Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Good luck to you. I have some of the Mega C Plus, I'd try that, would also try daily low dose interferon, which has a variety of prices - ranging from expensive to cheap. The age 2.5 - 3 yrs is a tough time for FELV cats, least it's been for my guys. Give it all you've got. I sure hope they do well. Best wishes, Gloria On Mar 18, 2007, at 7:11 AM, catatonya wrote: I'm sorry for your bad news, but if your cat has hemobartonella and is on antibiotics this is very treatable. Don't give up! I'm sure you've got lots of good info. by now. Hang in there. My positive cat is 7 years old and perfectly healthy. It's not a death sentence! t C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was. Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV.
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hi Cassandra, Yes, I buy my salmon oil at the health food store. I have a cat on my lap, so I can't go get the name brand for you right now, but it's 100% wild salmon oil, no additives or other ingredients. They are gel caps that I puncture with a pin. I add it to a homemade food that I give my IBD girl. It's good for their coat and has those wonderful omegas that help with inflammation and arthritic joint pain too. If they like the flavor and smell of fish, it sometimes gets them eating because it's so stinky. Some other things you can try are giving him smaller portions off food at a time, warming it to bring out the aroma, use a plate instead of a bowl, or visa versa, sometimes they'll lap when they won't chew, so maybe a little bit of warmed milk, or yogurt; sour cream; meat baby food; even just the water from a can of tuna. Anything to jump start their eating. I've followed a reluctant eater around on my hands and knees shoving the plate of food under their nose and begging them to eat. Sometimes putting a little bit of food directly and gently in their mouths will get them started. Hang in there, Nina C J wrote: Where do you buy salmon oil, is it a health food store type of thing, or something you can buy at the grocery store? Tomi is eating some food, but his appetite isn't as good as it should be. He comes looking for food when we feed all the cats, but sometimes only sniffs it and doesn't eat. The salmon oil might make it more appetizing to him. I can see already how much of a rollercoaster this is. I dread feeding time because i'm either excited when he eats or scared when he turns his nose up at it. It's too bad they can't talk to us and tell us how they're feeling, so we don't have to guess every day.
RE: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Albacore tuna in a can, specifically the Wal Mart brand for some reason jump starts our cats to eat when sick. It has never failed us yet. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nina Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:53 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion Hi Cassandra, Yes, I buy my salmon oil at the health food store. I have a cat on my lap, so I can't go get the name brand for you right now, but it's 100% wild salmon oil, no additives or other ingredients. They are gel caps that I puncture with a pin. I add it to a homemade food that I give my IBD girl. It's good for their coat and has those wonderful omegas that help with inflammation and arthritic joint pain too. If they like the flavor and smell of fish, it sometimes gets them eating because it's so stinky. Some other things you can try are giving him smaller portions off food at a time, warming it to bring out the aroma, use a plate instead of a bowl, or visa versa, sometimes they'll lap when they won't chew, so maybe a little bit of warmed milk, or yogurt; sour cream; meat baby food; even just the water from a can of tuna. Anything to jump start their eating. I've followed a reluctant eater around on my hands and knees shoving the plate of food under their nose and begging them to eat. Sometimes putting a little bit of food directly and gently in their mouths will get them started. Hang in there, Nina C J wrote: Where do you buy salmon oil, is it a health food store type of thing, or something you can buy at the grocery store? Tomi is eating some food, but his appetite isn't as good as it should be. He comes looking for food when we feed all the cats, but sometimes only sniffs it and doesn't eat. The salmon oil might make it more appetizing to him. I can see already how much of a rollercoaster this is. I dread feeding time because i'm either excited when he eats or scared when he turns his nose up at it. It's too bad they can't talk to us and tell us how they're feeling, so we don't have to guess every day. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/723 - Release Date: 3/15/2007 11:27 AM -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/723 - Release Date: 3/15/2007 11:27 AM
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
