Re: [Felvtalk] My Little Ruthie

[Maya D'Alessio]

I am so so sorry Christine. This virus is a scourge, and it has robbed you
of a beautiful soul. I just lost Merlot three days ago, so I understand
your pain, and can say that it will lessen with time.

On Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 11:56 AM, Christine Dundas <
christinedun...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Crossed over the bridge this morning.  She was the sweetest cat.  She had
> a short life, 16 months.  But it was a good life and she knew she was
> loved.  I hate this awful virus.
>
> Christine
>
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>
>


-- 
Maya D'Alessio
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B1 377B, x32320
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Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

Merlot left us yesterday morning. Thank you to everyone for your support
over the month, it has been incredible.
On Nov 17, 2015 12:48 AM,  wrote:

> They sense our love and concern.  I often bring a sick furbaby on my bed
> and stay awake all night because I am afraid they will get worse and I will
> not know in time to do something for them.  People think I am nuts, but I
> cannot not be concerned.
>
>  Ardy Robertson  wrote:
> > I think when you really love your cat, you are inclined to observe every
> > little thing and try to understand how they are feeling based on their
> > actions/behavior. That gives you the insight into knowing what works and
> > what does not. They may have the book training, but nothing replaces
> loving
> > and observing.. and of course the love is returned. Our Tigger, when
> he
> > was at his sickest and we thought he would not make it through the night,
> > dragged himself into our bedroom during the night and could not get up on
> > the bed by any means, but laid on the floor on my hubby's side where he
> felt
> > safer being near his "mommy and daddy". (call me Cookoo)
> >
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of
> > Lorrie
> > Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2015 9:02 AM
> > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
> >
> > You got that right! I can tell they hate it that I am so knowledable
> about
> > cats, as it shows them up. Experience is the greatest teacher.
> >
> > Lorrie
> >
> >
> > On 11-14, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
> >
> > > Vets and doctors soon learn it is useless to argue with us.
> > > Sometimes our experience is better than their training.
> > >
> >
> > ___
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> > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
> >
> >
> > ___
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> > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

Merlot has taken a turn for the worse. He's having trouble breathing, a bit
dehydrated, not interested in food, and the vet thought she felt a lump in
his abdomen. We might have to make a hard choice tomorrow. I want to give
him the night to see if he improves at all.

On Sun, Nov 15, 2015 at 3:11 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>
> I always feel lucky that I have a Vet who will listen to me. I figure that
> when I go in, I have had the time to really evaluate the pet, know pretty
> well what's going on, and have had the opportunity to research the
> possibilities for that one critter. I'm not dealing with multiple species
> and patients. I can focus. I like it when she also has input, and I think
> that together, we are better than either of us alone. Since the lymph node
> incident, we have found a way to get where we want to go in the best way
> possible. Recently my Vet found an off-label use for a new flea/tick med
> that saved my new dog from daily doses of a pretty toxic drug. I didn't
> know about it. And I am now trying to introduce her to Zeutering, which is
> a form of chemical castration that I am considering.
>
> Of course, there are times...:)
>
> Margo
>
> -Original Message-
> >From: Lorrie <felineres...@frontier.com>
> >Sent: Nov 15, 2015 10:01 AM
> >To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> >Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
> >
> >You got that right! I can tell they hate it that I am so knowledable
> >about cats, as it shows them up. Experience is the greatest teacher.
> >
> >Lorrie
> >
> >
> >On 11-14, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:
> >
> >> Vets and doctors soon learn it is useless to argue with us.
> >> Sometimes our experience is better than their training.
> >>
> >
> >___
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> >http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

Yeah, the vet agreed, also mentioned it could be cancer.

His temperature is good, and his WBC count has rebounded a bit, but hes RBC
count has gone slightly anemic now. He's still acting relatively normal,
more drowsy than when he was healthy, and less of an appetite, but he is
still eating on his own. It's so hard to watch, I'm just desperately hoping
his body fights back, but either way we will keep him comfortable and happy
as long as possible.

On Sat, Nov 14, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Not a good sign at all. Again, consistent with active FeLV.
>
> Amani
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of
> dlg...@windstream.net
> Sent: November-11-15 8:08 PM
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
>
> If they are really large, I would have them checked just for my own peace
> of mind
>
>  Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > Merlot has had an okay week and a half. He's eating on his own, not
> > normal appetite, but at least we aren't force feeding. He's happy and
> > comfortable, so I'm just so relieved. I noticed last night that his
> > lymph nodes in his neck are huge. Should I be worried, or is this a good
> sign?
>
>
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>
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>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

Crazy Margo, I'm glad he is still around :)

Interestingly, only Merlot's mandibular lymph nodes are swollen, to the
size of a walnut maybe, all the other ones are normal size.

On Sat, Nov 14, 2015 at 4:33 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>
>
> But it is not the only possibility. My Pixel (also known as Mr. Pins) is
> not +, at least not by Elisa. But two years or so ago, he had HUGE lymph
> nodes. The ones on the back of his legs were almost ping pong ball size.
> EVERY one was grossly enlarged, even internally. So much so that he could
> not poop. I took him in to find out what could be done to make him
> comfortable for his remaining days. This was a new Vet. She really wasn't
> sure it was a good idea, but gave him an enema, prescribe a course of pred,
> and an antibiotic probably because the staff had told her it would be
> simpler just to do what I wanted and send me on my way. I still don't know
> what caused it.
>
> He now has a chronic cough and congestion, but almost three years later,
> is still with us.
>
> Margo
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maya D'Alessio
> Sent: Nov 14, 2015 2:51 PM
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
>
> Yeah, the vet agreed, also mentioned it could be cancer.
>
> His temperature is good, and his WBC count has rebounded a bit, but hes
> RBC count has gone slightly anemic now. He's still acting relatively
> normal, more drowsy than when he was healthy, and less of an appetite, but
> he is still eating on his own. It's so hard to watch, I'm just desperately
> hoping his body fights back, but either way we will keep him comfortable
> and happy as long as possible.
>
> On Sat, Nov 14, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Not a good sign at all. Again, consistent with active FeLV.
>>
>> Amani
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of
>> dlg...@windstream.net
>> Sent: November-11-15 8:08 PM
>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
>>
>> If they are really large, I would have them checked just for my own peace
>> of mind
>>
>>  Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > Merlot has had an okay week and a half. He's eating on his own, not
>> > normal appetite, but at least we aren't force feeding. He's happy and
>> > comfortable, so I'm just so relieved. I noticed last night that his
>> > lymph nodes in his neck are huge. Should I be worried, or is this a
>> good sign?
>>
>>
>> ___
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>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>
>> ___
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>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Maya D'Alessio
> PhD student
> B1 377B, x32320
> Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
> Biology GSA Vice Chair
> GSA Director At-Large
> University of Waterloo
>
>
> ___
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>
>


-- 
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PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

No, the vets have been adamant that Prednisolone is better. His WBC did
react to it (and increase), which is good - well more likely, he was
regenerating WBC on his own and the prednisolone slowed down the rate his
body was killing them. I am still interested in pursuing it, but I don't
know at this point how he's doing really. They gave him a 5 mg dose of
prednisolone (1mg/kg dose) which I had him on once a day for about 10 days,
now he gets it once every other day.


He's about 75% of his normal self, but it's so hard to tell if one day is
better or worse than the last. He is on an antibiotic, so I'm surprised if
he's got another infection going on.  His lymph nodes are rock hard, and he
doesn't mind them being massaged/rubbed, which the vet said made him think
it wasn't an infection. He seems very drowsy today, and less in to
cuddles/purring, so I suspect he's feeling pretty off today, likely
fighting whatever is going on. We just love him so much :(

On Sat, Nov 14, 2015 at 8:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Maya, I don’t think it is cancer. My guess would be that he is reacting to
> some infection. As others have said, it isn’t necessarily FeLV – it could
> be another infectious agent, but it is consistent with what you often see
> with FeLV.
>
>
>
> Did you ever get him on the Winstrol?
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* November-14-15 2:51 PM
>
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
>
>
>
> Yeah, the vet agreed, also mentioned it could be cancer.
>
>
>
> His temperature is good, and his WBC count has rebounded a bit, but hes
> RBC count has gone slightly anemic now. He's still acting relatively
> normal, more drowsy than when he was healthy, and less of an appetite, but
> he is still eating on his own. It's so hard to watch, I'm just desperately
> hoping his body fights back, but either way we will keep him comfortable
> and happy as long as possible.
>
>
>
> On Sat, Nov 14, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
> Not a good sign at all. Again, consistent with active FeLV.
>
> Amani
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of
> dlg...@windstream.net
> Sent: November-11-15 8:08 PM
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Lymph nodes
>
> If they are really large, I would have them checked just for my own peace
> of mind
>
>  Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > Merlot has had an okay week and a half. He's eating on his own, not
> > normal appetite, but at least we aren't force feeding. He's happy and
> > comfortable, so I'm just so relieved. I noticed last night that his
> > lymph nodes in his neck are huge. Should I be worried, or is this a good
> sign?
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
> ___
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> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Maya D'Alessio
>
> PhD student
>
> B1 377B, x32320
>
> Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
>
> Biology GSA Vice Chair
>
> GSA Director At-Large
>
> University of Waterloo
>
> ___
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> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>


-- 
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PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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[Felvtalk] Lymph nodes

[Maya D'Alessio]

Hello,

Merlot has had an okay week and a half. He's eating on his own, not normal
appetite, but at least we aren't force feeding. He's happy and comfortable,
so I'm just so relieved. I noticed last night that his lymph nodes in his
neck are huge. Should I be worried, or is this a good sign?
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[Felvtalk] Update on Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

So it has almost been 2 weeks since his scary crisis, we went in today to
get another CBC to check on how things are doing. He's been off doxy since
Wednesday morning, off Prednisolone since last Wednesday and the Cerenia
stopped on Wednesday night.

His WBC counts remain very low with no significant improvement, there is a
tiny amount of improvement in some of the numbers. His RBC count remains
normal (yay), but his temperature is a high-normal again.

They've sent us home with an oral antibiotic and oral prednisolone for the
next 10 days or so. I hope he continues to do okay. We just let him out of
isolation, and he seems happy to be out, but it's going to be harder to
monitor his eating now. We will have to see how things go I suppose.

-- 
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PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Bella

[Maya D'Alessio]

I'm so sorry Simon. She lived a good life, and that's all because of you.

On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 6:09 PM, <dlg...@windstream.net> wrote:

> sHE HAD LOVE FOR THOSE YEARS WITH YOU.  PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.
>
>  simon95 <simo...@onvol.net> wrote:
> >
> My sweet little girl crossed over yesturday.she was 4 years old. So sad
>
> Sent from Samsung Mobile
>
>
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-- 
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B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

I would be careful about using erythropoeitin or darbepoeitin, both have
been shown to eventually (but not in every case) cause the cat's own immune
system to recognize the drug and destroy it, which would be less of a
problem if that was it, but unfortunately it also starts to recognize the
cats own natural erythropoeitin and destroy it as well. This ends
catastrophically badly, as without erythropoeitin, very little blood cell
production is able to happen in the body. It seems to take some time for
this reaction to happen, but I was just reading up on it for my guy
(Merlot), and from what I read I would be very hesitant to use it. I would
try Winstrol or something else first, before I tried the erythropoeitin.

On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 7:47 PM, Marsha <mar...@lynxe.com> wrote:

> Amani, was one of the other medications darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp)?  I
> just heard about that today when I called my local vet to see if he has
> ever used Winstrol.  He hasn't used it for ages, but suggested that if
> anemia was the only issue, darbepoetin might be a possibility.  This would
> be for my cat Peaches, who has multiple myeloma and is FeLV negative.  The
> MM impacted her kidneys.  She  started chemo in August (cyclophosphamide),
> and is slowly improving appetite-wise, but she lost a lot of weight.  I
> think at her checkup next week, we will see a full remission, or close to
> it.  But her kidneys may have been impacted for the long term.  I am
> looking into Winstrol to help her bulk up (she had a bit of muscle
> wasting), improve appetite, and to help with her anemia.  She will be
> getting an iron injection for sure.
>
> Marsha
>
> On 10/20/2015 7:30 PM, Amani Oakley wrote:
>
> I feel for you Maya. If there are issues with anemia, then none of the
> other medications he has Merlin on, will touch the anemia, other than the
> Winstrol. Tell him you will sign a form if he wants you to do that,
> indicating that you take full responsibility for treating with Winstrol,
> but you want him to get it for you. Period. I just wouldn’t put up with
> that kind of thing, but of course, in the middle of a crisis is no time to
> be looking for a new vet (unless you want to travel to Toronto).
>
>
>
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>


-- 
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PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Feline vaccines was/: Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

t; > Amani
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > From: Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf
>> Of Ardy Robertson
>> > Sent: October-20-15 10:13 PM
>> > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org <mailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
>> > Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Hello – can I chime in here a bit? My cat Tigger is on Interferon (7
>> days on then 7 days off and repeat) for FeLV. I think it might be helping
>> but his appetite is poor and I have to syringe feed him. Surprisingly a
>> very large syringe seems to work better than the small ones. I go slow to
>> make sure I don’t choke him and he might aspirate food into his lungs. For
>> his comfort (and mind) I fold a heavy bath towel in half and put it around
>> him the same way they do to us when we get our hair cut…then I clip it in
>> back with a large office binder-clip. He doesn’t feel like I am restraining
>> him and has actually gotten used to it, so less stress which is important
>> for FeLV+ cats. Also I do feed the critical care food thinned out a bit but
>> when he got constipated, my vet had me give him a couple tablespoons of
>> pure pumpkin (no spices) and it worked wonderfully. I know he needs
>> calories of good quality, but I think he also needs some carbs and bulk in
>> order to keep regular, so I mix some baby food chicken (the #1 kind for
>> little babies) and some rice baby cereal with some water. He does not seem
>> to mind it. I also give him some water. He has since started eating fairly
>> well, but still not drinking as much as he should. He is also on the
>> appetite stimulant you mentioned.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > I had not heard about Winstrol before. The vets in my area have always
>> euthanized cats at the first mention of FeLV so treating Tigger is a big of
>> a learning experience for both of the offices that I take him to. I believe
>> taking him to both clinics is sort of giving him a second opinion and they
>> are both telling me they are learning about treating FeLV from him. Thank
>> you very much for allowing me to be a part of this group and learn.
>> >
>> > Ardy Robertson
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
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>


-- 
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B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Coco update

[Maya D'Alessio]

Good luck Kelley! Let me know how your vet reacts about the Winstrol.

