Re: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion
Hi Avakyn, Was this an "in house" test? Any other numbers out of range?I sure wouldn't be talking transfusion with those numbers. At 1 month old, I'm surprised you could even get enough blood to do the testing, but those numbers are not that bad. Weight loss at that age is very concerning, so something is going on. Of course, some labs have different ranges, but we'd need those to judge. Here's a pretty good explanation; http://www.cat-world.com.au/complete-blood-count Soby those ranges, her PCV is about 4 points low, but RBC is Within Normal Limits.Has a fecal for parasites been done? Were any other numbers out of range?I'd try doing some iron and B vitamins at least, and in this situation I'd be more interested in what the -holistic Vet has to say. AND I'd be looking for a new "regular" Vet. It might be important to find the cause of the lower PCV, and there could well be something very treatable going on. A transfusion in any cat is a big deal, and not something to be taken lightly. In a month old kitten, not even sure how it could be accomplished safely. And with those numbers, it's just NOT warranted. Wishing you and Kitty the best, Margo Original Message- From: Avaykn <ava...@gmail.com>Sent: Feb 27, 2014 6:45 PM To: felvpositivec...@yahoogroups.com, felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion Hello,Took Kitty, 1 months old FeLV positive cat to the vet a holistic vet has to say. hours ago because she was not eating very much. She had lost a little weigh, her temperature was at 101, we did a blood panel and her PCV is at 21.7 and her red blood cell at 5.28.Her holistic vet is recommending a remedy to help and her regular vet is recommending a blood transfusion.What are your experiences with these routes ?__._,_.___ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Blood transfusion
Hello, Took Kitty, 1 months old FeLV positive cat to the vet a few hours ago because she was not eating very much. She had lost a little weigh, her temperature was at 101, we did a blood panel and her PCV is at 21.7 and her red blood cell at 5.28. Her holistic vet is recommending a remedy to help and her regular vet is recommending a blood transfusion. What are your experiences with these routes ? __._,_.__ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion
I have never heard a transfusion recommended at PCV of 21. That is considered moderate anemia, not severe, and transfusions are usually reserved for severe (under 15 or even 13). Part of the reason is that cats can have allergic or auto-immune reactions to transfusions so they normally only give them when needed to preserve life, and part of the reason is the limited availability of blood. I have gotten transfusions for 2 cats in the past, both when their PCV was below 13. In both cases they helped for a very short time. In the first case, it helped keep a cat alive (who was FeLV+) long enough for chemo to kick in at which point his count went up for a while until the chemo stopped working. The second cat was Bear, who I lost recently, who was FIV+ and had hemolytic anemia, where he was killing off his red blood cells. He got 2 transfusions on one day and another a 5 days later. In both cases the transfusions raised his PCV a little for a couple days and then he started killing of the transfused blood too, and he died 3 days after the last transfusion. If the anemia is from something less serious or slower moving, a transfusion can last longer. But because of the associated risks, vets normally wait longer to do it. At 21.7, her anemia could be from some systemic issue like an infection or cancer. They get anemia when they are very sick from something else and if that thing is resolved the anemia resolves. So it may not get worse if you can solve whatever else is going on or treat it at least temporarily. Or she could have nonregenerative anemia and it will slowly get worse. But in that case she should adjust to the lower count after a few day and not be floored by it until it gets much lower. So I think I would go another route other than transfusion at first, and see if you can determine and treat whatever else is going on. 101 is not a fever for a cat, it's in the middle of normal, so she is not feverish. What is her white blood cell count? But if you do not do the transfusion, I would get her blood count rechecked soon to make sure it is not going down very fast, in which case you may need to soon. Is she really only 4 weeks old? You said 1 months, so I don't know if the 1 is the typo or the plural months. If she is 4 weeks old, it's possible that this changes things and vets would transfuse faster. But I also never heard of a kitten that young getting a transfusion. Michelle -Original Message- From: Avaykn ava...@gmail.com To: FeLVPositiveCats felvpositivec...@yahoogroups.com; felvtalk felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, Feb 27, 2014 6:45 pm Subject: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion Hello, Took Kitty, 1 months old FeLV positive cat to the vet a few hours ago because she was not eating very much. She had lost a little weigh, her temperature was at 101, we did a blood panel and her PCV is at 21.7 and her red blood cell at 5.28. Her holistic vet is recommending a remedy to help and her regular vet is recommending a blood transfusion. What are your experiences with these routes ? __._,_.___ ___ 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] Blood transfusion
There's a feline anemia yahoo group too, which may have more insights. Michelle -Original Message- From: Avaykn ava...@gmail.com To: FeLVPositiveCats felvpositivec...@yahoogroups.com; felvtalk felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, Feb 27, 2014 6:45 pm Subject: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion Hello, Took Kitty, 1 months old FeLV positive cat to the vet a few hours ago because she was not eating very much. She had lost a little weigh, her temperature was at 101, we did a blood panel and her PCV is at 21.7 and her red blood cell at 5.28. Her holistic vet is recommending a remedy to help and her regular vet is recommending a blood transfusion. What are your experiences with these routes ? __._,_.___ ___ 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] Blood transfusion
She is 18 months Sent from my iPhone. On Feb 27, 2014, at 18:55, lernermiche...@aol.com wrote: I have never heard a transfusion recommended at PCV of 21. That is considered moderate anemia, not severe, and transfusions are usually reserved for severe (under 15 or even 13). Part of the reason is that cats can have allergic or auto-immune reactions to transfusions so they normally only give them when needed to preserve life, and part of the reason is the limited availability of blood. I have gotten transfusions for 2 cats in the past, both when their PCV was below 13. In both cases they helped for a very short time. In the first case, it helped keep a cat alive (who was FeLV+) long enough for chemo to kick in at which point his count went up for a while until the chemo stopped working. The second cat was Bear, who I lost recently, who was FIV+ and had hemolytic anemia, where he was killing off his red blood cells. He got 2 transfusions on one day and another a 5 days later. In both cases the transfusions raised his PCV a little for a couple days and then he started killing of the transfused blood too, and he died 3 days after the last transfusion. If the anemia is from something less serious or slower moving, a transfusion can last longer. But because of the associated risks, vets normally wait longer to do it. At 21.7, her anemia could be from some systemic issue like an infection or cancer. They get anemia when they are very sick from something else and if that thing is resolved the anemia resolves. So it may not get worse if you can solve whatever else is going on or treat it at least temporarily. Or she could have nonregenerative anemia and it will slowly get worse. But in that case she should adjust to the lower count after a few day and not be floored by it until it gets much lower. So I think I would go another route other than transfusion at first, and see if you can determine and treat whatever else is going on. 101 is not a fever for a cat, it's in the middle of normal, so she is not feverish. What is her white blood cell count? But if you do not do the transfusion, I would get her blood count rechecked soon to make sure it is not going down very fast, in which case you may need to soon. Is she really only 4 weeks old? You said 1 months, so I don't know if the 1 is the typo or the plural months. If she is 4 weeks old, it's possible that this changes things and vets would transfuse faster. But I also never heard of a kitten that young getting a transfusion. Michelle -Original Message- From: Avaykn ava...