward to all your friends, post on Facebook, etc. We have through Thursday, JANUARY 14th to vote - there are over 3500 entries - but we can do it! Thank you so much. Alex and Susan ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Bridge list - SnuggleBunny and Calico
Thanks, Diane, yes it has been sad. Gloria On Jan 10, 2010, at 12:09 AM, Diane Rosenfeldt wrote: Wow, what a sad couple of months for you and Susan! Gentlest of bridge vibes to Oliver, Tillie, Violet, Toby, SnuggleBunny and Calico. I'm sure they're all at the Bridge glad to see some familiar faces but missing their moms. Diane R. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Gloria B. Lane Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 10:49 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Bridge list - SnuggleBunny and Calico Some for the Bridge List - Susan, a rescuer here in Little Rock, just lost 2 very dear FELV kitties during the last two weeks - first SnuggleBunny, then Calico yesterday(Jan 9, 2010). I lost some beloved kitties recently - Oliver, a 13-14 year old FELV from Oklahoma that I've had for maybe 4 years, died in Dec 2009. I also lost some non-FELV kitties recently - Tillie (age 18, Oct 2009), Violet (FIV adult kitty, Nov 2009), Toby (age 14, Dec 2009). Thanks, Gloria ___ 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] Lyttle Guy passed away
So sorry, James - gentle bridge vibes for sweet Lyttle Guy. Lucky kitty to pass out of this world with such kind hearted love. Gloria On Jan 25, 2010, at 4:37 AM, James G Wilson wrote: Lyttle Guy passed away in my arms at 4:18am this morning. He had series of seizures and then gasped his last breath. He was truly loved and shall be dearly missed James G. Wilson - phaed...@charter.net http://www.felineleukemia.org (FeLV Research Support) http://www.facebook.com/crambone http://weather62025.com (Weather for Edwardsville, IL) ___ 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] Advice please?
I've never heard about 5 years being a time marker for FELV cats. I've heard that kittens born with it will tend to have more trouble living long lives than cats/kittens that acquire it after birth. All just stuff I've heard, of course, no proof. I have had several FELV cats die at around 2.5 to 3 years of age. I have 3 FELV cats that are older than 3 years old now, not sure when they got it. But one of them is 12-13 years old. At one point, I felt like daily interferon was a real help to young FELV cats less than 3 years old. But then it seemed like if the schedule changed - doses had to be missed, etc - it was a big problem. So now nobody's on interferon alpha, and partly because I'm so busy. But everybody's doing well. The last death I had was Oliver, who was 12-13-14 that age range. I don't recall losing any FELV cats at 5 years of age, and have had quite a few FELV cats. Now there are different types of FELV virus, so maybe that plays into it. Hope this helps in some way. Gloria --- Original Message --- From: Avia Rauscher[mailto:a...@rauscher.com] Sent: 1/26/2010 1:15:14 PM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: [Felvtalk] Advice please? I've been a member here for a while, although I don't post much. I lost a 20 month old cat (Cinder) to FeLV a year ago. We found out her status post-mortem and through subsequent testing of my other three cats found one of them (Onyx) to be FeLV+ as well (Elisa and IFA). The other two (Horus Blackie) have been vaccinated, and will be re-tested soon. I did not separate them after learning that Onyx was + because - well, any of you who mix your +'s and -'s know why. Although there is no 100% sure way to know which cat gave the FeLV to the other, we are working on the assumption that Onyx had it to begin with and gave it to Cinder. Cinder was 9 weeks old when we adopted from ACC, and Onyx was about 20 months old at the time. I got Onyx from a pet store (lesson learned!) and she was in sad shape, only six weeks old, dehydrated, malnourished, and with coccidia. I couldn't return her to the people who allowed her to get into that condition (as suggested by the vet I used at the time), but for whatever reason, testing her for FeLV never came up. Cinder was tested at the shelter, and came back negative. Horus and Blackie both tested negative when they joined our family. At first I thought Cinder tested false negative because of her age, but in my many conversations with many, many people it seems more likely that Onyx had it from birth (or shortly after, she has never been exposed to FeLV other than with Cinder) and gave it to Cinder (they were very close as almost as soon as I brought Cinder home). Cinder developed a URI shortly after leaving the shelter, which Onyx caught, of course. Onyx had a much harder time beating the URI, part of which was due to a poorly prescribed antibiotic. I realize now that it may have been the FeLV that made it so hard for her to kick it. So, Onyx is now four years and a couple of months old. She is healthy and active, and I have been so happy that she seems to be one of those cats who lives a long time with this virus. Until I spoke to a woman from a rescue group doing cat adoptions in a nearby pet store. Through conversation I told Onyx's story and this woman kindly (hah!) informed me that the life expectancy for a cat with FeLV in the bone marrow is five years, so while I'm lucky she's survived this long, I shouldn't expect Onyx to be around a whole lot longer. Which brings me to the advice I would like: What are the chances of a cat who is FeLV+ from birth living past 5? I have been reading all the posts about LCTI, but I am not clear on whether you start when they develop symptoms or while they are still healthy. Does anyone here know if recurrent FLUTD is commonly seen in FeLV+ cats? Horus tested negative and was vaccinated, but he's lost two pounds in the last month (his appetite seems fine) and is in the middle of his third bout of FLUTD in as many months - he's also asthmatic. I am in panic mode right now. Should I re-test him early? Any advice anyone here can give me would be very much appreciated. Avia Rauscher ___ 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] Article at Bestfriends
I just saw an article at Bestfriends.org which I was surprised and disappointed about: http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/pdfs/cats/catfelv.pdf The author includes What happens to a cat who has contracted the virus? and says The virus adversely affects the cat’s bone marrow and immune system. An infected cat becomes anemic and is unable to fight off even routine infections. Cats with feline leukemia are commonly jaundiced and lethargic, and they experience weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, and poor stamina. It sounds like an FELV cat is going to die immediately after getting the virus. So I can see folks reading that article and then euthing their FELV kitties, thinking they're doing them a favor. The 5 FELV cats that I have now haven't seen any sickness since I've had them. Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Article at Bestfriends
That's pretty sad isn't itI'm disappointed in BestFriends. On Jan 26, 2010, at 3:04 PM, Gary wrote: I wonder if the author of the article has ever actually gone to their FeLV unit and looked at the cats? I certainly hope they don't look like the article says they look, mine don't look like that and they don't all get anemia and don't all get jaundiced. The ones who do get anemia may be lethargic and jaundiced, but it is not an ongoing condition. But you never know, I once asked the vet at BF why they give a monthly sub-q shot of immuno regulin to all the FeLV cats, figured I'd get some good info on IR. WRONG!! The vet said they use it because that is what was being done when he arrived, I believe he doesn't have a clue. Gary - Original Message - From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 2:36 PM Subject: [Felvtalk] Article at Bestfriends I just saw an article at Bestfriends.org which I was surprised and disappointed about: http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/pdfs/cats/catfelv.pdf The author includes What happens to a cat who has contracted the virus? and says The virus adversely affects the cat’s bone marrow and immune system. An infected cat becomes anemic and is unable to fight off even routine infections. Cats with feline leukemia are commonly jaundiced and lethargic, and they experience weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, and poor stamina. It sounds like an FELV cat is going to die immediately after getting the virus. So I can see folks reading that article and then euthing their FELV kitties, thinking they're doing them a favor. The 5 FELV cats that I have now haven't seen any sickness since I've had them. Gloria ___ 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] Sweet dreams little brother
Awww, I'm so sorry about your sweet Mozart. Gloria On Jan 30, 2010, at 7:45 PM, Jason Michael Canon wrote: At 7:45 tonight Mozart finally went to sleep. Keep a light on for me little brother. Love always, Jason ___ 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] Li Won has passed on
Li Won passed from my care about 2 days ago - she was 23 year old Siamese, not FELV. I've had her for at least a couple of years maybe 3 - she belonged to a friend's mother, who had cancer and died of it. She was a sweet, beloved kitty, liked to sleep and eat - and was certainly the oldest kitty I've had. I wish her well in her journey to the bridge and am grateful that she was here. Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Li Won has passed on
AND to share with her now-deceased mama who had her for most of those years. What a ride... Thanks to everyone, always makes me feel better to post here. Gloria On Feb 1, 2010, at 3:07 PM, MaryChristine wrote: wow, what a wonderful ride she had! i'm sorry that she had to leave you and go on to another great adventure, but just think of all the tales she's got to share with the kitties at the bridge! GLOW to heal your heart. -- 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] FW: Virginia Clemans article regarding Feline LeukemiaViirus
I'm looking for a link to the article... Gloria On Feb 10, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Laurieskatz wrote: If anyone is so inclined, might be good for them to hear from others. Laurie From: Estelle Munro [mailto:este...@bestfriends.org] Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 6:38 PM To: Laurieskatz Subject: RE: Virginia Clemans article regarding Feline Leukemia Viirus Dear Laurie, I have emailed Dr. Mike about your concerns and he does not feel that the article is inaccurate. Although brief, it does not give the impression that FeLeuk is an automatic death sentence nor does it in any way encourage folks to euthanize upon diagnosis. She does encourage folks to provide good nutrition, maintain a low stress environment, and keep in touch with the vet at any sign of illness. Perhaps at some point in the future Best Friends will do a more lengthy article on Feline Leukemia. Thank you so much for your input. We appreciate that your experience has been dramatically different to what Dr Clemans described and are genuinely delighted for you and your cats. Our experience and statistics we have seen show that what Dr Clemans wrote is unfortunately more common. Best Wishes, Estelle Munro -Original Message- From: Laurieskatz [mailto:lauriesk...@mchsi.com] Sent: Sun 1/31/2010 7:22 AM To: Estelle Munro Subject: RE: Virginia Clemans article regarding Feline Leukemia Viirus Thanks but this still does not address the issue of the FeLV article scaring people and the likely unnecessary euthanizing of cats diagnosed with this disease. Will you consider printing my letter to present the other side and my own experience, please? Thank-you, Laurie Crawford Stone From: Estelle Munro [mailto:este...@bestfriends.org] Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 6:00 PM To: Laurieskatz Subject: RE: Virginia Clemans article regarding Feline Leukemia Viirus Dear Laurie, There is a new article in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of Best Friends magazine on FIV. I think you'll find it more in line with your thinking. Best Wishes, Estelle Munro Assistant Editor -Original Message- From: Laurieskatz [mailto:lauriesk...