On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 3:51 AM, <dlg...@windstream.net> wrote:

> tHAT IS WHAT MY VET SAID WHEN i GOT ANNIE.  THE OTHERS ARE SAFE IF THEY
> ARE VACCINATED.
>
>  Kelley S <moonv...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Well, I am happy to say she is eating like a champ.  She ate one serviing
> > of Prowl today, plus a can of food, plus some dry food - I don't really
> > like her eating dry but it will put weight on her.
> >
> > Best of all, my vet say he has no problems letting her in with the rest
> of
> > my vaccinated cats. I have 2 more vaccinations to go, one is tomorrow and
> > the other one is next Friday.  He even said when he brought the FELV+
> > kittens to his house, he made sure his other cats were vaccinated first
> and
> > then let them in with the others.
> >
> > I'm going to try my best to ask again about Winstrol tomorrow.
> >
> > Kelley
>
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
___
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Re: [Felvtalk] Coco update

[Maya D'Alessio]

My vet seemed to really be influenced by the one study citing potential
liver issues. I get it, it could cause liver issues, but in most cats it
went away after coming off the drug, and if a cat is literally dying, then
potential liver side effects are much less of a concern. To me it seemed
like the vets don't want to use drugs that have side effects they are
concerned about...but then they wanted to use AZT which is associated with
non-regenerative anemia! I have a two vet practice that I go to, the one
vet is very understanding and has been doing lots of research in to what
I've been sending (she was quite interested in the LTCI), but the other vet
is not really interested in hearing me out

On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 8:13 PM, Maya D'Alessio <mrdal...@uwaterloo.ca>
wrote:

> My vet seemed to really be influenced by the one study citing potential
> liver issues. I get it, it could cause liver issues, but in most cats it
> went away after coming off the drug, and if a cat is literally dying, then
> potential liver side effects are much less of a concern. To me it seemed
> like the vets don't want to use drugs that have side effects they are
> concerned about...but then they wanted to use AZT which is associated with
> non-regenerative anemia! I have a two vet practice that I go to, the one
> vet is very understanding and has been doing lots of research in to what
> I've been sending (she was quite interested in the LTCI), but the other vet
> is not really interested in hearing me out
>
> On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 8:04 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Ardy – good for you!
>>
>>
>>
>> Frankly, though, with the Winstrol, no matter what they come back and
>> tell you, I would insist. None of them will have to deal with a bad outcome
>> if that happens with Tigger, and you don’t want to be left with “what-ifs”.
>> That has been my attitude since all this happened to me as well. This is MY
>> cat and I hold MY cat’s life in my hands and I am not too interested in
>> whatever weird perspectives they may have on what is politically okay or
>> not okay about Winstrol (and seriously – I think it IS all about athletic
>> doping scandals).
>>
>>
>>
>> I am very proud of you Ardy. Let us know how things go for you.
>>
>>
>>
>> Amani
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
>> Of *Ardy Robertson
>> *Sent:* October-23-15 7:57 PM
>>
>> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Coco update
>>
>>
>>
>> I called both of my vet offices today. One was too busy to talk but they
>> said they would call me back tomorrow morning. The other one talked to me
>> and I was quite firm (proud of myself) telling him I would like the 4 vets
>> in the office to either speak with me in a group, or talk amongst
>> themselves and then I would come in and talk about my Tigger’s future
>> treatment. I talked about Winstrol to him, and he promised to check with
>> the veterinary specialists and see what they have to say about it. I told
>> him I wanted to know about Tigger’s bloodwork (he has had blood tests, but
>> no one has given me any results so I am really in the dark). I told him I
>> want to be pro-active and not lose valuable time to treat things that pop
>> up. He made a lot of promises to me, and I sincerely hope he follows
>> through. I tried to impress upon him how important our little furball is to
>> us, and that he deserves to have everything possible done for him. I told
>> him I am willing to do the supportive care longterm or whatever is
>> necessary, but did not want to do the unnecessary things. My goal is to
>> change their minds about instantly writing off kitties who happen to be
>> unfortunate enough to have this virus. I am so happy I found your group
>> because I see that everyone who has posted seems to be of the same opinion.
>>
>> Ardy Robertson
>>
>> Osseo, WI
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org
>> <felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org>] *On Behalf Of *Maya D'Alessio
>> *Sent:* Friday, October 23, 2015 7:08 AM
>> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Coco update
>>
>>
>>
>> Good luck Kelley! Let me know how your vet reacts about the Winstrol.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 23, 2015 at 3:51 AM, <dlg...@windstream.net> wrote:
>>
>> tHAT IS WHAT MY VET SAID WHEN i GOT ANNIE.  THE OTHERS ARE SAFE IF THEY
>> ARE VACCINATED.
>>
>>
>>  Kelley S <

Re: [Felvtalk] FW: Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

He ate 1/4 cup of dry food on his own over night! I am so happy. I'll still
be supplementing with force feeding, but such an improvement.

Amani, my vet called yours yesterday and is just waiting to hear back. I am
not interested in starting azt unless merlot gets worse, I share the same
concerns about how harsh it is on the cat, and the literature didn't
conclusively show improvement.

I want to hold of on another blood check until Sunday. As long as he is
visibly improving, I'm not as worried, and I want to give his body time to
regenerate all those white blood cells.

Thank you to everyone for the support. We aren't out of the woods yet, but
merlot is not giving up!
On Oct 22, 2015 12:02 AM, "Amani Oakley"  wrote:

> Arty, again, this is an email I tried to post early this morning, but for
> some reason it didn’t go through to the Listserve, so I am reposting:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Amani Oakley
> *Sent:* October-21-15 11:51 AM
> *To:* 'felvtalk@felineleukemia.org'
> *Subject:* RE: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
>
>
> Arty, the Winstrol is an anabolic steroid so it really just works by
> bulking up the body, repairing damaged tissue, and also has a strong
> ability to treat serious anemia by working directly on the red blood cell
> producing cells in the bone marrow and erythropoietin production in the
> kidneys. Erythropoietin is the substance that the body produces that tells
> it to make more red cells.
>
>
>
> It is NOT the same kind of steroid as prednisolone, etc., so it can be
> used with other types of steroids, with pain meds and with antibiotics,
> etc., without interfering with their activity.
>
>
>
> My frustration comes from the fact that this drug was basically pulled
> because it is associated with doping scandals in professional athletes
> (they use it to become stronger and faster and to heal and recover from
> workouts faster), so it became a drug whose name you can’t mention and is
> tough to get sometimes. Also, there was a scientific study suggesting liver
> damage with its use, but the rest of the scientific literature just doesn’t
> seem to have borne this out and it certainly isn’t my experience. So here
> we have this relatively inexpensive, fairly effective option, with little
> downside risk, and quick effects usually, and the vets would rather tell us
> there is no hope and to euthanize our cats, than suggest this medication.
>
>
>
> I just don’t get it, and I have some very good friends who are high up in
> the echelons of the vet community, so believe me when I tell you that I
> have had this discussion on many occasions!
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org
> ] *On Behalf Of *Ardy Robertson
> *Sent:* October-20-15 11:10 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
>
>
> Thank you so much Amani – it really sounds like you have done your
> homework!! And that’s just it – this happened so fast and took us so
> off-guard that I didn’t have any knowledge of what to do. We took him in on
> a Sunday night, and after putting some “puzzle pieces” together, I think he
> was getting sick for a while and I just did not pick up on it. We had been
> gone for a couple days, then we had company at our house so he was kind of
> out of sight and I figured he just didn’t like the people, when actually he
> usually loves people. He had felt hot a couple of times, but both times he
> was lying on a window sill with the sun shining directly on him. Our
> regular vet was out so a different animal hospital was filling in. They
> gave him fluids and antibiotics as well as pain liquid and sent us home. No
> blood test.
>
>
>
> The next day our regular vet did xrays and found an enlarged lymph node
> somewhere near his tummy I think, so that’s why they did the blood work and
> found the FeLV. They were also the ones that did the FeLV test 5 years
> prior when we found him as a kitten. They changed to an antibiotic 10-day
> shot for what they thought was a bite from another cat that we had taken in
> (who tests negative). That cat was a very aggressive player and really made
> Tigger nervous and stressed out so we don’t have her anymore.
>
>
>
> I am going to read about Winstrol and also talk to both of our vet offices
> about it. The reason I am using two vet offices is because our regular one
> is 35 miles away and Tigger has needed to go in sometimes 5 times a week so
> we started taking him to one in our city that Tigger didn’t like very much
> but now they have different vets and they seem nicer to him. They have all
> apologized that they really don’t know much about treating FeLV+ cats and
> also don’t know much about any of the medicines used. (I would think they
> would want to read up on it now that they have a patient needing
> treatment.) At any rate, I think if Tigger can make progress, not only will
> we be thrilled, but it 

Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

I got the vibe from the vet last night that we were going down hill, and I
had lost a lot of hope. I woke up to a much improved cat though! His
temperature is stable (still slightly high), he hasn't lost any weight, and
his purr is back to normal. He is definitely feeling better, but that
doesn't mean we are out of the woods. We just did a complete blood work;
liver function and all that stuff looks good (exception of high bilirubin,
but the vet wasn't concerned). He's peeing, and he even did a poop!
Unfortunately his WBC, neutrophils and lymphocytes are all very low.
Thankfully his RBC remains normal which is positive.

The vet is recommending doing AZT, this is a different vet than yesterday
and she seems more open to talknig about things. She seemed open to calling
Amani's vet to chat about Winstrol.

I'm still force feeding, and they want to stop the prednisolone to let his
WBC regenerate I think. I'm a bit nervous about stopping it. We are staying
on the doxy, with cevenia and mirtazipine.

Again, right now we mostly need to wait and re-check blood work in 48 hours.