@gmail.com To: FeLVPositiveCats felvpositivec...@yahoogroups.com; felvtalk felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thu, Feb 27, 2014 6:45 pm Subject: [Felvtalk] Blood transfusion Hello, Took Kitty, 1 months old FeLV positive cat to the vet a few hours ago because she was not eating very much. She had lost a little weigh, her temperature was at 101, we did a blood panel and her PCV is at 21.7 and her red blood cell at 5.28. Her holistic vet is recommending a remedy to help and her regular vet is recommending a blood transfusion. What are your experiences with these routes ? __._,_.___ ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Transfusion
Glad to hear it Dawn - wonderful news! GLoria On Feb 21, 2009, at 8:59 PM, mdgallo...@aol.com wrote: To all who wrote such kind notes and sent prayers, thank you so much. My little Macy had her transfusion on Thursday and was back to normal immediately. In fact, she began eating and drinking during the procedure! One of my son's cats was a match and all went well. She went home that evening and woke my son up the next morning chasing our other cat and playing with her big dog sister. Her blood count had gone down to 6 so she was very close to the end. I know that all of the prayers sent out was what made the difference. Thank you all for your advice and concern. Dawn ___ 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] Transfusion
Really great that the transfusion did so much for Macy, but keep in mind there was some cause for this to have happened and I don't remember seeing that addressed in any of your posts. Keep a very close eye on her blood count to see if it is starting down again as sometimes the transfusions alone only help for a very short time. Gary -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of mdgallo...@aol.com Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2009 8:59 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] Transfusion To all who wrote such kind notes and sent prayers, thank you so much. My little Macy had her transfusion on Thursday and was back to normal immediately. In fact, she began eating and drinking during the procedure! One of my son's cats was a match and all went well. She went home that evening and woke my son up the next morning chasing our other cat and playing with her big dog sister. Her blood count had gone down to 6 so she was very close to the end. I know that all of the prayers sent out was what made the difference. Thank you all for your advice and concern. Dawn ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org __ NOD32 3876 (20090221) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Transfusion
To all who wrote such kind notes and sent prayers, thank you so much. My little Macy had her transfusion on Thursday and was back to normal immediately. In fact, she began eating and drinking during the procedure! One of my son's cats was a match and all went well. She went home that evening and woke my son up the next morning chasing our other cat and playing with her big dog sister. Her blood count had gone down to 6 so she was very close to the end. I know that all of the prayers sent out was what made the difference. Thank you all for your advice and concern. Dawn ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] Transfusion
What wonderful news Dawn. I hope little Macy continues to thrive. Lynne - Original Message - From: mdgallo...@aol.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2009 9:59 PM Subject: [Felvtalk] Transfusion To all who wrote such kind notes and sent prayers, thank you so much. My little Macy had her transfusion on Thursday and was back to normal immediately. In fact, she began eating and drinking during the procedure! One of my son's cats was a match and all went well. She went home that evening and woke my son up the next morning chasing our other cat and playing with her big dog sister. Her blood count had gone down to 6 so she was very close to the end. I know that all of the prayers sent out was what made t he difference. Thank you all for your advice and concern. Dawn ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org __ NOD32 3876 (20090221) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
I don't know where you live, or the nature of the transfusion, it could be more involved that the usual. But I've had transfusions for a couple of my FELV cats, and they did extend their lives a bit. Just have to say that $800 sounds like an awfully expensive transfusion. Gloria On Jan 23, 2009, at 4:55 AM, catatonya wrote: I'm sorry, Jennifer. tonya James G Wilson phaed...@charter.net wrote: --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse To: Subject: Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
transfusions work and they don't work. when my red count got to 3.4, the doctor ordered transfusions in addition to procrit. they did not work because the Gemzar was wiping out my bone marrow and it could not produce cells faster than the Gemzar was killing them off. the only solution was to stop the chemo. i then bounced back and didn't look like a ghost. if meds are not causing the low count, then i would ask a lot of questions before i would do this to my baby. sometimes the cure is worse than the illness. it is hard, you want them to hang on because you do not want to lose them. that is the way it was with my father. i wanted so for him to live and i think he kept trying to for me. finally, he just could not go on anymore. he kept asking me if i was getting tired of taking care of him. cats can't ask us if we are tired of taking care of them, we just have to pay attention to them and read their body language. dorlis catatonya catato...@yahoo.com wrote: I'm sorry, Jennifer. tonya James G Wilson phaed...@charter.net wrote: --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse To: Subject: Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ 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 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
hi, i think that would be the way i would go. sometimes, we want to do all we can for them and all we are really doing is causing more suffering. have 5 new babies (that is all i can afford financially and physically to support), 1 felv+. so far, all is well, Annie shows no signs of illness. there has been some stress for her when the others came home since she is an alpha female and so is Casey, but we are down to a low growl when we pass one another. dorlis MacKenzie wrote: I am very sorry that you had such a bad experience, Jennifer. It's really unforgivable that a vet should be so unclear about what to expect from a transfusion for a kitty with nonregenerative anemia. I had my FeLV kitty, Flavia, given a transfusion after she was diagnosed with nonregenerative anemia and her hematocrit dropped to 7.5. Unlike Jennifer's careless (unethical?) vet, mine did tell me it would give her (only) an extra couple of weeks at most. I wanted those extra weeks to try to find a way to prolong her life significantly. I obtained immunoregulin for her but too late, so I didn't get a chance to try it. Nonetheless, in the same circumstances, I would not do a transfusion again. It was tremendously stressful for Flavia, it was very expensive ($1000 total for transfusion plus drawing my healthy cat's blood) and it gave her only 10 days extra (her HCT went up to 23), when her HCT plummeted again to 13. Like Jennifer, I would much rather concentrate on doing everything possible to ensure my cat enjoys every moment of the rest of her time, however long that may be, in the comfort of her own home. Kerry M. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of James G Wilson Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:05 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse redg...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org Subject: Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent:Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _ IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any tax advice expressed above by Mayer Brown LLP was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer to avoid U.S. federal tax penalties. If such advice was written or used to support the promotion or marketing of the matter addressed above, then each offeree should seek advice from an independent tax advisor. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
