I don't know about the conflicting tests. There are certainly false positive test & there certainly are many conflicting studies. I would try to find a vet in your area who has good knowledge of FeLV. But in any case there is not reason for your kitty to live a life in isolation. I have 3 negative, vaccinated cats who live quite happily & freely with my 4 FeLV fosters. of coarse they need to be fixed. Find a vet with experience with FeLV is the best. Beth Don't Litter, Fix Your Critter! www.Furkids.org
--- On Tue, 5/10/11, Mellenee Finger <melle...@gmail.com> wrote: From: Mellenee Finger <melle...@gmail.com> Subject: [Felvtalk] Conflicting Test Results To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 9:20 AM Hi all, I've never dealt with FeLV; this is a little confusing to me (ok, a LOT confusing). We have a new kitty that we are adding to our currently one cat home. When he came to my home at 6 months old, he appeared extremely healthy except for multiple cutaneous horns on his front footpads. During his new visit my vet gave him the FELV/FIV combo SNAP test. It was negative. Cutaneous horns often have a viral cause so my vet recommended we pursue a diagnosis. At the time of the visit we trimmed his claws. Within two weeks the horns had gone and his footpads are soft and normal except for the dorsal pad, which still has a hard crusty appearance. I took him to a vet dermatologist, who did a blood draw for another ELISA test and also for the IFA test. This second round of testing gave us a negative ELISA but a positive IFA. The derm vet began to give me instructions on living with a positive FELV cat and sent the results to my regular vet. The regular vet phoned me and said the IFA must be repeated in 30-60 days before he is considered positive, and that a false IFA is possible; in her experience two negative ELISA tests have more credibility. Internet research leads me to several papers written with somewhat conflicting information regarding tests. I don't know how to interpret these results. There are enough conflicting medical papers out there that I could make a case either way. I plan to retest him in 30 days but meanwhile I have decisions to make as he was purchased as a potential breeder. His breeder was contacted and has suspended all contact in her cats and blood tested her cats with negative results. It took me a year of searching to select this breeder. She is cautious, has few cats, and is in the medical profession so is very astute. I am so very confused. The vets have also offered to remove the dorsal pad for a biopsy, but also said there is a good possibility the biopsy will be inconclusive. Putting the cat through a pad removal (even a dorsal pad) plus the expense doesn't make sense if the chances of finding an answer are low, so I currently opted for no removal. Meanwhile the cat remains healthy. He eats like a little piggy and is growing rapidly. He plays, has good bathroom habits, and is a crazy, loving guy. I know the vets are advising on the side of caution. I understand and appreciate their intent but because of the circumstances I have a window of time in which to make decisions on keeping him. My family doesn't want to give up on him, sending him to a special home to live in isolation. Any comments giving me general knowledge on the accuracy of the tests is appreciated. Thank you! Mellenee _______________________________________________ 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