On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 7:11 AM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>
>
> Hi Maya,
>
>  Any improvement is good news ! How bad is the anemia? What is
> his PCV/HCT? Is it regenerative or non-regenerative? There are medications
> that can help with that, which your Vet may be comfortable using. This
> discusses the use of erythropoietin in cats with kidney failure, but anemia
> is anemia.
>
> http://www.felinecrf.org/esas.htm
>
> There's also a great yahoo list. I don't know how active it is anymore,
> but the files might help;
>
> https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Feline_Anemia/info
>
> I know it's frustrating not to be able to treat the FeLV itself, but we
> CAN manage/treat the symptoms.
>
> Best to Merlot, and you,
>
> Margo
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maya D'Alessio
> Sent: Oct 20, 2015 8:12 PM
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
> Good news; his temperature is down to a "high normal", bad news; he has an
> anemia murmur. The vet was not hearing me about Winstrol and he seemed in a
> bad mood. I'm hanging on to the decreased fever as a sign of good things.
> We will re-do blood work tomorrow and re-asses in the morning.
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 6:28 PM, Lance <lini...@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>> My FeLV+ girl Ember got five-on five-off interferon. I can’t remember if
>> it was 1ml or .5ml, but it wasn’t a large dose.
>>
>> I seem to remember a vet at a specialized clinic telling me that we
>> didn’t have to stagger it, but my “country vet” had prescribed it that way,
>> and we stuck to it.
>>
>> AZT can cause serious blood abnormalities in cats. I don’t think it’s
>> often used in treating FeLV because of that.
>>
>> Lance
>>
>> On Oct 20, 2015, at 3:49 PM, Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> You've been plenty helpful, thank you. What I need to figure out how to
>> do, is accept the situation and be less emotional about it, no matter which
>> way it goes, until the time comes. Right now I'm just so emotional, I keep
>> flip-flopping between optimistic and hopeless.
>>
>> Do you know with the interferon, what dose they are on? When you first
>> started did you start immediately with the one week on, one week off, or
>> was there a more intense initial period?
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 4:45 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I remember researching AZT an deciding against it, but I don't recall
>>> why.  My two boys have been on interferon for years (low dose one week on,
>>> one week off) and I've never seen any adverse effects, but when they're
>>> sick, they seem to perk up during the "on" weeks. The anti-nausea was
>>> likely Cerenia, which is being recognized for it's anti-inflammatory
>>> properties, as well.
>>>
>>> He's improving. No need for any major decisions. That's really not a lot
>>> of drugs, all things considered :) It was two weeks until Gribs was eating
>>> normally, and seemed as if he might live. There really is no formula for
>>> mosr people. I always read "you'll know", but I'm not sure that's true.
>>> Sorry I can't be more help with that.
>>>
>>> Margo
>>>
>>>
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: Maya D'Alessio
>>> Sent: Oct 20, 2015 1:56 PM
>>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>>>
>>>

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update

[Maya D'Alessio]

Does the winstrol work on the fever though?
On Oct 20, 2015 3:21 AM, "Amani Oakley" <aoak...@oakleylegal.com> wrote:

> Maya
>
>
>
> No matter what the outcome is of the temperature, I would suggest you
> start him on the Winstrol anyway. This is an omen of things to come. The
> virus is in there and causing a problem. It is unlikely to go away on its
> own. Don’t wait until he is doing badly to start the Winstrol.
>
>
>
> Again, with Zander, we saw very much the same course. Some abnormal
> haematology results, some lack of appetite, temperature, licking concrete.
> That was in June/July. We took him to the vets, he got some antibiotics and
> seemed to improve. Then in September, a HUGE crash back into serious
> illness and we almost didn’t get him back.
>
>
>
> If Merlot’s platelets dropped like that, the virus is affecting his bone
> marrow. Don’t wait until the effects are far-reaching and difficult to
> reverse. Athletes use Winstrol to build up their muscles and stamina and to
> repair damages tissue. My suggestion is that you use it as a supportive
> measure now and head off the very likely future crisis, even if it appears
> that you have achieved a bit of a reprieve now.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 11:19 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* [Felvtalk] Merlot status update
>
>
>
> So we can say relatively conclusively at this point that this is the FeLV,
> as his blood cell counts are going down and everything else has been ruled
> out.
>
>
>
> His fever hasn't changed, which is good and bad. Good that it's not worse,
> bad that it's not responding to drugs. We got to take him home tonight and
> I've just got him settled in Phil's office, where I'll be sleeping with him
> for the night. He's definitely in better shape than this morning, more
> perky and like himself, but we are still on high alert.
>
>
>
> The vet says he has roughly a 40% chance of a good prognosis. She's seen
> cats come back from this with FeLV, and others don't. We are taking him in
> first thing tomorrow to see the vet again and get re-evaluated, and we will
> make some more decisions about drugs at that point. The vet has agreed to
> try Winstrol tomorrow if the fever hasn't come down (he's on two
> antibiotics right now, an anti-nauseant and she upped the prednisolone).
>
>
>
> --
>
> Maya D'Alessio
>
> PhD student
>
> B1 377B, x32320
>
> Graduate Studies 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
>
>
___
Felvtalk mailing list
Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org

Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thank you Amani, I really, really appreciate the support. I will agree with
you that I do see the negative aspect of outlook from vets. With my last
cat, I was less informed, and agreed with everything the vets were
suggesting, including euthanization, as I was told she would just die
slowly otherwise. Maybe her outlook could have been improved with some time
and TLC. I feel a bit better with your 1 month time line, I was worried
about a time line of days. Have your cats continued with fevers for that
long? I am really concerned about how soon we should expect the fever to
turn around. I think once his fever gets better he has a much better chance
of regaining his appetite.

I have been syringe feeding the AD food (I think it's science diet), we are
trying to get 1 can in to him every day. I know he's not extremely
comfortable right now, but he has been a bit more active in the last day.
He's not grooming at all though.

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 2:03 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Hi Maya, I will send you a private email with my vet’s name and phone
> number.
>
>
>
> Regarding the intake of food, you need to support him while he fights this
> thing. I don’t think anyone can give you a hard and fast time frame
> regarding when to stop, but I will do my utmost to give my cats every
> chance. I usually can get sufficient baby food into them via syringe if
> necessary, for an extended period of time usually. I continue as long as I
> see that it is helping to allow him to live to fight another day. With
> something like leukemia, when they crash, you really should expect at least
> a month of convalescence and reduced appetite, while hopefully other things
> like the Winstrol start to increase his blood counts. He needs to keep
> eating while his blood counts go up, and you need to give him the time to
> recover.
>
>
>
> I know that other people have a very different view, and I have learned
> that people really are of two minds on this. I think it is a personal
> decision, but for me, I don’t give up unless I see there is no hope, and I
> don’t give up well after my vets are ready to throw in the towel.
> Thankfully, my vets know me well enough and trust me enough now, to let me
> work as hard as I can to save my cats. They provide support and help and
> advice, and have been wonderful enough to admit when I am successful when
> they had predicted nothing but failure.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-20-15 1:56 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
>
>
> Oh wow, yes I am in Waterloo. Can you send me your vet's information and I
> will pass it along to my vet immediately.
>
>
>
> He is mentioning AZT and interferon, but Merlot has a persistent fever and
> won't eat, I am assuming his body is not up to those drugs yet. He's
> currently on doxy, prednisolone and mirtazipine (appetite stimulant), and
> they gave him an antinauseant shot last night (cevinia I think).
>
>
>
> Question to the larger group; my cat is uncomfortable (although better
> than yesterday), I have to force feed him and he's on a ton of drugs. How
> long is this feasible? How long should I let it go if we don't see
> improvement? How do you make that call. With my last cat, she deteriorated
> so rapidly and it was so dire that it was a pretty straight forward call.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
> Maya,
>
> Seriously, I have to wonder about some vets. What is he offering you that
> will help your cat??
>
> Anyhow, all I can say is I am happy I have a supportive vet. I will send
> you some links to stuff about Winstrol, but it is hard to find since the
> mind-set you have encountered already, is all too common, even when our
> cats are dying and there are few realistic alternatives.
>
> Most of the links I will send to you will not speak to the use of Winstrol
> specifically for FeLV, but speak to things like building up strength and
> improving appetite.
>
> Here is the first - very generic.
>
>
>
> http://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/library/prescription/stanozolol-winstrol
>
> Amani
>
> P.S. - I also noticed you are not far from me. My vet is in Etobicoke, in
> the outskirts of Toronto. Perhaps your vet should call my vet?
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Maya D'Alessio
>
> PhD student
>
> B1 377B, x32320
>

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update

[Maya D'Alessio]

My vet is not supportive of winstrol treatment, does anyone know of any
sources I could send him to change his mind?
On Oct 20, 2015 11:34 AM, "Amani Oakley" <aoak...@oakleylegal.com> wrote:

> Hi Maya
>
>
>
> The fever is secondary to everything else going on. Keep him on the rest
> of the stuff anyway, and just add the Winstrol. My experience is that the
> fever will dissipate with the improvement of his blood counts, etc.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-20-15 8:03 AM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot status update
>
>
>
> Does the winstrol work on the fever though?
>
> On Oct 20, 2015 3:21 AM, "Amani Oakley" <aoak...@oakleylegal.com> wrote:
>
> Maya
>
>
>
> No matter what the outcome is of the temperature, I would suggest you
> start him on the Winstrol anyway. This is an omen of things to come. The
> virus is in there and causing a problem. It is unlikely to go away on its
> own. Don’t wait until he is doing badly to start the Winstrol.
>
>
>
> Again, with Zander, we saw very much the same course. Some abnormal
> haematology results, some lack of appetite, temperature, licking concrete.
> That was in June/July. We took him to the vets, he got some antibiotics and
> seemed to improve. Then in September, a HUGE crash back into serious
> illness and we almost didn’t get him back.
>
>
>
> If Merlot’s platelets dropped like that, the virus is affecting his bone
> marrow. Don’t wait until the effects are far-reaching and difficult to
> reverse. Athletes use Winstrol to build up their muscles and stamina and to
> repair damages tissue. My suggestion is that you use it as a supportive
> measure now and head off the very likely future crisis, even if it appears
> that you have achieved a bit of a reprieve now.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 11:19 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* [Felvtalk] Merlot status update
>
>
>
> So we can say relatively conclusively at this point that this is the FeLV,
> as his blood cell counts are going down and everything else has been ruled
> out.
>
>
>
> His fever hasn't changed, which is good and bad. Good that it's not worse,
> bad that it's not responding to drugs. We got to take him home tonight and
> I've just got him settled in Phil's office, where I'll be sleeping with him
> for the night. He's definitely in better shape than this morning, more
> perky and like himself, but we are still on high alert.
>
>
>
> The vet says he has roughly a 40% chance of a good prognosis. She's seen
> cats come back from this with FeLV, and others don't. We are taking him in
> first thing tomorrow to see the vet again and get re-evaluated, and we will
> make some more decisions about drugs at that point. The vet has agreed to
> try Winstrol tomorrow if the fever hasn't come down (he's on two
> antibiotics right now, an anti-nauseant and she upped the prednisolone).
>
>
>
> --
>
> Maya D'Alessio
>
> PhD student
>
> B1 377B, x32320
>
> Graduate Studies 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
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
___
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Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

Oh wow, yes I am in Waterloo. Can you send me your vet's information and I
will pass it along to my vet immediately.

He is mentioning AZT and interferon, but Merlot has a persistent fever and
won't eat, I am assuming his body is not up to those drugs yet. He's
currently on doxy, prednisolone and mirtazipine (appetite stimulant), and
they gave him an antinauseant shot last night (cevinia I think).

Question to the larger group; my cat is uncomfortable (although better than
yesterday), I have to force feed him and he's on a ton of drugs. How long
is this feasible? How long should I let it go if we don't see improvement?
How do you make that call. With my last cat, she deteriorated so rapidly
and it was so dire that it was a pretty straight forward call.

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Maya,
>
> Seriously, I have to wonder about some vets. What is he offering you that
> will help your cat??
>
> Anyhow, all I can say is I am happy I have a supportive vet. I will send
> you some links to stuff about Winstrol, but it is hard to find since the
> mind-set you have encountered already, is all too common, even when our
> cats are dying and there are few realistic alternatives.
>
> Most of the links I will send to you will not speak to the use of Winstrol
> specifically for FeLV, but speak to things like building up strength and
> improving appetite.
>
> Here is the first - very generic.
>
>
>
> http://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/library/prescription/stanozolol-winstrol
>
> Amani
>
> P.S. - I also noticed you are not far from me. My vet is in Etobicoke, in
> the outskirts of Toronto. Perhaps your vet should call my vet?
>
> ___
> Felvtalk mailing list
> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies 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

Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

You've been plenty helpful, thank you. What I need to figure out how to do,
is accept the situation and be less emotional about it, no matter which way
it goes, until the time comes. Right now I'm just so emotional, I keep
flip-flopping between optimistic and hopeless.

Do you know with the interferon, what dose they are on? When you first
started did you start immediately with the one week on, one week off, or
was there a more intense initial period?

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 4:45 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>
>
>I remember researching AZT an deciding against it, but I don't recall
> why.  My two boys have been on interferon for years (low dose one week on,
> one week off) and I've never seen any adverse effects, but when they're
> sick, they seem to perk up during the "on" weeks. The anti-nausea was
> likely Cerenia, which is being recognized for it's anti-inflammatory
> properties, as well.
>
> He's improving. No need for any major decisions. That's really not a lot
> of drugs, all things considered :) It was two weeks until Gribs was eating
> normally, and seemed as if he might live. There really is no formula for
> mosr people. I always read "you'll know", but I'm not sure that's true.
> Sorry I can't be more help with that.
>
> Margo
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: Maya D'Alessio
> Sent: Oct 20, 2015 1:56 PM
> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
> Oh wow, yes I am in Waterloo. Can you send me your vet's information and I
> will pass it along to my vet immediately.
>
> He is mentioning AZT and interferon, but Merlot has a persistent fever and
> won't eat, I am assuming his body is not up to those drugs yet. He's
> currently on doxy, prednisolone and mirtazipine (appetite stimulant), and
> they gave him an antinauseant shot last night (cevinia I think).
>
> Question to the larger group; my cat is uncomfortable (although better
> than yesterday), I have to force feed him and he's on a ton of drugs. How
> long is this feasible? How long should I let it go if we don't see
> improvement? How do you make that call. With my last cat, she deteriorated
> so rapidly and it was so dire that it was a pretty straight forward call.
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Maya,
>>
>> Seriously, I have to wonder about some vets. What is he offering you that
>> will help your cat??
>>
>> Anyhow, all I can say is I am happy I have a supportive vet. I will send
>> you some links to stuff about Winstrol, but it is hard to find since the
>> mind-set you have encountered already, is all too common, even when our
>> cats are dying and there are few realistic alternatives.
>>
>> Most of the links I will send to you will not speak to the use of
>> Winstrol specifically for FeLV, but speak to things like building up
>> strength and improving appetite.
>>
>> Here is the first - very generic.
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/library/prescription/stanozolol-winstrol
>>
>> Amani
>>
>> P.S. - I also noticed you are not far from me. My vet is in Etobicoke, in
>> the outskirts of Toronto. Perhaps your vet should call my vet?
>>
>> ___
>> Felvtalk mailing list
>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Maya D'Alessio
> PhD student
> B1 377B, x32320
> Graduate Studies 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
>
>


-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies 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

Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

Good news; his temperature is down to a "high normal", bad news; he has an
anemia murmur. The vet was not hearing me about Winstrol and he seemed in a
bad mood. I'm hanging on to the decreased fever as a sign of good things.
We will re-do blood work tomorrow and re-asses in the morning.

