Amber has leukemia...

[Yzma]

We took our friends cat into the vet while they were away the other day and he was diagnosed with felv.

He's over a year old, and the vet believe's he was recently infected...
I'm gathering information for them, on what they can do to make sure he has the best possible chance at developing immunity to the virus... the vet hasn't prescribed any medication at this point and hasn't really said anything other than to keep him away from other cats... He's an only cat so it shouldn't be a problem.

I've read on some of the related sites like fighting felv and the cornell sites that older cats can develop immunity... is there anyway to sort of tip the scales in their favour? Is this at all possible?
what would be a good pet food to feed him, or what supplements to give him and stuff like that...

also is there a particular test they can do to see wether he has developed immunity or not?

[jason]

We took our friends cat into the vet while they were away the other day and he was diagnosed with felv.

sorry to hear about that, not the kind of news you like to give im sure.

is there anyway to sort of tip the scales in their favour? Is this at all possible?

sorry, dont know...hopefully some others can chime in here on this one...the site(s) you mentioned sound like good sources so far.

[Auntie Debbie]

Hi,
I'm sorry your friend's cat has been diagnosed with FELV. There are some methods that may help the immmune system, but most treatments will stem around the various symptoms of the virus.
Below are some linksthat are worth looking into, if you haven't already seen them:


http://consumer.vetmedcenter.com/Consum ... =8685&dt=p

http://consumer.vetmedcenter.com/Consum ... 880589.htm

http://www.lbah.com/Feline/FeLV.html

http://www.vetcentric.com/reference/enc ... &MODE=full

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm ... icleid=211

http://www.thensome.com/pethealth.htm

Check out the menu on the left on the Thensome site

I hope your friend's kitty will be okay! Please keep us posted on how he is doing, ok?

[Yzma]

Just got an email from Amber's owner.

He's back from the vet. And is better now.

Does anyone know how Immunoregulin might work?

[Traci]

Did the vet use a simple snap-test in the clinic or did he actually send blood off to a lab for a FELV-ELISA specific? The ELISA is more sensitive and confirmative for FELV. If this hasn't been done, I would opt for that promptly to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate.

If the diagnosis is confirmed and kitty is not in active infection state, it's possible that an immunity could develop and he could ward it off, however, he could remain a carrier and infect other cats, so the owners would be well-advised not to get another cat.

As for diet and supplements, no change in diet or supplementation is necessary unless there are clinical signs of illness. What the owners want to do is get more frequent check-ups on kitty to keep abreast of any hidden secondary infections that can occur at any time because of a lowered immune system or due to any stressful event or stress in the environment...stress should always be kept to the barest minimum.

Interferon or Immunoregulin can be used, but their effacy is not clearly known. It is probably not necessary to use either unless active infection and clinical signs of illness are present because kitty could actually become immune to the medication (there are studies indicating that the meds may not be effective for long-term treatment). This is the reason for more frequent exams and/or bloodwork, so that the vet can determine if these medications would be useful or not.

[Yzma]

Thanks guys. All the info has been very helpful. I've given Amber's owner the link to this thread. Hopefully they'll check in and read it... I'll let themn know it has been updated anyway.

Thanks.