@mchsi.com] Sent: Tue 1/26/2010 7:21 PM To: Estelle Munro Subject: Virginia Clemans article regarding Feline Leukemia Viirus Dear Editor: The article about Feline Leukemia Virus by Virginia Clemans is inconsistent with my experience and, I believe, does a great injustice to cats diagnosed with this virus. Certainly not all cats diagnosed with FeLV have the health issues Clemans reports. I lived with two cats who were diagnosed with feline leukemia after I adopted them. Stripes lived to age 16 years. Squeaky lived to age 22 years. They were robust boy cats who lived together for 15 years. They weighed 15-16 lbs. People always commented about what big boys they were. They were playful and fully engaged in life. Stripes had an occasional undiagnosed illness that always resolved. Squeaky was never sick a day in his life until his final three weeks. Squeaky died from oral cancer. We did not determine Stripes' cause of death. My vets did not treat these cats any differently than other cats I have had. There was no alarm sounded when their tests came back positive. The information was given to me as part of a routine exam. I had no idea anyone thought this was a big deal. Certainly my vets did not think so. I rescued two other cats who tested positive for FeLV. Ollie lived to an old age, asymptomatic except for some dental issues at the time he was rescued. Bella is still alive. She is a 13 lb ball of love. She was rescued 3 years ago and was an adult cat at that time. She was anemic and had a high fever when rescued but these situations quickly resolved with medication treatment by an internal medicine specialist. Feline Leukemia does not have to be a death sentence. The kitties who test positive should be retested as there can be false positives (and false negatives). Their owners can find information and support groups on the internet (yahoo offers several groups for FeLV cat owners). In this group format they can talk to other people who live or have lived with cats with FeLV. They can get questions answered. They can learn about feeding a quality food, keeping stress to a minimum and various supplements and treatments in the event of illness. Not all the cats who test positive will be as lucky as those I mentioned here, but there is another side to this disease and there are many cats who survive and thrive with this disease. Sincerely, Laurie Crawford Stone Cedar Rapids, Iowa ___ 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
Re: [Felvtalk] Bernie - Uveitis
I'm so sorry to hear that. Wonder if something else could be causing the diarrhea, like giardia or something? Just thought I'd mention it. Will sure be thinking of Bernie - best of luck, Gloria --- Original Message --- From: Maria[mailto:mian...@gmail.com] Sent: 2/16/2010 10:03:07 AM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: [Felvtalk] Bernie - Uveitis Hi everyone - Just asking if you guys could say a little prayer for Bernie (1 yr. 8mos FelV +) He isn't doing well and I'm afraid things could get worse soon. He was diagnosed with uveitis about 2 weeks ago. The iris is still inflamed even though we are using the predisone eye drops 3 times a day. We could do a biopsy and get a sample of the substance to see if it is lymphoma, but as of right now, I don't think I'm going to do it. I don't want to put him through that and there is a chance that the sample would be unusable. The eye specialist also said that if it is lymphoma, it is most likely somewhere else in his body as well. He is eating normally and if you start to play with him he will play a little. But his activity level is low, sleeping alot, and he won't play with his brother. He started having diarreha last night. Also, if he doesnt get his eye drops (One day i could only give it to him once), I noticed he wouldnt eat for about 12 hours and just laid around the whole day. Not sure what else to do...it kills me to see him this way. Thanks ___ 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] ringworm
Topically I've used Golden Seal for ringworm, and it works well. If that doesn't work I try Gentian Violet (which is very purple and messy but has always worked well). Orally I've used Grisiofulvin once or twice. I have one FIV kitty with skin issues right now and am using Sebazole (sp) and seems to work well for him. I get a wet rag and apply it topially, with warm water. Not sure what his skin problem is, though, probably not ringworm. Gloria --- Original Message --- From: Diane Tyler[mailto:drty...@spenserslegacy.org] Sent: 3/3/2010 6:23:45 PM To : felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc : Subject : RE: Re: [Felvtalk] ringworm I've had lots of success using Program for ringworm. I've used it twice: this year and several years ago for groups of four or more cats. The dosage suggestions can be found at this website: http://www.vetinfo.com/cringwrm.html I know lots of people might not agree that this is an effective treatment, but again, it has worked for me and is certainly a lot less stressful than bathing or dipping. Good luck! Diane On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 5:54 PM, Emeraldkittee emeraldkit...@yahoo.comwrote: just wondering if anyone had a FeLV baby with ringworm? Whimsy is not inside yet, but has started to yank his own fur out - he's got a few red spots suddenly that look similiar to scraped knees in people. I'm planning on doing a skin scrape per my vet's instructions but I'm concerned if a) the test takes time to send to a lab is ok to bring him in? b) I won't be able to bathe him / nor do the sulfar dips, so it would have to be oral meds c) can I treat him while he's outside for this? I can't risk our whole household being infected especially with two other immune supressed kitties. ugh, this throws a curve ball into the plan. This just started about 1 wk ago with lesions appearing about 3 days ago. I was hoping to get him back to the vet and inside over the next week. Thanks so much, these posts are so helpful and interesting. Shannon anyone else's experiences would be interesting to hear. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Diane Tyler Spenser's Legacy Animal Rescue www.SpensersLegacy.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] how to treat a cut in FeLV cat
I generally clean the cut with Hydrogen Peroxide, poured directly on the cut. Then either antibiotic ointment or an herbal, Golden Seal powder or liquid. Gloria On Mar 28, 2010, at 7:08 PM, Linda Sollberger wrote: Hello everyone, I've been on the list for several months but haven't posted anything. My neighbor and I are taking care of 4 FeLV cats. Their mother was a stray cat in our neighborhood and had kittens in our garage. I was just trying to cut a mat out of one of them, just under her front leg, and accidentally cut her skin. I feel so bad. I've never done that before to any pet. It bled a little but its just the skin that was cut. We put some Neosporin on it and a little gauze bandage. We didn't have any gauze to wrap around the bandage to keep it on so I cut a clean Handiwipe in strips and tied it on. I'm just wondering if that's the right thing to do. Do you think I need to take her to the vet right away or can we just watch it for a few days? I don't want to stress her by taking her to the vet if I don't have to. I have 2 cats of my own and have had quite a few vet bills lately too. I don't need any more but I want to do the right thing too. How do you treat cuts in a FeLV cat? She's almost 2 years old. I'm becoming quite a worrier. We have already lost 2 of the kittens we originally had so I'm on this list to learn as much as I can. Originally my vet told us they were FIV and not FeLV but I found out too late for the first one that that's not the case. I changed vets and I have someone I can trust now. My heart and prayers go out to all of you who have lost little ones lately. I cry ever time I read about them and almost got off the list because it's so painful but I thought I better stay on to learn as much as I can. Thanks for any advice you have. Linda ___ 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] off topic: need a temp stay and ride from Phoenix/Tempe area
Anybody in the Phoenix-Tempe , AZ, area? Someone who adopted from us (Feline Rescue and Rehome, Teamfurr.org) has financial problems, wants to give up his two cats. He adopted one from us, but they're buddies. Looking for temporary housing and a ride back to Little Rock, Arkansas! Thanks! Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] gentian violet for ringworm-how?
I have used Gentian Violet for many years for ringworm, and Golden Seal for not quite as long, and both seem to work well. No I don't dilute it, never thought of it, but you might try it. I always start with Golden Seal because it's not as , uh, purple as the Gentian Violet, ha! It's also a treatment for thrush in the mouth, but I don't think it's very tempting to use in the mouth, or lick (for a kitty). Gloria On Apr 2, 2010, at 6:45 PM, Emeraldkittee wrote: some have mentioned using this or goldenseal as a natural treatment for ringwormI assume it comes in a tincture, like goldenseal can? should it be diluted with water and applied with cotton? I assume it's ok if they lick some of it off? thank you. ___ 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] Phoenix/Tempe?
Still looking know of any people to help or reputable rescues in the Phoenix/Tempe area? Gloria Begin forwarded message: From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Date: March 29, 2010 4:12:23 PM CDT To: Feline Leukemia felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] off topic: need a temp stay and ride from Phoenix/Tempearea Reply-To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Anybody in the Phoenix-Tempe , AZ, area? Someone who adopted from us (Feline Rescue and Rehome, Teamfurr.org) has financial problems, wants to give up his two cats. He adopted one from us, but they're buddies. Looking for temporary housing and a ride back to Little Rock, Arkansas! Thanks! Gloria ___ 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] Felvtalk Digest, Vol 22, Issue 5
OK Thanks! On Apr 6, 2010, at 10:09 PM, nancy denison wrote: Get a hold of Casa De Los Gatos. Great group. I sponsor a FIV Tuxedo kitty named Turbo Girl. Beth Montes has pu heart and soul into it. They are in Tuscon, AZ. go to casadelosgatos.org Nancy - Original Message - From: felvtalk-requ...@felineleukemia.org To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 12:00 PM Subject: Felvtalk Digest, Vol 22, Issue 5 Send Felvtalk mailing list submissions to felvtalk@felineleukemia.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ felvtalk_felineleukemia.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to felvtalk-requ...@felineleukemia.org You can reach the person managing the list at felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Felvtalk digest... Today's Topics: 1. Phoenix/Tempe? (Gloria B. Lane) -- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2010 12:17:44 -0500 From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Subject: [Felvtalk] Phoenix/Tempe? To: Feline Leukemia felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: 6246-794c-451f-bef3-184375e55...@aristotle.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Still looking know of any people to help or reputable rescues in the Phoenix/Tempe area? Gloria Begin forwarded message: From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Date: March 29, 2010 4:12:23 PM CDT To: Feline Leukemia felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] off topic: need a temp stay and ride from Phoenix/Tempearea Reply-To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Anybody in the Phoenix-Tempe , AZ, area? Someone who adopted from us (Feline Rescue and Rehome, Teamfurr.org) has financial problems, wants to give up his two cats. He adopted one from us, but they're buddies. Looking for temporary housing and a ride back to Little Rock, Arkansas! Thanks! Gloria ___ 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 End of Felvtalk Digest, Vol 22, Issue 5 *** ___ 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] on ringworm.