I was looking for various alternatives to clay litter in the pet store and what they had seemed to be rather expensive. I noticed one kind though, called Elegant Cat which is a flushable green cat litter that seemed reasonably priced. Have you heard of this type of litter? I haven't been able to determine what it is made of, it just says it is biodegradable, with chlorophyll for odor control. I did buy some pine shavings to see how they would react, as they didn't seem to care for the paper pellets all that much. - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 2:46 PM Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion My cats all hated the pelleted paper litter. They prefer wood shavings. Non-clumping wood shavings. Cedarific is a good brand of cat litter that is nice small sized and scoopable wood shavings (small enough they sift through a typical litterbox scoop), but I actually save a TON of money by buying horse stall pine wood shavings (though scooping is more of a hunt and pick thing than and scoop and sift thing). They come in a huge 50 pound bale and it only costs $3.25. If you must use a clumping litter, don't use a clay-based one, they are toxic and dangerous for ALL cats, not just FELV+ cats. Try the brands World's Best, or Swheat Scoop. Those are both corn or wheat based, and can be digested if ingested. Feline Fresh is a wood-based clumping litter and is much safer than clay, but obviously not as digestible as the wheat or corn would be. http://www.adirondackcraft.com/XPH/nep/ManufacturerProducts.htm (non-clumping wood - and the story behind the product - one of the reasons why I think it's such a good product is the ecological mind-set of the manufacturer) http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=22brand_id=60 (smaller bags sold here) Safer clumping alternatives: http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/products/world_best_cat_litter.php?PHPSESSID=250f17d9422e6520ec49404a19ffbd81 http://www.swheatscoop.com/ http://www.felinefresh.com/felineSc.htm Horse stall shavings: http://www.championshavings.com/samples.html (this is just one company I found online, go to your local livestock supply or horse supply store to buy locally for less $) http://www.championshavings.com/pic_pages/pg04.htm (picture of actual shavings) Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.10/720 - Release Date: 3/12/2007 7:19 PM
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
contact them and ask what's in it: http://www.elegantcatlitter.com/contactus.htm Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Yeah, that;s the big problem, most of the alternative litters are much more expensive. That's the main reason I switched to Pine shavings, it's just so economical. I've had no issues with toxicity, allergies, etc - and one of my cats is highly allergic to almost everything, he loves to dig and roll in the clean boxes when I first change them. If I had an unlimited budget, I would probably use swheat scoop (even tho I hate scoopable litters). Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources
TF caps vs. powder (was Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion)
Thought I might chime in on some of these questions. The TF caps aren't very large, and they are easy to give in any form you like, since they can easily be opened and their contents dumped in food. Ember gets hers in canned Innova EVO. More importantly, there's a big difference between TF Plus Advanced and TF Feline Complete. TF Plus Advanced contains a number of immune boosters that aren't available in TF Feline Complete, while Feline Complete contains vitamins, minerals and probiotics. If some of the info on the web about TF and animals is true, more profound results can be gotten by giving sick animals TF Plus Advanced. I think both products are helpful, depending on an animals' situtation. If Ember wasn't FeLV+, I might put her on TF Feline Complete. Since she is positive, I'm giving her the TF Plus Advanced, which probably boosts her immune system more than any of the other TF formulas. The TF Feline Complete does have a cheese and whey flavor to it that cats theoretically enjoy. Lance On Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:48:46 -0800, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: Do you know how large the capsules of TF are? They may be too big to pill Tomi with and then you'll be spending the extra money for capsules when you could just as easily get the powder. I would call them up and ask them about it. They may put flavoring in the TF powder made for animals that they don't add to the caps as well. Check it out before you decide which product to try. As Lance said, colostrum and TF are not the same things, they are not interchangeable. -- Lance Linimon [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: TF caps vs. powder (was Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion)
