I have been unable to pinpoint who got it from whom in my house, and could go in circles about it all day if I let myself! Did you get Yang first, and then Merlot? For how long did they live together?
On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:52 PM, Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you for all of the support everyone. > > Katherine - Yang was 3, Merlot is just two years old now. I don't know > which cat had it and then gave it to the other. I feel terrible, I was not > informed on FeLV and didn't test for it before I introduced another cat in > to my house, so one of them gave it to the other. > > I will look in to the interfuron and LTCI, thank you! > > I was not informed on cat vitamins before, so I will definitely be looking > in to those as well. > > > > On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:40 PM, Katherine K. <kaths...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Just wanted to add - for the kittens, I didn't give them any "boosters" >> or treaments, really. Since everything I've read said kittens usually >> succumb to the illness before they turn 2, I didn't think it would make >> much of a difference. And since I had 4 of them, it wasn't economically >> feasible for me. One of them became anemic toward the end, so I did give >> him an iron-rich liquid supplement called Lixotinic. >> >> >> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Katherine K. <kaths...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Maya, >>> >>> I'm so sorry for your loss of Yang. Is Merlot also 3 years old? Last >>> year I had a litter of 4 kittens who all tested positive at 3 months of >>> age. We lost the first one at 8 months, and the last one died this May at 1 >>> year old. They were all very healthy and active until the last week or two >>> of their lives. My 12 year old cat was also diagnosed with the virus last >>> July. He was very sick then, but bounced back and is doing well now. He has >>> some minor health issues but energy, appetite, bathroom and >>> comfort/happiness levels are all normal. Every day I have with him is a >>> gift. >>> >>> Yes, you can be pro-active now. The key to maintaining good health is to >>> feed high quality food, keep them indoors, in a low-stress environment, and >>> make a vet appt ASAP if something isn't right. You know him best, don't be >>> afraid to trust your gut. >>> >>> For my 12 year old cat, since his initial illness, I have been giving >>> him a booster shot once a month of LTCI (http://tcyte.com/). It is not >>> inexpensive, unfortunately. A more economical immune system booster is >>> alpha interferon, which is given by mouth daily. You can search the mailing >>> list archives or website for more info on both of these, and talk to your >>> vet to decide what treatment might be best for you. >>> >>> Let Merlot's happiness and joy for life guide you. Play with him, love >>> him, take video and photos of the two of you together having fun. It's >>> tough knowing they'll be gone too soon, but let that help you cherish the >>> good times together. >>> >>> We aren't vets here, but we can offer you experience and support. >>> >>> Katherine >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 3:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Hello everyone, >>>> >>>> My cat Merlot, just tested positive for FeLV yesterday afternoon. We >>>> had him tested, because my three year old cat Yang (female) started acting >>>> ill at the end of June, the next morning I took her in to the vets and we >>>> discovered she was anemic, jaundiced and had a high fever. They checked >>>> her blood levels and found she was anemic (about 13, vs 26 in a healthy >>>> cat). She stayed at the vet during the day and her blood levels didn't >>>> get any worse, and our vet was optimistic. They transferred her over to >>>> the emergency clinic which was open all evening and in to the weekend. >>>> They monitored her overnight and her red blood cells decreased, her fever >>>> lowered but she went past normal to too cold. That morning the blood tests >>>> came back and she was positive for FeLV. We were shocked. Even worse was >>>> that her detailed blood work showed no uptick in blood cell production, >>>> where she should have increased production, she actually had almost no >>>> production. We then got to see her before we had to put her down. That >>>> was the hardest day of my life. >>>> >>>> Now, with Merlot testing positive I am terrified of losing him so >>>> quickly, and I am still grieving for Yang. I know the statistics are not >>>> great for long term prognosis, but he is currently healthy (just a tiny bit >>>> of gingivitis - we are going to start brushing his teeth). What can I do >>>> to keep him healthy? How do I live with him everyday without starting to >>>> grieve him already? I know we all are going to die someday, but this just >>>> feels like it is going to hang over me. I am still doing reading on the >>>> disease and newer treatments and such, but do these all start after the cat >>>> becomes noticeably ill, or are there things I can be doing now to help keep >>>> him healthy? Are probiotics helpful in this case? >>>> >>>> For those who have or have had a healthy FeLV cat, how long did they >>>> stay healthy for? >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Maya D'Alessio >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Felvtalk mailing list >>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org >>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Felvtalk mailing list >> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org >> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org >> >> > > > -- > Maya D'Alessio > PhD student > B1 377B, x32320 > Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator > Biology GSA Vice Chair > GSA Director At-Large > University of Waterloo > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > >
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