HA Love it. Gloria On Apr 15, 2010, at 7:49 PM, MaryChristine wrote: re: ringworm, your vet is uncommonly wise. if you read all the professional literature, including the small print, it all boils down to: goes away with treatment in x number of months (depending on treatment); goes away without treatment in three months. shelters and rescues all over the country KILL cats for having ringworm; many cats are immune to it, or break out once and then develop an immunity, and there seems to be a genetic component to it, too--persians and himmies will probably be shown to be predisposed to it. there's even an ingrown form of it only seen in persians, himalayans (and one dog) ringworm spores, like cockroaches, will outlive us all, and sit around campfires munching on twinkies milennia after the human race has died out. just saying. -- 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] update on Whimsy
Interesting. I'm always a believer in Gentian Violet for ringworm and skin problems as well as Golden Seal. I first learned about Gentian Violet because when my dad was burned in the mid 1940's they used on some of his skin problems. Then in the 1950's my grandmother said to use it on ringworm. Guess my point is it's an old remedy lol. Anyhow, I have a siamese mix kitty, Dusty Blue, who's developed these weird skin problems that developed over the winter and into spring. Too much for Gentian Violet, which rubs purple on it's surroundings; and Golden Seal didn't work. One of our vets said here try this. And it was miconazole. So whenever I see a spot developing on Dusty's back or belly, I head for the Myconazol. I don't bathe him in it, just get a wet cloth and put some on it and then on Dusty. Works great. And none of the other cats have gotten it, whatever it is. Think it's almost gone. Gloria On Apr 16, 2010, at 6:08 PM, Emeraldkittee wrote: thanks, Heather, yes I think it's looking like seasonal allergies since it was triggered when we had our first snow melt. I didn't know him last Spring so I cannot tell what he went thru then. good reasons to bring him in:) --- On Fri, 4/16/10, Heather furrygi...@gmail.com wrote: From: Heather furrygi...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] update on Whimsy To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Friday, April 16, 2010, 8:56 AM This sounds similar to a lot of allergy, or flea allergy, hair loss we've seen in outdoor cats here. Even if there aren't apparent fleas, allergic reactions can be triggered by just oneand of course, it could also be seasonal type allergies. Glad he is doing well! On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 9:24 PM, Emeraldkittee emeraldkit...@yahoo.com wrote: yes, and I brought up demodex too, but they said it wasn't that. I brought my gentian violet to show the vet and she said 'why not' - she's a great dr, because she is open to new ideas. he is a survivior :) and it's an honor to care for him:) --- On Thu, 4/15/10, Laurieskatz lauriesk...@mchsi.com wrote: From: Laurieskatz lauriesk...@mchsi.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] update on Whimsy To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 6:50 PM This sounds very good. Did the vet ever suggest demodex mite as the cause of the itching and fur loss? My vet says it's almost impossible to test for ringworm. He doesn't even test anymore. He tends to treat small patches with human fungal cream and larger patches with an oral medication. Whimsy sounds like a survivor! Thanks for taking care of him! L -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Emeraldkittee Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:35 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] update on Whimsy Whimsy - (the outdoor, used to be feral FeLV little boy who had a scary jerking/twitching episode a few weeks back you might recall) - had his check up and everything was normal. His bloodwork and stool came back normal too. His skin has been his only issue - he was bald on the left side, then the right, now it's down to his tail. This is the 8th week of this, and I had figured it was ringworm. He has no fleas nor mites, and the clinic didn't think it was ringworm, but of course tested him (it's ongoing, for those who aren't familiar - they put it in a jar, and see if it grows) It may have been self limiting and somehow he cleared it. Or, it could be severe allergies. He is a long hair (so hard to be an outside baby with long fur!) and matted so severely in the winter (before I could touch him) that it's also possible this is why there was hair loss. His itching is severe but the skin now is normal (used to have lesions) He hates fish oil, I was hoping he would take it to soothe the inflamation. My vet was surprised that everything was normal, since his IFA was positive, too. Or, can it be that if the immune system is just so out of whack it can't even register in the bloodwork? His heart/lungs/lymph nodes, etc are all normal too. We think he is just under 2 years old. He lost 7 ounces, but that was since the neutering in Jan, and could be normal. He's got a set up in the shed, but likes to sleep right on the patio and back door stoop; I am also showing him the sunroom, and he's slowly checking it out, so I hope he can stay in there. He's no longer terrified of ceilings, but only cautious, and is understanding that 'inside is good'. Every time I take him to the vet, he gets more loving, like he knows we are trying to help him. I guess I will take his results as good news for now, and try to be as preventative as we can. thanks for everyone's help. He's such an adorable character, with a high pitched meeew and jade green eyes. And he knows his daddy now too, and made sure he fell in love with him too (he
Re: [Felvtalk] Possible therapy for felv
Good luck feeding your cats dandelions with cheese and jalapeno sauce... On Apr 16, 2010, at 4:20 PM, MaryChristine wrote: i realize that there are a group of folks who insist that FIV and AIDS are totally analogous; what i've found out is that the major researchers continuing in this line are followers of the folks who first identified the virus as an individual entity in either 86 or 87, during the panic surrounding HIV/AIDS. there was nothing wrong with their thinking (hoping) they'd found an animal model that could help with the human condition, but after awhile, most researchers (and research) showed that FeLV more closely resembles HIV/AIDS than FIV does. however, the name has never been changed, and that in itself continues to kill cats everywhere. i know that they put cats on the HIV/AIDS cocktails of AZT and other drugs they use in humans; and continue to insist that the research that most researchers have come to accept is wrong. the analogy of FIV=HIV/AIDS was a great HYPOTHESIS, but that's how knowledge grows--we hypothesize something, we test it, and if the research doesn't bear it out, we update. it seems that this one group of folks who did identify FIV originally are just too invested in their original hypotheses. thanks for the link, and please do let us know what you find out. i really do want there to be a treatment or cure found, but i want it to be real, and reproducible, and verifiable! i'll feed them dandelions with cheese and jalapeno sauce if it'll work! 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] Felv vaccine and booster
I have never heard this before and have had FELV cats since 2003, and read up on it, used to more than I do now. I seriously doubt if there's any truth to it at all. Perhaps they're getting mixed up with the FIV vaccine causing a cat to TEST positive for FIV (not turn positive though). Gloria On Apr 17, 2010, at 3:42 PM, Emma Lively wrote: Is it true that the felv vaccine can cause a cat to turn positive in the future? I heard this from a friend and it shocked me because another friend has a healthy cat who received her felv vaccine and booster last year. All her pets are indoor and outdoor animals. She has 1 cat and two dogs. ___ 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] Possible therapy for felv
Impressive and interesting. On Apr 16, 2010, at 11:53 AM, jbero tds.net wrote: Okay, I am always questioning people that claim a cure, but here is a small study done that caused a man to patent the treatment concerning felv. This a group dedicated to looking into any avenue that may help our little ones, so I'm putting this out there. I copied and pasted this from the patent: notes: 1) One cat with FELV(+)/FIV(+) died without the treatment as a control. 2) Treatments: Cats were injected intramuscularly with 20 mg DEPOMEDROL (antiinflammatory steroid) and dispensed with 1,200 mg powdered Nacetyl cysteine(NAC), 200 IU of Vitamin E, 500 mg of Vitamin C and one PET TAB/day. 3) It takes from 3 weeks to 6 weeks for the cats to turn retrovirus positive reaction to negative after the treatment. 4) The symptoms of Champage, Precious, and Missy such as dental problems bloody diarrhea, and loss of appetite completely subsided after the treatment with steroids/antioxidants. The symptoms of Sampson such as vomiting, gum disease, and loss of appetite completely reversed after the treatment. Josey's symptoms of lung problem, loss of appetite, and gum infection cleared up following the treatment. The cats were maintained on PET TABS following the treatment with steroid/antioxidants. 5) At the conclusion of the test all cats remained FIV or leukemia virus negative. 6) Blood was drawn for analysis from four of the cats treated (Sampson, Josey, Patch, and Bud). The analysis included cell cultures, mitogen stimulation, and polymerase chain reaction assay for the retovirus. All tests indicated the cats were fully cured as none indicated any sign of the virus. These cat experiments are the first to demonstrate that AIDS can be cured in an in vivo model. That's it. If anyone's got any ideas about it or history with it, I'd love to hear it. Jenny ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Donate to FuRR! Help 20 cats in Heber Springs! http://teamfurr.chipin.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Tommy is gone
I am so sorry, Lisa. Sweet dreams to our baby Tommy. Gloria On May 8, 2010, at 8:40 AM, Lisa Borden wrote: Just a note to let you know that Tommy lost his battle with FeLV on Tuesday. I still cannot believe how quickly it took over, and by Tuesday morning he was so weak and his eyes were so empty. It was like his soul had left his little body. He was extremely anemic and his liver enzymes were elevated. I do know that recently, he had ceased to be happy, and that was really bothering me. He passed away Tuesday morning in my arms as he got the medicine that helped him to an eternal sleep. I want to thank everyone for the information on this list, because even though I didn't post often I did read the list frequently. I have to believe that he had a year and a half with me that he might not have had with someone else. I will continue to pray for you and your furbabies. May something be discovered to help these kitties. Much love, Lisa ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org -- Donate to FuRR! Help 20 cats in Heber Springs! http://teamfurr.chipin.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] OT: blind deaf cat
I just took in a blind-deaf cat, was one of 25 or so in a lady's house. The lady became disabled, developed dementia, and our rescue took some of her cats. This one first was taken to the city animal services, developed a URI, got about over it, was altered, tested and shots, and we pulled him. He (?) was transferred to a different cage, then to my carrier, then to my home and a large cage. He's not too friendly, although I can at times pet him on the head and scratch his ears. We think it's just because of the changes in his life, that he just doesn't know what's going on and if he needs to defend himself. I haven't had a blind or deaf cat before. Does anyone know of a rescue that will take a blind-deaf cat? I found one in North Carolina, but I'm in Arkansas. Thanks very much, Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] was Blind/Deaf Cat - now FIV and vets
