Cherie,
You're not a worry wort, there is cause to be concerned. What most of
the folks on this list have learned, is that it doesn't do any good.
This disease is such a nasty chameleon that you just never know what's
going to happen. What I've decided to do is to make life as pleasant
and stress free as possible for all my animals, do whatever I can to
help insure their health, and pray. Being on this list has shown me
that sometimes no matter what you do, tragedy still strikes. I have
opted to make our day to day (cherish the moment) existence as
harmonious as possible, that means everybody has access to everywhere
and everybody else. Have I stopped worrying? NO! But, I do try.
Thank you for the visual of the cats waiting on queue for the
litterbox. After the sad, sad news about Leeloo, our concern over
Levi, and the roller coaster ride of our sweet Simon, I needed cause
for a smile. This list has been invaluable to me as a source of
camaraderie and information, but sometimes I feel like I just can't
take the heartache anymore.
I can't help thinking that we're close to finding an answer, at least a
partial answer. It's on the fringe of my awareness, but it makes sense
to me, that if a cat is still within the first stages of the disease,
(tests positive on the ELSA, but negative on the IFA?), and we hit them
with a proven immune booster like feline interferon, that there is a
much better chance that they will clear the virus. The day is coming
that when a cat tests positive, there will be a reliable protocol for
fighting this bastard and winning. I just know it.
Sorry this turned into a rant. I'm feeling very low right now, and
very angry at the same time. Does anyone have any of the appetite
stimulant Valium to share?
Nina
Cherie A Gabbert wrote:
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 favorite 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.
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 genetic 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 07:39:2!
6 -0800 (PST)
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>
>Thank you for posting the article, but now that verifys my concern
about
>shared dishes 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
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