Hi Lance, Since you've done your homework about TF... Do you know the difference between the TF Plus Advanced and TF Stress formula? I've always ordered the sf, but now I can't remember why I made that decision in the first place. I don't have any felv in the house right now and don't give TF regularly. I only add it when someone is fighting something off. Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks for chiming, Nina Lance wrote: Thought I might chime in on some of these questions. The TF caps aren't very large, and they are easy to give in any form you like, since they can easily be opened and their contents dumped in food. Ember gets hers in canned Innova EVO. More importantly, there's a big difference between TF Plus Advanced and TF Feline Complete. TF Plus Advanced contains a number of immune boosters that aren't available in TF Feline Complete, while Feline Complete contains vitamins, minerals and probiotics. If some of the info on the web about TF and animals is true, more profound results can be gotten by giving sick animals TF Plus Advanced. I think both products are helpful, depending on an animals' situtation. If Ember wasn't FeLV+, I might put her on TF Feline Complete. Since she is positive, I'm giving her the TF Plus Advanced, which probably boosts her immune system more than any of the other TF formulas. The TF Feline Complete does have a cheese and whey flavor to it that cats theoretically enjoy. Lance
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Where do you buy salmon oil, is it a health food store type of thing, or something you can buy at the grocery store? Tomi is eating some food, but his appetite isn't as good as it should be. He comes looking for food when we feed all the cats, but sometimes only sniffs it and doesn't eat. The salmon oil might make it more appetizing to him. I can see already how much of a rollercoaster this is. I dread feeding time because i'm either excited when he eats or scared when he turns his nose up at it. It's too bad they can't talk to us and tell us how they're feeling, so we don't have to guess every day. - Original Message - From: Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 11:48 AM Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion Ewww, I wouldn't want to squirt Pet-tinic in anyone's mouth! I taste most everything I give my kids and I never had the nerve to taste Pet-tinic. The smell alone tells me it has a very strong flavor. I mix it in with wet food when I give it. If Tomi isn't big on canned food, you might be able to sneak small amounts of whatever into small portions of tuna or baby food. I'm glad he's eating his dry food. You might be able to mix TF into some of his dry. Does Tomi like fish flavors? If he does, you might try squeezing a few drops of salmon oil on some dry food to see if he'll eat it. If he does, you could then mix in a tiny bit of TF, (it will stick to the oil coated dry). Try feeding him one kibble at a time treated in this way. Both salmon oil and TF are usually pleasant tasting to kitties, you might be able to supplement him this way. Do you know how large the capsules of TF are? They may be too big to pill Tomi with and then you'll be spending the extra money for capsules when you could just as easily get the powder. I would call them up and ask them about it. They may put flavoring in the TF powder made for animals that they don't add to the caps as well. Check it out before you decide which product to try. As Lance said, colostrum and TF are not the same things, they are not interchangeable. I'm so pleased to hear that Tomi is feeling a bit better. I hope it's not the case, but you might want to fasten your seat belt. Dealing with felv can be a very scary roller coaster ride. Try not to think about the possibility of Kisa getting sick. I know it's easier to say than do, but it won't help and the stress of worrying might even hurt. Love them, give them the best care you can and watch them closely for any changes in mood or behavior. Make your decisions one at a time to the best of your ability. That's all any of us can do. Nina
Re: TF caps vs. powder (was Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion)
Thanks for the info, Lance. Kitty kisses to Ember, elizabeth On 3/14/07, Lance [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thought I might chime in on some of these questions. The TF caps aren't very large, and they are easy to give in any form you like, since they can easily be opened and their contents dumped in food. Ember gets hers in canned Innova EVO. More importantly, there's a big difference between TF Plus Advanced and TF Feline Complete. TF Plus Advanced contains a number of immune boosters that aren't available in TF Feline Complete, while Feline Complete contains vitamins, minerals and probiotics. If some of the info on the web about TF and animals is true, more profound results can be gotten by giving sick animals TF Plus Advanced. I think both products are helpful, depending on an animals' situtation. If Ember wasn't FeLV+, I might put her on TF Feline Complete. Since she is positive, I'm giving her the TF Plus Advanced, which probably boosts her immune system more than any of the other TF formulas. The TF Feline Complete does have a cheese and whey flavor to it that cats theoretically enjoy. Lance On Wed, 14 Mar 2007 09:48:46 -0800, Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: Do you know how large the capsules of TF are? They may be too big to pill Tomi with and then you'll be spending the extra money for capsules when you could just as easily get the powder. I would call them up and ask them about it. They may put flavoring in the TF powder made for animals that they don't add to the caps as well. Check it out before you decide which product to try. As Lance said, colostrum and TF are not the same things, they are not interchangeable. -- Lance Linimon [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hemobartonella is completely curable, even in FELV+ cats. Don't throw in the towel just yet! Keep up with the treatment, and it's likely your baby will be just fine! It is good to know of the FELV status anyways, but I certainly wouldn't assume that the FELV has become symptomatic just because the cat caught hemobart. The two things are often totally unrelated. Cats without FELV do catch Hemobart, and cats that caught Hemobart are often not FELV positive! Keep a positive outlook, and ASSUME your cat will recover fully from the Hemobart, that is the right way to go about approaching this circumstance. Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