Jennifer, you and Mr. Darcy are in my thoughts and prayers. I think you are doing the best thing for your precious boy. God bless, Laurie From: Jennifer Dykhouse To: Subject: Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ 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 ___ 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] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
My vets and I made the decision not to transfuse Dixie Louise for the reasons you gave. I am very grateful that my vets were very up front about the situation and, while they made it an option and assured me they would arrange it, they would not put their own cats thru it (given Dixie's condition and total dislike of vets). She spent quite a bit of time with her holistic vet (to whom my regular vets had referred me years before with a little beagle and who saw all m critters since) but that did not seem to stress her the way a transfusion at a strange place wold have. All my vets let me stay with my friends no matter what is going on. Many specialists won't. Another reason we didn't do the transfusions. You did what you thought was best and Mr. Darcy loves you for that. However, I am sure he approves of your decision to let him wind down without the added stress. Blessings to you. On Jan 21, 2009, at 9:04 PM, James G Wilson wrote: --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse redg...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org Subject:Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org Marylyn, Copper Thomas ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
I am very sorry that you had such a bad experience, Jennifer. It's really unforgivable that a vet should be so unclear about what to expect from a transfusion for a kitty with nonregenerative anemia. I had my FeLV kitty, Flavia, given a transfusion after she was diagnosed with nonregenerative anemia and her hematocrit dropped to 7.5. Unlike Jennifer's careless (unethical?) vet, mine did tell me it would give her (only) an extra couple of weeks at most. I wanted those extra weeks to try to find a way to prolong her life significantly. I obtained immunoregulin for her but too late, so I didn't get a chance to try it. Nonetheless, in the same circumstances, I would not do a transfusion again. It was tremendously stressful for Flavia, it was very expensive ($1000 total for transfusion plus drawing my healthy cat's blood) and it gave her only 10 days extra (her HCT went up to 23), when her HCT plummeted again to 13. Like Jennifer, I would much rather concentrate on doing everything possible to ensure my cat enjoys every moment of the rest of her time, however long that may be, in the comfort of her own home. Kerry M. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of James G Wilson Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:05 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse redg...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org Subject:Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _ IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any tax advice expressed above by Mayer Brown LLP was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any taxpayer to avoid U.S. federal tax penalties. If such advice was written or used to support the promotion or marketing of the matter addressed above, then each offeree should seek advice from an independent tax advisor. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
Wow, that is an extremely high cost for a transfusion, they are rip offs, where do you live? I have gotten transfusions for under $200.00. You may ask your vet about trying epogen, procrit or arsnap all help with anemia. Bailey my positive was on epogen and prednisolone when he was anemic. His HCT went from a low of 15 to 40 in 6 weeks. He remained in the mid 30's the rest of his life. He died from undiagnosed pancreatic cancer. Do they know what is causing the anemia? Has he ever been on doxycycline for 4 weeks minimum? Hemobartonella is almost impossible to test for and many cats have been saved by being put on doxy even thought they tested negative for hemo. From other lists I'm on I know of several cats tested 4 or 5 times testing negative being put on doxy and recovering ... obviously they had hemo but were testing negative. There are other drugs in the tetroclycline family if Darcy can't tolerate doxy, doxy is just thought to work the best. Prayers coming to little Darcy and your family. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... http://bemikitties.com http://BelindaSauro.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
We transfused our cat Gray Kitty twice now. The lowest his hematocrit ever went was 9. After each transfusion he went up to around 30-35 which is in the normal range, then dipped down to 18-20 where he remains. From: phaed...@charter.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:04:36 -0600 Subject: [Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse redg...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org Subject: Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _ Windows Live™ Hotmail®:…more than just e-mail. http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_hm_justgotbetter_explore_012009 ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] (Fwd) Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat
--- Forwarded message follows --- From: Jennifer Dykhouse redg...@hotmail.com To: felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org Subject:Blood transfusion on Felv+ cat Date sent: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:17:45 -0500 Hello everyone, I thought I'd let you know how the blood transfusion helped/didn't help my Felv+ cat, so that if you need to reach that decision, you can see my example. The day before we did the blood transfusion, Mr. Darcy's hematocrit count was at 7 (I was told that 30 is the lowest you can be and still be healthy). He was extremely lethargic and as a result would eat. He lost 2 pounds in a month (even with us assist feeding him) and he was starting to catch a respiratory bug. Right after the transfusion, which cost 800 dollars and took about 5 hours, his hematocrit was at 17. That's great, but I am upset. I was thinking he'd be brought up to a healthy level, not just a slightly better level. He had perked up and he is eating turkey baby food now, but he still is extremely tired and now he has balance troubles. What I am most upset with was the lack of information from my vet and the animal hospital. When told about the blood transfusion by my normal vet, she made it sound like he'd be back at a healthy level and that it could work for months and that it was perfectly safe. When we were handing him over to the vet at the hospital, he finally told me that Mr. Darcy could die during the procedure and that it may only last a few hours, days. I am furious. It makes me feel like money is more important then informing the owner. I have decided to not do any more transfusions due to the fact that he's in the last stage of his illness and going to the vet really stresses him out. He won't eat for the rest of the day and since the transfusion may only give him days, I would rather have him enjoy his last days/weeks. So right now, we're at the point where the most we can do is get him to eat and sleep and to pet him and love him as much as we can. Now, your cat may have a different experience, but I just wanted to tell my story. Jennifer and Mr. Darcy __ ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: blood transfusion