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 6:28 PM, Lance <lini...@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> My FeLV+ girl Ember got five-on five-off interferon. I can’t remember if
> it was 1ml or .5ml, but it wasn’t a large dose.
>
> I seem to remember a vet at a specialized clinic telling me that we didn’t
> have to stagger it, but my “country vet” had prescribed it that way, and we
> stuck to it.
>
> AZT can cause serious blood abnormalities in cats. I don’t think it’s
> often used in treating FeLV because of that.
>
> Lance
>
> On Oct 20, 2015, at 3:49 PM, Maya D'Alessio <mde...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> You've been plenty helpful, thank you. What I need to figure out how to
> do, is accept the situation and be less emotional about it, no matter which
> way it goes, until the time comes. Right now I'm just so emotional, I keep
> flip-flopping between optimistic and hopeless.
>
> Do you know with the interferon, what dose they are on? When you first
> started did you start immediately with the one week on, one week off, or
> was there a more intense initial period?
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 4:45 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>I remember researching AZT an deciding against it, but I don't recall
>> why.  My two boys have been on interferon for years (low dose one week on,
>> one week off) and I've never seen any adverse effects, but when they're
>> sick, they seem to perk up during the "on" weeks. The anti-nausea was
>> likely Cerenia, which is being recognized for it's anti-inflammatory
>> properties, as well.
>>
>> He's improving. No need for any major decisions. That's really not a lot
>> of drugs, all things considered :) It was two weeks until Gribs was eating
>> normally, and seemed as if he might live. There really is no formula for
>> mosr people. I always read "you'll know", but I'm not sure that's true.
>> Sorry I can't be more help with that.
>>
>> Margo
>>
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: Maya D'Alessio
>> Sent: Oct 20, 2015 1:56 PM
>> To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>> Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>>
>> Oh wow, yes I am in Waterloo. Can you send me your vet's information and
>> I will pass it along to my vet immediately.
>>
>> He is mentioning AZT and interferon, but Merlot has a persistent fever
>> and won't eat, I am assuming his body is not up to those drugs yet. He's
>> currently on doxy, prednisolone and mirtazipine (appetite stimulant), and
>> they gave him an antinauseant shot last night (cevinia I think).
>>
>> Question to the larger group; my cat is uncomfortable (although better
>> than yesterday), I have to force feed him and he's on a ton of drugs. How
>> long is this feasible? How long should I let it go if we don't see
>> improvement? How do you make that call. With my last cat, she deteriorated
>> so rapidly and it was so dire that it was a pretty straight forward call.
>>
>> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Maya,
>>>
>>> Seriously, I have to wonder about some vets. What is he offering you
>>> that will help your cat??
>>>
>>> Anyhow, all I can say is I am happy I have a supportive vet. I will send
>>> you some links to stuff about Winstrol, but it is hard to find since the
>>> mind-set you have encountered already, is all too common, even when our
>>> cats are dying and there are few realistic alternatives.
>>>
>>> Most of the links I will send to you will not speak to the use of
>>> Winstrol specifically for FeLV, but speak to things like building up
>>> strength and improving appetite.
>>>
>>> Here is the first - very generic.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/library/prescription/stanozolol-winstrol
>>>
>>> Amani
>>>
>>> P.S. - I also noticed you are not far from me. My vet is in Etobicoke,
>>> in the outskirts of Toronto. Perhaps your vet should call my vet?
>>>
>>> ___
>>> Felvtalk mailing list
>>> Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>>> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>>>

Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thanks Ardy.  He just was grooming for about a minute, so that was
exciting! I've been cleaning him off (especially after the feedings) as he
makes a lot of mess.

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 10:16 PM, Ardy Robertson <ar...@centurytel.net>
wrote:

> Hello Maya,
>
> Just a note on your comment that your cat is not grooming himself. Our
> Tigger had a high fever – 105.8 and possibly higher before that – and was
> not grooming. I feel that the sub-cutaneous fluids helped the fever. They
> did that every day for a while, and I also gave small amounts of water by
> syringe. I used a wet wash cloth and did his grooming for him during that
> time, and believe it or not, I think he enjoyed being wiped down, he just
> wasn’t able to do it for himself. Best wishes with your cat.
>
> Ardy Robertson
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 20, 2015 1:08 PM
>
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
>
>
> Thank you Amani, I really, really appreciate the support. I will agree
> with you that I do see the negative aspect of outlook from vets. With my
> last cat, I was less informed, and agreed with everything the vets were
> suggesting, including euthanization, as I was told she would just die
> slowly otherwise. Maybe her outlook could have been improved with some time
> and TLC. I feel a bit better with your 1 month time line, I was worried
> about a time line of days. Have your cats continued with fevers for that
> long? I am really concerned about how soon we should expect the fever to
> turn around. I think once his fever gets better he has a much better chance
> of regaining his appetite.
>
>
>
> I have been syringe feeding the AD food (I think it's science diet), we
> are trying to get 1 can in to him every day. I know he's not extremely
> comfortable right now, but he has been a bit more active in the last day.
> He's not grooming at all though.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 2:03 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Maya, I will send you a private email with my vet’s name and phone
> number.
>
>
>
> Regarding the intake of food, you need to support him while he fights this
> thing. I don’t think anyone can give you a hard and fast time frame
> regarding when to stop, but I will do my utmost to give my cats every
> chance. I usually can get sufficient baby food into them via syringe if
> necessary, for an extended period of time usually. I continue as long as I
> see that it is helping to allow him to live to fight another day. With
> something like leukemia, when they crash, you really should expect at least
> a month of convalescence and reduced appetite, while hopefully other things
> like the Winstrol start to increase his blood counts. He needs to keep
> eating while his blood counts go up, and you need to give him the time to
> recover.
>
>
>
> I know that other people have a very different view, and I have learned
> that people really are of two minds on this. I think it is a personal
> decision, but for me, I don’t give up unless I see there is no hope, and I
> don’t give up well after my vets are ready to throw in the towel.
> Thankfully, my vets know me well enough and trust me enough now, to let me
> work as hard as I can to save my cats. They provide support and help and
> advice, and have been wonderful enough to admit when I am successful when
> they had predicted nothing but failure.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-20-15 1:56 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Stanozolol (Winstrol(R))
>
>
>
> Oh wow, yes I am in Waterloo. Can you send me your vet's information and I
> will pass it along to my vet immediately.
>
>
>
> He is mentioning AZT and interferon, but Merlot has a persistent fever and
> won't eat, I am assuming his body is not up to those drugs yet. He's
> currently on doxy, prednisolone and mirtazipine (appetite stimulant), and
> they gave him an antinauseant shot last night (cevinia I think).
>
>
>
> Question to the larger group; my cat is uncomfortable (although better
> than yesterday), I have to force feed him and he's on a ton of drugs. How
> long is this feasible? How long should I let it go if we don't see
> improvement? How do you make that call. With my last cat, she deteriorated
> so rapidly and it was so dire that it was a pretty straight forward call.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 1:48 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Merlot was admitted to the vet hospital this morning. His fever is
persisting and we still have no idea as to cause. Last night they tested
for pancreatitis and that test came back normal. He got sub-Q fluids and
they sent him home with us. He has vomitted a few times and he has not
really kept down any nutrition since Saturday morning. They just did an
x-ray but there is no obvious issue. They are going to do a barium contrast
imaging series now after they administer IV fluids and antibiotics in hope
that his fever will come down.

The worst part is that we still really have no idea what is going on, so I
am just waiting to hear and worrying :(

On Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM, Marsha <mar...@lynxe.com> wrote:

> Treatment depends on the cause of the low platelet count.  If it's low
> enough that blood can't clot properly, he could develop internal bleeds
> from minor events, and become anemic or worse.  If the cause was his immune
> system attacking his own platelets, the treatment might be prednisolone to
> suppress his immune system.  But if he's FeLV+, that's not so likely.
> Platelet deficiency is called thrombocytopenia.
>
> Marsha
>
>
> On 10/18/2015 1:54 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>
> Hey everyone,
>
> Merlot is my 3.5 year old cat. Last summer my other cat passed away from
> FeLV (we had no idea she had it), and we had Merlot tested. He tests + on
> the snap/pcr test, but - on the ELISA. This gave me a little bit of piece
> of mind, in the hope that he would not become persistently +.
>
> Last night he was completely uninterested in dinner (very unusual for
> him), and he seemed a bit warm and lethargic. I took him in to the vets
> this morning and they wanted to do bloodwork. He has a temperature of 40.5
> C. First results come back all normal except a very low platelet count.
>
> They gave him a small dosage of prednisone, and a shot of penicillin and
> sent me home with doxycillin and some food to force feed him if he won't
> eat on his own. They want me to watch him and come back in to the vets in 3
> days to re-test his blood.
>
> Any experience with low platelet count, what that means and if there is
> any treatment?
>
> --
> Maya D'Alessio
> PhD student
> B1 377B, x32320
> Graduate Studies 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
>
>


-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies 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

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thanks for the advice re. the winstrol. I am honestly concerned about him
making it past the next few days.

His abdomen is really sore/tense/uncomfortable and he complains heavily
when being moved/picked up/palpated. Do you have any idea if that fits with
the FeLV?

On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 11:59 AM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Maya
>
>
>
> I would be pretty sure that the platelet drop is from FeLV and I am not
> sure why that is stumping the vets. FeLV can attack any one of the three
> cell lines (red cells, white cells and platelets) because it effects the
> bone marrow where these cells are all produced. Thus, when FeLV begins to
> affect a cat, you can get a drop in one or two or all three of the cell
> lines.
>
>
>
> In addition to the treatment he is getting, ask the vet to put him on
> Winstrol. I have posted here many times, and will again, that Winstrol is
> the only medication I found effective that actually turned back on the cell
> production of the bone marrow. He can remain on the prednisolone and the
> Doxycycline. Even though the Doxycycline is an antibiotic and thus not
> effective against viruses, my vets have said that they have gotten some
> positive results from using it with FeLV cats. I used it with my cat, in
> addition to the Prednisolone and the Winstrol, but having used the
> Doxycycline and Prednisolone WITHOUT the Winstrol first, I can confirm that
> it was the Winstrol that did the trick (confirmed by weekly monitoring of
> my cat’s blood work – checking specifically for haematocrit levels, RBC
> levels, Reticulocyte levels, white cells (total, neutrophils and
> leukocytes) and platelet counts. (I have posted this before, but just so
> that you know, before moving to Winstrol, I had my cat on Interferon –
> which did nothing to his blood work results at all – and then LTCI – which
> again had no positive result on the bloodwork.)
>
>
>
> Winstrol (Stanozolol) is an anabolic steroid which usually is required to
> be ordered from a compounding pharmacy. The dose I used was 1 mg 2x a day.
>
>
>
> If you want to confirm the effectiveness as I did, place Merlot on the
> Winstrol and after a week or two, run his haematology blood work again. You
> should start seeing a nudging up of the red cells, although the platelet
> counts in my cat at least, were the last to respond to the Winstrol. Don’t
> give up if there is no change in 2 weeks, and you will likely also get a
> bump up in his appetite and his general feeling of wellbeing (playing,
> purring, etc.)
>
>
>
> Merlot may start having his liver enzymes rise. Resist the urge or the
> advice of your vet to discontinue the Winstrol. The liver enzymes will very
> likely drop after he is weaned off the Winstrol, and for the time being,
> the more important thing is to deal with his failing bone marrow.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 10:10 AM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
>
>
>
> Merlot was admitted to the vet hospital this morning. His fever is
> persisting and we still have no idea as to cause. Last night they tested
> for pancreatitis and that test came back normal. He got sub-Q fluids and
> they sent him home with us. He has vomitted a few times and he has not
> really kept down any nutrition since Saturday morning. They just did an
> x-ray but there is no obvious issue. They are going to do a barium contrast
> imaging series now after they administer IV fluids and antibiotics in hope
> that his fever will come down.
>
>
>
> The worst part is that we still really have no idea what is going on, so I
> am just waiting to hear and worrying :(
>
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM, Marsha <mar...@lynxe.com> wrote:
>
> Treatment depends on the cause of the low platelet count.  If it's low
> enough that blood can't clot properly, he could develop internal bleeds
> from minor events, and become anemic or worse.  If the cause was his immune
> system attacking his own platelets, the treatment might be prednisolone to
> suppress his immune system.  But if he's FeLV+, that's not so likely.
> Platelet deficiency is called thrombocytopenia.
>
> Marsha
>
>
>
> On 10/18/2015 1:54 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>
> Hey everyone,
>
>
>
> Merlot is my 3.5 year old cat. Last summer my other cat passed away from
> FeLV (we had no idea she had it), and we had Merlot tested. He tests + on
> the snap/pcr test, but - on the ELISA. This gave me a little bit of piece
> of mind, in the hope that he would not become persistently +.
>
>
>
> Last night he was 

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Has anyone had any experience (good or bad) with polyprenyl immunostimulant
(PI)?

