Re: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please.
Hi Beckie, I have been reading your posts, but am still learning myself...so have been leaving it up to those who have been involved with these problems longer than myself. Until the day my vet told me my kitten had just tested positive for FeLV, I just cared for my cats the way I assumed, was how you were suppose to care for your cats. This was: You spay/ neuter, deworm and vaccinate, according to what were the recommended vaccinations and on which schedules, then you boostered your cats every year after that and dewormed when neccessary. You must also feed a good quality cat food and everything should be fine...I am only a couple months away from that particular way of thinking... Some of the people, who are very well informed, here, do not even vaccinate! This was very shocking to me. However , we are learning, just lately, information is coming up, that is showing, we have been over vaccinating...There is so much to learn... I was really glad to find out it was not Moe making the kitchen messes...You have gotten excellent advice from these guys on that...Cats can be very emotional and they each have their way of getting back to you when they are upset. I know dogs can be the same way...There should be a diplomatic way to solve the kitchen mess problem with your tricky little kitty...obviously, an insecurity problem... My heart is with you Beckie on the FeLV issues. Like everyone here , you are a loving , caring individual who takes the time, to love, appreciate and take the responsibility to do right by your kitty family. The best of luck to you and your boyfriend and bless your hearts! Thank you for being here... Glenda --- Beckie McRae [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi everyone. My name is Beckie. I'm 25 and live in Iowa with my boyfriend and 3 cats (2 of whom are FLV positive). I'm hoping you guys can help me. I have a cat named Moe and he's about 3 and has FLV. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed some bumps around his neck and on his back, and he started to lose his hair. I took him to the vet, and she said it was an environmental allergy, gave him some meds and sent us home. Well the meds just made him worse, so the next week I took him back, and this time he had a severe infection in his eye and tapeworms. This time, different meds, and ointment for his eye. STILL not better. This time I took him in to the vet and told them I wasn't leaving until he was better. That was Wed. They gave him a shot for the tapeworms, Frontline for some fleas, his eye was better so more ointment, and Sat. he seemed fine. Now today when we woke up he had gone to the bathroom in the kitchen (which he did when he was originally really sick), and as soon as he sees either one of us, he runs and hides. He also has FLV. I'm worried sick, and don't know what to do. Anyone else here ever deal with something like this? Also, what's the best way to clean up the mess in the kitchen? I want to eliminate the odor so he won't go in there again! Thanks so much! Beckie Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222
Re: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please.
Hello Beckie, I haven't been participating in the group lately, (just too overwhelmed), but I poked my head in and saw your post. I'm so sorry that Moe is having such a hard time! We all know how frustrating and discouraging it can be to watch our furkids suffer and not be able to come up with something to help them. I'm not familiar with Moe's particular symptoms. Felv is such a devil of a disease in that it effects each cat so differently. You never know what to expect from it because it's not the condition itself, but the fact that it hampers their immune response and leaves them vulnerable to cancers and things that a neg cat might be able to more easily fight off. Moe's weak point seems to be his skin. One thing you can do for both your felv cats is help boost their immune systems with supplements. Things like vitamins, interferon A, transfer factor, colostrum, l-lysine etc might help him fight off whatever is effecting his skin. Did your vet put Moe on antibiotics for his eye infection? What kind? Salmon oil, (high in Omega 3), can help with inflammation, but there are times when you have to haul out the big guns, (steroids), to get it under control. It sounds like you may need to seek out the help of someone more qualified to help you deal with this. I'm sure your vet is doing everything they can, but a gp type vet doesn't usually have the experience necessary and may not be willing to do the research to help resolve each issue as it arises. I would look for a board certified Internist and make sure that they are encouraging about treating cats with felv. Poor little Moe sounds like he's having a hard time emotionally as well as physically. I'm not sure that getting rid of the odor from his accidents will stop his improper elimination problems. You must be a wreck too. That can't be helping either of you. Take a deep breath. Resolve to do everything in your power to help Moe be more comfortable and to bring him back to health. Let him know that everything you are doing, no matter how uncomfortable or scary it is in the short term, is aimed at helping him ultimately feel better. Know that there is only so much we can do when it comes to this horrid disease and don't beat yourself up for not knowing everything. Take it one step at a time and be sure to spend as much quiet quality time with Moe as you can. Keep telling him that you will stick by him, that you love him and that you are grateful that he choose you to see him through this. Blessings to you and your family, I hope that you and Moe find the answers you need very soon, Nina Hi everyone. My name is Beckie. I'm 25 and live in Iowa with my boyfriend and 3 cats (2 of whom are FLV positive). I'm hoping you guys can help me. I have a cat named Moe and he's about 3 and has FLV. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed some bumps around his neck and on his back, and he started to lose his hair. I took him to the vet, and she said it was an environmental allergy, gave him some meds and sent us home. Well the meds just made him worse, so the next week I took him back, and this time he had a severe infection in his eye and tapeworms. This time, different meds, and ointment for his eye. STILL not better. This time I took him in to the vet and told them I wasn't leaving until he was better. That was Wed. They gave him a shot for the tapeworms, Frontline for some fleas, his eye was better so more ointment, and Sat. he seemed fine. Now today when we woke up he had gone to the bathroom in the kitchen (which he did when he was originally really sick), and as soon as he sees either one of us, he runs and hides. He also has FLV. I'm worried sick, and don't know what to do. Anyone else here ever deal with something like this? Also, what's the best way to clean up the mess in the kitchen? I want to eliminate the odor so he won't go in there again! Thanks so much! Beckie
RE: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please.