I do know of one cat that has had many transfusions, more than 5, I think it was one of Hideyo's cats, I seem to remember her posting it on the anemia list I'm on. I believe it was because the epogen quit working or her vet thought the cat had developed aiitbodies. I will write her and ask to double check, this cat is alive and well though still with an extremely low HCT, she is doing good. The vets can't figure out what is causing her anemia. Did you get the answers you needed? Speaking specifically about anemic cats who are FeLV+, blood transfusions are probably given every 10 days, and probably not more than 3 times. This is only knowledge I have gleaned from what I've seen here in the past two years and might not be completely right. Some vets won't even do more than 2 transfusions. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
RE: blood transfusion
The vet I was taking Monkee to wouldn't do more than 2 transfusions. We only did one. When it wore off, it wore off bad. I realize now that Monkee was suffering much more than he let on and I just didn't know it at the time because he was such a toughie, with a real zest for life. I think psychologically, when you have a very anemic cat, the blood transfusion effects can be really hard to deal with. Monkee had lymphosarcoma at the same time and I wonder now if that was causing him pain and difficulty more than the anemia. In the future, I personally would only consider multiple transfusions (ignoring the cost for the sake of my hypothetical) maybe if anemia is the only thing a cat is suffering from. In hindsight, I feel like we were keeping something going that shouldn't have kept going and I think the fact that he died in my arms before we could even get him to a vet exactly 14 days after the transfusion, was proof of that. His body literally was not making and red blood cells at all and he needed that replacement blood to even function. But it's just a replacement and the body uses it up. So psychologically, it was really hard on me to see this cat I loved more than anything be normal again for a while just because he'd been given some replacement blood. And then to witness the effects of the transfusion wearing off slowly...very hard to endure. I just think doing a blood transfusion really needs to be thought through, especially if you have a cat who's Felv and anemia is maybe the least of his problems...like it was in Monkee's case. -Caroline Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:05:48 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: blood transfusion I do know of one cat that has had many transfusions, more than 5, I think it was one of Hideyo's cats, I seem to remember her posting it on the anemia list I'm on. I believe it was because the epogen quit working or her vet thought the cat had developed aiitbodies. I will write her and ask to double check, this cat is alive and well though still with an extremely low HCT, she is doing good. The vets can't figure out what is causing her anemia. Did you get the answers you needed? Speaking specifically about anemic cats who are FeLV+, blood transfusions are probably given every 10 days, and probably not more than 3 times. This is only knowledge I have gleaned from what I've seen here in the past two years and might not be completely right. Some vets won't even do more than 2 transfusions. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
Re: blood transfusion
Caroline, I remember Monkee and all the heartache you guys went through. I would be doing all positives a disservice though if I didn't make a point about what my vet told me and I have personally seen happen with some cats on the lists I'm on. Sometimes for what ever reason it takes 2 or 3 or more transfusions to kick start a cats blood production, my vet told me she has done up to 5 transfusions on the same cat with no ill effects. Of course you still need to find out what is causing the anemia so you can hopefully fix it. Baileys anemia was his first symptom of the cancer we couldn't find until after he passed BUT we did reverse the non-regenerative anemia with epogen and prednisolone, his HCT was normal (33% from a low point of 15%) when the cancer took him.* * I didn't need to do a transfusion with Bailey because I did a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing the anemia and treated accordingly. Every cat I've lost has taught me something in hindsight that I and my vet missed at the time, I wish my guys weren't the ones that had to pay with their lives but I know one thing, if I ever hear of a cat having the same symptoms or God forbid I have a cat with like symptoms, I will know what to tell them to look for, doesn't mean they will but I will make the effort to let them know. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
RE: blood transfusion
I know, you are also right. But I didn't want to make Monkee go through the bone marrow aspirate because he'd already been through so much, since we did Chemo on him (which, in hindsight, I will NOT do again with another animal). I'm sure it's possible the chemo itself brought up the anemia, but he had the lump on his leg that was only getting bigger with chemo (which the Dr. was shocked by) and by the time we did the transfusion, he had lumps in his stomach and groin area, so the cancer was clearly spreading- despite chemo. The Doctor was almost positive it was the cancer causing the anemia and at the time, I was so disenchanted with her, I didn't really listen. But I'm sure now that she was right. We felt like a bone marrow aspirate would just tell us what we already knew, but didn't want to admit. I guess my point was really that the blood transfusions are so emotionally taxing. -Caroline Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:27:21 -0700From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: blood transfusion Caroline, I remember Monkee and all the heartache you guys went through.I would be doing all positives a disservice though if I didn't make a point about what my vet told me and I have personally seen happen with some cats on the lists I'm on.Sometimes for what ever reason it takes 2 or 3 or more transfusions to kick start a cats blood production, my vet told me she has done up to 5 transfusions on the same cat with no ill effects. Of course you still need to find out what is causing the anemia so you can hopefully fix it. Baileys anemia was his first symptom of the cancer we couldn't find until after he passed BUT we did reverse the non-regenerative anemia with epogen and prednisolone, his HCT was normal (33% from a low point of 15%) when the cancer took him. I didn't need to do a transfusion with Bailey because I did a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing the anemia and treated accordingly.Every cat I've lost has taught me something in hindsight that I and my vet missed at the time, I wish my guys weren't the ones that had to pay with their lives but I know one thing, if I ever hear of a cat having the same symptoms or God forbid I have a cat with like symptoms, I will know what to tell them to look for, doesn't mean they will but I will make the effort to let them know.-- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
Re: blood transfusion
