Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread dlgegg
ALL OF MY FURBABIES ARE BURIED IN MY YARD, BEGINNING TO RUN OUT OF CEMETARIES 
AFTER 34 YEARS.  BECAUSE THEY ARE "STILL" WITH ME, I CAN GO OUT AND VISIT WITH 
THEM WHENEVER I FEEL LOST.  IT HELPS SOME.  I NEVER HAVE STOPPED MISSING THEM 
AND CAN SEE THEM IN MY MIND'S EYE.  I SWORE THE FIRST TIME I WOULD NEVER ADOPT 
AGAIN, BUT THEN ONE SHOWS UP OR THE VET TELLS ME ABOUT ONE THAT NEEDS A HOME.  
I AM A SUCKER FOR LOST CAUSES AND ANIMALS SO I TAKE THEM IN.  THEY NEVER TAKE 
THE PLACE OF THE ONES LOST, JUST MOVE INTO THE ROOM IN MY HEART NEXT TO 
THEIR'S.  GOT LOSTS OF ROOMS IN MY HEART.

 Maya D'Alessio  wrote: 
> I feel the same. I am amazed by the depth of personality cats can have.
> On Jul 26, 2014 9:40 PM, "Lance"  wrote:
> 
> > I think I might be in the same boat. My family has had many cats, and I
> > loved them all, but Ember was *my* first and only cat. It’s so strange
> > that’s she’s been gone for two months, and that everything at the end
> > happened so fast. I’m sure I’ll adopt again, but Ember was special. Her
> > loyalty, love, sensitivity, and intelligence were unique. I’m saddened that
> > I’ll never get to hold her, kiss her, or talk to her again. She was one of
> > the best friends I’ve ever had.
> >
> > On Jul 26, 2014, at 8:33 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
> >
> > I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was
> > absolutely that for me.
> >
> > I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the
> > fact that I'll never get to see her again.
> > On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, "Jennifer Lewis"  wrote:
> >
> >> First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
> >> Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day),
> >> and losing her has rocked me to my core.
> >>
> >> My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could
> >> not have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.
> >>
> >> He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would
> >> never hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
> >> We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be
> >> weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long
> >> term situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us
> >> always for the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also
> >> is absolutely my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda
> >> 'the Island of Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a
> >> senior, a cripple and a diabetic...
> >>
> >> Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really
> >> misses her Smoosh, as do I.
> >>
> >> I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.
> >>
> >> Jennifer
> >>
> >>
> >> On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
> >>
> >> > i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T
> >> WANT TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL
> >> WANT TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE
> >> LEFT UP TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING
> >> FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE
> >> INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER..
> >>  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN
> >> THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I
> >> HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD
> >> VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE
> >> AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.
> >> >
> >> >  Marsha  wrote:
> >> >> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
> >> >> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
> >> >> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
> >> >> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
> >> >> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
> >> >> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
> >> >>
> >> >> Marsha
> >> >>
> >> >>  On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
> >> >>> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
> >> >>> for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
> >> >>> found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
> >> >>>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> ___
> >> >> 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

Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread Maya D'Alessio
I feel the same. I am amazed by the depth of personality cats can have.
On Jul 26, 2014 9:40 PM, "Lance"  wrote:

> I think I might be in the same boat. My family has had many cats, and I
> loved them all, but Ember was *my* first and only cat. It’s so strange
> that’s she’s been gone for two months, and that everything at the end
> happened so fast. I’m sure I’ll adopt again, but Ember was special. Her
> loyalty, love, sensitivity, and intelligence were unique. I’m saddened that
> I’ll never get to hold her, kiss her, or talk to her again. She was one of
> the best friends I’ve ever had.
>
> On Jul 26, 2014, at 8:33 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
>
> I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was
> absolutely that for me.
>
> I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the
> fact that I'll never get to see her again.
> On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, "Jennifer Lewis"  wrote:
>
>> First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
>> Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day),
>> and losing her has rocked me to my core.
>>
>> My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could
>> not have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.
>>
>> He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would
>> never hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
>> We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be
>> weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long
>> term situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us
>> always for the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also
>> is absolutely my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda
>> 'the Island of Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a
>> senior, a cripple and a diabetic...
>>
>> Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really
>> misses her Smoosh, as do I.
>>
>> I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.
>>
>> Jennifer
>>
>>
>> On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
>>
>> > i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T
>> WANT TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL
>> WANT TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE
>> LEFT UP TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING
>> FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE
>> INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER..
>>  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN
>> THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I
>> HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD
>> VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE
>> AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.
>> >
>> >  Marsha  wrote:
>> >> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
>> >> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
>> >> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
>> >> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
>> >> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
>> >> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
>> >>
>> >> Marsha
>> >>
>> >>  On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
>> >>> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
>> >>> for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
>> >>> found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> ___
>> >> 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
>
>
>
> ___
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> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread Lance
I think I might be in the same boat. My family has had many cats, and I loved 
them all, but Ember was *my* first and only cat. It’s so strange that’s she’s 
been gone for two months, and that everything at the end happened so fast. I’m 
sure I’ll adopt again, but Ember was special. Her loyalty, love, sensitivity, 
and intelligence were unique. I’m saddened that I’ll never get to hold her, 
kiss her, or talk to her again. She was one of the best friends I’ve ever had.