Hi Beckie, Welcome to the group! I can't advise you on the FeLV issues or the other problems Moe, but the mess in the kitchen I have a lot of experience with-if it's urine that you're talking about. Our Bandit was going in the heat vent, of all places, this winter. We tried everything. The first thing we did was take him to the vet. His urine was full of crystals-making it very difficult to go to the bathroom, and since it burned a lot, he often felt the need to pee even if it was only a little dribble. Once we got that cured (with prescription food), the problem didn't stop. He was attracted to the smell (or so we thought), and kept going in the same place. We tried all the spray odor eliminators; we tried putting the plastic carpet protector sheets down with the pokey side up (so he wouldn't go over there); we tried putting cayenne pepper over the plastic pokey stuff where he was going. All of this did not work at all. Not even a little. Our vet decided that it was not a physical health issue, but a mental health issue. Bandit was stressed out about something-having anxiety-and it would be very difficult to determine what that anxiety was from. It could be a cat outside; new neighbors; a new building in the neighborhood, etc. We tried the plug in Feliway stuff which is supposed to calm them down. Nope. No luck. So, we started him on Prozac (Fluoxetine). Half a pill a day at about $6.00 a month. His attitude and enthusiasm didn't change (still a great cat), but his peeing in the heat vent (or as close to it as he could get) stopped overnight! So, my advice: you can try using the odor eliminators that they sell in most big stores which is supposed to remove the enzymes that attract them to the same spot, but if that doesn't work-don't give up! It could be an anxiety issue-especially if you've been going to the vet a lot lately which is probably stressful for Moe. Prozac is a cheap remedy that I think many scoff at since it's just a cat, but it really saved us all a lot of turmoil and stress! I hope everything else goes well for you! Melissa _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Beckie McRae Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 9:22 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please. Hi everyone. My name is Beckie. I'm 25 and live in Iowa with my boyfriend and 3 cats (2 of whom are FLV positive). I'm hoping you guys can help me. I have a cat named Moe and he's about 3 and has FLV. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed some bumps around his neck and on his back, and he started to lose his hair. I took him to the vet, and she said it was an environmental allergy, gave him some meds and sent us home. Well the meds just made him worse, so the next week I took him back, and this time he had a severe infection in his eye and tapeworms. This time, different meds, and ointment for his eye. STILL not better. This time I took him in to the vet and told them I wasn't leaving until he was better. That was Wed. They gave him a shot for the tapeworms, Frontline for some fleas, his eye was better so more ointment, and Sat. he seemed fine. Now today when we woke up he had gone to the bathroom in the kitchen (which he did when he was originally really sick), and as soon as he sees either one of us, he runs and hides. He also has FLV. I'm worried sick, and don't know what to do. Anyone else here ever deal with something like this? Also, what's the best way to clean up the mess in the kitchen? I want to eliminate the odor so he won't go in there again! Thanks so much! Beckie
Re: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please.
Hi, I just want to clarify that what he has is Felk (feline leukemia) and not FIV before I say anything - First of all, please be careful what you give to felk kitties - their immune system is already compromised, so whenever you give a hard medications, you want to make sure that that is really what you are dealing with rather than just trial' and error - as medication can make the situation much worse. First of all, has he lost any weight? Does he eat? does he play? have you doen stool sample test? Have you ran any blood work on him? skin problems are usually hard to identify the cause of -- any unfortunately, usually traditional vets will try to use steroid to suppress the symptoms than treating to treat the underlying cause. If he has not lost weight, and eating well - try not to be too concerned -- as I worry that all the medications you are giving him can cause suppression of his immune system and can actiavate the felk virus. Try some omega oil, flex seed oil.. etc which usually good for skin problems. - Original Message - From: Beckie McRaemailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgmailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 8:22 AM Subject: Hi everyone. New here. Need help with my kitty please. Hi everyone. My name is Beckie. I'm 25 and live in Iowa with my boyfriend and 3 cats (2 of whom are FLV positive). I'm hoping you guys can help me. I have a cat named Moe and he's about 3 and has FLV. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed some bumps around his neck and on his back, and he started to lose his hair. I took him to the vet, and she said it was an environmental allergy, gave him some meds and sent us home. Well the meds just made him worse, so the next week I took him back, and this time he had a severe infection in his eye and tapeworms. This time, different meds, and ointment for his eye. STILL not better. This time I took him in to the vet and told them I wasn't leaving until he was better. That was Wed. They gave him a shot for the tapeworms, Frontline for some fleas, his eye was better so more ointment, and Sat. he seemed fine. Now today when we woke up he had gone to the bathroom in the kitchen (which he did when he was originally really sick), and as soon as he sees either one of us, he runs and hides. He also has FLV. I'm worried sick, and don't know what to do. Anyone else here ever deal with something like this? Also, what's the best way to clean up the mess in the kitchen? I want to eliminate the odor so he won't go in there again! Thanks so much! Beckie