Similar with my vet - limited # of transfusions. But it didn't have any ill effects on mine, only positive, then after a time they went down again. Gloria On Oct 17, 2007, at 9:06 AM, Caroline Kaufmann wrote: The vet I was taking Monkee to wouldn't do more than 2 transfusions. We only did one. When it wore off, it wore off bad. I realize now that Monkee was suffering much more than he let on and I just didn't know it at the time because he was such a toughie, with a real zest for life. I think psychologically, when you have a very anemic cat, the blood transfusion effects can be really hard to deal with. Monkee had lymphosarcoma at the same time and I wonder now if that was causing him pain and difficulty more than the anemia. In the future, I personally would only consider multiple transfusions (ignoring the cost for the sake of my hypothetical) maybe if anemia is the only thing a cat is suffering from. In hindsight, I feel like we were keeping something going that shouldn't have kept going and I think the fact that he died in my arms before we could even get him to a vet exactly 14 days after the transfusion, was proof of that. His body literally was not making and red blood cells at all and he needed that replacement blood to even function. But it's just a replacement and the body uses it up. So psychologically, it was really hard on me to see this cat I loved more than anything be normal again for a while just because he'd been given some replacement blood. And then to witness the effects of the transfusion wearing off slowly...very hard to endure. I just think doing a blood transfusion really needs to be thought through, especially if you have a cat who's Felv and anemia is maybe the least of his problems...like it was in Monkee's case. -Caroline Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 06:05:48 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: blood transfusion I do know of one cat that has had many transfusions, more than 5, I think it was one of Hideyo's cats, I seem to remember her posting it on the anemia list I'm on. I believe it was because the epogen quit working or her vet thought the cat had developed aiitbodies. I will write her and ask to double check, this cat is alive and well though still with an extremely low HCT, she is doing good. The vets can't figure out what is causing her anemia. Did you get the answers you needed? Speaking specifically about anemic cats who are FeLV+, blood transfusions are probably given every 10 days, and probably not more than 3 times. This is only knowledge I have gleaned from what I've seen here in the past two years and might not be completely right. Some vets won't even do more than 2 transfusions. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! Try now!
RE: blood transfusion
Blood transfusions really are emotionally taxing. Olive was only given one, because at the time I took her to the vet, I had no idea what was wrong with her. The vet discovered she was extremely anemic, but didn't know why, and said that if I wanted her to live, she needed one. I didn't know until a couple days after the transfusion, when she was doing so much better, that she was positive. And only a day or two after that, when she had become her normal, extremely playful, semi-annoying self once again, she started going downhill. It was the most heartwrenching thing I've ever experienced. I thought I had saved her life, but I had only given her an extra few days of feeling better before fading again. I considered another transfusion, but after doing extensive research, I figured it would be a lost cause. I didn't want to put her through any more pain. Transfusions are good in live-threatening situations, but with non-regenerative anemia, they only postpone the inevitable, and not for long. -Megan -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Wed 10/17/2007 11:46 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: blood transfusion I know, you are also right. But I didn't want to make Monkee go through the bone marrow aspirate because he'd already been through so much, since we did Chemo on him (which, in hindsight, I will NOT do again with another animal). I'm sure it's possible the chemo itself brought up the anemia, but he had the lump on his leg that was only getting bigger with chemo (which the Dr. was shocked by) and by the time we did the transfusion, he had lumps in his stomach and groin area, so the cancer was clearly spreading- despite chemo. The Doctor was almost positive it was the cancer causing the anemia and at the time, I was so disenchanted with her, I didn't really listen. But I'm sure now that she was right. We felt like a bone marrow aspirate would just tell us what we already knew, but didn't want to admit. I guess my point was really that the blood transfusions are so emotionally taxing. -Caroline Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:27:21 -0700From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: blood transfusion Caroline, I remember Monkee and all the heartache you guys went through.I would be doing all positives a disservice though if I didn't make a point about what my vet told me and I have personally seen happen with some cats on the lists I'm on.Sometimes for what ever reason it takes 2 or 3 or more transfusions to kick start a cats blood production, my vet told me she has done up to 5 transfusions on the same cat with no ill effects. Of course you still need to find out what is causing the anemia so you can hopefully fix it. Baileys anemia was his first symptom of the cancer we couldn't find until after he passed BUT we did reverse the non-regenerative anemia with epogen and prednisolone, his HCT was normal (33% from a low point of 15%) when the cancer took him. I didn't need to do a transfusion with Bailey because I did a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing the anemia and treated accordingly.Every cat I've lost has taught me something in hindsight that I and my vet missed at the time, I wish my guys weren't the ones that had to pay with their lives but I know one thing, if I ever hear of a cat having the same symptoms or God forbid I have a cat with like symptoms, I will know what to tell them to look for, doesn't mean they will but I will make the effort to let them know.-- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews winmail.dat
RE: blood transfusion
Megan: I tried to prepare you for that when you first joined the list due to Olive's condition with relaying to you Monkee's experience. But it's never as bad as it is when you actually experience it yourself. Our experiences were similar in so many ways. -Caroline Subject: RE: blood transfusion Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:02:58 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Blood transfusions really are emotionally taxing. Olive was only given one, because at the time I took her to the vet, I had no idea what was wrong with her. The vet discovered she was extremely anemic, but didn't know why, and said that if I wanted her to live, she needed one. I didn't know until a couple days after the transfusion, when she was doing so much better, that she was positive. And only a day or two after that, when she had become her normal, extremely playful, semi-annoying self once again, she started going downhill. It was the most heartwrenching thing I've ever experienced. I thought I had saved her life, but I had only given her an extra few days of feeling better before fading again. I considered another transfusion, but after doing extensive research, I figured it would be a lost cause. I didn't want to put her through any more pain. Transfusions are good in live-threatening situations, but with non-regenerative anemia, they only postpone the inevitable, and not for long. -Megan -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Caroline Kaufmann Sent: Wed 10/17/2007 11:46 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: RE: blood transfusion I know, you are also right. But I didn't want to make Monkee go through the bone marrow aspirate because he'd already been through so much, since we did Chemo on him (which, in hindsight, I will NOT do again with another animal). I'm sure it's possible the chemo itself brought up the anemia, but he had the lump on his leg that was only getting bigger with chemo (which the Dr. was shocked by) and by the time we did the transfusion, he had lumps in his stomach and groin area, so the cancer was clearly spreading- despite chemo. The Doctor was almost positive it was the cancer causing the anemia and at the time, I was so disenchanted with her, I didn't really listen. But I'm