On Jul 26, 2014, at 8:33 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:

> I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was absolutely 
> that for me.
> 
> I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the 
> fact that I'll never get to see her again.
> 
> On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, "Jennifer Lewis"  wrote:
> First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
> Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day), and 
> losing her has rocked me to my core.
> 
> My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could not 
> have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.
> 
> He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would never 
> hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
> We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be 
> weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long term 
> situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us always for 
> the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also is absolutely 
> my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda 'the Island of 
> Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a senior, a cripple and a 
> diabetic...
> 
> Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really 
> misses her Smoosh, as do I.
> 
> I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.
> 
> Jennifer
> 
> 
> On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
> 
> > i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T WANT 
> > TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL WANT 
> > TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UP 
> > TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING FREE 
> > SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE INSTANCE 
> > WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER.  IT IS 
> > STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH A LOT 
> > OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I HAD 2 CHOICES:  
> > EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD VACCINATE ALL 
> > THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE AS A RESULT 
> > OF BEING AROUND HER.
> >
> >  Marsha  wrote:
> >> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
> >> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
> >> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
> >> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
> >> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
> >> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
> >>
> >> Marsha
> >>
> >>  On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
> >>> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
> >>> for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
> >>> found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> ___
> >> 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

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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread Maya D'Alessio
I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was
absolutely that for me.

I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the
fact that I'll never get to see her again.
On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, "Jennifer Lewis"  wrote:

> First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
> Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day),
> and losing her has rocked me to my core.
>
> My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could not
> have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.
>
> He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would never
> hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
> We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be
> weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long
> term situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us
> always for the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also
> is absolutely my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda
> 'the Island of Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a
> senior, a cripple and a diabetic...
>
> Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really
> misses her Smoosh, as do I.
>
> I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.
>
> Jennifer
>
>
> On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
>
> > i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T
> WANT TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL
> WANT TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE
> LEFT UP TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING
> FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE
> INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER.
>  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN
> THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I
> HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD
> VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE
> AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.
> >
> >  Marsha  wrote:
> >> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
> >> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
> >> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
> >> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
> >> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
> >> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
> >>
> >> Marsha
> >>
> >>  On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
> >>> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
> >>> for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
> >>> found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> ___
> >> 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
>
>
> ___
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> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread Jennifer Lewis
First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences. 
Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day), and 
losing her has rocked me to my core. 

My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could not have 
been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.
 
He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would never 
hesitate for a moment to advocate for him. 
We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be 
weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long term 
situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us always for 
the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also is absolutely 
my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda 'the Island of Misfit 
Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a senior, a cripple and a 
diabetic... 

Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really 
misses her Smoosh, as do I.

I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.

Jennifer


On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:

> i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T WANT TO 
> BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL WANT TO 
> DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO 
> THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING FREE 
> SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE INSTANCE 
> WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER.  IT IS 
> STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH A LOT 
> OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I HAD 2 CHOICES:  
> EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD VACCINATE ALL THE 
> OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE AS A RESULT OF 
> BEING AROUND HER.  
> 
>  Marsha  wrote: 
>> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be 
>> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery 
>> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for 
>> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go 
>> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I 
>> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
>> 
>> Marsha
>> 
>>  On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
>>> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth 
>>> for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I 
>>> found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ___
>> Felvtalk mailing list
>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> 
> 
> ___
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread dlgegg
WE ONCE had to board our poodle for a month when we went on a trip.  When I 
picked her up, she was so hysterical that she could not calm down until she had 
seen all 3 of us and she would not let us out of her sight for days.  I was 
really afraid she was going to have a heart attack so I took her by my mother's 
work and my father's so she could see we were all there.  We swore that wew 
would never go anywhere unless she could go with us from that time on.  

 Marsha  wrote: 
> On 7/25/2014 12:51 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
> > I have noticed that most ferals turn into cuddlebugs.  I have noticed that 
> > they are the most anxious when you leave home.  It seems they have found a 
> > good hoe and person and don't want to loose them.
> >
> 
> They also don't tolerate being boarded.  BT was an old feral tom who 
> lived a hard life before I saved him from a catfight battle wound that 
> would have killed him.  I visited with him every day in the hospital, 
> and they said his demeanor was totally different when I was there.  
> After he recovered and was well enough, he was neutered, and lived in my 
> house under construction, where he enjoyed climbing up in the rafters, 
> hunting mice, or curling up on a heated mat or a soft cat bed.  He had 
> kibble to eat whenever he wanted, and I would bring him canned food each 
> day when I visited, and he would cuddle on my lap or stomach and purr 
> for an hour.
> 
> Then came the day I had to board BT for a few days while the house was 
> being insulated.  The stress pushed his fragile internal system over the 
> edge.  He had hemobart on top of barely functioning kidneys and poor 
> heart function, and soon developed a bad heart murmur.  When they 
> brought him to me for a visit in a room, he was developing pulmonary 
> edema and was having trouble breathing.  They gave him oxygen while we 
> waited for the vet to come examine him.  There was no saving him this 
> time.  He probably would not have lived a whole lot longer even had he 
> not been boarded.  After I got the results from the necropsy, I would 
> guess he would have had only a few months.  But the stress from being 
> boarded greatly accelerated his journey to life's end.
> 
> BT was OK with the guys that were working on the house, and I saw him 
> rub against one of their legs and enjoy some pets.  Most of the time he 
> would watch them work from the rafters.  I was going to keep him in a 
> 10' x 10' kennel outside the house during the insulation phase, but the 
> clear tarps that protected from rain and wind would still flap or 
> vibrate in the wind, and frightened BT. I thougt it was pretty nice out 
> there with 2 dog houses, donut bed in one, blanket in another, lounge 
> chair, picnic bench, but BT seemed upset, so I made the mistake of 
> boarding him.
> 
> Marsha
> 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-26 Thread dlgegg
i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T WANT TO 
BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL WANT TO DEAL 
WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO THE OWNER 
TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO 
NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED 
THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER.  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH 
THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY 
TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE 
WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO 
ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.  