My cats all hated the pelleted paper litter. They prefer wood shavings. Non-clumping wood shavings. Cedarific is a good brand of cat litter that is nice small sized and scoopable wood shavings (small enough they sift through a typical litterbox scoop), but I actually save a TON of money by buying horse stall pine wood shavings (though scooping is more of a hunt and pick thing than and scoop and sift thing). They come in a huge 50 pound bale and it only costs $3.25. If you must use a clumping litter, don't use a clay-based one, they are toxic and dangerous for ALL cats, not just FELV+ cats. Try the brands World's Best, or Swheat Scoop. Those are both corn or wheat based, and can be digested if ingested. Feline Fresh is a wood-based clumping litter and is much safer than clay, but obviously not as digestible as the wheat or corn would be. http://www.adirondackcraft.com/XPH/nep/ManufacturerProducts.htm (non-clumping wood - and the story behind the product - one of the reasons why I think it's such a good product is the ecological mind-set of the manufacturer) http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=22brand_id=60 (smaller bags sold here) Safer clumping alternatives: http://www.worldsbestcatlitter.com/products/world_best_cat_litter.php?PHPSESSID=250f17d9422e6520ec49404a19ffbd81 http://www.swheatscoop.com/ http://www.felinefresh.com/felineSc.htm Horse stall shavings: http://www.championshavings.com/samples.html (this is just one company I found online, go to your local livestock supply or horse supply store to buy locally for less $) http://www.championshavings.com/pic_pages/pg04.htm (picture of actual shavings) Phaewryn http://ucat.us/domesticcatlinks.html Special Needs Cat Resources
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hi Cassandra, I don't think that colostrum and TF are the same thing. All formulas of TF seem to have colostrum in them, but I gather they're more than that, though perhaps not in the case of Transfer Factor Classic. It seems that Transfer Factor Plus Advanced goes far beyond the scope of basic TF, and can really boost the immune system. Unfortunately, that's also the most expensive of the TF formulas, and I'm guessing that's what you're looking at when you say it's $60 for 60 capsules. The capsules are standard gel-caps, and they're extremely easy to unscrew so that you can dump the actual TF into wet food. Lance On Mar 12, 2007, at 11:12 PM, C J wrote: Thank you for the responses all, its really informative. I haven't used Interferon yet, as my vet is still looking into it. I think Tomi is feeling a bit better today, he seemed to really like the dry Innova food and ate quite a bit, but only tasted the canned Innova. He doesn't seem to like canned food at all lately, so putting any supplements in his food is not going to work very well. I'll have to ask the vet if they have pet tinic. It would probably be easier to squirt some of that into his mouth rather than making him swallow a bunch of paste. I would like to try the Transfer Factor, and i'm probably going to order it yet, even though its $60 for 60 capsules, plus shipping. Would the Colostrum from a health food store work as well as the Transfer Factor? It sounds like the same thing, with the Transfer Factor just being more expensive. We'll see too if he'll use the paper litter, its in pellet form, and he's not exactly sure he likes the feel of it on his feet. I do have 4 other cats, so I still have clumping litter in the house, I just put Tomi and Kisa together in a separate room for the night with the alternate litter. My spirits are a little higher today after seeing that Tomi is feeling better. I just hope he can continue to pull through. Its so scary to think that he or Kisa could get so sick at any moment. Cassandra - Original Message - From: Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:36 PM Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion Hi Tomi's guardian, Sorry, what's your name? It was suspected that my Grace had Hemobart too. Belinda is right that Doxy is prescribed long-term for this. The abx retards the growth of new parasites, (doesn't actually kill it off), so it's needed longer than the usual 7-10 days to give the body a chance to destroy the infestation. My Internist wanted Grace to remain on it indefinitely. Instead I would give it to her whenever she was showing signs of anemia, at first I'd keep her on it for a month at a time. Grace too was in terrible shape when I first started