Re: [Felvtalk] Losing weight
Nortina, There are many charities out there that can assist with vet bills. With the economy being what it is, donations have gone down, but they may be able to help you fund treatment to keep McFluffins comfortable. Here is a link I used when my Kong first became ill to see what was out there. I hope it helps you. http://www.itchmo.com/pets-medical-bills-piling-up-380 As someone else mentioned, Interferon is always worth a shot. My vet orders it from a place in Arizona called Road Runner Pharmacy, and they ship it directly to my house. For a 3 month supply (I'm giving my kitty 1ml a day for alternating weeks), it is around $38, including the shipping. FeLV is so expensive to fight, and even if you had thousands of dollars to spend, it never guarantees a positive outcome. McFluffins appreciates what you are doing for him and how much you care about him. --Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Brillo and Desmond Are Anemic
My Kong has nonregen anemia and the FeLV has spread to his bone marrow. He is 3, and was diagnosed about 6 months ago. When I first took him to the vet, his rbc count was 7%. He had two blood transfusions, which helped immensely. Depending upon what your finances are like, maybe you could check into a transfusion? After that, he was put on pred and interferon (to boost his immune system). Today his rbc counts are in the normal range for a healthy cat. Don't give up. I hate when vets act like this particular variety of FeLV is an automatic death sentence. You've gotten some great ideas from the other posters who have dealt with this as well. I hope you can find a vet who is willing to try different things to save your babies. Good luck, Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Epogen? Interfuron?
When Kong was first diagnosed his count was at 7 and he had two blood transfusions to get him back up to a healthy level. He has nonregenerative anemia. He's been on a gradually decreasing dosage of pred and a week on/week off schedule of 1ml of Interferon for the past 6 months. He gets his blood tested every month, and so far, his counts have been in the normal, healthy range. My vet is very young, and Kong is her first FeLV+ cat. She told me that Interferon could not hurt him, but might not help either. However, it seems to be doing something. Kong is going for a check up at a specialist this Friday, or what I like to call, "Dr. McSuperExpensive", and he will be able to tell me more than my vet about exactly what is helping and how it is working. I'll be sure to update and let everyone know what he says. --Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Casper is positive
My 3 year old Kong was diagnosed with FeLV and nonregenerative anemia 6 months ago. The vet told me he had about 3 weeks to live and sent him home with me to presumably die. Needless to say, he didn't die, and today seems as happy and healthy as he was before he was diagnosed! Don't give up--anemia isn't always a death sentence. Kong had 3 blood transfusions while he was hospitalized, and I know the red blood cell cycle of a cat is short, so I was worried that when the transfusions wore off he would be right back where he started, but so far he is holding his own. He has been taking Prednisolone for the entire 6 months, and we are close to weaning him off of it. I guess the real test will come when the pred is totally stopped. I wish you the best of luck with Casper. Kong literally came back from death's door (he couldn't walk, was hypothermic, had a heart murmur...if I hadn't gotten him to the vet when I did, he would've been dead within hours) and hopefully Casper will be as lucky as he was. --Ashley and Kong ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Hair Loss
I took my cat Gonzo to the vet a couple of days ago for a similar problem. He isn't FeLV+, but my other cat, Kong, is. I had noticed Kong's hair on his ears looks much thinner, but it hasn't spread and doesn't seem to be bothering him. Anyway, the vet didn't seem to know what was wrong with Gonzo, but said he did have ear mites which could lead to fur loss. He gave me Revolution, and I've treated both cats with no trouble. It's too early to tell if it will help, but the medication (it's the type you squirt between their shoulder blades), didn't seem to bother Kong at all. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon And Other Medicine Questions
I would be grateful for any more information you could provide as your cat's situation sounds so much like my little Kong's. Bless you for being willing to spend so much money on searching for treatment. It is people like you who are going to make a difference and help us all find new and successful treatments for our babies. --Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Interferon And Other Medicine Questions
Hi Crystal, I just started my cat on Interferon a few weeks ago. He is in the last stages of FeLV (it's in his bone marrow and he has non regenerative anemia), and I think I've seen some improvements in him. Nothing dramatic, but if it can help a cat that was given less than 3 weeks to live, it might very well help your kitten. My vet ordered mine from Road Runner pharmacy in Arizona. I think it was around $37 for what I *think* was 30ml (I can check tonight when I get home). The $37 included shipping (it was overnighted and packed in ice) and the pharmacy even threw in some cat toys, which I thought was very sweet. My program for Kong is 1ml per day for seven days, and then off seven days. So the bottle, while not exactly cheap, will last for a while. Good luck, Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Introduction
Hi, everyone, I have been actively reading this list for a month or so now, so I figured it was time I join. My cat, Kong, just turned 3 in October. I found him in a Wal-Mart parking lot when he was 12 weeks old. He was mostly feral, had been starved, most likely abused, and had a nasty case of lung worm. It was love at first sight. He had his initial kitten vaccinations, and was declared to be in good health once the lung worm cleared up. He has come such a long way in socialization--he is not a lap cat, and really doesn't even like to be petted for long periods of time, but I can tell he adores me in his special "Kong" way. He also has an incredibly intense bond with my 4 year old cat, Gonzo. I've never seen two unrelated cats take to each other they way they did. Around October 15, I noticed Kong wasn't acting like himself. I am a law student, and I am gone most of the day, so I kept an eye on him and told myself if he didn't perk up I'd take him to the vet (I was hoping he would perk up, because I am unemployed, live on a very limited student loan budget and live in an incredibly expensive area of Chicago--money is VERY tight). I noticed he wasn't eating or drinking much, and when I saw him wobble as he stood up, I knew he had to get to the vet right away. To make a long story shorter, he ended up at an Emergency treatment facility. He had many tests done, and 3 blood transfusions. He was diagnosed with FeLV, and non regenerative anemia. His ELISA was negative, but the IFV was positive. The emergency vet charged me over $5K and sent Kong home with me to die. A vet in my neighborhood is now treating him, and I have him on prednisolone and interferon. It's been over a month since his diagnosis, but he is hanging in there. He has a healthy appetite, and occasionally feels well enough to play with his favorite string. I call him my miracle cat, because according to every vet I've spoken to, he should be dead right now. He is my world, and I am going to continue to do every thing I possibly can for him. I've currently spent about $7K on his treatment, which is about the amount of loan money I will get for my spring semester starting in January (so I've got to find a paying job pronto, or I'm in big trouble) I'm terrified that he will require more transfusions or expensive treatments that I can't afford. So, that's Kong's story. I look forward to talking with you all and learning from your experience. --Ashley ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