 Marsha  wrote: 
> Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be 
> spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery 
> when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for 
> instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go 
> ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I 
> might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
> 
> Marsha
> 
>   On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
> > The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth 
> > for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I 
> > found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
> >
> 
> 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Marsha
Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be 
spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery 
when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for 
instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go 
ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I 
might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).


Marsha

 On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth 
for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I 
found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.





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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Marsha

On 7/25/2014 12:51 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:

I have noticed that most ferals turn into cuddlebugs.  I have noticed that they 
are the most anxious when you leave home.  It seems they have found a good hoe 
and person and don't want to loose them.



They also don't tolerate being boarded.  BT was an old feral tom who 
lived a hard life before I saved him from a catfight battle wound that 
would have killed him.  I visited with him every day in the hospital, 
and they said his demeanor was totally different when I was there.  
After he recovered and was well enough, he was neutered, and lived in my 
house under construction, where he enjoyed climbing up in the rafters, 
hunting mice, or curling up on a heated mat or a soft cat bed.  He had 
kibble to eat whenever he wanted, and I would bring him canned food each 
day when I visited, and he would cuddle on my lap or stomach and purr 
for an hour.


Then came the day I had to board BT for a few days while the house was 
being insulated.  The stress pushed his fragile internal system over the 
edge.  He had hemobart on top of barely functioning kidneys and poor 
heart function, and soon developed a bad heart murmur.  When they 
brought him to me for a visit in a room, he was developing pulmonary 
edema and was having trouble breathing.  They gave him oxygen while we 
waited for the vet to come examine him.  There was no saving him this 
time.  He probably would not have lived a whole lot longer even had he 
not been boarded.  After I got the results from the necropsy, I would 
guess he would have had only a few months.  But the stress from being 
boarded greatly accelerated his journey to life's end.


BT was OK with the guys that were working on the house, and I saw him 
rub against one of their legs and enjoy some pets.  Most of the time he 
would watch them work from the rafters.  I was going to keep him in a 
10' x 10' kennel outside the house during the insulation phase, but the 
clear tarps that protected from rain and wind would still flap or 
vibrate in the wind, and frightened BT. I thougt it was pretty nice out 
there with 2 dog houses, donut bed in one, blanket in another, lounge 
chair, picnic bench, but BT seemed upset, so I made the mistake of 
boarding him.


Marsha

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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Kelley S
I would try to find a holistic vet.  Mine has a 22 year old felv+ patient
who is currently dying - not of FELV but of liver failure.  I swear by
her.  Tons of controversy here,  but I also swear by raw food diets if you
can swing it.  Others will disagree

We never know how long we have with them.


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:56 PM,  wrote:

> lI think those are the two most important things we can do for them, lots
> of love and keep the stress down.  Stress as in humans, causes so many
> things.  My Anney never tested positive with her 1st owner, just after
> Katy's death and being shuffled from here to there and have no real love
> and attention during Kathy's illness.  She is still having trouble
> adjusting to NOT being the only cat in the house and takes a lot of loving.
>
>
>  Amy  wrote:
> > First of all,  I'm so sorry about your loss of Yang.  I've been through
> it so many times and it NEVER gets any easier.
>
> The good news is that I have two adults, 10 and 11, that have had leukemia
> since I got them, almost 10 years ago.  They have been healthy all along.
>  I've had my share of ones that made it less than 2 years and some that
> made it 4 or 5 years.  You never really know.  Just take it one day at a
> time and cherish every minute.
>
> We don't do anything special here.  We tried lots of stuff at the
> beginning but it never seemed to help for us.  I just try to keep stress
> levels low and love them and that seems to work :)
>
> Best of luck.  Hope you have many years with Merlot.
>
> Amy
>
>
> 
>  From: Maya D'Alessio 
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 3:12 PM
> Subject: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
>
>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had
> him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill
> at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
> >  production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.
>  That was the hardest day of my life.
>
> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly,
> and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for
> long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of
> gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to
> keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
>
> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay
> healthy for?
>
>
> --
>
> Maya D'Alessio
>
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>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Kelley S
I give mine Standard Process Feline Immune Support


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:54 PM, Kelley S  wrote:

