Hi Kris,
I'm sorry it took so long to write, but I've been pretty overwhelmed
with illness and injury right now. I have been following the list as
best I can and I just wanted you to know how sorry I am you had to find
us. This disease is horrid, and every cat seems to be effected in
different ways and degrees. One thing I have discovered is, there is
always cause for hope. It's constantly testing my mettle, and I have
found out I'm stronger and more courageous than I would have previously
imagined.
As far as cross-mixing goes... I have never found a vet, or anything
in my research that suggests mixing is a good idea. And why would
they? Of course there's less of a chance of infection if they're
separated, that's common sense. That being said, it was never an
option for me to isolate any of my animals. If my husband came down
with smallpox, I wouldn't make him go live in the garage! It may have
been an easier decision for me. When I found out mine were positive,
it was long after they had become part of the family. They had been
co-mingling for so long that it didn't make sense for me to separate
them at that point. Besides they wouldn't have understood, everyone
has access to everywhere and everyone else, they would have been so
unhappy and confused if I had shut them away somewhere. I know it's a
risk, but it's a risk I feel compelled to take. Based on my own
experience and that of others on this list, I have since found out that
the risk is much slimmer than I had been led to believe. My FeLV+ are
now 17 months old and I've had them since they were 2 1/2 weeks. None
of my other cats have become positive. I would strongly recommend
vaccinating your negatives, (be careful, in my haste to protect a
semi-feral the same age as my FeLV kittens, I allowed my vet to
accidently over-vaccinate her and she has IBD now). No one can make
this decision for you, you are the one who must be willing to live with
the consequences, but quality of life is of the utmost importance to
me, and from your posts your negative cats seem very unhappy, (so do
you for that matter!).
I just read one of Sally's post about Purrki testing positive as a
kitten and then recently testing negative. I just wanted to mention
that, Tim, one of the kittens from my FeLV litter, has tested negative
also. That's what I mean by there always being room for hope.
Everything I read, and I've read a lot, said that a kitten contracting
FeLV inutro has a very slim prognosis for clearing the virus, but
here's my Tim, handsome and strong with no signs of illness and testing
negative! It's true that it could be sequestered in his bone marrow,
but I continue to treat him as if he's positive, (he gets all the
supplements and close scrutiny as his sisters) and still allow myself
the joy in knowing that he's tested negative. There is also the
possibility of your cats being carriers that test positive, without
ever showing the ill-effects associated with the disease. It's all
such a crap-shoot, but isn't life in general that way? That's another
thing this disease has taught me, I don't have nearly the control over
my environment that I once thought I did. It's a fine line that I
continue to battle.
I can't advise you about Retrovir, I'd never heard of it before you
mentioned it. I do know that, in my case, feline interferon,
Doxycycline and Sally's Transfer Factors has helped my babies recover
when I thought all was lost. The most important things are to keep the
household stress-free, provide good nutrition and supplements and watch
them like a hawk to jump on any sign of illness before it can take
hold. If/when you do start mixing your household again, watch your
negatives for illness as well, as Sally has stated they are probably
bigger threats to your FeLV, than the other way around!
I'm very pleased to hear Thor is doing better. You, Luna, Thor and the
rest of your family are in my thoughts and prayers. You're never
alone. You've found a warm, knowledgeable and supportive group of
people on this list. I don't know what I would do without them.
Nina
Kris Kulak wrote:
Wow Sally, You are extremely informative and easier to
comprehend than some sites I've been too. I greatly appreciate your
response. I've had the older kitten tested IFA because he was so sick
at the time, I wanted a complete check-up, never thinking this would
happen since all of my cats are indoor creatures. The other 4 had the
ELISA because I wanted an idea right away. I was so devastated at the
time, I wanted to know ASAP.
I do have the 3 older ones isolated to the basement and the two
little guys upstairs with me where we can keep a better eye on them. I
hope this is only temporary because it is extremely hard on the cats
and the rest of the family. We have to sneak in and out of the door
which is not easy with 5 cats trying to sneak with you. They meow or
howl or scratch back and forth at the door constantly.
The littlest guy (Luna) is about 4 months old. He acts totally
and completely normal so far. Thor, the older kitten who got his name
because he was extremely loud and thundrous, was the one that got sick,
but tested negative twice before. It wasn't until shortly after we got
the kitten that he got sick. Sylvester, the oldest and the leader of
the pack, got sick too. At first I though it was a cold, and with
Sylvester it was. But Thor couldn't shake it. After three weeks more
with medication not working, I took him back in. That's when his blood
work came back positive. Thor was really lethargic, not eating much,
sweaty, isolated, etc. Since then, I've put him on this Retrovir. I
don't like the side effects that could happen, but he seems to be
getting better. Just this morning he was sounding like thunder again
chasing the little guy around the house. I just got home from work (the
first day back since I found out he was sick; I was never so scared to
come home in my life; I didn't know what to expect) and right away, he
wanted to play. He meowed at me a few times. Then he threw up a nice,
big, juicy fur ball right at my feet. After that, he started chasing a
piece of material I was dragging on the floor.
He does eat a little more now. At 2 AM he woke me up hungry. I
had to feed him. I sat on the floor, put soft food on my finger and
rubbed in his mouth. He ate about a quarter of a can that way. He still
has episodes where he stares at his food, but I rub a little on his
teeth and he will eat out of my hand. Sometimes, he's even eating on
his own. The nice thing though, is that he's is becoming more active
and seems to be putting on more weight again. But, as I said
before, I too scared to get my hopes up. I'm just hanging in there
along with him.