sure now that she was right. We felt like a bone marrow aspirate would just tell us what we already knew, but didn't want to admit. I guess my point was really that the blood transfusions are so emotionally taxing. -Caroline Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:27:21 -0700From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Re: blood transfusion Caroline, I remember Monkee and all the heartache you guys went through.I would be doing all positives a disservice though if I didn't make a point about what my vet told me and I have personally seen happen with some cats on the lists I'm on.Sometimes for what ever reason it takes 2 or 3 or more transfusions to kick start a cats blood production, my vet told me she has done up to 5 transfusions on the same cat with no ill effects. Of course you still need to find out what is causing the anemia so you can hopefully fix it. Baileys anemia was his first symptom of the cancer we couldn't find until after he passed BUT we did reverse the non-regenerative anemia with epogen and prednisolone, his HCT was normal (33% from a low point of 15%) when the cancer took him. I didn't need to do a transfusion with Bailey because I did a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing the anemia and treated accordingly.Every cat I've lost has taught me something in hindsight that I and my vet missed at the time, I wish my guys weren't the ones that had to pay with their lives but I know one thing, if I ever hear of a cat having the same symptoms or God forbid I have a cat with like symptoms, I will know what to tell them to look for, doesn't mean they will but I will make the effort to let them know.-- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
Re: blood transfusion
Not sure your vet knew this but the most reliable way to get all the cancer when it is on a limb is amputation of that limb and then possibly chemo. Animals do very well with missing limbs. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
blood transfusion
Thank-you for the replies. My cat Sunny had follow-up bloodwork on Tuesday and has had modest improvement, which makes me very happy. He was diagnosed with feline leukemia just a week before. Neutered, fully vaccinated and before this completely healthy. I noticed his gums were pale and he lost a pound or two but I didn't think it was anything serious. I think I'm over the initial shock and just focusing on keeping him happy. He's on prednisone and interferon now. I hate being faced with unpredictability. The reason I asked about the transfusions was because the only other person I know who has a feline leukemia cat has had two years of good health after a transfusion. I'm realizing though that although the transfusion probably helped, that particular cat may have made it anyways. My Sunny is a shy guy, and before I subject him to the stress, I wanted to know if I'm really helping him. My vet said it's hard on their liver and suggested against it at this point. I have 4 other cats, who of course have now all been exposed, so I'm learning as much as I can and hoping for the best. Thank-you for your help. Sincerely, Angela - Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail
Re: blood transfusion
Hi Angela, Did you get the answers you needed? Speaking specifically about anemic cats who are FeLV+, blood transfusions are probably given every 10 days, and probably not more than 3 times. This is only knowledge I have gleaned from what I've seen here in the past two years and might not be completely right. Some vets won't even do more than 2 transfusions. Lance was right. The anemia has to be corrected and transfusions only buy time; they don't fix the problem. :) Wendy Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world - indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ - Original Message From: Angela B. [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 10:48:05 AM Subject: blood transfusion I would like to know how often FELV cats are given blood transfusions and how successful are they? Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail Building a website is a piece of cake. Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online. http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting
Re: blood transfusion
Baileys anemia was Non regenerative and epogen and trednisolone brought it back to normal. For example, Epogen has been discussed on this list for FeLV+ cats with regenerative anemia. Someone will hopefully come along to give much better (and more specific) info than I have. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: blood transfusion
And there you have it. The power of the list. On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 09:32:17 -0700, Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: Baileys anemia was Non regenerative and epogen and trednisolone brought it back to normal. For example, Epogen has been discussed on this list for FeLV+ cats with regenerative anemia. Someone will hopefully come along to give much better (and more specific) info than I have. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com -- Lance Linimon [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: blood transfusion
I meant prednisolone epogen and trednisolone -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
blood transfusion
I would like to know how often FELV cats are given blood transfusions and how successful are they? - Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail
Re: blood transfusion
Angela, I have not had experience with transfusions and cats. From what I've read, transfusions are usually given to FeLV+ cats when they are severely anemic. The transfusion may be successful, in that the kitty will feel much better for awhile. Unfortunately, this doesn't clear up the anemia. It simply buys time, and the effects wear off. There are folks on this list with experience who can tell you their own stories, and a compassionate and experienced vet should be able to tell you when a transfusion is needed and what kind of success they've seen. I can tell you that you want to do what you can to boost red blood cell counts with other measures. For example, Epogen has been discussed on this list for FeLV+ cats with regenerative anemia. Someone will hopefully come along to give much better (and more specific) info than I have. Lance On Oct 13, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Angela B. wrote: I would like to know how often FELV cats are given blood transfusions and how successful are they? Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail
Belinda--going to do transfusion with CW
CW went to the vet today and got a B12 shot and she and two of her negative buddies were typed to confirm they are compatible for transfusion (I have at least two good donor cats). Since CW is eating great (without any appetite stimulants) and not in any respiratory distress and her overall attitude and appearance is very positive, the vet said we could do the transfusion on Friday once with confirm the blood typing compatibiliy -- although it would be very rare, if the cats were not compatible, we might make things worse. My vet thinks the drop in RBC has been chronic and very gradual and may not dropping as quickly as sometimes since there have been no other symptomsso a wait of 2 days was ok. I am willing to try the epogen and prednisolone provided giving them is not a struggle and stressful to CW. I know this is not a cure, but since her qualitiy of life is still good, I sort of feel that I owe it to her to try and maintain that. I will keep folks posted. I am going to look into the supplement you suggested, too. Thanks, Tracy
Re: multiple transfusion and steroid
- Original Message - From: HIDEYO YAMAMOTOmailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ; felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgmailto:felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 10:55 PM Subject: Fw: multiple transfusion and steroid Hi, when giving multiple transfusions to a cat, is it common to give steroid ( Injection of dex) and benedryl (sp) prior to transfusion to minize any reaction?
