Hi Lorrie,
Having a blood transfusion is not a walk in the park, but neither
should it be painful. It is a serious matter, and shouldn't be used except in
certain circumstances, but it IS well researched and can be very effective.
And, while a few clinics may keep donor cats, or have a roster they can call in
(I have two that are on-call donors) blood and blood products can also be
bought from suppliers. And then there is Oxyglobin, a blood substitute which
can be used as well (tho off-label for cats). Blood transfusions are not a
common procedure, so even a dedicated donor cat should not be at risk, unless
they are not properly cared for.
Blood transfusions are usually used to buy time for other
treatments to work, or for the body to replace lost blood volume. A transfusion
is not a cure. I would think this a treatment worth considering. Certainly ask
questions, but that goes for every treatment or medication that we choose for
our FurKids.
There is no cure for Feline Leukemia. That is true. But it is also
not an immediate death sentence. If you think about it, treating any disease or
injury is just prolonging the inevitable.
I do try to make sure that the life I prolong is of good quality.
I have my own criteria for that, as I'm sure is true for many caregivers. But,
if I had followed conventional guidelines and euthanized Gribble at diagnosis
(he was very sick), he wouldn't be bouncing around the house right now.
The circumstances and choices are different for all of us. We have
to take many things into consideration, and the ultimate choice I make may be
wrong for someone else's situation.
Regards,
Margo
-----Original Message-----
>From: Lorrie <felineres...@frontier.com>
>Catherine, I can tell you love Meowko very much, and blood transfusions will
>keep her going for awhile as will Epogen, but please think of what you are
>putting her through. Blood transfusions are an invasive painful proceedure
>as well as very expensive for you. I do not mean to upset you, but Meowko is
>old and has a fatal disease........ There is no cure for Feline Leukemia,
>and you are only prolonging the inevitable.... Another thought on blood
>transfusions is the donor cat. I worked for a vet years ago and saw
>some donor cats die if too much of their blood is taken to save a client's
>cat.
>
>Lorrie
>
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