On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Margo <toomanykitti...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>
>
> My experience has been similar in a way, but much more positive. Both of
> my two boys get sick. Bloodwork came back normal (surprisingly), even his
> CBC. Turns out he had a UTI, which is really very unusual in cats with
> normal kidney values. He's back to normal (for him). Gribble occasionally
> crashes hard, but he goes right on abx or an anti=viral, depending on the
> symptoms.
>
> So far (knocking madly on wood) they both bounced back from just the
> symptoms you describe in Merlot.
>
> Yes. FeLV is fatal. Life is fatal. Whatever the cause and the time frame,
> everyone will die.
>
> But I don't feel obligated to make _That Decision_ because a cat with FeLV
> stops eating and hides. There are too many ways to support them
> temporarily, and give them a chance, while not letting them suffer. Many
> times they come back.
>
> Sometimes they don't. I go cat by cat.
>
> Margo
>
> -Original Message-
> >From: Lorrie <felineres...@frontier.com>
> >Sent: Oct 19, 2015 11:23 AM
> >To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> >Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
> >
>
> >Sometimes with a Felv pos. cat they get sick and the vet never does
> >actually find a cause, they simply go downhill. This has happened to
> >me many times, and when the cat or kitten won't eat and starts
> >hiding, I know it is time for him/her to be PTS.  Tthis is a terrible
> >decision to make, but dying slowly and painfully is worse. Felv can
> >cause so many different things happen to a cat, but it is a fatal
> >condition and positive cats always die.  Sometimes it's months and
> >other times years, but FelV is fatal. Vets try all kinds of things to
> >save them, but have not found a cure.  I'm not saying you are going
> >to lose Merlot, but this is what I've experienced with Felv pos.
> >cats.
> >
> >Lorrie
> >
> >
> >
> >On 10-19, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
> >>Merlot was admitted to the vet hospital this morning. His fever is
> >>persisting and we still have no idea as to cause. Last night they
> >>tested for pancreatitis and that test came back normal. He got sub-Q
> >>fluids and they sent him home with us. He has vomitted a few times
> and
> >>he has not really kept down any nutrition since Saturday morning.
> They
> >>just did an x-ray but there is no obvious issue. They are going to
> do a
> >>barium contrast imaging series now after they administer IV fluids
> and
> >>antibiotics in hope that his fever will come down.
> >>The worst part is that we still really have no idea what is going on,
> >>so I am just waiting to hear and worrying :(
> >>
> >
> >_______
> >Felvtalk mailing list
> >Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> >http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>
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>



-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] FW: Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thank you Amani. Thank you to everyone in this group, it has been a very
supportive for the last 15 months or so since I lost my first cat to FeLV.

On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 1:43 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

>
>
> I adopted a cat last summer (2014) from a feral colony. I found out, just
> after I adopted her, that several of the other cats taken from the colony
> died from FIP. The kitten I had taken was about 8 months old, and she got
> deathly ill just after I took her home. She was congested with runny eyes
> and a temperature when I took her, but got REALLY bad after that. She ran a
> very high temperature and wouldn’t eat, and just basically slept for days.
> I couldn’t get any real food into her, but did manage to get some pureed
> baby food in via syringe (this is always a great life-saver!). I started
> her on the Winstrol, because again, FIP is a game-over virus and I had
> nothing to lose as she was clearly not going to make it otherwise, and
> there is nothing that treats FIP effectively. I spoke to the woman from
> whom I had adopted her and she told me that the cat I had been stroking and
> cooing over the night before had also just passed away and again, it looked
> like FIP.
>
>
>
> Samantha had a very hard belly – another sign of FIP, and I think she had
> fluid accumulation AROUND her lungs (another sign of FIP).
>
>
>
> It took longer for me to see an effect with Samantha than I had seen with
> Zander – my FeLV cat – but she was looking a lot better in about a week and
> much better in 2 weeks. I discontinued the Winstrol after about a month
> because she was very difficult to catch and pill, being a semi-feral.
> Otherwise I would have continued for much longer. She got better in every
> way except she continued to have sounds of chest congestion even though an
> xray done eventually, showed no accumulation within the lungs. The sounds
> in her chest continued, though nothing else was wrong.
>
>
>
> Recently (about 1 month ago now) I decided to try the Winstrol again, to
> see if I could clear out what I felt was the accumulated fluid AROUND the
> lungs, typical of FIP. I didn’t notice a change after 1 week of Winstrol
> (which is unusual as I can usually tell when this stuff is working, very
> early on). I decided to persevere, nonetheless, because Winstrol is really
> a more long-term kind of medication. She has now been on it for 5 weeks and
> I just mentioned to my husband today that I have now noticed that the
> unusual gurgling and air restriction which I had always heard with her,
> were now almost completely dissipated. Still a bit there, but very mild.
>
>
>
> I know that for the people on the chatline who have seen my posts before,
> they must think I have Winstrol on the brain, but I have had good results
> with it almost every time one of my cats receives a death sentence from one
> of these incurable viruses, and other situations where it has helped boost
> energy and food intake (sarcoma of the nasal cavity). The way I look at it,
> it really can’t hurt in most of these circumstances, and there is a good
> possibility of a positive effect. One of the Listserve members emailed me
> recently to indicate she had gotten her cat on Winstrol after my
> suggestions, and this turned him right around, so hopefully, others will
> experience some of these good results too.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org
> <felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org>] *On Behalf Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 1:20 PM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
>
>
>
> Wow, after looking in to FIP, it does sound like that could be what is
> going on.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 12:22 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
> Then get the Winstrol ASAP. My cat was in an oxygen tent and his
> haemotocrit was down to 5 before I got the Winstrol into him.
>
>
>
> The abdominal pain sounds more like FIP, to be honest, but I have a FIP
> cat who also responded remarkably to the Winstrol, so same advice. Call the
> vet today and speak to him about getting the Winstrol right away. I
> understand that it can be injected though I have never done that. If the
> vet is able, starting with an injection might give Merlot a faster boost.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 12:04 PM
>
>
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
>
>
>
> Thanks for the advice re. the winstrol. I a

[Felvtalk] Merlot status update

[Maya D'Alessio]

So we can say relatively conclusively at this point that this is the FeLV,
as his blood cell counts are going down and everything else has been ruled
out.

His fever hasn't changed, which is good and bad. Good that it's not worse,
bad that it's not responding to drugs. We got to take him home tonight and
I've just got him settled in Phil's office, where I'll be sleeping with him
for the night. He's definitely in better shape than this morning, more
perky and like himself, but we are still on high alert.

The vet says he has roughly a 40% chance of a good prognosis. She's seen
cats come back from this with FeLV, and others don't. We are taking him in
first thing tomorrow to see the vet again and get re-evaluated, and we will
make some more decisions about drugs at that point. The vet has agreed to
try Winstrol tomorrow if the fever hasn't come down (he's on two
antibiotics right now, an anti-nauseant and she upped the prednisolone).

-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Wow, after looking in to FIP, it does sound like that could be what is
going on.

On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 12:22 PM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
wrote:

> Then get the Winstrol ASAP. My cat was in an oxygen tent and his
> haemotocrit was down to 5 before I got the Winstrol into him.
>
>
>
> The abdominal pain sounds more like FIP, to be honest, but I have a FIP
> cat who also responded remarkably to the Winstrol, so same advice. Call the
> vet today and speak to him about getting the Winstrol right away. I
> understand that it can be injected though I have never done that. If the
> vet is able, starting with an injection might give Merlot a faster boost.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 12:04 PM
>
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
>
>
>
> Thanks for the advice re. the winstrol. I am honestly concerned about him
> making it past the next few days.
>
>
>
> His abdomen is really sore/tense/uncomfortable and he complains heavily
> when being moved/picked up/palpated. Do you have any idea if that fits with
> the FeLV?
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 19, 2015 at 11:59 AM, Amani Oakley <aoak...@oakleylegal.com>
> wrote:
>
> Maya
>
>
>
> I would be pretty sure that the platelet drop is from FeLV and I am not
> sure why that is stumping the vets. FeLV can attack any one of the three
> cell lines (red cells, white cells and platelets) because it effects the
> bone marrow where these cells are all produced. Thus, when FeLV begins to
> affect a cat, you can get a drop in one or two or all three of the cell
> lines.
>
>
>
> In addition to the treatment he is getting, ask the vet to put him on
> Winstrol. I have posted here many times, and will again, that Winstrol is
> the only medication I found effective that actually turned back on the cell
> production of the bone marrow. He can remain on the prednisolone and the
> Doxycycline. Even though the Doxycycline is an antibiotic and thus not
> effective against viruses, my vets have said that they have gotten some
> positive results from using it with FeLV cats. I used it with my cat, in
> addition to the Prednisolone and the Winstrol, but having used the
> Doxycycline and Prednisolone WITHOUT the Winstrol first, I can confirm that
> it was the Winstrol that did the trick (confirmed by weekly monitoring of
> my cat’s blood work – checking specifically for haematocrit levels, RBC
> levels, Reticulocyte levels, white cells (total, neutrophils and
> leukocytes) and platelet counts. (I have posted this before, but just so
> that you know, before moving to Winstrol, I had my cat on Interferon –
> which did nothing to his blood work results at all – and then LTCI – which
> again had no positive result on the bloodwork.)
>
>
>
> Winstrol (Stanozolol) is an anabolic steroid which usually is required to
> be ordered from a compounding pharmacy. The dose I used was 1 mg 2x a day.
>
>
>
> If you want to confirm the effectiveness as I did, place Merlot on the
> Winstrol and after a week or two, run his haematology blood work again. You
> should start seeing a nudging up of the red cells, although the platelet
> counts in my cat at least, were the last to respond to the Winstrol. Don’t
> give up if there is no change in 2 weeks, and you will likely also get a
> bump up in his appetite and his general feeling of wellbeing (playing,
> purring, etc.)
>
>
>
> Merlot may start having his liver enzymes rise. Resist the urge or the
> advice of your vet to discontinue the Winstrol. The liver enzymes will very
> likely drop after he is weaned off the Winstrol, and for the time being,
> the more important thing is to deal with his failing bone marrow.
>
>
>
> Amani
>
>
>
> *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Maya D'Alessio
> *Sent:* October-19-15 10:10 AM
> *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot
>
>
>
> Merlot was admitted to the vet hospital this morning. His fever is
> persisting and we still have no idea as to cause. Last night they tested
> for pancreatitis and that test came back normal. He got sub-Q fluids and
> they sent him home with us. He has vomitted a few times and he has not
> really kept down any nutrition since Saturday morning. They just did an
> x-ray but there is no obvious issue. They are going to do a barium contrast
> imaging series now after they administer IV fluids and antibiotics in hope
> that his fever will come down.
>
>
>
> The worst part is that we still really have no idea what is going on, 

Re: [Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thanks Marsha. Yeah it seems somewhat common for thrombocytopenia to
develop in FeLV cats. I am assuming that it means it's not a good sign
overall for his longer term health. I am hoping to hear of a miracle drug
to get his platelets back up, then hope his body can keep it up.

His platelets were much less than the 200 low limit of the normal range.
They tested twice and got 38 and 64, and they did a smear just to confirm
there wasn't platelet clumping.


On Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 3:34 PM, Marsha <mar...@lynxe.com> wrote:

> Treatment depends on the cause of the low platelet count.  If it's low
> enough that blood can't clot properly, he could develop internal bleeds
> from minor events, and become anemic or worse.  If the cause was his immune
> system attacking his own platelets, the treatment might be prednisolone to
> suppress his immune system.  But if he's FeLV+, that's not so likely.
> Platelet deficiency is called thrombocytopenia.
>
> Marsha
>
>
> On 10/18/2015 1:54 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:
>
> Hey everyone,
>
> Merlot is my 3.5 year old cat. Last summer my other cat passed away from
> FeLV (we had no idea she had it), and we had Merlot tested. He tests + on
> the snap/pcr test, but - on the ELISA. This gave me a little bit of piece
> of mind, in the hope that he would not become persistently +.
>
> Last night he was completely uninterested in dinner (very unusual for
> him), and he seemed a bit warm and lethargic. I took him in to the vets
> this morning and they wanted to do bloodwork. He has a temperature of 40.5
> C. First results come back all normal except a very low platelet count.
>
> They gave him a small dosage of prednisone, and a shot of penicillin and
> sent me home with doxycillin and some food to force feed him if he won't
> eat on his own. They want me to watch him and come back in to the vets in 3
> days to re-test his blood.
>
> Any experience with low platelet count, what that means and if there is
> any treatment?
>
> --
> Maya D'Alessio
> PhD student
> B1 377B, x32320
> Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
> Biology GSA Vice Chair
> GSA Director At-Large
> University of Waterloo
>
>
>
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> http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
>
>


-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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[Felvtalk] Merlot

[Maya D'Alessio]

Hey everyone,

Merlot is my 3.5 year old cat. Last summer my other cat passed away from
FeLV (we had no idea she had it), and we had Merlot tested. He tests + on
the snap/pcr test, but - on the ELISA. This gave me a little bit of piece
of mind, in the hope that he would not become persistently +.

