RE: False Positive

[Hideyo Yamamoto]

Hi, Bonnie, How was Henry Lee when you first found him?  He was three years old when you first found him?  Did he look very healthy?  And how old was the kitten? And how old was the kitten when you first found him?   I just trapped a boy kitty who was tested negative on all the virus and his blood work came back just as perfect – but I think he might be Ginger’s brother, who was tested positive on FeLV – because of what did happened to Little Henry Lee, and someone else I knew – I did not know how careful I had to be integrating this cute boy (I think, I am going to name him, Stanly) to the feLV negative group in my house – I know what happened to Little Henry was very rare – but still it does happen – since I have so many cats in the house, I really have to be careful who to add and who not to – I also hear that testing bone marrow is pretty invasive on a kitty, and I did not want to do that this little Stanly – but every time I hear the story like little Henry Lee, it makes me think twice about introducing someone new to the group since I don’t vaccinate any of my other kitties.   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of catatonya Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 5:06 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: False Positive   We have been on this list a looooong time!!!!  It's still the best too.   t BONNIE J KALMBACH <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Tonya, Yes, this was back in '97. They all had French names, but were all three years old. Little Henry Lee, who I found by a dumpster in Mississippi, was the positive one, and a kitten. None of the others were vaccinated and Henry proved to be a false negative, which is said to be a rare occurrence. I had called my vet from the road and said I wanted him tested as soon as possible. I isolated him in the bathroom and rushed him off for a test the same afternoon I got home with him. I was so happy when he first tested negative. A year later he had a dental and began to go downhill. That's when they found he had the virus in his bone marrow and was positive all along. I think at the time, the vaccinations were said to do more harm than good if one had indoor cats whose chances of exposure were rare - or maybe that was my vet's advice. As soon as Henry was found to be positive, all of the others were vaccinated with no harmful effects, even my tiny Sylvie who was born with hypernatremia. I left that clinic because they weren't very good, to put it mildly. Later I heard that a lot of other clients also left as well as the most of the staff. Then the owner became very ill and had to be hospitalized - maybe stress contributed to it. I don't have any positives any more, but since this list is so helpful, and FELV kitties do tend to be more susceptible to other illnesses, I've stayed on to learn things and share what I know. Litte orange Henry Lee was so cute. If I had another kitty in my lap, Henry would climb in right on top of him or her and curl up to sleep. The kitty on the bottom would sort of slide out from underneath and wake up looking like "what happened?" Bonnie with seven kitties and two pups www.elephants.com ----- Original Message ----- From: catatonya <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: Sunday, May 8, 2005 2:30 pm Subject: Re: False Positive > Bonnie, > > I remember when all of this happened. : ( I don't remember > though if they had all been vaccinated? Also, weren't they > kittens? I am remembering they were born in a closet and all had > French names? It's been a while, and my memory's not what it used > to be! > > tonya > > BONNIE J KALMBACH <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Dawn, > Here is some anecdotal evidence: my kitty, Claudette and my other > kitties were exposed to a positive kitty, my little Henry Lee, > whose > virus had activated. I had them all tested and Claudette was one > of > those exposed to Henry who became positive. I lost all of my > positive > kitties, but Claudette. She "threw off" the virus, and has tested > negative ever since. > > Bonnie > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dawn Ritzke > Date: Friday, May 6, 2005 2:51 pm > Subject: False Positive > > > About 3 weeks ago my 10 month old kitty, Smeagol, died from > feline > > leukemia. > > I was unaware he even had leukemia. The vet never checked him > > for > > leukemia. At that time I had my other kitten, Moxie retested. > > She was > > tested at birth and was negative. Three weeks ago she came back > > positive. > > I recently had her retested again and this time she came back > > negative. I > > am going to have her tested again in one month. She is very > > healthy. I > > understand the chance of a false positive is about 3%. I am not > > very > > familar with feline leukemia. Does anyone have any advice or > > suggestions. > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from > > McAfee® > > Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp? cid=3963 > > > > > > > >