Dear Caroline, Belinda, Diane, and Michele, Thanks so much for sharing and for your kindness. It's very helpful and comforting to hear from people what have been through something similar and/or who truly care.
I know there are no easy answers as to the best thing to do or not to do. My Emma tested positive on both multiple snap tests and on laboratory ELISA tests, so as much as I was hoping it was some kind of mistake, she is indeed FeLV+. Over this past weekend, she suddenly stopped eating and drinking, her coat went from shiny black (she's a "tuxedo") to dull and covered with dandruff, her purr was gone, and she was lethargic. The ultrasound revealed enormous lymph nodes, and the blood test revealed a RBC count of 10 (dangerously low) and a WBC count twice what it should be. Analysis of the bone marrow points to lymphoma. The Vet is encouraging chemotherapy, but because of past experiences with two of my dogs, I don't have a lot of faith in Veterinary oncologists. I don't want a Veterinarian giving me false help and encouraging me to pursue chemotherapy if, in fact, there's little chance it will help, and a better chance that it won't help, or worse, that it will cause suffering. Caroline, I can relate to your situation with the tumor on Monkee's leg. My dog Rebel had a mast cell tumor on his leg, which the surgeon was able to debulk, but he was unable to get clean margins. He offered amputation as an option, but Rebel was 12 years old and a big dog, and I didn't think he would manage well (though I've seen many younger dogs and even cats do perfectly well with three legs). It turns out it was really good that I didn't pursue amputation of the leg, because a week later, Rebel had a tumor on his back. The tumor on his leg grew back and continued to grow despite chemotherapy. It was the size of a large honeydew. But I continued to give him chemotherapy, hoping for a miracle. There ended up being no miracle and I lost my Rebel. Several years earlier, I'd put my dog, Daisy, through chemotherapy and radiation when she was diagnosed with oral melanoma. My Veterinarian told me I'd lose her in six months, with or without treatment. I went to an oncologist anyway and was told there was a 20% chance the treatment would help. So Daisy went throught the treatment, and a week before she died, another oncologist put her on an experimental drug (Thalidomide) despite the fact that her lungs were full of tumors. I know that everyone's experiences are different and that we all want to do what's best for our furry family members. It's just so hard to know what is best. But your support and advice have been my saving grace this week. I no longer feel quite so alone. Thank you. -- Adrienne _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