> The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth for
> merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I found my
> holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:48 PM, Kelley S  wrote:
>
>> I've heard bad things about the research they do do.  Don't know if they
>> are true or not.  I know the Ragdoll people raised quite a bit of money for
>> heart disease research in cats (apparently there is lots of heart disease
>> in Ragdolls)
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:40 PM,  wrote:
>>
>>> I don't think there is any research on FELV because they don't think
>>> there is any money in it.  Unfortunetly money runs the world today.
>>>
>>>
>>>  Jennifer Lewis  wrote:
>>> > We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
>>> > She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
>>> after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
>>> left with my heart tonight.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>>> >
>>> > > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate
>>> me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time
>>> like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
>>> frustrating.
>>> > >
>>> > > ___
>>> > > Felvtalk mailing list
>>> > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>>> > >
>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>> >
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread dlgegg
lI think those are the two most important things we can do for them, lots of 
love and keep the stress down.  Stress as in humans, causes so many things.  My 
Anney never tested positive with her 1st owner, just after Katy's death and 
being shuffled from here to there and have no real love and attention during 
Kathy's illness.  She is still having trouble adjusting to NOT being the only 
cat in the house and takes a lot of loving.


 Amy  wrote: 
> First of all,  I'm so sorry about your loss of Yang.  I've been through it so 
> many times and it NEVER gets any easier.

The good news is that I have two adults, 10 and 11, that have had leukemia 
since I got them, almost 10 years ago.  They have been healthy all along.  I've 
had my share of ones that made it less than 2 years and some that made it 4 or 
5 years.  You never really know.  Just take it one day at a time and cherish 
every minute. 

We don't do anything special here.  We tried lots of stuff at the beginning but 
it never seemed to help for us.  I just try to keep stress levels low and love 
them and that seems to work :)

Best of luck.  Hope you have many years with Merlot.

Amy



 From: Maya D'Alessio 
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 3:12 PM
Subject: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
 


Hello everyone,

My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had him 
tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the 
end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she 
was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked her blood levels and 
found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat).  She stayed at the vet 
during the day  and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was 
optimistic.  They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open 
all evening and in to the weekend.  They monitored her overnight and her red 
blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  
That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were 
shocked.  Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood 
cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had 
almost no
>  production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That was 
> the hardest day of my life.

Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and 
I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for long 
term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we 
are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to keep him healthy?  
How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already?  I know 
we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang 
over me.  I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and 
such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there 
things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in 
this case?

For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay 
healthy for?


-- 

Maya D'Alessio

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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Kelley S
The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth for
merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I found my
holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:48 PM, Kelley S  wrote:

> I've heard bad things about the research they do do.  Don't know if they
> are true or not.  I know the Ragdoll people raised quite a bit of money for
> heart disease research in cats (apparently there is lots of heart disease
> in Ragdolls)
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:40 PM,  wrote:
>
>> I don't think there is any research on FELV because they don't think
>> there is any money in it.  Unfortunetly money runs the world today.
>>
>>
>>  Jennifer Lewis  wrote:
>> > We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
>> > She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
>> after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
>> left with my heart tonight.
>> >
>> >
>> > On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>> >
>> > > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate
>> me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time
>> like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
>> frustrating.
>> > >
>> > > ___
>> > > Felvtalk mailing list
>> > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> > >
>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>> >
>>
>>
>> ___
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>>
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread dlgegg
I have noticed that most ferals turn into cuddlebugs.  I have noticed that they 
are the most anxious when you leave home.  It seems they have found a good hoe 
and person and don't want to loose them.

 Marsha  wrote: 
> Milkdud was a young feral when I got him, about a year old.  He turned 
> into a total cuddlebug.  Harley came to us as a kitten no more than 4 
> months old.  He tested positive on both the ELISA and then the IFA test 
> his first year, but will re-test at his next checkup, just in case he 
> has had a rare conversion to negative.  But when he showed the 
> beginnings of stomatitis in June, I think he is probably still positive.
> 
> Marsha
> 
> On 7/24/2014 3:40 PM, Katherine K. wrote:
> > Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any 
> > "boosters" or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said 
> > kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't 
> > think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, 
> > it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic 
> > toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement 
> > called Lixotinic.
> >
> 
> 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread dlgegg
What really obthers me is that many veterinarians don't seem to care one way or 
the other.  Especially the fact that so many say put them down, don't even want 
to bother with treating.  That is why I am staying with my vet even tho he has 
made a couple of mistakes.  He does not say put them down as soon as he finds 
they are positive.  He has been with me for 2 positives and Annie is still here 
at age 8, doing fine.

 Maya D'Alessio  wrote: 
> I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I
> was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in
> hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
> frustrating.


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Kelley S
I've heard bad things about the research they do do.  Don't know if they
are true or not.  I know the Ragdoll people raised quite a bit of money for
heart disease research in cats (apparently there is lots of heart disease
in Ragdolls)


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:40 PM,  wrote:

> I don't think there is any research on FELV because they don't think there
> is any money in it.  Unfortunetly money runs the world today.
>
>
>  Jennifer Lewis  wrote:
> > We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
> > She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
> after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
> left with my heart tonight.
> >
> >
> > On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> >
> > > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate
> me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time
> like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
> frustrating.
> > >
> > > ___
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> > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> >
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Kelley S
I'm so sorry for your loss


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:38 PM,  wrote:

> So sorry for your loss of Smoosh.  I have lost 3 in this last year.  No
> doubt it hurts and will for a long time, but now she is free of pain.  My
> prayers are with you
>
>  Jennifer Lewis  wrote:
> > We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
> > She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
> after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
> left with my heart tonight.
> >
> >
> > On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> >
> > > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate
> me. I was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time
> like in hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
> frustrating.
> > >
> > > ___
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> > > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> >
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread dlgegg
I don't think there is any research on FELV because they don't think there is 
any money in it.  Unfortunetly money runs the world today.