medicating her with Doxy and she did bounce back. Are you the one that posted about using Interferon Alpha 7 days on and 7 days off? I know that the pulse method is a standard protocol, but whenever Grace was showing symptoms, I'd give it to her daily until she began to feel better. I've also upped the dose to as much as 3 ccs daily when they are fighting something off. I don't think the benefits of Nutri-cal are worth forcing it on Tomi. It's mostly corn syrup anyway. If he's eating, (is he eating?), then I wouldn't worry too much about fighting with him over it. I'd try mixing in a small amount of Pet-tinic, (or another multi vita sup) into his food. If the vet feels strongly about making sure Tomi has vita B12, he could give him an injection of it, (although it does sting). I order TF in a powder, I didn't even know they made TF in pill form. I've never had anyone refuse it mixed in food. I don't usually add the full amount suggested in one serving though. You can also get Tomi regular colostrum at the health food store to add to his food. It's good that you got Tomi the paper litter, you might want to try one of the corn based litters too. Just be sure and not have any of the clumping litter in the house, it's very dangerous to have them eating that. Did you buy the Innova dry or wet? So far I've never had a cat turn their nose up at the dry. One more tip for you... If Tomi's appetite is good, you might be able to hide his pills in Pill Pockets. Most of my guys won't eat the pill pocket by itself. What I do is use about half the pill pocket to form around the pill and then hide it in a small amount of something really yummy, like tuna, or meat baby food. I have one guy that will eat his pill pocketed pill if I give it to him with a couple of those nasty Temptation treats. Hang in there my dear. You are doing wonderfully. We all know how overwhelming and expensive it can be. Just do the best you can and try to keep your spirits up. Continue to make decisions from your heart and take things one day at a time
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hi, Sorry you have had to find us but Tomi is in good hands. Is he on doxocycline and is the parasite hemobartonella? If the anemia is due to that the doxy should get his blood count back up once the hemobartonella is under control, he should be on the doxy for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. You can give him Nutrived in the mean time to help him build red cells, it has vitamin B, folic acid and iron ALL are needed to build blood. I buy it here: http://www.calvetsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPRODProdID=33 -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Yes Tomi is on doxocycline for the parasite hemobartonella. They gave me a small container of pills to give 2, once a day, but there's not enough there for 4-6 weeks. As well, he's on prednosone for the week to keep him from destroying his new blood cells. His red blood count is at 16 right now. The vet also gave me a tube of paste, called Nutri-Cal that is high in vitamin B12, iron, etc. Its supposed to be palatable, but Tomi doesn't like it, so I have to stick it to the roof of his mouth to get him to eat it. I went out and bought the Innovo Evo food, as well as some litter made out of recycled paper, so that hopefully he won't try to eat it. I tried giving him some Noni juice, but I started thinking that maybe he shouldn't be taking a supplement that boosts the immune system while he's on the prednosone to suppress the immune system. Also maybe the Transfer factor plus advanced would be better than the Noni since it comes in pill form. My cats seem to actually gag a bit on the Noni since it tastes so bad. It might take awhile to ship the Transfer factor to Canada though. This whole process is a little overwhelming and expensive, but worth it if I can give my little guy (and girl if she starts getting sick) a chance. - Original Message - From: Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 10:07 AM Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion Hi, Sorry you have had to find us but Tomi is in good hands. Is he on doxocycline and is the parasite hemobartonella? If the anemia is due to that the doxy should get his blood count back up once the hemobartonella is under control, he should be on the doxy for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. You can give him Nutrived in the mean time to help him build red cells, it has vitamin B, folic acid and iron ALL are needed to build blood. I buy it here: http://www.calvetsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPRODProdID=33 -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.9/719 - Release Date: 3/12/2007 8:41 AM