I agree, totally. Hooray for your vet! On Jun 18, 2010, at 7:40 PM, dlg...@windstream.net dlg...@windstream.net wrote: I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THANK GOD FOR MY VET. HE SAYS IF YOU KEEP THE NEGATIVES HEALTHY AND UP TO DATE ON SHOTS IT IS OKAY AND HE IS WILLING TO READ/LISTEN TO ANYTHING I BRING HIM. trmckel...@charter.net wrote: I couldn't agree more with you, Sharyl. Lots of vets think PTS first with FeLV and FIV. I often think they just don't know any better. The first option my vet offered with my first FeLV+, a beautiful blue-eyed Ragdoll, was PTS, and my vet is very progressive. I also said no way, Selena had already wrapped me around her little paw :-), we'll find other options. I found out about LTCI via websearch, got my vets on board, and now my vets are believers after using it to save an FIV positive male they were pretty sure wasn't going to make it. They wouldn't have known to try it if I hadn't pushed it in the first place. Terry Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com wrote: = A lot depends on the age of the negative cats. Kittens seem more susceptible. I am one of those that has mixed positives and negatives for almost 3 yrs. But my negatives were current on their FeLV vaccine before I started mixing and they get annual booster shots. It really is an individual decision. My 1st vet wanted to PTS Sissy and Rocket just because they were FeLV+. Then she wanted to notify AC to kill all the cats in the colony I rescued them from. Told her no way were we going to kill Sissy and Rocket and no way was I telling anyone where the colony was. PETA is another group intent on killing all FeLV kitties. Some never mix and some mix very successfully. I my case I was bringing positive kittens into a home with vaccinated adult negatives. 7 of my 8 positive kittens have now crossed the Rainbow Bridge and there has been to issues with my negative cats. Sharyl --- On Mon, 6/14/10, brooklynnat...@charter.net brooklynnat...@charter.net wrote: From: brooklynnat...@charter.net brooklynnat...@charter.net Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Blind/Deaf Cat To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc: dlg...@windstream.net Date: Monday, June 14, 2010, 7:38 PM My vet totally discourages putting them together. He said there is too much risk. I have 7 other cats that are all healthy and I would love to be able to have them all be together but I'm afraid. I wouldn't want the healthy ones to get sick. I would feel so responsible. dlg...@windstream.net wrote: Theresa, if you felv kitty is lonely, ask your vet about mixing him with your other cats. my veet said that as long as hey are up on their shots, it is okay and mine have been mixed for 2 years now with no problems. sure does make everyone happier. brooklynnat...@charter.net wrote: I live in Black Mountain NC and would be more than happy to give him a home. I'm really not too familiar with how things are done here but I have a male that I rescued from outside that has feline leukemia and I keep him separated from my other cats. I'm sure he would be happy for the company. Let me know if you think it might work. Theresa Palumbo ___ 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 ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] was Blind/Deaf Cat - now FIV and vets
You got that right - vet views differ radically, which I'm sure many of us experience. For example, A couple of years ago a vet up in the heights, a nice part of Little Rock, isolated an FIV mama cat in a closet because he was afraid to place her anywhere near other cats. He recommended euthanization. Fortunately, the lady who found her didn't do it and brought her back home. Nice to hear some more confirmation on FIV kittens going negative, that's what we've experienced also. I think it was MC who said they always mixed FIV and FELV at the sanctuary she was with in Michigan, and never any problems. Gloria On Jun 19, 2010, at 9:54 AM, Natalie wrote: Veterinarians' views differ: My veterinarian who also practices holistic, herbal, nutritional medicine does not like to vaccinate FeLV or FIV positive cats too often due to their compromised immune systems. All vaccines are only 80% effective, and over-vaccinating being a strong probable reason for those immune diseases, it can often do more harm than help. The problem with vaccinating healthy cats with the FIV vaccine is that all future tests will show them to be positive, whether they are or not. As I wrote before, I have never had any problems with mixing FIV+ cats with healthy cats, as long as they got along! In the past 18 years, I have had at least 12 FIV+ cats that gave birth to kittens that have never been infected and went on to live healthy and long lives after they were adopted. One of those cats, at age 13, developed cancer and the owner went all out on medical care - cat is in remission now. I have had a FeLV+ male cat for the past two years - I kept him separate because I don't like mixing FeLV and FIV together. I had the hardest time finding a home for him because FeLV+ cats are almost immediately killed and so many vets even recommend to owners that they euthanize their positive pet. I finally decided to look around for another FeLV+ cat for companyit took ages; I finally found one in NJ (I'm in CT). After one night being in separate cages next to one another, they are sharing a nice large condo and have become the best of buddies. My vet always says vaccinate according to a cat's lifestyle - if it goes outside, it obviously needs all the protection available; if it's an indoor cat, vaccinate only what is required by the state - rabies! Natalie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Gloria B. Lane Sent: Friday, June 18, 2010 10:06 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] was Blind/Deaf Cat - now FIV and vets I agree, totally. Hooray for your vet! On Jun 18, 2010, at 7:40 PM, dlg...@windstream.net dlg...@windstream.net wrote: I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THANK GOD FOR MY VET. HE SAYS IF YOU KEEP THE NEGATIVES HEALTHY AND UP TO DATE ON SHOTS IT IS OKAY AND HE IS WILLING TO READ/LISTEN TO ANYTHING I BRING HIM. trmckel...@charter.net wrote: I couldn't agree more with you, Sharyl. Lots of vets think PTS first with FeLV and FIV. I often think they just don't know any better. The first option my vet offered with my first FeLV+, a beautiful blue-eyed Ragdoll, was PTS, and my vet is very progressive. I also said no way, Selena had already wrapped me around her little paw :-), we'll find other options. I found out about LTCI via websearch, got my vets on board, and now my vets are believers after using it to save an FIV positive male they were pretty sure wasn't going to make it. They wouldn't have known to try it if I hadn't pushed it in the first place. Terry Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com wrote: = A lot depends on the age of the negative cats. Kittens seem more susceptible. I am one of those that has mixed positives and negatives for almost 3 yrs. But my negatives were current on their FeLV vaccine before I started mixing and they get annual booster shots. It really is an individual decision. My 1st vet wanted to PTS Sissy and Rocket just because they were FeLV+. Then she wanted to notify AC to kill all the cats in the colony I rescued them from. Told her no way were we going to kill Sissy and Rocket and no way was I telling anyone where the colony was. PETA is another group intent on killing all FeLV kitties. Some never mix and some mix very successfully. I my case I was bringing positive kittens into a home with vaccinated adult negatives. 7 of my 8 positive kittens have now crossed the Rainbow Bridge and there has been to issues with my negative cats. Sharyl --- On Mon, 6/14/10, brooklynnat...@charter.net brooklynnat...@charter.net wrote: From: brooklynnat...@charter.net brooklynnat...@charter.net Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Blind/Deaf Cat To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Cc: dlg...@windstream.net Date: Monday, June 14, 2010, 7:38 PM My vet totally discourages putting them together. He said there is too much risk. I have 7
Re: [Felvtalk] Blind/Deaf Cat
You know, I'm surprised that the suggest even 'considering' vaccinating FIV- cats that live with FIV + cats... Even if they fight. My adult cats lay around and sleep all the time, and even if someone decides to fight, it's never anything that produces a deep bite wound, which is what it takes to pass on FIV. Gloria On Jun 19, 2010, at 3:46 PM, MaryChristine wrote: for everyone, i'll post this again: this is the link to the amer assn of feline practitioners guidelines for management of feline retrovirii, and contains further links to both the summaries and the full guidelines. everyone dealing with a positive kitty should read this, and should sit and watch their vet read it it's a phenomenal resource, complete with circles and arrows on the back (ie, a great bibliography.) http://www.catvets.com/professionals/guidelines/publications/index.aspx?ID=323 -- 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] Please light a candle for Taj
I'm so sorry Sara, he's welcomed at the bridge by all our dear kitties who have gone before. Calawalla Banana Booboo, Mittens, Mr. Black Kitty, Bob, Oliver, will all play happily with him. Gloria On Jun 22, 2010, at 5:23 PM, Sara Kasteleyn wrote: Dear friends, I had hoped to avoid writing this note for a very, very long time. Our blue-eyed bengal boy Taj is napping at the bridge this afternoon. He developed breathing trouble over the weekend, and today we discovered that he had a massive tumor pressing into his lungs. Heroic measures to extend his life would have been selfish, and given the underlying FeLV+ diagnosis, unlikely to have improved his quality of life. He was a brave boy, hiding his discomfort from us for so long. He lived a very short life, only 14 months, but he was loved and pampered in the extreme. His sister, Rani, shares the FeLV+ diagnosis. We pray she will be with us much longer. My thanks to each of you for your fabulous advice and willingness to share what you have learned along this difficult and often sad path. Sara ___ 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] Interferon
Thanks, Gary! I looked at the Franck web site, not a great web site I might add, very disappointing. No link for veterinary products, none for interferon that I could find. I went to IslandPharmacy.com, and no interferon. Too bad they aren't available any longer. For those interested, Tally was on this group a few years ago and still has some information on interferon and FELV on her web site. You can check it out at http://www.tallyville.com/stomatitis.html Gloria On Jun 27, 2010, at 6:45 PM, gary wrote: Island Pharmacy was bought out by Franck's Pharmacy some time ago and I heard then that Franck's would be doing the interferon, they are in Ocala, FL. You could call Island and ask them, maybe it was just temporary. Franck's website is www.francks.com. Gary -- From: Gloria Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 5:37 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon So Island doesn't sell it anymore? There's also 3 on 3 off protocol. I used to do daily tho. Gloria Sent from my iPhone On Jun 27, 2010, at 4:45 PM, gary gcru...@centurytel.net wrote: According to Island Pharmacy - they use to compound a lot of interferon, but no longer do it - it was not recommended to freeze the final dilution of interferon, just keep it in the fridge, they always said it was good for 90 days that way. The dosage for cats is 30 IU a day. The compound you have is made to have 1 ml equal 60 IU, so to get the correct daily dosage of 30 IU, you would use only . 5 ml. Whether you use a protocol with a daily dosage, or the 7 on 7 off protocol is a choice you have to make. I don't know how your interferon is packaged, but if you do not need a needle to withdraw it and can use just an oral syringe, I would Google for a 1 ml oral syringe with cap. Most of the syringes listed as oral syringes will not accept a needle, so they are not dual purpose. Gary -- From: Stacy Zacher stacy_zac...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 1:13 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Interferon Hi: I received a bottle of interferon from my vet. He told me it was a 90 day supply but it says discard after 30 days on the bottle. I know many posts have said that you draw it up into syringes and then freeze and I know it doesn't last long. I'm guessing I need to do that but my vet told me to call the compounding pharmacy that diluted it and sent it and just make sure. The bottle says Interferon Alpha 2B 60 IU/ML 45 ML give .5 ML by mouth once daily. I thought I had read most people are giving 1 ML daily or 7 on 7 off? This came from US Compounding with an address in Conway AZ. I didn't get much instruction with the bottle! So I am wondering about freezing and then do you know of any economic sites where I can buy the 1 ML syringes in a box off 100 and the syringe caps? I am also looking for empty small gelcaps. Thanks! Stacy and Spanky stacy_zac...@yahoo.com ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon
Yeah, it's my understanding that it needs to get to the tissue in the back of the throat for absorption there... Will have to look at the laser treatments, haven't read that. Gloria On Jun 27, 2010, at 9:50 PM, gary wrote: Of course, you could always make your own and have a lifetime supply for under $100. I would disagree with one statement made on Tally's site, she says you can mix the interferon with food. I had always heard that the interferon is absorbed through the mucous membranes and once it got to the stomach it was useless. Island said not to freeze the final dilution and it appears Tally did that with no problem. It may be that Island Pharmacy just didn't want you to be able to keep it more than 90 days. If you were using the 7 on, 7 off protocol, a 90 day supply would last 180 days if you froze the extra. I thought the info in the lasaer treatments was very interesting. Gary -- From: Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 8:42 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon Thanks, Gary! I looked at the Franck web site, not a great web site I might add, very disappointing. No link for veterinary products, none for interferon that I could find. I went to IslandPharmacy.com, and no interferon. Too bad they aren't available any longer. For those interested, Tally was on this group a few years ago and still has some information on interferon and FELV on her web site. You can check it out at http://www.tallyville.com/stomatitis.html Gloria On Jun 27, 2010, at 6:45 PM, gary wrote: Island Pharmacy was bought out by Franck's Pharmacy some time ago and I heard then that Franck's would be doing the interferon, they are in Ocala, FL. You could call Island and ask them, maybe it was just temporary. Franck's website is www.francks.com. Gary -- From: Gloria Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 5:37 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon So Island doesn't sell it anymore? There's also 3 on 3 off protocol. I used to do daily tho. Gloria Sent from my iPhone On Jun 27, 2010, at 4:45 PM, gary gcru...@centurytel.net wrote: According to Island Pharmacy - they use to compound a lot of interferon, but no longer do it - it was not recommended to freeze the final dilution of interferon, just keep it in the fridge, they always said it was good for 90 days that way. The dosage for cats is 30 IU a day. The compound you have is made to have 1 ml equal 60 IU, so to get the correct daily dosage of 30 IU, you would use only . 5 ml. Whether you use a protocol with a daily dosage, or the 7 on 7 off protocol is a choice you have to make. I don't know how your interferon is packaged, but if you do not need a needle to withdraw it and can use just an oral syringe, I would Google for a 1 ml oral syringe with cap. Most of the syringes listed as oral syringes will not accept a needle, so they are not dual purpose. Gary -- From: Stacy Zacher stacy_zac...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 1:13 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Interferon Hi: I received a bottle of interferon from my vet. He told me it was a 90 day supply but it says discard after 30 days on the bottle. I know many posts have said that you draw it up into syringes and then freeze and I know it doesn't last long. I'm guessing I need to do that but my vet told me to call the compounding pharmacy that diluted it and sent it and just make sure. The bottle says Interferon Alpha 2B 60 IU/ML 45 ML give .5 ML by mouth once daily. I thought I had read most people are giving 1 ML daily or 7 on 7 off? This came from US Compounding with an address in Conway AZ. I didn't get much instruction with the bottle! So I am wondering about freezing and then do you know of any economic sites where I can buy the 1 ML syringes in a box off 100 and the syringe caps? I am also looking for empty small gelcaps. Thanks! Stacy and Spanky stacy_zac...@yahoo.com ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/ felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Bugsy Please add the the CLS :(
I'm so sorry, Sherry, you were fortunate to have each other. Your lovely boy will be welcomed to the Bridge by all of our lovely kitty angels. Gloria On Jun 29, 2010, at 7:06 PM, Sherry DeHaan wrote: My heart is heavy yet once again.Bugsy (Bugaboo) lost his battle today.He was at the Sids sanctuary back when I started in 2005.He was a sweet quiet big black boy.But in the last few months he started to decline and was not so quite the big boy.But he had a BIG BOY appetite.Just last night I fed him almost 2 cans of friskies and some baby food.We sure did spoil him his last days with us.I will miss you my Bugaboo,so happy I got to tell him I loved him last night before I left. Sherry We who choose to surround ourselves with lives more temporary than our own, Live within a fragile circle,easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps. We still would have it no other way ___ 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] vets
Well we've got a New Yorker on the list or did, now I forget who! Gloria On Jul 1, 2010, at 4:35 PM, CATHERINE DIDONNA wrote: Can anyone recommend a vet that cares about FELV cats in New York City? Thankyou --- On Wed, 6/30/10, Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] rear leg weakness- Revolution used? and update To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 1:21 PM Amy, based on what you have written I wouldn't worry about the high Ca right now. What was his phos level? There is an issue when both Ca and Phos are high but again that wouldn't affect his hind legs. It could be the anemia. In the end we do what we can with the resources we have. He's lucky to have you loving him. Sharyl --- On Wed, 6/30/10, Amy awilkin...@yahoo.com wrote: From: Amy awilkin...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] rear leg weakness- Revolution used? and update To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 12:12 PM No idea why he has hind leg weakness. I'll researched all the causes and none seem to apply other than the leukemia. He has had routine blood work every 6 months of his life and we have monitored him very closely as we do all our positive cats. No major problems other than some weight loss and IBD over the past couple years. I don't think I've ever taken one of my positive cats to the vet that some level hasn't been off. Historically when I've drawn more blood or done further testing, it always ends up being nothing. I spend lots of money and put the cats through lots of testing and then 6 months later, the value is normal again. I've just grown to step back and not flip out every time I see a low or high value for that reason. I have to say I still feel sick every time I see the HCT drop in one of them though. So that's my hesitation with taking 3 ml of blood from a non-regenerative anemic cat. He just had a full CBC/Chem which is not a small amount of blood and I'm afraid to draw so much blood again when I think his time with me is limited to begin with. The only thing I can come up with as a cause of the hind leg weakness is long term steroid use. I read that it's more common with injectable steroids so not sure if it even applies to pred. He's been on pred for almost a year. However, I have no doubt that it is the one thing that has kept him alive. Neither me or the specialist I'm seeing are even considering taking him off that as I have no doubt he will crash. We tried weaning him off it a year ago after treating him for hemobart and he started going downhill quickly. That said, his bone marrow is shot. He's been non-regenerative for over a year and making red blood cells from his spleen or elsewhere. We knew he couldn't do this forever so I'm not shocked at where we are, just sad. Since he's been anemic for a year and holding steady, I guess the weakness could be a result of the anemia as well. Yet he doesn't seem weak otherwise really. He sleeps a lot and yes it's obvious he doesn't keep up with the other cats but not so weak that it takes too much energy to walk in my opinion. His liver and kidney values are all normal. Appetite is normal. No signs of lymphoma after 2 ultrasounds, probably has IBD and is on EVO which seems to have helped keep that in check. His calcium is just over normal - 11.6 with normal being 8.2-11.5. I looked at blood work from all my other cats and they all run towards the high end, 10 or higher. So I'm weighing the risk worth the benefit of drawing another 3 ml of blood to see if he's really got a high calcium vs just waiting it out and if he's around in a month or so, rechecking it then. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Thank you everyone for all the suggestions. My gut tells me that he is close to the point of losing his battle with this disease. I always try to keep hope and remain optimistic but watching one cat after another be taken down by this disease, it's hard to keep the faith sometimes. Fingers crossed, Wolfie will pull through this and defy the odds as he has until now. Amy ___ 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] vets
But there's someone else, o great white brainey one... Gloria On Jul 3, 2010, at 12:45 PM, MaryChristine wrote: duh. i know that michelle is in NJ. i even know that she's in the part of NJ that's near NYC. putting those facts together, however, well -- 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] vets
OK I cant stop laughing... On Jul 3, 2010, at 1:00 PM, MaryChristine wrote: there IS a members list last i checked--durned if i remember how to get there. but that might spark fading memory cells. brainey one? i'm sorry, i thought that coherent thought was optional in rescue. On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 1:50 PM, Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.net wrote: But there's someone else, o great white brainey one... Gloria On Jul 3, 2010, at 12:45 PM, MaryChristine wrote: duh. i know that michelle is in NJ. i even know that she's in the part of NJ that's near NYC. putting those facts together, however, well -- 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 -- 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] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING
I mix positives and negatives also, and don't have problems. I am watchful about kittens though, but I don't often have kittens. Gloria On Jul 13, 2010, at 1:18 AM, Sharyl wrote: Paola, I mix my positive with my negatives in my home. I have had a total of 8 positives inside with my negatives over the last 3 yrs. All except 1 have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. My negatives are kept current on their FeLV vaccine. Each cat there own food plate but they don't always eat from their own plate. All my negative cats were adults when I started mixing. It is my understanding that kittens are more susceptible than adult cats. It is an individual decision each of us makes. I choose to mix and make the time my positives had as enjoyable for them as possible. Sharyl --- On Tue, 7/13/10, paola cresti iend...@yahoo.com wrote: From: paola cresti iend...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 12:17 AM a question, I saw posts from 2 people having FeLV+ cats in the house with non affected cats. How do you gys manage that? I just rescued a stray that turned out to be incredibly sweet and FeLV+ but I have 6 others that are indoor/outdoor so they are all vaccinated for FeLV but since it's not 100% I am keeping rescue kitty in the garage and hoping to find someone with a closed household willing to take him as a sole cat or an additional cat to a household with another FeLV+ cat. Having no luck so far (found a possible person with 2 infected cats in NY but I'm in Los Angeles) I'm looking into what I must do if I keep him and for this I also joined this listserv. Do you have them mingle? I figure food dishes should definitely be kept separate. My cats are indoor/outdoor and I caught a feral last year who was also FeLV+ so I'm thinking it's been going around and if they were likely to catch it they might have already done so? I know it's not an exact science but this cat's desperate about being left alone in a room, I sit with him for a while but when I leave he cries for a really long time. Sorry for the long post. thanks Paola From: Beth create_me_...@yahoo.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 4:48:52 PM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING We are a huge shelter with cats mingling in rooms. I guess if you could hold each cat for 6 months retest before introducing them to other cats you may be safe, but I don't see how any shelter could take that chance. While we require our adopted cats to be indoor only, someone could rescue a cat from outside introduce it without testing. Most people don't know enough about FeLV to understand what risks they can put their cats through. I vaccinate mine because I have FeLV cats in the house. Beth Dont Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org --- On Mon, 7/12/10, Laurieskatz lauriesk...@mchsi.com wrote: From: Laurieskatz lauriesk...@mchsi.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Monday, July 12, 2010, 3:51 PM I am curious about vaccinating them. I usually leave that up to the adopter...my vet recommends agst the vaccine unless the cat is going to go outside. I have not vaccinated my last cat and won't vaccinate the one I am bringing home today. My others were vaccinated several times before I discontinued FeLV vaccinations. I test twice before introducing them and that makes me comfortable with introducing them. (Mine are all negative - things might be different if I had a FeLV positive living here). Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Heather Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 2:35 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING Really...I got blasted for it by some very fair trusted people! Be interested in hearing what happens with this, first and foremost, hope the cats recover well. On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 10:12 AM, Laurieskatz lauriesk...@mchsi.com wrote: From a vet to whom I sent the warning: Fort Dodge is notorious for questionable vaccine products. I will not use them - too many problems with them over the years. L -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Natalie Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 9:03 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] IMPORTANT CAT VACCINE WARNING I'm so glad that all are OK! I don't trust any vaccines - besides, all vaccines do not guarantee anything; they are only 80% effective according to my vet. I assume
Re: [Felvtalk] hemobartonella and possible FeLV interested party inNY!
