I know we give Thuja on the day of any vaccinations to help the body deal with that stress and the immune response. I have the dose at home and can't remember it now. Dr. Maier says Thuja is a must to have on hand when doing rescue work. It's also given to any cat that had vaccs in the past to try to detox. It's for detoxing mainly. I'm not an expert so I don't know if it can be used for post-surgery reasons or not? Altho I did buy the cat rescue kit of homepathic meds from Washington Homeopathy and the book Dr. Maier recommended on homeopathic care for cats. I can look thru the book tonight to see if there are any remedies to be given post-surgery. And the good thing with homeopathy is that it's not like it's prescribing drugs or anything- everything is safe and can be used in conjunction with conventional care and conventional drugs. We regularly use the "cat nap" spray from Dr. Maier all the time to reduce stress- it's aromaptherapy for cats. I have a warm humidifier I use in my room and instead of putting liquid Vicks in the reservoir, I would pour the cat nap in it! The Late Great Possum (Possee) LOVED IT! He must have been so cold all the time and he worshipped the humidifier and I'sm sure the aromatherapy helped b/c that little guy never knew anything was wrong with him! I think Dr. Maier relies mostly on her homemade flower essences for stress and I guess store bought Rescue Remedy can always be used if you don't have a homeopathic vet to mix up an individualized formula for you. I know some people say it doesn't work, but the last thing I put in Monkee's mouth literally as he was dying in my arms and struggling to breathe was Dr. Maier's flower essences (I didn't know what else to do- it was terrifying) and I swear those eased his passing b/c it did happen so fast and he struggled very briefly. Then of course my mom and I both started spraying Rescue Rem in our own mouths (b/c she was with me when Monkee died) and we were verging on hysteria. I swear up and down it helped. But sometimes I think it has to be at the height of one of these situations for you to REALIZE it helped- like an extreme situation. gosh, sorry I'm such a downer lately! Just a rough few months you know? caroline
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: fixing a leukemia kittyDate: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 16:38:59 -0600Caroline, What did your holistic vet say about remedies to give a cat under going stress? I know Dr. Maier has a number she uses but I am out of touch with them. They could help reduce the stress and reverse any drugs given. I will never vaccinate Dixie given her status. She is perfectly healthy and an indoor cat. I'll take my chances with any diseases she might possibly pick up. On Feb 7, 2008, at 12:37 PM, Caroline Kaufmann wrote: If he's healthy now, then do it. Feleuk cats are prone to cancers- a lot of times, that is what gets them in the end, particularly lymphoscarcoma. Lymphosarcoma is the most common form of cancer in cats and dogs- feleuk or otherwise. But the incidence in Felv+ cats is even higher. This is what my cat Monkee came down with (found a lump on his leg). If neutering would further reduce his risk of cancer, then it's worth the small risk of putting him under but if he is indeed Feleuk positive, then he has double the chances of getting some time of cancer. And it's true that a neuter is a much simpler operation than a spay and there's basically no recovery issues- assuming there are no complications (unlike the frequent popped stitches that come with spaying). The group I volunteer for is currently working it's way through fixing an entire colony of Felv+ feral cats and there haven't been any problems. And they are feral-- which I should think the stress of the catching, surgery, immediate release, must be even worse for them, so if they can handle it, your boy who's asymptomatic, healthy now that he's with you, and getting love and affection, will be fine.caroline From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: fixing a leukemia kittyDate: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 21:33:58 -0600 Lynne, my friend has all her feline leukemia kitties altered. I think one, in 20 years, had a problem. At least for a female, our vet believes the stress of the regular heat cycle would be greater than that of the spay. And you are right that an unneutered male is at risk of certain cancers...and he's already <potentially> immune compromised. We had Isabella scheduled for her spay 2 or 3 times and each time she had a temp so we didn't do it. When she got so bad that we needed an ultrasound, the vet discovered she had hemaclips or something like that which meant she was already spayed. Boy were we relieved that we had not put her under and had cut open unnecessarily! (The vet had shaved her when we first rescued her and could not find a spay scar). I would not be as worried about a neuter as a spay ~ if Boo is otherwise in good health and esp since he's not going to be vaccinated now. We did not vaccinate Isabella. I have watched a neuter being done. It takes no time at all. He won't be under long. I would ask whether they do a reversal and if the vet thinks this is a good idea for him.Bottom line for me ~ if the vet thinks it's ok to do the alter, I would be inclined to do it. Afterall, I am sure he doesn't want a poor result. Laurie ----- Original Message ----- From: Lynne To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 8:54 PM Subject: Re: fixing a leukemia kitty Dorothy, believe me, this is weighing heavy on my mind. He's scheduled to go in this Friday. The vet assured me he was healthy and up to it. If it were a spaying I probably would definitely be worried since I think it is a more complicated surgery. I still have tomorrow to reconsider. I would definitely be happier if his urine were not so strong smelling and I have read that neutered cats can be healthier, ie less likely to develop prostate or other cancers so I'm really torn as to which way to go. I do not want him to be wanting to go out. The first night we had him the little buggar went upstairs and peed in an unoccupied bedroom and it took two days to clean, air the place and get the smell out. We had his litter box ready but he chose to mark this room. The door has since been closed and he faithfully uses his litter box but once the breeding season comes, I don't know what he'll do. What do the rest of you think. Should I hold off on this surgery? Boo is somewhere between 4 and 6 years old, kind of old for neutering but I truly want what's best for him. Thanks Dorothy for your input. Lynne ----- Original Message ----- From: Dorothy Noble To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 9:36 PM Subject: fixing a leukemia kitty I was reading Lynne's postings about her new cat being neutered this weekend - I just wanted to pass along a little ifo I had received from a society in Missouri. I was looking to adopt a FeLV kitty (to be a friend to my other FeLV) and I was inquiring about cats that they had. I asked if they would be spayed or neutered prior to adoption and she emphatically said NO. She said that if they were not already fixed, they definitely do NOT recommend t hat type of surgery on a cat with leukemia, due to their already fragile immune systems. (I chose to wait until I could find one who was already fixed because I definitely like my cats to be altered.) Just a little food for thought - I would hate to have something happen to your friend during a surgery! Dorothy Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. Learn more. _________________________________________________________________ Connect and share in new ways with Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_012008