 Jennifer Lewis  wrote: 
> We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. 
> She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after 
> being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left 
> with my heart tonight. 
> 
> 
> On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> 
> > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I 
> > was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in 
> > hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very 
> > frustrating.
> > 
> > ___
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> > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> 


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread dlgegg
So sorry for your loss of Smoosh.  I have lost 3 in this last year.  No doubt 
it hurts and will for a long time, but now she is free of pain.  My prayers are 
with you

 Jennifer Lewis  wrote: 
> We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. 
> She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after 
> being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left 
> with my heart tonight. 
> 
> 
> On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> 
> > I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I 
> > was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in 
> > hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very 
> > frustrating.
> > 
> > ___
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> > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> 


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Maya D'Alessio
I am so, so sorry.  Yang was my soul mate, and I completely understand your
grief.  I know nothing can make it better, but I am sending you lots of
love and positive thoughts.


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:01 AM, Jennifer Lewis  wrote:

> We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
> She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
> after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
> left with my heart tonight.
>
>
> On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>
> I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I
> was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in
> hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
> frustrating.
> ___
>
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>
>
>
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>


-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Amy
First of all,  I'm so sorry about your loss of Yang.  I've been through it so 
many times and it NEVER gets any easier.

The good news is that I have two adults, 10 and 11, that have had leukemia 
since I got them, almost 10 years ago.  They have been healthy all along.  I've 
had my share of ones that made it less than 2 years and some that made it 4 or 
5 years.  You never really know.  Just take it one day at a time and cherish 
every minute. 

We don't do anything special here.  We tried lots of stuff at the beginning but 
it never seemed to help for us.  I just try to keep stress levels low and love 
them and that seems to work :)

Best of luck.  Hope you have many years with Merlot.

Amy



 From: Maya D'Alessio 
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 3:12 PM
Subject: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
 


Hello everyone,

My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had him 
tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the 
end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she 
was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked her blood levels and 
found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat).  She stayed at the vet 
during the day  and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was 
optimistic.  They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open 
all evening and in to the weekend.  They monitored her overnight and her red 
blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  
That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were 
shocked.  Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood 
cell production, where she should have increased production, she actually had 
almost no
 production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That was 
the hardest day of my life.

Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, and 
I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for long 
term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of gingivitis - we 
are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to keep him healthy?  
How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve him already?  I know 
we all are going to die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang 
over me.  I am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and 
such, but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are there 
things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in 
this case?

For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay 
healthy for?


-- 

Maya D'Alessio

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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-25 Thread Amy
Hi Jennifer,

So sorry to hear about Smoosh.  Thank you for loving her for the 13 months you 
had with her.  She was a lucky girl.  

Amy



 From: Jennifer Lewis 
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org 
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2014 12:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive
 


We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. 
She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after 
being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left with 
my heart tonight. 





On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:

I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I was 
asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in hiv. He 
said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very frustrating.
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Jennifer Lewis
We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago. 
She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks after 
being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she left with 
my heart tonight. 


On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:

> I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I 
> was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in 
> hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very 
> frustrating.
> 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Maya D'Alessio
I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I
was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in
hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
frustrating.
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Marsha
Note to Maya on interferon alpha:  that is human recombinant interferon, 
much easier to obtain and less expensive than Virbagen Omega, which is 
feline recombinant interferon that must be imported.  I feel that the 
feline recombinant is a better choice, and currently can afford it, so I 
will go with that rather than the human version when the time comes.  
Butwe all seem to be pioneers here.  You'd think that with FeLV 
being the one of the biggest causes of cat death, there would be more 
research, more certainty on courses of treatment. But while I've heard 
of one or two vets that swear by LTCI, more say they've had no luck with 
it.  The latest "flash in the pan" is a drug from Malaysia.  A couple 
years ago, the company signed up with another company that helps them 
through the FDA approval process.  But that takes a long time, and what 
if the company fails before then?  There has been at least one product 
that was being used in FeLV+ cats where the company went belly-up.  Not 
approved by any govermental agency, but being used off-label, some 
people felt it was helpful.


Marsha



On 7/24/2014 4:37 PM, Lance wrote:

I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She also 
got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I wasn’t 
consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might have 
eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of third-party 
data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work.




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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Maya D'Alessio
Wow.  That really gives me hope.  My guy is only 2, so I hope I get to have
him as long as you had your Ember.  I am sorry you lost her.