I had the same experience with a non FELV cat. Gloria On Jul 19, 2010, at 10:29 AM, POTT, BEVERLY wrote: Rachel- my Felv cat had hemobartonella, and was put on doxycycline for a month- it has cleared up completely. -Original Message- From: rache20...@aol.com [mailto:rache20...@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 11:17 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] hemobartonella and possible FeLV interested party in NY! I have 2 questions! One fl\or Paola and one for Beth. Paola, I would love to know who in NY is even somewhat interested in an FeLV+ cat as I have one who may or may not need a home and I just brought 2 kittens to a sanctuary yesterday, and I owuld love for them to have a real home (I live in NY). Also, Beth, I just had my rescue cat who has FeLV diagnosed today with hemobartonella and I have a really bad feeling about it. She is not eating well, is depressed, lost 1.5 lbs in a little over a month (and she was skinny before). She was 5.5lbs and is now 4 lbs. I'm really worried and sad for her and I want to do all I can to help, but I don't want to make her suffer, and I have three of my own cats to worry about plus all the other rescues. This is getting very costly! So if you know of something that might help the hemobartonella, please let me know! Thanks Rachel ___ 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] FIV/FELV teen awaiting retest, in heat--Do we spay?
Thanks, agreed here. We've always had such a great, supportive and informative list here on FELVtalk. And although there are some disagreements, this particular topic has been helpful. Gloria On Aug 27, 2010, at 4:41 PM, Barb Moermond wrote: I think that in order to keep this a civil and safe place to exchange information, we need to please address any issues we have with other list-members directly to them - off list. It's also a good idea to evaluate whether it's the content of the message that irks or the way it is being perceived - and then to also remember that plain text does not convey any other secondary communication - body language, tone etc. my .02 Barb+Smoky the House Puma+El Bandito Malito My cat the clown: paying no mind to whom he should impress. Merely living his life, doing what pleases him, and making me smile. - Anonymous From: Michelle Brockman teals...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Fri, August 27, 2010 4:13:01 PM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] FIV/FELV teen awaiting retest, in heat--Do we spay? Also, you are coming across in e-mails as very abrasive. You are not the only one that rescues/cares for/knows about FeLV and you should respect other people's perspectives and experiences. I gave her an 'What I would do' scenario based on my personal experiences. I have been on this list for many many years and perhaps do not respond as much as you do but am in no way a novice when it comes to these matters. ___ 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] faint pos on snap test, neg on IFA
I've been asked about a cat here in Arkansas - a Persian named Bicford, that is about 1.5 yrs old, and tested faint positive on the snap test (Elisa), but negative on the IFA. I gather that means that Bicford has been exposed, so has antigens, but doesn't have the virus in his blood? I'm confused. Can someone help me with interpreting what that means? Thanks, Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] faint pos on snap test, neg on IFA
Thank you so much - this is a great group, as always, and I really appreciate the replies. This is my take, re your comment Natalie. With FIV, the snap test is for antibodies in the blood. Kittens of an FIV mom, when they are nursing, can take in the mothers FIV antibodies. It's different for FELV, the test is for Antigens, and apparently the transmission of the virus is not the same. Kittens of an FIV mom are very likely to get the antigens but not the virus, depending on when mom was infected. Our rescue has seen this happen many times - kittens of an FIV mom invariably go negative before they're a year old - yeaa! With FELV, as I recall its different, I think (but not sure) that some of the kittens can actually get the virus from mom, but can throw it off as their immune systems develop. This is just on memory, so if somebody knows, please correct me. So I'm gather that perhaps the antigens hadn't cleared yet at the time of the snap, and Linda seemed to agree with that. Anyhow, this is a 1.5 yr old cat, so the question is, with a light pos on Elisa snap test, and a negative on the followup IFA test, what does it mean? MC responded and said it could also be a bad snap test. Or bad procedures for testing. Also asked at what interval were the tests done? So I'm going to check out exactly when the tests were done and what brand were the tests and who did them. But what I'm also hearing, is if neg on the followup IFA, then kitty is neg regardless of the snap. Yes? I've been asked to take this kitty, so am exploring my options. I know if he's FELV it's unlikely he'll get adopted so he'll be a permanent resident. I already have several FELV cats, and have no fear of the virus, even mixed with healthy cats, vaccinated or not, but just have to be prepared for adding another cat. My FELV's are healthy too, I haven't lost one in a while, and I'm amazed at that. But I know, if he's not FELV, he'll get adopted in a month cause he's so gorgeous! So trying to make sense of the data to tell if he's actually FELV or not. Again thanks I appreciate your help and support. This is a wonderful group, always has been, a great resource. I'll check more into the tests that were used on Bicford and let you know. Gloria On Sep 1, 2010, at 7:18 PM, Natalie wrote: Whenever this happened to me with kittens that were tested for FIV, I was told that they had most likely been born to FIV+ mothers and as their immune systems developed, they would shed the faint positives.and they ALWAYS did! I don't know if that's the case with FeLV. I have two young adult cats that are FeLV+, but absolutely no symptoms and healthy as a horse! Natalie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Gloria B. Lane Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 7:30 PM To: Feline Leukemia Subject: [Felvtalk] faint pos on snap test, neg on IFA I've been asked about a cat here in Arkansas - a Persian named Bicford, that is about 1.5 yrs old, and tested faint positive on the snap test (Elisa), but negative on the IFA. I gather that means that Bicford has been exposed, so has antigens, but doesn't have the virus in his blood? I'm confused. Can someone help me with interpreting what that means? Thanks, Gloria ___ 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] faint pos on snap test, neg on IFA
Got it - thanks Kelley! Gloria On Sep 2, 2010, at 2:09 AM, Kelley Saveika wrote: From what I've found light pos is either an error on the part of the tech or a bad test. The IFA is a much more conclusive test. On Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 12:29 AM, Gloria B. Lane gbl...@aristotle.netwrote: Thank you so much - this is a great group, as always, and I really appreciate the replies. This is my take, re your comment Natalie. With FIV, the snap test is for antibodies in the blood. Kittens of an FIV mom, when they are nursing, can take in the mothers FIV antibodies. It's different for FELV, the test is for Antigens, and apparently the transmission of the virus is not the same. Kittens of an FIV mom are very likely to get the antigens but not the virus, depending on when mom was infected. Our rescue has seen this happen many times - kittens of an FIV mom invariably go negative before they're a year old - yeaa! With FELV, as I recall its different, I think (but not sure) that some of the kittens can actually get the virus from mom, but can throw it off as their immune systems develop. This is just on memory, so if somebody knows, please correct me. So I'm gather that perhaps the antigens hadn't cleared yet at the time of the snap, and Linda seemed to agree with that. Anyhow, this is a 1.5 yr old cat, so the question is, with a light pos on Elisa snap test, and a negative on the followup IFA test, what does it mean? MC responded and said it could also be a bad snap test. Or bad procedures for testing. Also asked at what interval were the tests done? So I'm going to check out exactly when the tests were done and what brand were the tests and who did them. But what I'm also hearing, is if neg on the followup IFA, then kitty is neg regardless of the snap. Yes? I've been asked to take this kitty, so am exploring my options. I know if he's FELV it's unlikely he'll get adopted so he'll be a permanent resident. I already have several FELV cats, and have no fear of the virus, even mixed with healthy cats, vaccinated or not, but just have to be prepared for adding another cat. My FELV's are healthy too, I haven't lost one in a while, and I'm amazed at that. But I know, if he's not FELV, he'll get adopted in a month cause he's so gorgeous! So trying to make sense of the data to tell if he's actually FELV or not. Again thanks I appreciate your help and support. This is a wonderful group, always has been, a great resource. I'll check more into the tests that were used on Bicford and let you know. Gloria On Sep 1, 2010, at 7:18 PM, Natalie wrote: Whenever this happened to me with kittens that were tested for FIV, I was told that they had most likely been born to FIV+ mothers and as their immune systems developed, they would shed the faint positives.and they ALWAYS did! I don't know if that's the case with FeLV. I have two young adult cats that are FeLV+, but absolutely no symptoms and healthy as a horse! Natalie -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Gloria B. Lane Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 7:30 PM To: Feline Leukemia Subject: [Felvtalk] faint pos on snap test, neg on IFA I've been asked about a cat here in Arkansas - a Persian named Bicford, that is about 1.5 yrs old, and tested faint positive on the snap test (Elisa), but negative on the IFA. I gather that means that Bicford has been exposed, so has antigens, but doesn't have the virus in his blood? I'm confused. Can someone help me with interpreting what that means? Thanks, Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Add my Chloe (FELV) to the Bridge list
My Chloe died today - she's a gray and white FELV kitty, a lovely and sweet kitty. I got her in Sept 2005, from a lady in Oklahoma named Jennifer. Jennifer had been a vet tech, and had FELV cats, but when her baby developed serious problems and she needed to pass her specia needs cats on to someone else, and I took them. One by one they have passed on. Chloe was the last - she was 15 or 16, claws had grown out, and she was having some kidney problems. Fall is so dry, it seems to be hard on kidney cats. Chloe was a sweetie and had a soft and gentle passing. I kept covering her and trying to keep her hydrated and warm, but she said no mom, I don't want the cover on me. Sleep soft sweet Chloe. Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Add my Chloe (FELV) to the Bridge list