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hi Tomi's guardian, Sorry, what's your name? It was suspected that my Grace had Hemobart too. Belinda is right that Doxy is prescribed long-term for this. The abx retards the growth of new parasites, (doesn't actually kill it off), so it's needed longer than the usual 7-10 days to give the body a chance to destroy the infestation. My Internist wanted Grace to remain on it indefinitely. Instead I would give it to her whenever she was showing signs of anemia, at first I'd keep her on it for a month at a time. Grace too was in terrible shape when I first started medicating her with Doxy and she did bounce back. Are you the one that posted about using Interferon Alpha 7 days on and 7 days off? I know that the pulse method is a standard protocol, but whenever Grace was showing symptoms, I'd give it to her daily until she began to feel better. I've also upped the dose to as much as 3 ccs daily when they are fighting something off. I don't think the benefits of Nutri-cal are worth forcing it on Tomi. It's mostly corn syrup anyway. If he's eating, (is he eating?), then I wouldn't worry too much about fighting with him over it. I'd try mixing in a small amount of Pet-tinic, (or another multi vita sup) into his food. If the vet feels strongly about making sure Tomi has vita B12, he could give him an injection of it, (although it does sting). I order TF in a powder, I didn't even know they made TF in pill form. I've never had anyone refuse it mixed in food. I don't usually add the full amount suggested in one serving though. You can also get Tomi regular colostrum at the health food store to add to his food. It's good that you got Tomi the paper litter, you might want to try one of the corn based litters too. Just be sure and not have any of the clumping litter in the house, it's very dangerous to have them eating that. Did you buy the Innova dry or wet? So far I've never had a cat turn their nose up at the dry. One more tip for you... If Tomi's appetite is good, you might be able to hide his pills in Pill Pockets. Most of my guys won't eat the pill pocket by itself. What I do is use about half the pill pocket to form around the pill and then hide it in a small amount of something really yummy, like tuna, or meat baby food. I have one guy that will eat his pill pocketed pill if I give it to him with a couple of those nasty Temptation treats. Hang in there my dear. You are doing wonderfully. We all know how overwhelming and expensive it can be. Just do the best you can and try to keep your spirits up. Continue to make decisions from your heart and take things one day at a time. Shower those angels of yours with love. My prayers are with you, Nina C J wrote: Yes Tomi is on doxocycline for the parasite hemobartonella. They gave me a small container of pills to give 2, once a day, but there's not enough there for 4-6 weeks. As well, he's on prednosone for the week to keep him from destroying his new blood cells. His red blood count is at 16 right now. The vet also gave me a tube of paste, called Nutri-Cal that is high in vitamin B12, iron, etc. Its supposed to be palatable, but Tomi doesn't like it, so I have to stick it to the roof of his mouth to get him to eat it. I went out and bought the Innovo Evo food, as well as some litter made out of recycled paper, so that hopefully he won't try to eat it. I tried giving him some Noni juice, but I started thinking that maybe he shouldn't be taking a supplement that boosts the immune system while he's on the prednosone to suppress the immune system. Also maybe the Transfer factor plus advanced would be better than the Noni since it comes in pill form. My cats seem to actually gag a bit on the Noni since it tastes so bad. It might take awhile to ship the Transfer factor to Canada though. This whole process is a little overwhelming and expensive, but worth it if I can give my little guy (and girl if she starts getting sick) a chance. - Original Message - From: Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 10:07 AM Subject: Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion Hi, Sorry you have had to find us but Tomi is in good hands. Is he on doxocycline and is the parasite hemobartonella? If the anemia is due to that the doxy should get his blood count back up once the hemobartonella is under control, he should be on the doxy for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. You can give him Nutrived in the mean time to help him build red cells, it has vitamin B, folic acid and iron ALL are needed to build blood. I buy it here: http://www.calvetsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPRODProdID=33 -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Hello, I know *exactly* how you feel. A year ago last Tuesday, our family was thrown into the same, painful spiral that you're going through. We lost one kitten to FeLV, and her playmate, who is my own cat, tested positive for FeLV. I spent the next month just trying to emotionally recover, but it does get better. My cat, Ember, is still with me, and seems to be doing well. It's possible that, if we had ignored the inexperienced vet who gave my mom no hope for her kitten, Sadie might be still with us today. I've since taken Ember to a new vet who is open to trying whatever I want to try and who doesn't recommend euthanasia right off the bat for something like this. I also found a nearby holistic vet who has been invaluable. Not only is there no cure for FeLV that we know of, but it seems that every cat reacts differently to the disease. In Ember's case, she is on interferon alpha, which is what I'd imagine your vet will be getting for your cats. There is another interferon (brand name: Virbagen Omega) that