Last night he was completely uninterested in dinner (very unusual for him),
and he seemed a bit warm and lethargic. I took him in to the vets this
morning and they wanted to do bloodwork. He has a temperature of 40.5 C. First
results come back all normal except a very low platelet count.

They gave him a small dosage of prednisone, and a shot of penicillin and
sent me home with doxycillin and some food to force feed him if he won't
eat on his own. They want me to watch him and come back in to the vets in 3
days to re-test his blood.

Any experience with low platelet count, what that means and if there is any
treatment?

-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Please help! Anemic felv kitty, what can be done??

[Maya D'Alessio]

My cat Yang had a pcv of 13 and it does over night and she had a fever then
her temp dropped below normal, she was jaundiced. she was dying and was
felv + so we put her down while we held her.  I hope yours has a better
outcome.
On Feb 27, 2015 3:42 PM, Belinda ma...@bemikitties.com wrote:

  PS.  Bailey was diagnosed at 5 months old, he was 11 years old when I
 lost him.


 On 2/27/2015 12:21 PM, Katherine K. wrote:


  On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 3:00 PM, N. E. Juskowich nej...@gmail.com
 wrote:

 Time is of the essence for us and I need to know if there's something
 else that can be done for my sweet little just-turned-one-year-old boy.  He
 had a PCV of 12% and received a blood transfusion, his PCV went up a
 little, then back down, then up to 17% over the course of 24 hours.  He was
 put on 7.5 mg. prednisone, 25 mg. mycophenolate, 18.75 mg. plavix (to
 prevent clots from the pred/mycophenolate combo), 25 mg. doxycycline (in
 case of mycoplasma infection), and 5 mg. famotidine to prevent GI issues
 from the pred.

  His anemia is currently non-regenerative with two most likely potential
 causes: he was agglutination positive, a sign of immune mediated red blood
 cell destruction; he may have leukemia in the marrow.  We did not do a bone
 marrow aspirate because cancer would be too advanced at this stage, the
 severe anemia indicating this to be the case.  The doctor said it could
 take a few days of immunosuppressant therapy for the bone marrow to
 respond.

  Two days after the PCV of 17% we had a recheck and it is now down to
 14%.  He is going to receive another transfusion.

  I need to know as quickly as possible: Is there anything else that can
 be done at this stage?  I was looking into treatment with TCyte (LTCI), but
 my vet said it would be a waste of time and money.  I'd read on a forum
 that a severely anemic felv kitty responded very well to the drug and I
 would've been willing to give it a shot.  My vet is of the opinion that I
 should not have bothered with this second transfusion (he had to go to
 emergency hospital for it) and the TCyte is hogwash.  I'm sitting here
 feeling hopeless and wondering if this really is the end and what do I do
 now if he doesn't respond to the transfusion.

  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  No sugar coating necessary,
 but please be gentle.  If nothing can be done, what can I do for him to
 keep him happy and comfortable?  Will he need euthanized or will he pass
 peacefully?

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 --

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 happiness is being owned by cats and Emma 
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Re: [Felvtalk] 5 leukemia positive kittens

[Maya D'Alessio]

My cat Yang who I lost this summer made it to 3 with feline leukemia. She
had to have gotten it as a kitten, I adopted her at five months and she
hadn't been exposed since entering my care. We didn't know she had it until
she had to be put down. It was a terrible shock, but she lived an excellent
life up until two days before we put her down.
On Nov 14, 2014 2:39 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

  Kelly, now *I'm* confused.  I don't want anything.  I was just sharing
 my personal experiences and putting some suggestions out there.  Some of
 the resources you or others may already know about, but others might be new
 to some people.  Feel free to list your Facebook resources so people here
 are aware of those too.   Or maybe you were really replying to the same
 person I was replying to?

 Idea for everyone:  make up a flyer with some basic info about FeLV, with
 a picture of one or more or your FeLV+ cats looking happy and living the
 good life.  Maybe put a link on the flyer to felineleukemia.org or other
 resource(s).  Distribute the flyer to local vet offices for when the vet
 gets a client with a cat that tests positive.  The vet could show the flyer
 to the owner so that the owner can see that there is support available, and
 that FeLV+ cats can live a happy life for a variable number of years.

 Marsha

 On 11/14/2014 1:00 PM, Kelley S wrote:

 There are some other places to list on Facebook, if you would like the
 links.  One thing that struck me when I read your post was confusion on my
 part as to what exactly you wanted.  It seemed to me reading it, and I may
 be reading things into this, that you did not want the kittens to go to a
 home with FELV+ cats in there already.   That, in addition to the adoption
 fee, is going to make it *almost* impossible to ever find these kittens a
 home (nothing is 100% impossible of course).  Also, once you adopt the
 kitten out, you don't have control over what the adopters do later.  They
 may bring in FELV+ cats later.  My heart kitty died of heart disease
 brought on by a congenital defect.  I spent a lot of time holding her and
 crying because she was going to die.  They are all going to die, we hope
 after many years in a happy home.  I spent more time mourning her death
 than I did celebrating her life.  This was  a grave mistake on my part.

 On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 12:15 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

 Some adopters may make a donation to the organization they adopt a
 zero-fee cat from.  I did.  You might make a cat low or no fee, but say,
 donations gratefully accepted.  If you list on PetFinder, consider adding
 FeLV+ to the heading, besides just listing them as special needs.  Some
 people are looking specifically for a FeLV+ cat as a companion for one they
 already have, and not putting that in the heading forces those people to
 sift through every special needs listing to find the FeLV+ kitty.  I turned
 to PetFinder after having no luck locally finding a companion for Harley,
 and did a search by zip code.  I specified up to 100 miles, and that's
 how I found Brock.  Actually, 113 miles away, but the search goes by zip
 code.

 There are also some listings here (up for adoption or looking to adopt
 FeLV, FIV, FIP +):
 http://www.bemikitties.com/felv/cgi-bin/suite/classifieds/classifieds.cgi
 You can also get to that by the felineleukemia.org website.

 One other place to list is the PurringPixie yahoo group.



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Re: [Felvtalk] Viralys maple flavored gel

[Maya D'Alessio]

My vet recommended the lysine too.  I just open my guy's mouth and pump it
in.  Then he licks it up and cleans himself up.  It's palatable for them,
so I just give it to him without him agreeing. Mine is not maple flavoured,
not sure what flavour it is to be honest.

My understanding of lysine is that it competes for receptor binding with
herpes virus on the outside of cells, thus leading to less virus getting in
to the cells.  My guy does have recurring feline herpes during season
changes, and this year we had to put him on antibiotics to help him through
it (poor little guy).  No research I've seen shows it helps for FeLeuk, but
I am of the camp that if it doesn't hurt, might as well try it out.

On Wed, Nov 5, 2014 at 7:34 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

 I offered my 2 FeLV+ boys some maple-flavored Viralys gel, and neither
 would even taste it.  Though the maple aroma smelled good, it was pretty
 strong to my human nose, so maybe it was overwhelming to their senses.

 Viralys contains lysine, which helps boost the immune system, and I've
 heard is especially useful for cats that have contracted feline herpes
 virus.  Neither of mine have that, but I figured I'd get it anyway, just
 for the immune boost.

 Marsha

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-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Such a short little life

[Maya D'Alessio]

I am so sorry to hear that Elisabeth.  I suffered a similarly painful loss
back in June and I can only say that grieve as much as you need to, and
don't apologize for it.  The pain lessens with time.   3

On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 3:50 AM, Elisabeth Eastley eeast...@gmail.com
wrote:

 It is with the greatest sadness that I have to say that out little Nanita
 passed away last night. She was just over a year old and had developed
 lymphoma which grew quite quickly. Most of her life was spent getting up to
 mischief and her nickname was Troublemaker. She was her Daddy's girl and
 lived her life to the fullest. She was a happy and affectionate little
 girl. Her loss leaves a hole that will never be filled.

 Thank you to everyone who replied to my question.

 With kindest regards

 Elisabeth

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B1 377B, x32320
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Re: [Felvtalk] introduction

[Maya D'Alessio]

The studies I read indicate that only 15% of adult cats challenged with
felv will succumb to the disease and become long term positive.
On Oct 22, 2014 2:24 PM, Grant, Mary A. mgr...@mofo.com wrote:

  Sandy,



 It is so good to hear some FeLV success stories.  Thank you.  We trapped
 our Sundae last year.  She was living in our yard and we brought her in at
 about 12 weeks.  She has been on interferon for about a year now, and so
 far she’s good.  I take her for a wellness check up every three months.  I
 am hopeful that her immune system is built up enough for her to stay
 strong.  We also have 3 cats who are not FeLV+  we vaccinated them after
 they were exposed to Sundae (long story) but we had them tested twice and
 they are healthy.  My fur kids mean the world to my husband and I.  It’s so
 nice to hear of other cats living reasonably long lives.



 Best,



 Mary



 *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
 Of *grace mifsud
 *Sent:* Wednesday, October 22, 2014 2:15 PM
 *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] introduction



 Welcome to the group Sandy

 Grace



 *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org
 felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf Of *Sandy
 Noneofyourbusiness
 *Sent:* 22 October 2014 17:19
 *To:* Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Subject:* [Felvtalk] introduction



 Hi everyone! I am new here so if I do something wrong, let me know. This
 kind of group is set up different than what I am used to.

 My male friend moved back to Wisconsin, from Tucson, AZ back in 2012. He
 brought with him ‘9’ of his cats. ALL had FeLV. Shortly after he moved
 here, 5 of his cats died.(stress and fleas) A friend of his had to have
 brought them over with him when he was visiting.

 We were friends back in the mid 70’s, and we ended up dating and now we
 have been living together for about a

 1 1/2 yrs. I had a FeLV free cat and 2 dogs. It was a HARD decision but
 all I could do is vaccinate my cat for FeLV and pray he does not get it.(it
 is about 75% effective?)

 Anyway, what I was going to say, that cats having FeLV is not a death
 sentence, so do not count on them to be dying early. One cat of my
 boyfriend’s,(Clyde) was 13 yrs. old before he died.

 Right now we have Oliver(4 years 4 mos.), Diamond(9 yrs. 10 months),Dora
 Jean(10 yrs. 4 mos.),Sheila(4 yrs.) and Wilma(3 yrs. 6 mos.). I also have 2
 dogs, Ryder(8 yrs. 6 mos.) and last but not least, Ozzie(12 yrs. 8 mos.).

 ALL cats are healthy and always have been, so far. Diamond does have a
 tumor in his throat(ear) area that just doing surgery would most likely
 kill him from stress.(it is not FeLV related) So as long as he eats and has
 no pain and no other issues, we will keep him alive. He is a very happy
 cat.

 My oldest dog,Ozzie, might have blastomycosis.(2nd dog of mine that has
 had it) The vet should be letting me know today/tomorrow. Since he is so
 old, I will not treat him and just put him to sleep.(UGH!) He also has an
 enlarged heart. So I may have to make that tough decision that we ALL hate.

 Sorry this is so long, just wanted to do an intro.

 Sandy


 

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 privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the
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Re: [Felvtalk] introduction

[Maya D'Alessio]

Biology of Feline Leukemia in the natural environment
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/36/2_Part_2/582.full.pdf This
article mentions 12% of a test group of cats were infected when left with
FeLV+ cats.  I can't find the original article I saw the 15% number in, but
I know I read it in another article.



On Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Margo toomanykitti...@earthlink.net
wrote:



  -Original Message-
 From: Maya D'Alessio
 Sent: Oct 22, 2014 3:12 PM
 To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] introduction

 The studies I read indicate that only 15% of adult cats challenged with
 felv will succumb to the disease and become long term positive.
 .

 Hi Maya,

Would you please link to those studies, or tell me where I
 might find them?

 Thanks!

 Margo


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B1 377B, x32320
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Re: [Felvtalk] Light positive reading

[Maya D'Alessio]

From a scientific standpoint, it is logical.  It means that there is low
amounts of antigen in the blood, but it is present.

Some of the older tests used to only test for antibodies, well a cat that
has been vaccinated, or exposed ever, is going to have antibodies.

The SNAPP test looks for the actual antigen from the virus, and is thus
much more accurate for actual infection.  If there is a weak positive, it
would mean that there was not very much virus found.  Could be a good sign,
as in the cat is fighting the infection off, or could just mean they were
exposed very recently, or the strain of the virus they have has a much
lower viral load (number of active viral particles in the body).

On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 8:57 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:

 IT DOES NOT SOUND LOGICAL TO ME.  EITHER YOU ARE POSITIVE OR NOT.