Fw: multiple transfusion and steroid
Hi, when giving multiple transfusions to a cat, is it common to give steroid ( Injection of dex) and benedryl (sp) prior to transfusion to minize any reaction?
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo, I am very sorry Felix crossed the Bridge. Gina elizabeth trent [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hideyo, I am so very sorry you lost your Felix. My heart hurts with you.. elizabeth On 4/2/07, Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type.. Visit my Tigger Tales site! - 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Felix sends you so much love. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow man. St. Francis - Original Message - From: Kelley Saveika [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 6:59 AM Subject: Re: Feline blood for transfusion available Oh no, I'm so sorry Hideyo. On 4/2/07, Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away –due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks – I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven – please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type.. -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20 Please help Joey! http://rescuties.chipin.com/joey-autoimmune-hemolytic-anemia
Feline blood for transfusion available
Hi, my Felix passes away -due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks - I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven - please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type..
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Oh no, I'm so sorry Hideyo. On 4/2/07, Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away –due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks – I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven – please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type.. -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://astore.amazon.com/rescuties-20 Please help Joey! http://rescuties.chipin.com/joey-autoimmune-hemolytic-anemia
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo, I am so very sorry you lost your Felix. My heart hurts with you.. elizabeth On 4/2/07, Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away –due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks – I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven – please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type..
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
I'm so sorry about Felix passing, that anemia is such a terrible thing. I'm dealing with anemia with my Tomi as well. - Original Message - From: Hideyo Yamamoto To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 3:07 AM Subject: Feline blood for transfusion available Hi, my Felix passes away -due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks - I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven - please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type.. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.24/742 - Release Date: 4/1/2007 8:49 PM
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo- I am so sorry- you and your kitty are in my thoughts.
C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in;
margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN:
0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt;
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FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman } A:link {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue;
TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION:
underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION:
underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: Arial;
mso-style-type: personal-compose } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } I'm so
sorry about Felix passing, that anemia is such a terrible thing. I'm dealing
with anemia with my Tomi as well.
- Original Message -
From:Hideyo Yamamoto
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 3:07 AM
Subject: Feline blood for transfusionavailable
Hi, my Felix passes away due tosevere anemia, he had 4 transfusion
during the past couple of weeks I hae 2more units of blood that I
purchased form blood bank for my baby Felixavailable since Felix has gone
to heaven please let me know if anyone needstransfusion for your kitty -
its for feline Atype..
-
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Checked by AVG FreeEdition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.24/742 - Release Date:4/1/2007
8:49 PM
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Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo, I am so sorry for your loss!!! That anemia is a HORRIBLE enemy
Jenna [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hideyo- I am so sorry- you and your kitty are
in my thoughts.
C J [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: @page Section1 {size: 8.5in 11.0in;
margin: 1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; } P.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN:
0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman } LI.MsoNormal { FONT-SIZE: 12pt;
MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman } DIV.MsoNormal {
FONT-SIZE: 12pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman } A:link {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue;
TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION:
underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION:
underline } SPAN.EmailStyle17 { COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: Arial;
mso-style-type: personal-compose } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } I'm so
sorry about Felix passing, that anemia is such a terrible thing. I'm dealing
with anemia with my Tomi as well.
- Original Message -
From: Hideyo Yamamoto
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 3:07 AM
Subject: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hi, my Felix passes away due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during
the past couple of weeks I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form
blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven please
let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - its for feline A
type..
-
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Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo, I am so sorry to hear about your precious Felix. You were so good to him. :) Wendy --- Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away -due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks - I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven - please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - it's for feline A type.. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: Indeed it is the only thing that ever has! ~~~ Margaret Meade ~~~ It's here! Your new message! Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/toolbar/features/mail/
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
Hideyo, I'm so sorry for your loss of Felix. tonya Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - its for feline A type..
Re: Feline blood for transfusion available
So sorry to hear about your baby passing away. Beth Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, my Felix passes away due to severe anemia, he had 4 transfusion during the past couple of weeks I hae 2 more units of blood that I purchased form blood bank for my baby Felix available since Felix has gone to heaven please let me know if anyone needs transfusion for your kitty - its for feline A type.. - 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
Re: Transfusion?
What I would do is get the transfusion and start him on epogen, do they know what is causing the anemia. Bailey my positive was anemic and it was due to the virus surpressing his immune system, my vet started him on epogen and a fairly high dose of prenisolone (20mgs) before he got horribly bad and it brought his HCT back up to 40%. His HCT was 20% when my vet suggested epogen and it got down as low as 15% while we were waiting for the epogen to kick in. When we started the epogen his HCT was at 18%, it dropped to 15% but went up from there. It took about 6 weeks from the time we started the epogen for it to get back up to forty and it went down the first week. Epogen and or Procrit (they are the same this but Procrit is cheaper by about $25 dollars in my area) can take as long as 3 weeks to kick in and sometimes even longer so don't wait to much longer if you decide to give it a try. Vets will scare you by telling you that cats will eventually develope antibodies to the epogen but that happens in reality about 10% of the time and usually only after being on it for 3 months or longer. Bailey was on it 5 months before he passed of undiagnosed cancer. We knew he had cancer because of his symptoms but we couldn't find it, we did every test imaginable and could pin point where or what kind. By the time I consented to exploratory surgery to find it Bailey was too weak to have it. My vet was treating a cat that was on it a year with no problem. Here is what I think about, without the epogen or continuous transfusions Slinky will die ... period. Just out of curiousity was he tested for hemobartonella and has he been treated with doxycycline for a minimum of 4 weeks. Hemobartonella is VERY hard to test for but most vets as a precaution will put anemic cats on it while trying to figure out what is causing the anemia. Bailey had a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing his anemia. It did show myloid dysplastic pre-cancerous cells, and when he still didn't perk up after his HCT was normal again and was having muscle wasting thats when we knew there was most likely cancer somewhere. He fisrt got sick with anemia in December of 2005 and succumbed to pancreatic cancer in May of 2006, he was 11 years old, he was positive since 5 months of age when he found me and changed my life.:) Lots of prayers coming to Slinky, I hope you can reverse his anemia and pull him through this. What is his HCT?? -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: Transfusion?
