Please i need advice my cat tested positive for FeLV today!?
Step 1 is to not panic. Step 2 is to have the vet run the next level of blood test for FeLV. The screening test is the ELISA test, but a positive outcome on that test needs to be confirmed with an IFA test. This one is more expensive, but more reliable. A positive ELISA can be a false positive, and the IFA test will confirm a positive test or have a negative result. There are then testing protocols to determine if the cat is truly negative or not. There really are no cures for FeLV, but there are a lot of "claims" out there (generally on web sites with financial gain to be made from selling you a miracle product). Some are harmless, but most are very expensive and unproven. There are some human antivirals that are made for AIDS treatment in humans that are showing potential in FeLV in cats, but these are all new studies and the drugs are not widely available (and are quite pricey). The best care of an FeLV+ cat is optimal nutrition and diligent observation of their health - any sign of minor illness needs to have the cat at the vet for treatment prior to it becoming serious. A well-cared for FeLV+ cat can live for many years. It's hard to say what the future holds for him - but do be aware that there are lots of people out there who will take your money for products that won't help him in the least. Again, the next step is the UFA test - crossing fingers here that it's negative!
High white blood cell count.....cat won't eat?
My cat (male age 12) was starting to lose weight & not himself. On 8/22 took him to vet where he was examined & the vet did an "Antech Canine Senior Comp" blood test. Nothing showed up. Except the white blood cells count was high........32,000 which vet says indicates an infection. On 8/24 vet did FelV / FIV snap test (negative) and Urinalysis (chem strip). They gave subcutaneous fluids. He stayed at the vets overnight. Only slight improvement. On 8/29 he was given a shot.....Mirtazipine 15 mg & also Clavamox drops for me to use at home. Still not much improvement. On 9/2 I brought him back to vet.....vet did an Antech Vet Screen & CBC. He received a Dex/Depo Injection. On 9/2 we did discuss the possibility of cancer. Today 9/4 he is still not improving. He is under the bed. Yesterday I had him in a dog crate out on the deck & he seemed to enjoy that. Would the white blood cell count of 32,000 indicate cancer? How is cancer in felines diagnosed? Thanks in advance for any info or advice.
Why do some cat keepers not take their cats to the vet for annual innoculations or checkups and deworming?
Well, I think there are several reasons people don’t take their cat for annual check-ups, the most important one being financial.I know a lady in my neighbourhood who has a beautiful female cat. The cat has dirty watery eyes.It looks something like this:I suspect it is caused by a Chlamydia infection. [Yes, cats get chlamydia in their eyes, and no, it’s not the same chlamydia as people get down there. For more information: Upper Respiratory Infection (Chlamydia) in Cats.]The neighbour lady doesn’t take her cat to the vet, and argues this is because there is no point. She says it is because another cat attacked her cat and now she has eye problems. This is a very unlogical and unrealistic reason, both as a cause and as an argument not to go to the vet.I think her reasoning has to do with making it okay for her to not go to the vet, with the underlying true reasons being;Financial costs, andThe actual effort to take her cat to the vet. (Organizing transportation like getting a cab or a friend to drive her, putting the cat in a carrier, that sort of thing).My guess is she is not aware of her own true reasons not to go. She solves her cognitive dissonance by arguing it has no use since there is nothing to be done about her cat’s eye problem.Ofcourse, I don’t know her true thoughts and I can be totally wrong about this.But I do believe it often works like this. People say things like: My cat gets so stressed out by the vet, and inocculations are bad for them anyway. So they don’t go. The underlying reasons being the costs and effort.Their reasoning makes them a good cat owner in their own minds.That being said, I do not think it is a rarity for all people to take their cat to the vet annually for a check up.I know a lot of people who do do this. I also know a lot of people who don’t do this.My cats see the vet every year at least once, and if needed, more often. No exceptions.They are quite happy.
What is your experience caring for an FIV positive cat?
