Hi, My name is Wendy. I've been on this site for about 10 months now and have learned so much. My FeLV+ passed away, but it was so late when I found this group, there wasn't enough time to save him. I think that Crackers has a much better chance.
I'm sorry to hear about Pokemon. I find, however, that things happen for a reason, and you did the right thing by loving Pokemon. You didn't know about the risks of taking her in, so please don't beat yourself up. So many of us here have exposed our kitties by unknowingly taking in an FeLV+ before we were educated on FeLV. I exposed three others by taking in Cricket, my FeLV+. They are all negative. Everyone has posted great info. so far for you. One thing I didn't see was how old Crackers was. That is important. If he is older, then it is harder for him to contract FeLV, as Chris said. Or rather, easier for him to throw it off if exposed. From our experiences here, adults almost never contract FeLV. It's the kittens that contract it permanently. So I wouldn't worry too much until you test and retest. The only thing that might be a problem is that Pokemon and Crackers were fighting and the veterinary community doesn't know enough about this virus to know if indirect exposure (sharing water bowls, grooming) versus direct exposure (introducing the virus directly to the bloodstream) plays a part in throwing off this virus. It could. In the meantime, I would change Cracker's diet, as Phaewryn pointed out. I feed mine Innova. You can't get the good stuff at a grocery or discount store, nor can you get it at Petsmart or Petco (although you can buy Eukanueba there, but it's not good food either, imo.) Also, vitamin C and L-lyine (without propyline glycol) are good immune supplements. The other big thing is to keep Crackers stress-free. I would also find another vet. One that does not feel euthanasia is the only option with FeLV+ kitties. One that is educated. You can figure this out by calling different vets in the area and speaking with them directly about their philosophy on treating FeLV+'s. You'll get a good feel for a vet this way. Your vet was wrong about the test not having any false positives. Try not to freak out too much. We all love our furbabies dearly here, and you have found a good place to be while dealing with this. It's a great source of support. If you'd like, I can email you a sick and regular care kitty manual that I compiled. I can't attach it to these postings, but I can send it to you directly if you'd like. It's got a lot of info. in it. Please keep us posted on your kitty's diagnosis, etc. :) Wendy Dallas, Tx P.S. I think $6000-8000 for treatment for Pokemon is RIDICULOUS!!!! Just ludicrous!!! And I don't necessarily agree with their diagnosis and what they said should be done. I wouldn't go there again if you can avoid it. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
