TOPIC FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS
FELINE LEUKEMIA
Feline Leukemia
By OmaKitty with help from Meowmie
We hope everyone had a great Halloween. Hopefully, everyone got to play a few tricks and got a few treats while staying safe all at the same time!
Since my birthday is this month and I will officially be one year away from being a “senior” cat, my Meowmie has been doing research on diseases and other health problems that affect cats, especially older ones. Personally, I don’t think I’m all that old, but it always helps to be prepared. Over the next few months, we will be highlighting diseases and health problems that all kitties and their parents need to be aware of.
We got most of our information from a great website called the American Animal Hospital Association which can be found at http://www.healthypet.com. My Meowmie recommends everyone visit this site because they have information on cats, d*gs and all other animals people might keep in their homes. We also received information for this article from Cat Fancy magazine, the October 2002 issue.
My Meowmie had a kitty die from feline leukemia when she was a little girl, before doctors knew much about the disease, so this topic is close to her heart. Charlie didn’t have the advantages we do now and lived with the disease for quite a while before he was diagnosed. At that time, euthanasia was the common practice when a cat was diagnosed to save the parent from the heartbreak and expense of caring for a sick cat. Charlie Brown died before the vet had a chance to put him down, which has always been a comfort to my Meowmie.
Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is highly contagious for kitties. It is passed on through saliva, urine and blood. Charlie was a street fighter and contracted the disease from a catfight. A mother cat can also spread the disease to her kittens before they are even born. The good news is you cannot pass the disease to other species of animals or humans. Eighty-three percent of FeLV positive cats die from cancer or infections due to a weakened immune system within 3-4 years of diagnosis. There are certainly other cats that beat the odds though.
Testing positive for FeLV doesn’t indicate a cat is presently sick at all. FeLV is compared to the human disease, HIV, which can be carried for many years without incident. FeLV and HIV both suppress the immune system and share a few other commonalities. Don’t mistake FeLV for the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) though. FIV does not cause tumors and is rarely proven to be rapidly fatal.
The FeLV test has a high false-positive rate. The two main testing modes are the ELISA and IFA tests. ELISA tests are quickly performed in your vet’s office and are performed by mixing blood with a solution that turns colors if it detects the virus’ genetic code. The IFA test is usually used as a follow-up to the ELISA. Up to 28% of the positive tests on the ELISA return negative when tested with IFA.
Cats are also able to discard FeLV, either remaining symptomatic for years or testing negative years later, even after testing positive consistently. Dr. Andrew Loar works with FeLV and is a lecturer on the subject. He says “After a year, if nothing has happened to a cat, I start to be optimistic.” He goes on to say, “If your cat remains well for two or three years after being positive, I would say you might not be sitting on a time bomb.”
Symptoms of FeLV are: anemia, weight loss, chronic illness, weakness, yellow color in the mouth or whites of eyes, difficulty breathing and fever with diarrhea. If you have any of these symptoms, be sure to alert your Meowmie or Daddy quickly.
Only 2-4% of all cats in the U.S. contract FeLV. Experts agree most cats that contract the disease are feral or live in shelters without proper housing for infectious animals. Kittens under the age of 1 are most often infected since their immune systems cannot properly fight the disease.
FeLV is not curable and not entirely preventable. Avoiding exposure to infected cats and getting the FeLV vaccination are the best ways to prevent the disease from infecting you. The annual vaccine is reported to be 85-90% effective and most vets would advise you to get it. If you already have FeLV, there are ways to treat the disease so you can live a long and happy life.
Medications and therapy are available to you if you find out you already have FeLV. Among them are: Interferon alpha, acupuncture and low stress environments.
Interferon alpha is much like the medications humans take when they are infected with HIV. It is a seven days on, seven days off regimen and has proved to boost the immune systems of FeLV positive cats. Some doctors also recommend AZT, an antiviral drug given to HIV patients.
Holistic remedies are also an option. Acupuncture, massage, vitamin supplements and natural herbs have been used to combat FeLV. Dr. Eric Christensen from the Feline Health Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine says using holistic medicines and therapies don’t hurt, and certainly help in conjunction with conventional medicines.
I read a fantastic article about a family that adopts FeLV positive cats and keeps them housed in their own apartment. Most people think a cat with FeLV will die quickly, so they don’t want to adopt them. My Meowmie and I learned that with proper treatment, a FeLV positive cat can live a very long time. The people we read about are trying to find medications that are helpful in either fighting the disease or keeping the kitties healthy. They aren’t funded by any scientific community or research, but they’re working with the common medications and holistic therapies to see which are most effective. The kitties they have adopted are all thriving and enjoying life.
There is also a retirement home that we saw on the Animal Planet that houses FeLV cats. It’s called Home for Life (http://homeforlife.org), a retirement home/rescue shelter for animals slated for euthanasia. Home For Life has an area totally for FeLV positive cats where they can live out the rest of their lives with other kitties and receive medications to keep them as healthy as possible. We learned about it after seeing a show dealing with a police dog’s retirement. Home For Life is located in Stillwater, Minnesota and takes in animals from all over the U.S.
More of these kinds of shelters are popping up all over the country. Their main focus is to let FeLV positive cats live out their lives with other FeLV positive cats and be happy together.
In the upcoming months, we will be discussing other health problems and issues that affect us kitties as well as ways to manage pain and CPR for critters. We hope you get your Meowmies and Daddies to read these articles with you because they might save your life.
Have a great Thanksgiving and we’ll see you again in December!
The above article was written by Omakitty with alittle assist from her Meowmy. Please take the time to visit their hompage Oma's Place
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