Hello,
I've decided to adopt the other FeLV+ kitten that was just given the green light from her URI from her foster mom - after a month's recuperation. I called today to let the humane society know and I find that they've already put her back out in the adoption room (though they are all separated by cages) so she's been exposed to any airborne URI's again. Grr. They are a wonderful organization and fabulous for listing both FeLV and FIV cats, but they told me that she'd stay in foster care until I could pick her up! This was going to work out great, because Satch is still getting over his cough. I didn't want to introduce another until he was 100% absolutely over the cough - which I was estimating worst case to be two weeks from now - and now since the kitten has again been exposed, he'd be exposed to something new if I brought her home. The longer that I wait to get her, the odds of her getting another cold go up, but the if I push bringing her home, then Satch will be exposed to something before he's completely better, which I'm not going to do.
I've called the vet to see if Satch is more susceptible/still contagious as long as he's coughing, though I know what they'll say. Realistically, in my three room apartment, to keep someone cooped up in the bathroom as quarantine isn't that great. A few days to a week okay, but a it's no infirmary if the kitten does need to get over another URI before being introduced. And as I learned from bringing the last one home, it's also no guarantee that Satch won't get the cold anyway. Grr. Sorry to vent! This isn't even why I started to write you!
My questions are about Interferon. I'm being optimistic that this can all work out and that the kitten will come home to me and will be healthy enough to bring out into the open and then we can address the leukemia. My vet is open to treating her with Interferon, but what can I expect? Is it an injection? How often to they get it and over how long? Are there any side effects that you've noticed.
See, for once that would have been a short post. ;)
Thank you, Leslie