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 5:37 PM, Lance  wrote:

> I’m very sorry to hear about Yang’s passing and that Merlot has tested
> positive. Hopefully, Merlot has a lot more time ahead of him.
>
> I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She
> also got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I
> wasn’t consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might
> have eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of
> third-party data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it
> doesn’t work.
>
> FeLV is scary, but don’t lose hope. Ember had minor illnesses here and
> there: sneezing (likely due to allergies) and an occasional day or two of
> diarrhea. For the latter condition, I would fast her for 12 hours (going
> much longer could cause liver damage), and I would feed her canned pumpkin
> (not pie filling but plain pumpkin) for a day to give her some fiber. These
> problems weren’t frequent for us, thankfully. Blood tests were moments of
> anxiety at times (Ember usually had low wbc).
>
> Ember lived for at least eight years from testing positive to her death
> two months ago. I would have liked to have had her longer (she was a little
> over 12 years old), but I feel very fortunate for all the time we had
> together.
>
> Lance
>
> On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
>
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We
> had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting
> ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
> was the hardest day of my life.
> >
> > Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so
> quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not
> great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit
> of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do
> to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
> >
> > For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they
> stay healthy for?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Maya D'Alessio
> >
> > ___
> > Felvtalk mailing list
> > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Lance
I’m very sorry to hear about Yang’s passing and that Merlot has tested 
positive. Hopefully, Merlot has a lot more time ahead of him.

I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She also 
got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I wasn’t 
consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might have 
eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of third-party 
data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work.

FeLV is scary, but don’t lose hope. Ember had minor illnesses here and there: 
sneezing (likely due to allergies) and an occasional day or two of diarrhea. 
For the latter condition, I would fast her for 12 hours (going much longer 
could cause liver damage), and I would feed her canned pumpkin (not pie filling 
but plain pumpkin) for a day to give her some fiber. These problems weren’t 
frequent for us, thankfully. Blood tests were moments of anxiety at times 
(Ember usually had low wbc). 

Ember lived for at least eight years from testing positive to her death two 
months ago. I would have liked to have had her longer (she was a little over 12 
years old), but I feel very fortunate for all the time we had together. 

Lance

On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had him 
> tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill at the 
> end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we discovered she 
> was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked her blood levels 
> and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy cat).  She stayed at 
> the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't get any worse, and our 
> vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to the emergency clinic which 
> was open all evening and in to the weekend.  They monitored her overnight and 
> her red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal to 
> too cold.  That morning the blood tests came back and she was positive for 
> FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was that her detailed blood work showed 
> no uptick in blood cell production, where she should have increased 
> production, she actually had almost no production.  We then got to see her 
> before we had to put her down.  That was the hardest day of my life.
> 
> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly, 
> and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for 
> long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of 
> gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to 
> keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to grieve 
> him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just feels 
> like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the disease 
> and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat becomes 
> noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep him 
> healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
> 
> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay 
> healthy for?
> 
> 
> -- 
> Maya D'Alessio
> 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Marsha
Milkdud was a young feral when I got him, about a year old.  He turned 
into a total cuddlebug.  Harley came to us as a kitten no more than 4 
months old.  He tested positive on both the ELISA and then the IFA test 
his first year, but will re-test at his next checkup, just in case he 
has had a rare conversion to negative.  But when he showed the 
beginnings of stomatitis in June, I think he is probably still positive.


Marsha

On 7/24/2014 3:40 PM, Katherine K. wrote:
Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any 
"boosters" or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said 
kittens usually succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't 
think it would make much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, 
it wasn't economically feasible for me. One of them became anemic 
toward the end, so I did give him an iron-rich liquid supplement 
called Lixotinic.





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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Maya D'Alessio
I got Yang first, when she was 5 months old.  A little over a year later I
got Merlot when he was 3 months old.  They lived together for over 1.5
years.  I think it's more likely that Yang gave it to Merlot, as he was so
young when he came in to our house, and I have read that kittens are much
more likely to succumb to the virus than adult cats.


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:57 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:

> I have been unable to pinpoint who got it from whom in my house, and could
> go in circles about it all day if I let myself! Did you get Yang first, and
> then Merlot? For how long did they live together?
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
>
>> Thank you for all of the support everyone.
>>
>> Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now.  I don't know
>> which cat had it and then gave it to the other.  I feel terrible, I was not
>> informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in
>> to my house, so one of them gave it to the other.
>>
>> I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you!
>>
>> I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be
>> looking in to those as well.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:
>>
>>> Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any "boosters"
>>> or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually
>>> succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make
>>> much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically
>>> feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give
>>> him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Hi Maya,

 I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last
 year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of
 age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1
 year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two
 of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last
 July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has
 some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and
 comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a
 gift.

 Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is
 to feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment,
 and make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't
 be afraid to trust your gut.

 For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving
 him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not
 inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is
 alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing
 list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your
 vet to decide what treatment might be best for you.

 Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love
 him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's
 tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the
 good times together.

 We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support.

 Katherine


 On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio 
 wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We
> had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting
> ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood 
> tests
> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
> was the hardest day of my life.
>
> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so
> quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not
> great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny 
> bit
> of gi

Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Katherine K.
I have been unable to pinpoint who got it from whom in my house, and could
go in circles about it all day if I let myself! Did you get Yang first, and
then Merlot? For how long did they live together?