Thank you so much, Sara, that's very special. Gloria On Oct 11, 2010, at 6:58 PM, Sara Kasteleyn wrote: Gloria, your loving tribute to Chloe has brought tears to my eyes. Bless you for taking such good care of this sweet girl. We will light a candle tonight to light her way, and to honor your love for her. Sara -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Gloria B. Lane Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 4:53 PM To: Feline Leukemia Subject: [Felvtalk] Add my Chloe (FELV) to the Bridge list My Chloe died today - she's a gray and white FELV kitty, a lovely and sweet kitty. I got her in Sept 2005, from a lady in Oklahoma named Jennifer. Jennifer had been a vet tech, and had FELV cats, but when her baby developed serious problems and she needed to pass her specia needs cats on to someone else, and I took them. One by one they have passed on. Chloe was the last - she was 15 or 16, claws had grown out, and she was having some kidney problems. Fall is so dry, it seems to be hard on kidney cats. Chloe was a sweetie and had a soft and gentle passing. I kept covering her and trying to keep her hydrated and warm, but she said no mom, I don't want the cover on me. Sleep soft sweet Chloe. Gloria ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org __ NOD32 5521 (20101011) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com ___ 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] question on antibiotic
The probiotics might be a good idea - some good bacteria in the tummy/ gut, and certainly providing nutrients. Might try syringing some chicken/turkey baby food too. Sometimes just getting something into the belly helps. Good luck - sending good vibes for Spanky. Gloria On Nov 21, 2010, at 11:03 AM, Stacy Zacher wrote: Hi Tracey: Thanks for your reply. I actually do trust my main vet, he is very open minded and looks at all my research and does research as well, and he actually does acupuncture and chinese herbs. He referred me to the specialist/derm once so she could have a look at his lesions and see if she thought they were cancerous. she suggested biopsy/ surgery which he would never be able to tolerate so we opted to try the neoplasene. It did shrink 3 of them after just one application but then I elected to not salve again right away in his present condition. He's not any better today and just looking really terrible. I'm going to see if I can try to get him into the vet. I am not sure if he has an infection, is more anemic or if he's just tired of fighting. In any case, it is very frustrating and disheartening and you just feel helpless and hopeless seeing your furbaby like this. As far as him eating, he used to eat wellness grain free canned and dry. Now he eats whatever I can get him to eat which isn't much at all. I've been syringing food into him this past week and giving fluids. Even with the appetite stimulant, he's not very interested in food. I understand the importance of a high quality diet/ nutrition but if he won't eat, I have to just try to get him to eat something. Purrs, Stacy and Spanky stacy_zac...@yahoo.com --- On Sun, 11/21/10, Tracey Shrout dtshr...@gmail.com wrote: From: Tracey Shrout dtshr...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] question on antibiotic To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 6:24 AM Hi Stacy, It seems to me you care very much about Spanky and want to do the very best for him just like I would. It also sounds like you don't trust your vets so much. I would suggest a holistic vet. I am very leery of all the conventional meds as well and tend to think they may do more harm than good, and they sometimes tend to mask the symptoms and not really cure the underlying problem. I really don't like to give antibiotics, but if I absolutely had to, I would also give them a probiotic as well to keep the good bacteria in check. Most vets carry Fortiflora that you can add to their food. I have been lucky with my felv+ kitty so far (and my other 4 neg's who range in age from 3-13), but I attribute their awesome health to their homemade raw diet which they have been on for over 2 years now...it really has changed their life and mine...I wonder what you are feeding. To me, diet is extremely important. I'm sure this advice doesn't help much right now, and I understand being hesitant to give them something that may cause yet another issue. I wish you and Spanky well. Tracey On Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 7:07 PM, Stacy Zacher stacy_zac...@yahoo.comwrote: Hi: Spanky has not been doing well this week. He's very low energy more than normal, weak and won't get out of bed unless I pick him up and make him get up and walk around. He's been eating fair with an appetite stimulant and using his litter box - again when I get him up and take him near it. His gums and tongue seem okay for him - not white and he's on pet-tinic 2x per day. When I took him to the dermatologist, she prescribed clavamox for him just in case he had an infection but then my regular vet had me hold off since we did the neoplasene salve on him. Now I am wondering if I should try giving him the antibiotic anyway just in case. I gave him fluids for the past 2 nights also - 50 ml and last night almost 100ml because he's not drinking very much. In any case, I'm just looking for advice about clavamox. I don't want to make him feel sicker but I'm not sure how he'd handle it - if it makes cats nauseous. also, we did the neoplasene salve and it seemed to shrink the growth in his nose and his other 2 lesions. The vet recommended doing the salve again but at this point, I'm not sure we will. Thanks so much, Stacy and Spanky stacy_zac...@yahoo.com ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http
[Felvtalk] Fwd: FELV persian near Missouri and Oklahoma
This is an FELV Persian, in Bella Vista, Arkansas, the northwest part near the Missouri/Arkansas border, toward Kansas, who doesn't have much time - any options? They say they're willing to transport... Any thoughts or takers? Thanks, Gloria Begin forwarded message: On Nov 17, 2010, at 12:38 PM, Belinda Barry wrote: Sent from my MOTOBLUR™ smartphone on ATT -Original message- From: Donna gofigure umumgoodfor...@yahoo.com To: Belinda Barry bobarry1...@yahoo.com Sent: Wed, Nov 17, 2010 15:36:23 GMT+00:00 Subject: persian Belinda, I have a problem. Over the last month I have taken in 4 persians. They all have been in rough shape and all found within a 2 block area. Appears a breeder is dumping in this area. Anyway the last one we took in yesterday and he is a very tiny male, black and white and has an old broken jaw (one of the others had a broken jaw too). Anyway he is a young guy (approx. 8 months old) and skin and bones. Took him to the vet yesterday as he looked awful and found out he has feline Luek. Did not know if you knew someone that would take a persian with leuk. I will hang on to him till tommorow and if you know anyone we will neuter him and get him ready to go. Let me know and I understand if you do not know anyone. This is a hard one. Thanks, Donna ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] question on antibiotic
I luv Stonyfield Farms products :) Gloria On Nov 22, 2010, at 8:03 AM, Beth wrote: I always give my cats a pro-biotic with clavamox such as Stoneyfield Farms plain yogurt. Beth Dont Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org --- On Sun, 11/21/10, Gloria Lane gbl...@aristotle.net wrote: From: Gloria Lane gbl...@aristotle.net Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] question on antibiotic To: Feline Leukemia felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 6:30 PM That's been my experience often w Clavamox. Sent from my iPhone On Nov 21, 2010, at 3:56 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote: Clavamox put Bob into full diaherrea. he was miserable and we had a few messes when he could not make it to the box. this was from emergency vet on a Sunday night. got another that was easier on him, but he passed at the end of that week. thought about an autopsy, but decided not to cause him any more abuse. buried him in my 3rd plot in a flower garden. i have 4 gardens with buriel plots in them. only plant shallow rooted things there. then Homie came down with crystals and urinary tract infection so we gave her a shot that lasts 2 weks and does not cause so much discomfort. also gave her herbal pill from Only Natural Pet Store. at the end of 30 days on the pill she is free of crystals and infection. lost the envelope they came in, but developed by a Chinese dr and has as first ingredient dendrobium. i was desperate for something to get rid of the crystals. she was retaining urine and would not eat the special foods by Hill's and Purina for this problem. she got lethargic, wouldn't eat or drink much and was trying to go all over the house. after a couple of days on this pill, she started on recovery and by the end of the first week was almost back to normal which is a pain in the ---. she delights in tormenting Annie and Nitnoy by sitting there and staring at them. now i am laying in a supply of Feliway. I hesitated to get this, is expensive and only had reviews by people who had tried it to go on, but as bad as she was, i figured i had nothing to loose. Gloria Lane gbl...@aristotle.net wrote: Clavamox can be kind of hard on the digestive track sometime. I know nothing about neoplasene salve. I dint know, i might try some other abx, if it were me, like amoxicillin or azithromycin . Gloria Sent from my iPhone On Nov 20, 2010, at 6:07 PM, Stacy Zacher stacy_zac...@yahoo.com wrote: Hi: Spanky has not been doing well this week. He's very low energy more than normal, weak and won't get out of bed unless I pick him up and make him get up and walk around. He's been eating fair with an appetite stimulant and using his litter box - again when I get him up and take him near it. His gums and tongue seem okay for him - not white and he's on pet-tinic 2x per day. When I took him to the dermatologist, she prescribed clavamox for him just in case he had an infection but then my regular vet had me hold off since we did the neoplasene salve on him. Now I am wondering if I should try giving him the antibiotic anyway just in case. I gave him fluids for the past 2 nights also - 50 ml and last night almost 100ml because he's not drinking very much. In any case, I'm just looking for advice about clavamox. I don't want to make him feel sicker but I'm not sure how he'd handle it - if it makes cats nauseous. also, we did the neoplasene salve and it seemed to shrink the growth in his nose and his other 2 lesions. The vet recommended doing the salve again but at this point, I'm not sure we will. Thanks so much, Stacy and Spanky stacy_zac...@yahoo.com ___ 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 ___ 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] another passing
