Dear Kerry: Considering Levi's tenuous condition, I'd be VERY upset that the vet didn't call him/herself and give me the straight scoop and a throrough explanation of what you may be able to do to help him, if anything.
What was his hematocrit (HCT)? Anything 9 and below is considered nonregenerative and he's a candidate for a transfusion. The transfusions seemed to have helped Simon in fighting off his cancer, but he has liver cancer and not leukemia, a cancer which destroys the bone marrow. Depending on what is causing Levi's anemia, Epogen might help him regenerate red blood cells, but if the anemia is caused from his bone marrow's inability to genarate sufficient red blood cells to sustain him, it is not likely to help. As the hematocrit drops, the blood loses its ability to carry oxygen and various cells in the body and its organs "suffocate." If the anemia is from a blood parasite like hemobartonella, epogen could possibly help. Of course the nasty little bug also has to be wiped out. There are other causes for anemia as well, but with an FeLV+ cat, bone marrow destruction is, sadly, the likliest. If that proves to be the case with Levi, there really isn't much that can affect the eventual outcome. You need to find out from the vet if they have been able to determine what is causing Levi's anemia and whether or not it is considered "nonregenerative." If his anemia is not that severe there is still some cause for hope. With regards to his being "toxic" that would mean that his kidneys are not functioning properly and toxins are not being adequately filtered out. This is what happens to cats in renal failure and giving subQ fluids can help flush the toxins out of the bloodstream and keep them going until the kidneys fail completely. If Levi is "toxic" already, I would not give him any more drugs that aren't absolutely necessary as that will just be more of a burden for his kidneys. The FeLV virus in its more virulent forms attacks various organ systems of the body. My Purrisa's kidneys were most affected and that is actually what probably brought her life to an end, along with the nonregenerative anemia. There is a listmember of Holisticat.com who is very knowledgeable in interpreting blood panel results...don't think she is a vet but possibly a vet tech. Maybe if you contact her she can shed some light on Levi's lab work since the vet didn't give you any feedback. Her e-address is [EMAIL PROTECTED] and I think her name is Rosemary but I'm not positive. I hope she won't mind that I have referred you, but she was always very helpful in giving feedback to other members of the Holisticat list. We all belong to the same cat-loving sisterhood, right? Unfortunately, your Levi's symptoms remind me of those which my dear little Purrsia displayed. Her first symptom was a watery eye, depressed appetite and sleeping more than usual. After only 3 days, flecks of blood appeared in the eye and the other one started watering as well. My vet said the blood in the eye was more characteristic of cats with FIP than FeLV, but it is because the tiny vessels in the eye are easily damaged by excess toxins in the bloodstream. Purrsia's HCT was only 9 and her anemia was nonregenerative. I tried giving her interferon (the human kind) along with l-Lysine and CoQ10 but it had no effect. In desperation I took her for accupuncture (it can sometimes stimulate appetite and there's also a point for stimulating the bone marrow). It did make Purrsia feel a lot better and she ate a bit more for a few days, but was then fading again. By then (in just a week) she had lost a considerable amount of weight and was beginning to appear "wasted." A second accupuncture treatment only made her feel better for about 24 hours and her appetite did not improve. Upon palpation her kidneys were greatly enlarged and her liver was tender. She refused to eat and strongly resisted being syringe-fed. She told the AC she felt nauseous and asked me not to feed her. I understand now that her GI tract was trying to shut down and I was assaulting it by forcing food down her. She had told me she was ready to leave her body the first week but I'd asked her to give me some time to try and find a way to help her. She knew better than I did...I put her through another week of treatment to no avail. You might want to talk to Levi with the help of an AC to see what he can tell you about his condition and whether or not he thinks he can get well and is willing to keep trying. Unless the anemia can be attributed to some other cause, what it tells you is that the virus has mutated in Levi's body to the C subgroup, and you may be able to buy him some more time with a transfusion, but unless he can still produce red blood cells, his condition is terminal. Sometimes Epogen and injectable steroids can make a nonregenerative kitty feel better for a while longer, but, again, it is not a cure. I am hoping with all my heart that this is NOT the case, that Levi's HCT is not 9 or below and that his bone marrow is still making red blood cells. Let there please be some other cause for his anemia that will be treatable. I'm sending all the positive energy I can muster your way. I hope it will not be Levi's fate to join his brother, Caramel. But if it is, know that you have given meaning to his short life and surrounded him with love and he will have many loving souls waiting to welcome him on the other side. You've given all those kittens a chance at life they never would have had otherwise. Nature is unfair and cruel sometimes and I pray that one day there will be a cure for this awful disease and we can all pig out on cheesecake. If not a complete cure, at least a way to determine what we can do to keep the virus from mutating to one of its virulent forms and to learn why it so afflicts some cats and not others. Thinking positive thoughts for you and Levi... Sally in San Jose
