Re: article about feline leukemia by Dr. Susan Little

[Cherie A Gabbert]

I agree, this illness is just about the worse thing I have seen, to have witnessed a death caused by this first hand, as I am sure most of us on this list have, I am speechless at how horrid this disease is and all I can say is that at least there are some people out there like all of you, that take as many as you can and love them with all your hearts until they move on.

 

You guys are wonderful people ;-))

Cherie

Faye Lewis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

This is a worrisome illness. It just is the worst thing I have ever
encountered. I hate it. I just hate it. It is impossible to tell how your
cat caught it. He could have gotten from the dishes or litter boxes but he
may have been bitten without you knowing it too. Cat bites are difficult to
find on a cat body unless they are infected. Most cats have a squabble or
two. The only reason I know Tigger did not bite the kittens because he was
never left unattended with them.

>From: Cherie A Gabbert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: felvtalk@vlists.net
>To: felvtalk@vlists.net
>Subject: Re: article about feline leukemia by Dr. Susan Little
>Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 11:02:37 -0800 (PST)
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>I know noone said, saliva or urine, my vet actually told me prolonged nose
>to nose contact and a bite from the infected cat, but then I ask myself how
>did Snowball get it and past so violently. I just want to make sure I know
>all I can about this, just incase one of my others comes up
>positive.....They share water and food but, usually one will eat and then a
>little while later another will come along to nibble, there is time
>inbetween the two eating out of the same dish.
>As for the kitty litter box, well I have three boxes and they all get used,
>sometimes they almost form a line at the f! avorite one, like the womens
>restroom, so urine would be a concern. I just am a worry wart if I do not
>have something to worry about with my babies, I think something is wrong
>with me.
>
>Cherie
>
>Faye Lewis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>The virus is fragile and has a short life outside the body. However, fresh
>urine and fresh saliva would be a risk. However, it seems, based on a some
>people's experience that blood exchange is the most efficient means of
>transmitting the disease as in bites or being born to an FeLV mother. That
>does not mean that saliva, etc cannot pass the disease-- just that it
>"seems" to be harder to transmit this way. My two kittens were excessively
>groomed by my positive cat, shared food, water and litter boxes and thus
>far
>(24 months) have not been positive and they have each had 9 tests. Now, to
>complicate matters there seems to be some genet! ic protection for some cats.
>In other words, some cats are genetically prevented from getting the
>disease
>at all (small percentage) BUT we have no way of knowing if our cats are
>genetically protected. My kittens may not have gotten the disease because
>a)they are genetically protected or b)the virus was too wimpy to infect or
>c)they did not lick themselves immediately after the positive cat licked
>them nor ate while the virus was still alive or d) some unknown fact or
>just
>plain luck or 3)they may yet still go positive.
>
>No one has said that the disease cannot be passed with saliva, urine,
>litter
>boxes etc. Some of us think that isn't the most likely means of
>transmission and we could very well be wrong but are willing to risk it by
>not segregating our negative and positive cats. This is not an easy
>decision and the answers are not black and white because there is ! a lot we
>still do not know about the disease.
>
>
> >From: Cherie A Gabbert
> >Reply-To: felvtalk@vlists.net
> >To: felvtalk@vlists.net
> >Subject: Re: article about feline leukemia by Dr. Susan Little
> >Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 07:39:26 -0800 (PST)
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> >
> >Thank you for posting the article, but now that verifys my concern about
> >shared dish! es and litter boxes. I have been told different things, one is
> >the virus can not live outside the body for a long period of time (15
> >minutes) and weakens as time passes, and I am also told, in this article
> >too that shared dished and grooming can is the most common way of
> >transmission. I am confused, can anyone help me muddle through the facts.
> >Cherie
> >
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> >Lisa and all who are interested,
> > I wrote to Dr. Susan about the possibility of her writing an article
> >for us and/or the website about feline leukemia and I got this response
> >today:
> >
> >Hi Anne:
> >
> >I wrote an article some time ago with basic information about FeLV:
> >http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/health/FeLV.html
> >
> >But I just don't have time to update it or write anything more indepth
>due
> ! >to my travel and lecture commitments right now.
> >
> >You are certainly welcome to continue to forward questions from the list
> >and I will do my best to answer them.
> >
> >Dr. Susan
> >Chapter Author, A Home Veterinary Guide, in:
> >The CFA Complete Cat Book
> >http://www.cfainc.org/catalog/books.html#completecatbook
> >
> >Feline Reproduction Manual:
> >http://catvet.homestead.com/ReproCD.html
> >
> >__^^__^^__^^__^^__^^__^^
> >Susan Little, DVM
> >Diplomate ABVP (Feline)
> >Bytown Cat Hospital
> >Ottawa, Canada
> >http://catvet.homestead.com
> >__^^__^^__^^__^^__^^__^^
> >
> >Anne and Jimi Too Cool, Simms, Sophie and other furry friends in MI
>
>
>