My Sweetie was a volunteer cat. He’d been abandoned and on his own since his people moved away and didn’t take him with them. Once he realized I left kibble out for the cat next door, he used to help himself since I didn’t object. He ate like he’d never be full again. He was naked from his middle down to his tail, having pulled out all his fur from stress. One day I had the front door open for the breeze and he raced inside, full speed, straight into an open grocery bag on the floor, looked at me with his big, green eyes and said “I live here now,” and promptly fell asleep. I finally gave in and decided he was right.The vet gave him a shot to stop his itching and fur-pulling, which worked miracles. She also ran a complete blood panel on him which revealed he was FIV positive. She told me different cats reacted differently to the virus. She’d known cats who lived out their natural lifespans with virtually no problems. Others had more challenges. Sweetie was one of the latter.He was allergic to fleas, but the shots and the flea meds kept them under control. He was always a cheerful and affectionate kitty, just a little on the sickly side. He got more vet check-ups than usual. Whenever I took him in, the vet had a card from his file that said FIV POSITIVE out on the table, because they’d have to disinfect the room more thoroughly after we left. (Better safe than sorry.) During one of them, the vet realized he had a heart murmur, so another notation for his file. He had periodic seizures where he would lose consciousness and go rigid while convulsing. One time was at the vet’s, who said it was the first time she’d actually observed it. They’d last about 30 seconds (which seemed like an eternity to me), then his body would relax and he’d slowly wake up.About five years down the road, the vet felt a mass in his abdomen. An x-ray revealed cancer. They covered all the treatment options for me. My boyfriend (now husband), who knew I was on a tight budget, offered to pay if I wanted to go the full treatment route. I just couldn’t see it. His quality of life was not going to be good no matter what. He had pain meds and slept next to me on a pillow every night. But he refused to leave on his own, so I finally had to take him to the vet one last time.I buried him in the back yard, and planted flowers over his grave. He was a loving companion and a good friend. I never for a minute regretted his offer to move in with me.
What types of bacteria can cause stomatitis to spread in a feral cat colony?
I'm caring for a feral cat colony, and some of the cats are developing stomatitis. We've been to two vets. The first vet treated the cats with Veraflox because it's supposedly the "new treatment" for bartonella. He wouldn't do any bloodwork, so we're not even sure if the cats had bartonella. I recently took a cat to another vet for a second opinion because she completely stopped eating. This vet did bloodwork and said the cat has a low blood count. She placed her on doxycycline and buprenex and wants to recheck the cat's mouth next week. If her mouth is still inflamed, the vet will do a biopsy. So far, she began eating again, but she still occasionally cries out in pain. I just want to know what type of bacteria could be causing this, and if the vet made the right decision by placing her on doxycycline.
Mild positive feline leukemia question?
It does sometimes happen that the first test for FeLV will be positive, and then a second test 4-6 weeks later will be negative. This is because many cats get infected with the FeLV virus, causing the test to detect virus particles in the blood, but their immune system manages to clear the virus before it takes up residence in the bone marrow and becomes a permanent infection. Once the cat clears the virus out of the bloodstream, the test is negative. Cats are more efficient at clearing the virus the older they are. FeLV doesn't make the cat sick until it gets into the bone marrow and starts damaging the white blood cells. At this point, nothing can stop the infection. If the second test shoulds turn out to be positive too, it might be a good idea to also have your vet submit an IFA test to the lab. The test he is using at his hospital is an ELISA test (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay), and all it can tell is whether there are virus particles in the bloodstream. It can't tell whether the virus has gotten into the bone marrow. An IFA (immunofluorescent assay) only detects FeLV virus inside white blood cells - and they only get into the white cells once the bone marrow is infected. Granted, if it is positive now and positive in 4-6 weeks with the ELISA test, chances are good that the bone marrow is infected. But the IFA is the only test that will tell you for certain.
My kitten was diagnosed with FELV. How can I make her immune system stronger? Any foods or pills???