I know it's not recommended, and my husband isn't even sure, but
I would like to reunite my family after the incubation period is over
and the cats have all been retested. I can't dream of putting the
burden of raising possibly terminally ill cats onto someone else. I'd
rather have the hea;thy cats go somewhere. The only problem, I am
sooooo emotional. My husband worries it will "kill" me. I keep telling
him that it will be hard, but for the kitties' sake, I've got to keep
them where they're used to and comfortable. The least amount of stress
is recommended, right?
I so love this group. It is helping me a lot. And I'm learning a
lot. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to relax a little and stop feeling
like dread is looming behind me. Thanks again.
Dear
Sally:
Did the cats test positive on both an ELISA and an IFA test? If they
were
just tested with the ELISA (the in-house snap test), this test is much
more
sensitive to the antigen produced by the replicating virus so it can be
an
indication of an infection which may only be transitory and there is a
chance the
virus can be cleared. While this is more likely with an adult cat than
a kitten,
it is not impossible for a kitten who tests positive early on to later
test
negative. I have one who was positive at 6 weeks but retested negative
a 6 mos.
when he was neutered.
If an IFA test was not done, I would strongly urge you to do so as this
can
give you an indication of what stage of infection the cats may be in
and a
better idea as to their chance for long-term survival. According to Dr.
Richard
Pitcairn, there are six stages of FeLV infection. The ELISA is 100
times more
sensitive so a positive result on this test can indicate the earlier
stages of
infection as well as the latter ones. A positive IFA correlates well
with
stage 4 and up. While it is possible for a cat in early stage to still
clear the
virus, it is more likely an IFA+ cat will remain persistently viremic.
It is
not until stage five that a cat is actively shedding the virus and so
infectious to others, and it takes repeated and direct contact with a
cat who is
shedding the virus to result in infection. A cat persistently infected
with FeLV
and immunocompromised is actually more at risk of exposure to other
cats than
are healthy adult cats at risk from exposure to a cat which is infected
with
FeLV. Not all FeLV+ cats are shedding the virus, and it is not the
easiest
virus to transmit...it does not live long outside its host.
Kittens are most at risk of infection...not only because they have an
immature immune system but because lymphocytes in a kitten produce 50
times more
virus than those of an adult cat. Kittens infected before birth by an
infected
mom, or shortly after birth through nursing or mutual grooming, have
the worst
prognosis for survival. It is said around 50% won't make it through
their
first year. Those that do may continue to do well until around age
2-3-4. Some
manage to live a relatively normal life span. What seems to determine
this is
whether or not the relatively benign FeLV-A subgroup of the virus,
which is
the only form that is passed from one cat to another, eventually
recombines with
the cat's DNA and mutates into one of the more virulent subgroups. The
FeLV-A+B is the one associated with lymphomas and other cancers. The
FeLV-A+C is
the one associated with severe/non-regenerative anemia. It is possible
for
both mutations to occur and a cat to develop FeLV-A+B+C, which is the
worst case
scenario.
If both these cats are currently non-symptomatic, there is no reason to
consider euthanasia at this point. If they can be maintained in an
environment
relatively free of stress -- and that includes such stressors to the
immune
system as vaccines (which can actually trigger a latent infection into
an active
one), toxic drugs and toxins in poor quality food -- and fed a good
quality diet
(preferably raw-based) with some immune-boosting supplements, their
chance
for survival is much better than otherwise.
Some of our listmembers have cats who are 6 years and older, some have
lived
into their teens. I lost my first FeLV+ furbaby at 8 mos. to
non-regenerative
anemia...I did not know Purrsia was FeLV+ prior to that. Her playmate,
Angel
Eyes, who was, in retrospect, probably the source of infection, tested
positive two weeks after Purrsia passed, but thrived for another seven
months, then
suddenly crashed at 18 mos. and was gone 14 days later due to what was
probably lymphoma in her lungs. I currently have two more FeLV+
kittens, a brother
and sister, now 18 mos. old, who tested positive at 12 weeks and again
at 6
mos. and have remained stable and non-symptomatic except for mild
gingivitis.
They are on a raw-based diet and immune support with Transfer Factor,
Oli-Vet.,
Vit. C, and CoQ10. My miracle baby, Purrki, was put on the same
protocol
from the day I brought him home at 6 weeks with runny eyes and horrible
diarrhea.
His symptoms cleared within a few days given some TF therapy,
probiotics and
a homeopathic remedy for diarrhea. He has retested negative and is
thriving.
If you are not able to find a permanent placement for these cats right
away,
perhaps you can find someone who is willing to foster them until one
can be
found? There is much than can be done to keep these kittys stable and
it would
be such a shame for them to be denied a chance just because they have
tested
positive. There is so much ignorance and misinformation about FeLV.
Yes,
the prognosis is better for cats with FIV, but being FeLV+ should not
be an
automatic death sentence. There is a liklihood the cats may not live to
old age,
but it is not a given they will crash and die soon. I do hope you are
able to
give them a chance to know what it is to be loved and have a home for
however
long their immune systems can hold out, and perhaps may be able to
clear the
virus.
Please keep us posted.
Sally in San Jose
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