is specifically for cats, though unfortunately, it's vastly more expensive. It also seems to have a more dramatic effect, especially when FeLV+ cats are having problems. My Ember is on interferon alpha doses, which she gets orally at home. I also have good reason to believe that Transfer Factor Plus Advanced and Liquid DMG have helped boost her immune system. Finally, Ember is getting Mega C Plus in her morning bowl of food. We only started this recently, and I can't vouch for how much it may have helped. It makes sense that it would at least provide good nutritional support. I also feed Innova EVO, which is a high quality, high protein food. Most of us on this list try to feed higher quality food when we can afford to do so. This seems to be the top recommendation from most folks on how to treat FeLV+ cats. There are other good brands, and high quality does not necessarily mean a much higher price. Others here can probably recommend other foods. Other brands that have worked well for Ember are Felidae and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. The treatments that we have used for Ember (as listed above), **seem** to have helped her. Last October, her white blood cell count went way down, and she also developed anemia. I started her on Liquid DMG and Transfer Factor Plus Advanced, and she was back to normal within a month. Did those supplements help, or did something else happen that helped her to recover? There's no way to know, unfortunately. I'll be more than happy to answer any other questions you have via e- mail or the list. We are here to help you. Tomi and Kisa will be in my thoughts and prayers. Lance On Mar 10, 2007, at 7:32 PM, C J wrote: I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was. Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV.
Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was. Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV.
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
At 05:32 PM 3/10/2007, you wrote: Sorry you need to join us under theses circumstances, but after you digest so much and things settle down and you spend te next week reading all the old posts and your baby starts to feel a bit better you will get your happiness back again, I will not even get into the multitudes of treatment options as you have enough to handle now, and it sounds like your vet is being supportive, But stay here with us ,,all of us that ae doing the same things and ask all the questions you need to. It is a lot to learn and we are still learning and sharing. kelly www.kellyscats.zoomshare.com I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was. Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.413 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/716 - Release Date: 3/9/2007
Re: Hello, I am new to this form of discussion
Thank you for listening to your heart. A frightening number of vets recommend euthanasia without further evaluation. You did very well. I am sure you will get a lot of responses here -- but there is hope and life after a FeVL+ diagnosis. Mama Kitty wasn't supposed to live but a few weeks. She's getting close to the 1 year mark. I know people with FeVL+ babies who lived past 12. Be encouraged -- and keep posting! elizabeth On 3/10/07, C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I never would have thought two days ago that I would be discussing FeLV. I didn't even know what it was. Yesterday, I was devastated when I brought my favorite cat, Tomi, to the vet since he wasn't eating and was lethargic. I found out he was severely anemic because of a parasite in the blood and he tested positive for FeLV. The Vet was hinting that it didn't look good for Tomi, but I insisted they go ahead with a blood transfusion and antibiotics to treat the parasite. They said it was likely he got the parasite because of a weakened immune system. I have four other cats besides Tomi, and I brought them all in, kicking and screaming to be tested today. We found out that the kitten we took in the same time as Tomi (and his best friend) Kisa, also is positive, though she isn't showing any signs of it yet. They are both 2.5 years old. This has been an extremely hard couple of days for me, to have my happy family suddenly thrown into turmoil, so i've been searching the internet for any sign of hope. I found out about Interferon, and the vet is willing to give that a try, though he has to acquire it from somewhere first. I also found a site that claims Mega C Plus can really help a FeLV positive cat, and I ordered some, just to try, though it will probably take a couple of weeks to arrive. I brought Tomi home today, and need to give him antibiotic, steroids, and a vitamin supplement paste with B12 in it. I sure am not looking forward to shoving all these pills and the paste down his throat (the paste is supposed to taste good, but he doesn't like it). Now i'm basically waiting to see if Tomi can produce red blood cells on his own, and if he can't, then the transfusion will only be a temporary solution. I just can't bear to lose him, and possibly Kisa if she starts showing symptoms. This terrible disease sure makes you miss the happiness you had in your life before you are introduced to FeLV.