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:

> Thank you for all of the support everyone.
>
> Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now.  I don't know
> which cat had it and then gave it to the other.  I feel terrible, I was not
> informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in
> to my house, so one of them gave it to the other.
>
> I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you!
>
> I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking
> in to those as well.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:
>
>> Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any "boosters"
>> or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually
>> succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make
>> much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically
>> feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give
>> him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Maya,
>>>
>>> I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last
>>> year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of
>>> age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1
>>> year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two
>>> of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last
>>> July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has
>>> some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and
>>> comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a
>>> gift.
>>>
>>> Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to
>>> feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and
>>> make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be
>>> afraid to trust your gut.
>>>
>>> For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving
>>> him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not
>>> inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is
>>> alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing
>>> list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your
>>> vet to decide what treatment might be best for you.
>>>
>>> Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love
>>> him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's
>>> tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the
>>> good times together.
>>>
>>> We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support.
>>>
>>> Katherine
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio 
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Hello everyone,

 My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We
 had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting
 ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
 discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
 her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
 cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
 get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
 the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
 lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
 came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
 that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
 where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
 production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
 was the hardest day of my life.

 Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so
 quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not
 great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit
 of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do
 to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
 grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
 feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
 disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
 becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
 him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this c

Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Maya D'Alessio
Thank you for all of the support everyone.

Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now.  I don't know
which cat had it and then gave it to the other.  I feel terrible, I was not
informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in
to my house, so one of them gave it to the other.

I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you!

I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking
in to those as well.



On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:

> Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any "boosters" or
> treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb
> to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a
> difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for
> me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an
> iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic.
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:
>
>> Hi Maya,
>>
>> I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year
>> I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We
>> lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year
>> old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of
>> their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last
>> July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has
>> some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and
>> comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a
>> gift.
>>
>> Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to
>> feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and
>> make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be
>> afraid to trust your gut.
>>
>> For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him
>> a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not
>> inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is
>> alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing
>> list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your
>> vet to decide what treatment might be best for you.
>>
>> Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love
>> him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's
>> tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the
>> good times together.
>>
>> We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support.
>>
>> Katherine
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
>>
>>> Hello everyone,
>>>
>>> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We
>>> had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting
>>> ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
>>> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
>>> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
>>> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
>>> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
>>> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>>>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
>>> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
>>> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
>>> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
>>> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
>>> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
>>> was the hardest day of my life.
>>>
>>> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so
>>> quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not
>>> great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit
>>> of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do
>>> to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
>>> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
>>> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
>>> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
>>> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
>>> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
>>>
>>> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they
>>> stay healthy for?
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Maya D'Alessio
>>>
>>>
>>> ___
>>> Felvtalk mailing list
>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>
> _

Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Katherine K.
Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any "boosters" or
treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually succumb
to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make much of a
difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically feasible for
me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give him an
iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic.


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K.  wrote:

> Hi Maya,
>
> I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year
> I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We
> lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year
> old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of
> their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last
> July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has
> some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and
> comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a
> gift.
>
> Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to
> feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and
> make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be
> afraid to trust your gut.
>
> For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him
> a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not
> inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is
> alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing
> list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your
> vet to decide what treatment might be best for you.
>
> Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love
> him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's
> tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the
> good times together.
>
> We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support.
>
> Katherine
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:
>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had
>> him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill
>> at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
>> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
>> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
>> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
>> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
>> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
>> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
>> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
>> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
>> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
>> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
>> was the hardest day of my life.
>>
>> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so
>> quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not
>> great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit
>> of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do
>> to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
>> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
>> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
>> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
>> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
>> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
>>
>> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay
>> healthy for?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Maya D'Alessio
>>
>>
>> ___
>> Felvtalk mailing list
>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>
>>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread dlgegg
IT HURTS TO LOSE ONE AND EVEN MOE WHEN YOU LOOSE 3 CLOSE TOGETHER.  YOU TAKE 
SOLACE FROM THE ONES YOU HAVE REMAINING.  THEY SENSE YOUR LOSE AND ARE ALSO 
GRIEVING SO YOU HELP ONE ANOTHER   WILL KEEP YOU ON MY PRAYER LIST.

 Maya D'Alessio  wrote: 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had
> him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill
> at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
> was the hardest day of my life.
> 
> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly,
> and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for
> long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of
> gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to
> keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
> 
> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay
> healthy for?
> 
> 
> -- 
> Maya D'Alessio


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Katherine K.
Hi Maya,

I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last year I
had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of age. We
lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 year
old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two of
their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last
July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has
some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and
comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a
gift.

Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to
feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and
make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be
afraid to trust your gut.

For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving him a
booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not
inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is
alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing
list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your
vet to decide what treatment might be best for you.

Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love him,
take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's tough
knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the good
times together.

We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support.

