Three weeks ago, my mom took her 2 year old cat, Sadie, to the vet.
Sadie had not been eating as well as usual, was getting noticeably
thinner, and was listless. This had only been going on for a week or
so. She obviously didn't feel good. Sadie tested positive for feline
leukemia. The prospects, according to the vet, weren't good. I don't
know what was said, other than that her life could only be prolonged
a bit, and that she'd have to be isolated. My mom was as upset as
I've ever seen her when she came to pick me up from work. She'd had
Sadie put to sleep. I couldn't grieve for Sadie right then. Not only
was it too much, but I became immediately worried about my cat, Ember.
Ember is almost 4 years old. She tested negative for FeLV as a
kitten. I don't know that she'd ever been vaccinated for it. We'd
lived in an apartment in Madison, Wisconsin for several years, and I
decided we should move back to my hometown in Arkansas for a number
of reasons. We moved in with my parents, who had, a month before,
taken in Sadie. Sadie wasn't tested for FeLV. I don't think my dad
knew to ask, and the vet apparently didn't volunteer. Ember and Sadie
were good buddies. Ember is petite for an adult female, and Sadie
used to jump on her and bite her. They loved to play. I'm guessing
that this was the mode of transmission, as, an hour or so after Sadie
was put to sleep, I took Ember to the vet. She tested positive.
We have three other cats. Two of them, a 2 year old male and a 13
year old male, are indoor only, while a 6 year old male is indoor/
outdoor. All tested negative, despite grooming each other (Sidney
would groom Sadie at times), eating from the same dishes and sharing
sleeping spots on occasion.
Ember and I went to another vet a week later. She still tested
positive (not faint and not strong; right in the middle). Her white
blood cell count was at the lowest end of normal possible. The rest
of her blood work was good. She had (has?) a slight rasp in her
throat. Otherwise, no problems. Not even stress-related fever. She's
eating and drinking well, and enjoys the games we've started playing,
now that she's isolated in my room.
The vet put her on interferon (1cc/day, five days on/five days off).
I stopped feeding her Prescription Diet t/d dry food, and switched
her to "Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul" dry and Felidae
canned. I'm hoping to get her on Innova EVO dry and canned in the
next few weeks. I regret that it took FeLV for me to find out that
Hill's is not the best thing to be feeding any pet.
I'm going to call a holistic vet that's nearby sometime this week.
I'm trying to decide if I should seek a third opinion in the more
traditional medicine area, but I really like my current vet. He at
least offers hope, and he's experienced.
That's where things stand for Ember and I now. I've cried more in the
last two weeks than I think I've cried total in my life. As you all
who are attached know, they're are kids. Ember is my child. Anything
I can do to help her, I will. If anyone has a suggestion or a
thought, I look forward to it. To those so inclined, I ask for your
prayers.
Lance