  Kelley S moonv...@gmail.com wrote:
  Hi guys,
 
  Long ago I learned from this list, there is no such thing as light
 positive
  reading.  It indicates an error with the test.  I don't have
 documentation
  to back this up, can anyone help?


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Re: [Felvtalk] Light positive reading

[Maya D'Alessio]

This is unrelated, but I just got really happy news. We did a full blood
work up on my felv + guy, and his everything is perfect and normal! Very
relieved
On Sep 28, 2014 1:37 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

 Many years ago (early 80's I think), I had a cat that supposedly showed a
 faint positive.  The vet thought maybe it was a mistake, and a later test
 turned up negative.  I have heard that it is always a mistake, and I have
 also heard the theory that a cat is fighting off the infection. Anybody
 want to contact a manufacturer?

 Marsha

 On 9/28/2014 12:02 PM, Lance wrote:

 I’d like to know more about this as well. I was told that Ember was a
 “weak positive” at her first test. She definitely had the virus (subsequent
 ELISAs were positive, and CBCs seemed to back those up in showing
 immunosuppression).

 On Sep 28, 2014, at 11:00 AM, Kelley S moonv...@gmail.com wrote:
 Hi guys,

 Long ago I learned from this list, there is no such thing as light
 positive reading.  It indicates an error with the test.  I don't have
 documentation to back this up, can anyone help?



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Re: [Felvtalk] Light positive reading

[Maya D'Alessio]

Nothing. My other cat gave it to him when he was 3 months I believe, no way
to prove who had it first, but my other cat just passed away at 3 so it's
very possible she got it from her mother.  I'm still holding out hope he
will go negative.

I've been giving him lysine for the past week, but that was after blood
work. I also brush his teeth and put him on healthymouth
On Sep 28, 2014 3:23 PM, Grant, Mary A. mgr...@mofo.com wrote:

  Did you do anything special? We have a year old that was felv+ from
 birth. Have been giving her interferon since we found out. So far so good,
 but I always want to see what else we can do to keep her healthy.

  Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
*From: *Maya D'Alessio
 *Sent: *Sunday, September 28, 2014 2:17 PM
 *To: *felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Reply To: *felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Subject: *Re: [Felvtalk] Light positive reading

  This is unrelated, but I just got really happy news. We did a full blood
 work up on my felv + guy, and his everything is perfect and normal! Very
 relieved
 On Sep 28, 2014 1:37 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

 Many years ago (early 80's I think), I had a cat that supposedly showed a
 faint positive.  The vet thought maybe it was a mistake, and a later test
 turned up negative.  I have heard that it is always a mistake, and I have
 also heard the theory that a cat is fighting off the infection. Anybody
 want to contact a manufacturer?

 Marsha

 On 9/28/2014 12:02 PM, Lance wrote:

 I’d like to know more about this as well. I was told that Ember was a
 “weak positive” at her first test. She definitely had the virus (subsequent
 ELISAs were positive, and CBCs seemed to back those up in showing
 immunosuppression).

 On Sep 28, 2014, at 11:00 AM, Kelley S moonv...@gmail.com wrote:
 Hi guys,

 Long ago I learned from this list, there is no such thing as light
 positive reading.  It indicates an error with the test.  I don't have
 documentation to back this up, can anyone help?



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 This message contains information which may be confidential and
 privileged. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the
 addressee), you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any
 information contained in the message. If you have received the message in
 error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail mgr...@mofo.com, and
 delete the message.

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Re: [Felvtalk] Harley has a new friend

[Maya D'Alessio]

Good luck!  We just brought a new cat home to keep merlot company since
yang died of felv in June. We are keeping them isolated, the first two days
were some growls through the door at each other, but it's been two weeks
now and they pay under the door.  We're keeping the new girl, zoe, separate
for so long so she can fight off anything she's carrying from the shelter
(coccidia and uri confirmed) and so the vaccinations we gave her can build
up immunity in her system.
 On Sep 28, 2014 1:58 PM, Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:

 My FeLV+ cat Harley has been alone since his buddy Milkdud died May 20.  I
 have seen many FIV+ cats up for adoption during that time, but there
 haven't been any local FeLV positives.  I  found one at a shelter nearly 2
 hours away and brought him home yesterday.  He is currently in an isolation
 cage up on a table.  The shelter only tested him once, with a Snap/ELISA
 test.  I probably should have waited until Monday and paid for their local
 vet to do an IFA, but he is here now.  I'll call my vet 1st thing in the
 morning to get him in for a new test.  The new boy's name is Brock, and he
 is all black, about 3 years old.

 Harley is fascinated by the new boy, but a tad jealous, and maybe even
 upset that it wasn't Milkdud.  While I was getting Brock's crate situated
 in the isolation cage, Harley snatched Brock's mouse toy and ran off with
 it.  Poor Brock never even got to play with it!  But the shelter said he
 doesn't play much, preferring to be petted and held.  That could be an
 issue when Brock is released from the cage, if he ignores Harley's attempt
 to play and climbs in my arms instead.  In the meantime, I am giving Harley
 lots of extra attention and playing with him.

 Marsha


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Re: [Felvtalk] Harley has a new friend

[Maya D'Alessio]

I will say Jen, that although bringing in Zoe has been hard, and brought up
lots of feelings about Yang, having another furry face to love has been
very comforting.

On Sun, Sep 28, 2014 at 8:51 PM, Jennifer Lewis blonded...@mac.com wrote:

 Congrats Marsha!

 I hope all works out well.. Our Brynn has been so lonely since we lost
 Smoosh, so I'd love to hear how it all goes.. We entertain getting her a
 new bud, but so far, all the +s that come our way are kittens, and given
 the mort rate, we are just too scared to go there after Smoosh... It's sad
 but the hole in our hearts is still too raw for us to think about a
 youngster (although we are such suckers when there's one in need)

 Jen

 On Sep 28, 2014, at 10:58 AM, Marsha wrote:

  My FeLV+ cat Harley has been alone since his buddy Milkdud died May 20.
 I have seen many FIV+ cats up for adoption during that time, but there
 haven't been any local FeLV positives.  I  found one at a shelter nearly 2
 hours away and brought him home yesterday.  He is currently in an isolation
 cage up on a table.  The shelter only tested him once, with a Snap/ELISA
 test.  I probably should have waited until Monday and paid for their local
 vet to do an IFA, but he is here now.  I'll call my vet 1st thing in the
 morning to get him in for a new test.  The new boy's name is Brock, and he
 is all black, about 3 years old.
 
  Harley is fascinated by the new boy, but a tad jealous, and maybe even
 upset that it wasn't Milkdud.  While I was getting Brock's crate situated
 in the isolation cage, Harley snatched Brock's mouse toy and ran off with
 it.  Poor Brock never even got to play with it!  But the shelter said he
 doesn't play much, preferring to be petted and held.  That could be an
 issue when Brock is released from the cage, if he ignores Harley's attempt
 to play and climbs in my arms instead.  In the meantime, I am giving Harley
 lots of extra attention and playing with him.
 
  Marsha
 
 
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PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] My Moe

[Maya D'Alessio]

I would definitely say go to another vet. We educate ourselves well, but we
aren't vets, we can't know everything.
On Sep 21, 2014 8:29 PM, Lance lini...@fastmail.fm wrote:

 Your post came through fine. Can you consult with another vet? I was
 reluctant to give any medicine (or supplement) to my Ember without getting
 a professional’s advice and approval. That said, I’m sure others here can
 discuss what they’ve used in similar situations.

 I hope Moe is less sneezy tomorrow.

 Lance

 On Sep 21, 2014, at 6:20 PM, one23di...@aol.com wrote:

 I'm not sure if I am doing this posting properly or not, but here goes.

  Moe is my felv+ heart kitty.  A few days ago I noticed he was sneezing,
 and of course my vet is on vacation.  Started him on Amoxi-tabs (1 tablet,
 twice daily).  It has been 3 days and I think he is sneezing more and one
 eye has some discharge.

  I do have some other antibiotics in the house (clavamox, doxy) and
 wondered if one of them would be a better choice.

  The vet is not due back for another 10 days

  Any suggestions would be most welcome.
 leslie  Moe and the furballs
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Re: [Felvtalk] need some help/advice

[Maya D'Alessio]

Just wanted to send my emotional support to you and Roughy.  I will keep
you in my thoughts.

I lost my cat soul-mate, Yang to a VERY sudden and shocking onset of FeLV
(we didn't know she was positive, and she was only 3) only a few months
ago.  I hope your outcome is much happier.  Just remember that you've given
Roughy an amazing life, and continue to do so for as long as he is in your
life.

Sending all our love!

On Sun, Sep 14, 2014 at 8:16 PM, Matt Pardo mpa...@velocitystorm.com
wrote:

  Thanks Marsha! I will check it out!



 *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf
 Of *Marsha
 *Sent:* Sunday, September 14, 2014 2:39 PM

 *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] need some help/advice



 There are also veterinarians available on JustAnswer.com.  $20.  I gave
 Milkdud dexamethasone injections, rather than the pills, so that may be
 different.

 Marsha

 On 9/14/2014 1:47 PM, Matt Pardo wrote:

 Thanks so much, Susan! I will get on that page asap. I am sticking with
 the label since I am hoping the system is more correct.



 I appreciate the quick reply!



 *From:* Felvtalk [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org
 felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] *On Behalf Of *Susan Grimes
 *Sent:* Sunday, September 14, 2014 1:40 PM
 *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
 *Subject:* Re: [Felvtalk] need some help/advice



 Hi Matt and Roughy!!

 I just read your email and sense you need a quick answer to appropriate
 dosage for dex (which is a steroid).  I don't have a for-sure answer for
 you but, I can say thisI am a health care therapist and also a patient
 due to several autoimmune diseases.  This I know in humans, oral steroids
 are given in most cases in multiple doses (2-4) a day as it is a short
 acting medication.



  I would go by the printed dosage which is usually correct.  The best
 avenue to get quick feedback is on Face Book.  There is a page for Owners
 of Feline Leukemia and FIV cats  There are some very active ppl with a lot
 of experience that will answer pretty quickly.  I have had only a couple
 posts here.  I like and post a lot on the face book page almost daily.



 Wishing you and Roughy the best, and good health,

 Susan and Sophia



 On Sunday, September 14, 2014 12:12 PM, Matt Pardo 
 mpa...@velocitystorm.com wrote:



 Hi everyone, I am new to the list. I have been looking through the
 archives for an answer, but haven’t found it yet. Sorry if this has been
 answered before.



 My cat, named Roughy, was a feral cat with FIV and FeLV. I have had him
 for about four years now with only minor infections. However, on Thursday,
 he didn’t eat. On Friday, I took him to the vet. The vet said he was
 extremely anemic…unfortunately, I was too shell shocked to ask for a copy
 of the lab results so I can’t say what that means. He gave him a shot of
 dexamethasone on Friday and gave him fluids. He seemed much better when I
 took him home. He gave me some dex to give him to him. I could have sworn
 he said one time a day, but the label says 2 times per day (every 12
 hours). My concern is that I am giving him too much dex. The dosage per
 pill is 0.5 mg which nets to 1 mg per 24 hours. Is this ok/normal? This is
 the first anemia I have experienced and I am really worried. Poor Roughy
 had a really rough night Friday. Last night was a bit better, but he still
 seems to be struggling. I would really appreciate it if anyone knows if
 that dosage is ok. Of course, I have tried contacting my vet, but I can’t
 get him.



 Thanks!



 Matt




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Graduate Studies Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Felvtalk Digest, Vol 5, Issue 6

[Maya D'Alessio]

 lived together for a long time. I found out one
 was
   positive. The other tested negative, so I had her vaccinated against
 FeLV.
   But, they had already been in very close contact for a long time. If
 you do
   decide to bring in a negative cat, definitely make sure he/she is
   vaccinated against FeLV. It is not a fool proof vaccine but it helps.
  
   However, perhaps you could find another FeLV+ friend for Merlot. You
 could
   alert volunteers and staff at your local shelters and rescues to
 contact
   you before euthanizing if one of their strays tests positive for FeLV
 or if
   they hear of any positive cats. Or keep an eye on local rescue
 websites. We
   have one in the U.S. called Craigslist where people are always dumping
 or
   rehoming their pets.
  
   I personally wouldn't want to introduce a healthy cat to my positive
 cat.
   But that's an interesting perspective about saving one from death row,
 and
   certainly something to consider. And I know others on the list have
 done
   it, without many issues. Hopefully you can find a positive friend for
   Merlot. I do hate to think of him being lonely! 3
  
   Katherine
  
  
   On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 5:24 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com
 wrote:
  
So, my one cat Merlot is clearly lonely.  He is used to being second
 in
command to our cat Yang who passed away.
   
I work with a cat rescue, and the cats there all live communally
 until
they are adopted (with a quarantine area for cats on meds/who are
 really
sick).  She thinks that there isn't much of a problem with bringing
 another
cat in to the house, as long as the other cat is not immune
 compromised,
etc.  This contrasts with what my vet says - no other cat contact.
   