Katherine


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio  wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We had
> him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting ill
> at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we
> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever.  They checked
> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy
> cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her blood levels didn't
> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They transferred her over to
> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend.
>  They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever
> lowered but she went past normal to too cold.  That morning the blood tests
> came back and she was positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was
> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production,
> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no
> production.  We then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That
> was the hardest day of my life.
>
> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so quickly,
> and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are not great for
> long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit of
> gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth).  What can I do to
> keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday without starting to
> grieve him already?  I know we all are going to die someday, but this just
> feels like it is going to hang over me.  I am still doing reading on the
> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat
> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep
> him healthy?  Are probiotics helpful in this case?
>
> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they stay
> healthy for?
>
>
> --
> Maya D'Alessio
>
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread dlgegg
GOOD ADVICE!  I can only add to watch him, don't drive him crazy with your 
attention, but be aware and at the first sign of something NOT normal with him, 
get to the vet.  If you catch something when it first starts, your and his 
chances are better.  ABOVE ALL, LOVE HIM and prayer does not hurt, worked for 
me.

 Marsha  wrote: 
> My condolences on your loss of Yang.
> 
> You just have to take it one day at a time with Merlot, and savor each 
> day of good health.  Survival time seems to be such a roll of the dice 
> with FeLV.  I lost FeLV+ Milkdud in May, after 4.5 good years.  His 
> buddy Harley is still with me after 3.5 years, but he is lonesome for 
> his friend.
> 
> I don't think probiotics would be helpful for a FeLV+ cat.  Feed the 
> highest quality diet you can afford, avoiding grains like corn on the 
> ingredients list.  I personally would not feed a raw meat diet to a cat 
> with a disease that compromises their immune system.
> 
> For symptom-free Harley, I am currently giving a few drops of Vetri-DMG 
> in his canned food, and a VitaChews multivitamin.  I am looking at other 
> possibilites also, but didn't want to throw too much at him at once.  He 
> appeared to have the beginnings of stomatitis at his last checkup, but 
> it hasn't bothered him - he eats with no discomfort.  He will have a 
> 3-month follow-up, and if there has been progression, I will be looking 
> at importing Virbagen Omega.  My vet conferred with others through the 
> Veterinary Information Network, and looked at informational material I 
> gave him, and didn't feel it would be beneficial at this time.
> 
> Marsha
> 
> 
> On 7/24/2014 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We 
> > had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started 
> > acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the 
> > vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. 
> >  They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 
> > 26 in a healthy cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her 
> > blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They 
> > transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all 
> > evening and in to the weekend.  They monitored her overnight and her 
> > red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal 
> > to too cold.  That morning the blood tests came back and she was 
> > positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was that her detailed 
> > blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should 
> > have increased production, she actually had almost no production.  We 
> > then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That was the 
> > hardest day of my life.
> >
> > Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so 
> > quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are 
> > not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a 
> > tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). 
> >  What can I do to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday 
> > without starting to grieve him already?  I know we all are going to 
> > die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me.  I 
> > am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, 
> > but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are 
> > there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy?  Are 
> > probiotics helpful in this case?
> >
> > For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they 
> > stay healthy for?
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Maya D'Alessio
> >
> >
> >
> > ___
> > Felvtalk mailing list
> > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> 


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

2014-07-24 Thread Marsha

My condolences on your loss of Yang.

You just have to take it one day at a time with Merlot, and savor each 
day of good health.  Survival time seems to be such a roll of the dice 
with FeLV.  I lost FeLV+ Milkdud in May, after 4.5 good years.  His 
buddy Harley is still with me after 3.5 years, but he is lonesome for 
his friend.


I don't think probiotics would be helpful for a FeLV+ cat.  Feed the 
highest quality diet you can afford, avoiding grains like corn on the 
ingredients list.  I personally would not feed a raw meat diet to a cat 
with a disease that compromises their immune system.


For symptom-free Harley, I am currently giving a few drops of Vetri-DMG 
in his canned food, and a VitaChews multivitamin.  I am looking at other 
possibilites also, but didn't want to throw too much at him at once.  He 
appeared to have the beginnings of stomatitis at his last checkup, but 
it hasn't bothered him - he eats with no discomfort.  He will have a 
3-month follow-up, and if there has been progression, I will be looking 
at importing Virbagen Omega.  My vet conferred with others through the 
Veterinary Information Network, and looked at informational material I 
gave him, and didn't feel it would be beneficial at this time.


Marsha


On 7/24/2014 2:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:

Hello everyone,

My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon.  We 
had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started 
acting ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the 
vets and we discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. 
 They checked her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 
26 in a healthy cat).  She stayed at the vet during the day  and her 
blood levels didn't get any worse, and our vet was optimistic.  They 
transferred her over to the emergency clinic which was open all 
evening and in to the weekend.  They monitored her overnight and her 
red blood cells decreased, her fever lowered but she went past normal 
to too cold.  That morning the blood tests came back and she was 
positive for FeLV.  We were shocked.  Even worse was that her detailed 
blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, where she should 
have increased production, she actually had almost no production.  We 
then got to see her before we had to put her down.  That was the 
hardest day of my life.


Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so 
quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang.  I know the statistics are 
not great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a 
tiny bit of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). 
 What can I do to keep him healthy?  How do I live with him everyday 
without starting to grieve him already?  I know we all are going to 
die someday, but this just feels like it is going to hang over me.  I 
am still doing reading on the disease and newer treatments and such, 
but do these all start after the cat becomes noticeably ill, or are 
there things I can be doing now to help keep him healthy?  Are 
probiotics helpful in this case?


For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they 
stay healthy for?



--
Maya D'Alessio



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