I'm so sorry Michael - sleep soft sweet Queen Lita, 18 years old. Gloria On Nov 27, 2010, at 1:24 AM, Second Chance Meows wrote: tonight we lost our queen, Lita. our very first FeLV cat, she was 18 yrs old. Lita started out as Pink at the SPCA. she was the house cat there for a few years, and was given to me after finding out that my chemo had failed and what i had would eventually kill me. This huge torte was a pissy old girl and would hiss at everything. she at her best was about 20 lbs of pure joy. she would come up to you and head butt you to get petted, and then jump in your lap and just lay there. Lita died at home surrounded by those who loved her, laying on my daughters jacket with her by her side petting her to the end Lita had been with us for 8 long years and had been treated for everything from Uri's to arthritis, to the starting of a feline form of glaucoma, but she held on and fought for all this time finally giving in to liver failure. Safe travels across the bridge Lita. you will be missed. thank you for making Second Chance possible I know i don't send a lot of things here but we here at Second Chance try to do the best we can while running a full house. Please remember that the smaller rescues and homes like us do this from our own pockets. Please help the smaller sanctuaries like ours continue to give love and hope to our furry families. http://secondchancemeows.chipin.com/second-chance-meows-xmas-fund-raiser Michael Johnson Founder/Owner Second Chance Meows A FeLV Sanctuary ___ 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] My Nephew's FeLV Kitten
Hi MaryAnne, I'm not as up on the current treatments as others, but have had FELV cats and been on the list for quite a few years, so thought I'd share some current thoughts and issues. I've have tried different things with mine, both eastern and western medicine. I've used interferon alpha, really believed in that, and used it daily, not on and off. The herbal, Astragalus, certainly is an easy thing to try, and I wouldn't hesitate to talk with an alternative practitioner and try it. Vitamin C is also a possibility, and I'm interested in LTCI though have not used it. The first FELV kitty I took in, I pulled out all the stops and tried traditional vet care, acupuncture, herbs, interferon, practitioner outside the USA, etc. I do recommend interferon, have used interferon alpha quite a bit, although some say the omega would be better. I've lost quite a few FELV kitties, and now have 5. But for some reason, the ones I have now, have no problems. But these kitties just live with no problems - go on and on. I have 1 year and a half old kitty, Izzie, has seizures also - I used a homeopathic remedy recommended by an alternative practitioner, helped a lot but my kitty (Izzie) still has occasional seizures. Keep in mind that the combo (Elisa) test - detects (I think) the virus in the blood, and possibly the bone marrow (1st stage, primary viremia). The IFA test tells if the virus is in the bone marrow (2nd stage, secondary viremia). A positive result on the Elisa means that kitty has the virus in the blood and it's unknown about the bone marrow. A positive result on the the IFA apparently means it's a permanent infection - in blood and bone marrow. I've read that cats can stay at the 1st stage for life, and don't necessarily go to stage two...but I don't know much about that. I'm wondering if some of my present cats have it in the blood but hasn't gotten to the bone marrow. The text that follows is from the Cornell brochure (not that I believe everything from Cornell but this seems to help clarify the tests). From http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/felv.html - I understand there are two stages of FeLV infection. What are they? FeLV is present in the blood (a condition called viremia) during two different stages of infection: Primary viremia, an early stage of virus infection. During this stage some cats are able to mount an effective immune response, eliminate the virus from the bloodstream, and halt progression to the secondary viremia stage. Secondary viremia, a later stage characterized by persistent infection of the bone marrow and other tissue. If FeLV infection progresses to this stage it has passed a point of no return: the overwhelming majority of cats with secondary viremia will be infected for the remainder of their lives. How is infection diagnosed? Two types of FeLV blood tests are in common use. Both detect a protein component of the virus as it circulates in the bloodstream. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and similar tests can be performed in your veterinarian's office. ELISA-type tests detect both primary and secondary stages of viremia. IFA (indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay) tests must be sent out to a diagnostic laboratory. IFA tests detect secondary viremia only, so the majority of positive-testing cats remain infected for life. Hope this helps in some way - Best of luck, Gloria On Nov 27, 2010, at 3:46 PM, marasm...@aol.com wrote: Hi Everyone, I joined the Group in order to learn as much as I could about FeLV because my nephew has recently adopted an FeLV kitten. I have already learned so much from the research and resources available through this group. I find it so valuable and am greatly appreciative of all of you who have made this organization's resources available to some of us Newbies. I could really use some specific help: 1. Does anyone know of a great Vet in NYC who is knowledgeable and skilled at treating FeLV? I was hoping for someone who combines Eastern and Western medicine. 2. Are there any of the experimental drugs that are on the web site's list that some of you have used that you think are helpful? 3. We have an excellent Chinese Herbalist doc outside of the city who has helped me with my other pets. Does it make sense to try herbs, such as astragulus for the immune system under this doc's management? 4. I read the archived info. on LTCI and am aware of all of the issues. But, has anyone had any recent success with it? I am extremely frustrated with so many of my Vets who just throw up their hands and say very little can be done. Maybe that's true, but at least I can try to help with food, supplements, etc. along with any meds. that might help. This whole situation breaks my heart. Whatever ideas, help or support any of you can provide, please know that I will be extremely appreciative
Re: [Felvtalk] Subject: Re: Spanky - fluid in chest - mediastinaltumor in chest
That's very interesting. Reminds me that there's a Wisconsin protocol, which alternates traditional chemo drugs. I noticed it after one of my FELV kitties, Mittens, was on Vincristine and prednisone. It extended his life, I think, but only a few months. The link I find is http://www.maxshouse.com/Oncology/feline_lymphoma_and_leukemias.htm Gloria On Nov 28, 2010, at 6:11 AM, Melinda Kerr wrote: Stacy, I am not certain of the exact protocol. At one time I had it, but have long since lost it. I am in Japan and the American base vet cannot obtain the cancer medications. My Japanese vet has been very attentive and so far everything he has done has been successful. In the beginning he made me wait 10-14 days between treatments in order to allow her body to recover from the strong medicine. He does seem surprised that she recovered so quickly the first time and I am sure will be amazed once again when he sees the results of his second round. Unfortunately, I don't know what he used this last time. She received the following five treatments. All extremely strong drugs! Oncovin- 1st treatment Cyclophosphamide- 2nd treatment Doxorubicin- 3rd treatment Oncovin- 4th treatment Doxorubicin- 5th treatment All of this with 10mg of Prednisone per day. (We have since cut the Prednisone down to 5mg per day. ) I envy your access to an oncologist. Whatever is recommended, I'm sure will be your best bet! Thanks for the good wishes. Melinda, Fuji and VooDoo On Nov 28, 2010, at 9:23 AM, Stacy Zacher wrote: Hi Melinda: I am sorry about Fuji's mass but so happy she responded to chemo. What chemo did you give her? I recently joined the lymphoma list and for Spanky's type of mass (that has yet to be confirmed by biopsy) many have success with prednisoline and leukeran and some are using ac-11 to boost the white blood cells. I have a call into his oncologist/internal med specialist to see what she thinks about putting him on the leukeran. He is doing well on the pred - eating better and even ran up the stairs today which he hasn't done in many weeks. Purraying your Fuji continues to do well and thank you for sharing her story and success. Stacy and Spanky Message: 5 Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 23:11:24 +0900 From: Melinda Kerr msk...@me.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: 255f926b-47f4-4aab-94ce-0148adf35...@me.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Stacy, My kitty Fuji is almost 18 months old. In July, she was diagnosed with FeLV and a mediastinal mass. Very little effort was spent diagnosing her, but the final conclusion was lymphoma because of the presence of FeLV. At that time, all I wanted was to make her more comfortable. She responded immediately to the chemotherapy treatment that she received. She continued to receive 4 more treatments at 10+ day intervals over the next couple of months. During that time she showed absolutely no side affects. The treatments were discontinued because her WBC count was too low (because of the FeLV) for our Japanese vet to feel he could safely do them considering the mass was completely gone. Since her last treatment in September, she has had two rounds of antibiotics for minor infections (I took her in for sneezing the first time.) Last week, I took her in with vomiting and discovered the mass had returned. Second remissions are supposed to be extremely hard to obtain. However, Fuji responded immediately once again to the treatment. A week later, she eats, plays, purrs and does everything she did before. She definitely acts like a more mature cat, but of course she is. We will follow up next week with additional blood tests to see if she can get a second treatment. I know every cat is different, but I never expected to have 4+ more months with my baby. She is still alive and doing pretty good for an FeLV cat with lymphoma! Best of luck to you and Spanky. Melinda, Fuji and VooDoo On Nov 27, 2010, at 11:35 AM, Stacy Zacher wrote: Hi Sharyl: Thanks to you and everyone on this list for your replies and purrayers. . I'm so sorry about your sweet Albert but glad you had the 1.5 years with him. It's been quite a week for us - Spanky went to his vet, then the internal med specialist/oncologist and was diagnosed with a mediastinal tumor in his chest, thus the fluids. My vets too said a few days only if I didn't do something. So I put him on prednisolone for now and may do a stronger round of something to try to kill the tumor. But I know it is dicey with his FELV + status/symptoms. I can't even think straight...but have to try to keep helping him. He made it through Thanksgiving and we are taking it one day (one hour!) at a time. Purrs, Stacy and Spanky Message: 8 Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:49:46 -0800 (PST) From: Sharyl cline...@yahoo.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Spanky - fluid