A FeLV positive cat can lead a relatively long and healthy life, but they do of course need special care. Nutrition is very important - a good, nutritious food is important for all cats, and critical for her. Avoid the grocery store junk, and go directly for the best. Since she won't eat canned, then the best of the dry would be one of the grain free ones. The favorite of all of them here is Innova's EVO. Wellness makes one called Core. Both of these are reasonably easy to find at the non-chain pet stores. Petsmart carries Blue's Wilderness - that wasn't as popular here as the EVO (and not quite the quality but still a fine food). Of course your cat will have her own ideas. To encourage drinking, consider one of the various pet fountains like the Drinkwell. Once they figure them out, most cats love them and drink from them much more than just a bowl. One of the proven drugs that are immune system boosters is interferon - it's been around a while, and is actually used in humans in cancer treatments. It's used effectively in cats as well. I have a friend who's rescue Persian has severe issues with viruses due to his abusive past, and it has helped him tremendously. Another friend used it for her FeLV+ cat, and she had her for many years longer than anyone would ever anticipate, and she was very healthy until the end. She swears it was the interferon (and a holistic diet). Be wary of what you read on the internet, as many people have a hidden agenda and really just want to sell you something. There at this point is no miracle cure, as much as we wish it were so. Here's an excellent article put out by Cornell's vet school - this is one of the leading feline research facilities in the country. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures... Good luck with your cat - hang in there with her!
My kitten acting sick after vaccinations. Is this normal?
I have a 14 week old kitten. Last night I took her to Vetco (Petco) for a FIV/Feline Leukemia/Heartworm Test as her mother was a stray. She screamed a lot when they drew blood from her front leg. She tested negative so they gave her a combo vaccination for FIV/Feline Leukemia and they also gave her a dewormer. She had all other vaccinations previous to me getting her, and she just needs a rabies shot when she's 16 weeks old. When I brought her home she ate most of her hard food (Wellness Core). However, when I went downstairs to feed her this morning, it took a while for her to come out. She was hiding somewhere. I fed her some Wellness Core canned food and dry food. She licked the canned food a little but didn't really seem hungry. When I picked her up she cried and she acted like the front leg where they drew the blood was hurting her. She kept lifting up the leg. The vaccine was given in her waist and she acted like that hurt as well. She seems really tired and lethargic today and doesn't feel like playing. She's sleeping on the bed with me curled up in a ball. A while ago my husband took her back to her food dish and she finished her canned food, but she is not really interested in eating the hard food today. Normally she eats like a pig. Is this a normal side effect from vaccinations? I'm really worried about her. I lost my eleven year old cat to cancer four days before I got her (and he wasn't eating), so I'd be devastated to lose her too. I've only had her two weeks and I'm very attached.
Life expectancy with feline leukemia?
i dont know about the younger the faster they diw but my cat "big boy" is feline leukemia positive and the vet says he has 0-9 years up to so i would not worry just spend as much time with him/her as you can you want to keep up on vet appoitments and feed him well but as i said spend as much time as u can with him
My cat just died of leukemia and i have 2 others at home that are alive,is it likely they will get leukemia?
GEEZUS - so many of you telling this person Feline Leukemia ISN'T contagious! Perhaps you shouldn't answer if you have no idea what you're talking about - bad advice like yours is DANGEROUS! Feline Leukemia IS very contagious between cats and is a deadly and incurable disease. It is spread via saliva or an open wound. It's also transferred to kittens via an infected mother cat. So yes - your other cats may have it already if they've shared food bowls with this cat, fought with this cat or are from the same litter. Take the cats you still have to the vets and have them tested for Feline Leukemia. It's a very inexpensive and quick blood test. If they don't have it then get them immunized against it. How did your first cat contract FeLv in the first place? Most likely you allowed it to wander around outdoors and it made contact with an infected cat. This is just another example of why cats belong INDOORS.