I'm not sure who to believe here.  Obviously FELV is contagious, and
 it is
passed from cat to cat.  The chance of that increases with increased
contact, but the lady made it seem that for the 20 years she's been
 running
the place she has only had a handful of FELV+ cats, none of them
 died from
it, and she had a 19 year old cat who had lived with all of them test
negative for FELV recently.  I can't imagine being responsible for
 exposing
another cat to the virus and getting them sick, but I also feel bad
 for
Merlot who is lonely.  I was thining maybe I would consider (in six
 months
or so), trying to take in a cat who was not going to find another
 home.
 ie. an older cat, or a cat from a society that they were about to
 put down.
   
What do you guys think / what has your vet said to you about this?
   
--
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
   
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  --
 
  Subject: Digest Footer
 
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  --
 
  End of Felvtalk Digest, Vol 5, Issue 6
  **
 
 
  --
 
 
  Love and Katnip,
~Kat~ =^,,^=
 
  I'm Kat Parker.  I park cats.
  Spay  neuter your neighbors...  maybe THAT will fix the problem.
  Keep your kitties INSIDE, 24/7, 'cause an inside cat is a SAFE  HAPPY
 cat!
 
  http://www.facebook.com/kat.theCRITTERprotector
 
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Re: [Felvtalk] FELV contagious

[Maya D'Alessio]

Thanks everyone,

Susan, good points on contacting local rescues.  My partner doesn't seem to
want to take another positive cat in (too much heartbreak maybe?), which I
do understand.

Your little one might test negative in six months, so don't lose hope!


On Tue, Aug 12, 2014 at 12:16 AM, Susan Grimes sweet2bcota...@att.net
wrote:

 Hi Maya,
 My Sophia was just diagnosed with FeLV last week.  I have 7 other cats who
 have been living with Sophia since I saved her hours from being eu'd.  She
 was 8 weeks old when I got her and now she is 16+ weeks old.  My cats age
 from one to nine years old.  My one year old Jacob has loved, played, and
 groomed Sophia from her mouth to the other end.  Everyone is fixed and has
 had their vaccinations.  My cats are 100% indoors and everyone gets along
 good.  I plan to have Jacob tested since he has so much close contact and
 hopefully he will be FeLV- then everyone will get a booster just for good
 measure.  I am praying everyone's vaccines and immune systems are working
 good, but no one will be isolated I will watch the older ones and treat
 symptomatically then test as needed.

 I too have been in rescue for 3 yrs and you can check with local groups
 and if you let them know you are looking for a + cat they will keep watch.
 They usually have daily contact with local shelters in large cities and
 will know if a + cat comes in.  You can also look on Petfinders.com and can
 find local rescue groups too.

 Best of luck,
 Susan  Sophia


   On Monday, August 11, 2014 4:24 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com
 wrote:


 So, my one cat Merlot is clearly lonely.  He is used to being second in
 command to our cat Yang who passed away.

 I work with a cat rescue, and the cats there all live communally until
 they are adopted (with a quarantine area for cats on meds/who are really
 sick).  She thinks that there isn't much of a problem with bringing another
 cat in to the house, as long as the other cat is not immune compromised,
 etc.  This contrasts with what my vet says - no other cat contact.

 I'm not sure who to believe here.  Obviously FELV is contagious, and it is
 passed from cat to cat.  The chance of that increases with increased
 contact, but the lady made it seem that for the 20 years she's been running
 the place she has only had a handful of FELV+ cats, none of them died from
 it, and she had a 19 year old cat who had lived with all of them test
 negative for FELV recently.  I can't imagine being responsible for exposing
 another cat to the virus and getting them sick, but I also feel bad for
 Merlot who is lonely.  I was thining maybe I would consider (in six months
 or so), trying to take in a cat who was not going to find another home.
  ie. an older cat, or a cat from a society that they were about to put down.

 What do you guys think / what has your vet said to you about this?

 --
 Maya D'Alessio
 PhD student
 B1 377B, x32320
 Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
 Biology GSA Vice Chair
 GSA Director At-Large
 University of Waterloo

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-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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[Felvtalk] FELV contagious

[Maya D'Alessio]

So, my one cat Merlot is clearly lonely.  He is used to being second in
command to our cat Yang who passed away.

I work with a cat rescue, and the cats there all live communally until they
are adopted (with a quarantine area for cats on meds/who are really sick).
 She thinks that there isn't much of a problem with bringing another cat in
to the house, as long as the other cat is not immune compromised, etc.
 This contrasts with what my vet says - no other cat contact.

I'm not sure who to believe here.  Obviously FELV is contagious, and it is
passed from cat to cat.  The chance of that increases with increased
contact, but the lady made it seem that for the 20 years she's been running
the place she has only had a handful of FELV+ cats, none of them died from
it, and she had a 19 year old cat who had lived with all of them test
negative for FELV recently.  I can't imagine being responsible for exposing
another cat to the virus and getting them sick, but I also feel bad for
Merlot who is lonely.  I was thining maybe I would consider (in six months
or so), trying to take in a cat who was not going to find another home.
 ie. an older cat, or a cat from a society that they were about to put down.

What do you guys think / what has your vet said to you about this?

-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Coco has diarrhea

[Maya D'Alessio]

Sending you positive thoughts!
On Jul 29, 2014 8:47 PM, Kelley moonv...@gmail.com wrote:

 I fear giardiasis.  We're going to vet tomorrow

 Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was
absolutely that for me.

I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the
fact that I'll never get to see her again.
On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, Jennifer Lewis blonded...@mac.com wrote:

 First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
 Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day),
 and losing her has rocked me to my core.

 My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could not
 have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.

 He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would never
 hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
 We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be
 weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long
 term situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us
 always for the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also
 is absolutely my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda
 'the Island of Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a
 senior, a cripple and a diabetic...

 Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really
 misses her Smoosh, as do I.

 I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.

 Jennifer


 On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:

  i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T
 WANT TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL
 WANT TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE
 LEFT UP TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING
 FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE
 INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER.
  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN
 THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I
 HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD
 VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE
 AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.
 
   Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:
  Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
  spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
  when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
  instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
  ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
  might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
 
  Marsha
 
   On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
  The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
  for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
  found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
 
 
 
  ___
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  Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

I feel the same. I am amazed by the depth of personality cats can have.
On Jul 26, 2014 9:40 PM, Lance lini...@fastmail.fm wrote:

 I think I might be in the same boat. My family has had many cats, and I
 loved them all, but Ember was *my* first and only cat. It’s so strange
 that’s she’s been gone for two months, and that everything at the end
 happened so fast. I’m sure I’ll adopt again, but Ember was special. Her
 loyalty, love, sensitivity, and intelligence were unique. I’m saddened that
 I’ll never get to hold her, kiss her, or talk to her again. She was one of
 the best friends I’ve ever had.

 On Jul 26, 2014, at 8:33 PM, Maya D'Alessio mde...@gmail.com wrote:

 I know exactly what you mean by, 'cat of a lifetime'. My yang was
 absolutely that for me.

 I looked at pictures of her today without crying, but sometimes I hate the
 fact that I'll never get to see her again.
 On Jul 26, 2014 7:53 PM, Jennifer Lewis blonded...@mac.com wrote:

 First off, Thank you all so much for your condolences.
 Smoosh was absolutely a 'cat of a lifetime' in every way (and every day),
 and losing her has rocked me to my core.

 My vet, Dr Stan Avezov of Pasadena Pets Hospital in Pasadena, CA could
 not have been any more wonderful with her, and supportive of us.

 He is compassionate and understanding to the nth degree, and I would
 never hesitate for a moment to advocate for him.
 We have financial limitations (Smoosh and Brynn were supposed to be
 weekend/temp fosters through a rescue until they tested + and their long
 term situations bailed on them) but he has consistently worked with us
 always for the greatest good for the girls throughout their lives. He also
 is absolutely my 'go to' for my other kitties as well, and we are kinda
 'the Island of Misfit Toys' at my house. I have a kidney survivor, a
 senior, a cripple and a diabetic...

 Brynn continues to thrive with his help and guidance, although she really
 misses her Smoosh, as do I.

 I wish everyone had a vet like Dr Stan.

 Jennifer


 On Jul 26, 2014, at 4:02 PM, dlg...@windstream.net wrote:

  i HAVE HEARD SO MANY STORIES OF VETS DOING THIS.  IT SEEMS THEY DON'T
 WANT TO BOTHER TREATING POSITIVES.  MAYBE THEY DON'T THINK THE OWNERS WILL
 WANT TO DEAL WITH THE EXPENSE OR TIME TO TREAT THEM, BUT THAT SHOULD BE
 LEFT UP TO THE OWNER TO DECIDE, NOT THE VET.  ESPECIALLY, IF PETA IS DOING
 FREE SPAYS/NEUTERS, DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS TO THEM.  I KNOW OF ONE
 INSTANCE WHERE THEY EUTHANIZED THE CATS WITHOUT EVER NOTIFYING THE OWNER..
  IT IS STANDARD PROCEEDURE WITH THEM. WHEN I GOT ANNIE, SHE HAD BEEN
 THROUGH A LOT OF STRESS AND SUDDENLY TESTED POSITIVE .  DR. RHODES SAID I
 HAD 2 CHOICES:  EUTHANIZE OR WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED.  HE SAID I SHOULD
 VACCINATE ALL THE OTHERS AS A PRECAUTION.  NO ONE ELSE EVER TESTED POSITIVE
 AS A RESULT OF BEING AROUND HER.
 
   Marsha mar...@lynxe.com wrote:
  Holy crap, not even an IFA confirmation?!  I once took a feral in to be
  spayed, only to discover in the afternoon they didn't do the surgery
  when she tested positive, and they couldn't get hold of me for
  instructions.  Now I make sure to give instructions beforehand - go
  ahead with the spay or neuter regardless of FeLV / FIV status (though I
  might hold off if there was a positive on the  heartworm test).
 
  Marsha
 
   On 7/25/2014 12:54 PM, Kelley S wrote:
  The low cost spay clinic I took Merlin to recommended immediate euth
  for merls, without so much as an IFA.  Of course I said no.  THen I
  found my holistic vet who boosts their system through supplements.
 
 
 
  ___
  Felvtalk mailing list
  Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
  http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
 
 
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

I am so, so sorry.  Yang was my soul mate, and I completely understand your
grief.  I know nothing can make it better, but I am sending you lots of
love and positive thoughts.


On Fri, Jul 25, 2014 at 12:01 AM, Jennifer Lewis blonded...@mac.com wrote:

 We said goodnight to my heart, my Smoosh about an hour ago.
 She contracted the virus from her feral mom, and came to us at 8 weeks
 after being trapped. We loved her dearly for 13 wonderful months until she
 left with my heart tonight.


 On Jul 24, 2014, at 6:12 PM, Maya D'Alessio wrote:

 I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I
 was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in
 hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
 frustrating.
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-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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[Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

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
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

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


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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

I got Yang first, when she was 5 months old.  A little over a year later I
got Merlot when he was 3 months old.  They lived together for over 1.5
years.  I think it's more likely that Yang gave it to Merlot, as he was so
young when he came in to our house, and I have read that kittens are much
more likely to succumb to the virus than adult cats.


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 4:57 PM, Katherine K. kaths...@gmail.com wrote:

 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

Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

Wow.  That really gives me hope.  My guy is only 2, so I hope I get to have
him as long as you had your Ember.  I am sorry you lost her.


On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 5:37 PM, Lance lini...@fastmail.fm wrote:

 I’m very sorry to hear about Yang’s passing and that Merlot has tested
 positive. Hopefully, Merlot has a lot more time ahead of him.

 I used interferon alpha and Liquid DMG fairly regularly for my Ember. She
 also got Transfer Factor (human formula; not the one for cats), but I
 wasn’t consistent with that and was uncertain about its efficacy. I might
 have eventually looked into LTCI, but my vet did not like the lack of
 third-party data on the treatment. However, that doesn’t mean that it
 doesn’t work.

 FeLV is scary, but don’t lose hope. Ember had minor illnesses here and
 there: sneezing (likely due to allergies) and an occasional day or two of
 diarrhea. For the latter condition, I would fast her for 12 hours (going
 much longer could cause liver damage), and I would feed her canned pumpkin
 (not pie filling but plain pumpkin) for a day to give her some fiber. These
 problems weren’t frequent for us, thankfully. Blood tests were moments of
 anxiety at times (Ember usually had low wbc).

 Ember lived for at least eight years from testing positive to her death
 two months ago. I would have liked to have had her longer (she was a little
 over 12 years old), but I feel very fortunate for all the time we had
 together.

 Lance

 On Jul 24, 2014, at 2:12 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
 
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-- 
Maya D'Alessio
PhD student
B1 377B, x32320
Graduate Student Endowment Fund Coordinator
Biology GSA Vice Chair
GSA Director At-Large
University of Waterloo
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Re: [Felvtalk] Just tested positive

[Maya D'Alessio]

I am a microbiologist, so the lack of research really does frustrate me. I
was asking the vet if we know if the viral load increases over time like in
hiv. He said there was very limited funding for felv research. Very
frustrating.
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