I guarantee you most vets are going to say a FeLV positive isn't going to be helped by epogen, and Baileys anemia was considered to be non regenerative and the epogen did help him, he was getting prednisolone also and I think for him and what was causing his anemia they were both needed. If it's non-regenerative, meaning that he has no reticulocyte count at all, then that's not good. However, if you think your vet knows what he is talking about, and doesn't think the transfusion or Epogen will help, then you might have to consider letting Slinky go. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
To Marissa Re: Transfusion?
Duh! I feel so stupid not suggesting the Doxy treatment also. I know you said that Slinky had been on 2 rounds of antibiotics; which kinds were they? Hemobartanella is very hard to diagnose, so even with a negative hemobart test, I would still definitely go with the 2 week doxy treatment in case it is hemobartanella if Slinky hasn't had that yet. :) Wendy --- Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What I would do is get the transfusion and start him on epogen, do they know what is causing the anemia. Bailey my positive was anemic and it was due to the virus surpressing his immune system, my vet started him on epogen and a fairly high dose of prenisolone (20mgs) before he got horribly bad and it brought his HCT back up to 40%. His HCT was 20% when my vet suggested epogen and it got down as low as 15% while we were waiting for the epogen to kick in. When we started the epogen his HCT was at 18%, it dropped to 15% but went up from there. It took about 6 weeks from the time we started the epogen for it to get back up to forty and it went down the first week. Epogen and or Procrit (they are the same this but Procrit is cheaper by about $25 dollars in my area) can take as long as 3 weeks to kick in and sometimes even longer so don't wait to much longer if you decide to give it a try. Vets will scare you by telling you that cats will eventually develope antibodies to the epogen but that happens in reality about 10% of the time and usually only after being on it for 3 months or longer. Bailey was on it 5 months before he passed of undiagnosed cancer. We knew he had cancer because of his symptoms but we couldn't find it, we did every test imaginable and could pin point where or what kind. By the time I consented to exploratory surgery to find it Bailey was too weak to have it. My vet was treating a cat that was on it a year with no problem. Here is what I think about, without the epogen or continuous transfusions Slinky will die ... period. Just out of curiousity was he tested for hemobartonella and has he been treated with doxycycline for a minimum of 4 weeks. Hemobartonella is VERY hard to test for but most vets as a precaution will put anemic cats on it while trying to figure out what is causing the anemia. Bailey had a bone marrow aspirate to find out what was causing his anemia. It did show myloid dysplastic pre-cancerous cells, and when he still didn't perk up after his HCT was normal again and was having muscle wasting thats when we knew there was most likely cancer somewhere. He fisrt got sick with anemia in December of 2005 and succumbed to pancreatic cancer in May of 2006, he was 11 years old, he was positive since 5 months of age when he found me and changed my life.:) Lots of prayers coming to Slinky, I hope you can reverse his anemia and pull him through this. What is his HCT?? -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): Yahoo! TV's Guilty Pleasures list. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/265
Re: Transfusion?
Great advice Belinda. I guess if Slinky's diagnosis isn't good, the Epogen wouldn't hurt anyway, right? I am so glad we have each other here. No one knows it all, and we all have so much to offer. Good luck Marissa at the vets. I hope that Slinky is able to pull through this. :) Wendy --- Belinda [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I guarantee you most vets are going to say a FeLV positive isn't going to be helped by epogen, and Baileys anemia was considered to be non regenerative and the epogen did help him, he was getting prednisolone also and I think for him and what was causing his anemia they were both needed. If it's non-regenerative, meaning that he has no reticulocyte count at all, then that's not good. However, if you think your vet knows what he is talking about, and doesn't think the transfusion or Epogen will help, then you might have to consider letting Slinky go. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
Transfusion?
Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ - TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks on Yahoo! TV.
Re: Transfusion?
In my limited experience, blood transfusions really really can help, for a while. Not traumatic. I think there's a limit on the # of blood transfusions kitty can get, I don't know why. Gloria On Mar 16, 2007, at 7:30 PM, Marissa Johnson wrote: Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks on Yahoo! TV.
RE: Transfusion?
Marissa, I'm so sorry to hear Slinky is sick though glad he seems to be doing a bit better when you wrote. Has the vet drawn blood to determine Slinky's red blood cell count---termed as PCV (packed cell volume) or HCT (hematocrit)? I know I would want to know that number before agreeing to transfusion. My FeLV positive kitty Flavia's PCV had plummeted to 7.5 prior to her transfusion (as a comparison my healthy cat who donated the blood was 34). Bottom line: she rose to 21 after the transfusion (which was deemed ok by vet), and then over over the next 10 days it plummeted again. I knew the transfusion was only a means to give me time to find a way to save her. I was going to start her on IR but it was too late by the time I ordered it and I didn't want to put her through another transfusion. I had to leave Flavia at the emergency clinic overnight while she was being transfused, and I didn't like doing that. She must have been so scared, as well as not feeling good. But I hope that while she was being transfused she began to feel better. (I know it's not painful for humans; I hope it's the same for cats.) She certainly must have felt better for a few days after it. Slinky sounds like he's in better shape than Flavia was---Flavia was pretty well listless and breathing rapidly when I rushed her to the vet. Sending positive vibes for Slinky. Please keep us posted when you have time. I won't be on the list again till Monday, but if you'd like to email me offlist re transfusion, please feel free---I'm at [EMAIL PROTECTED], or call me at 773 327 5653. I'll be on the run over weekend but will check my (dial-up) email morning, noon and evening. hugs, Kerry -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Marissa Johnson Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 7:31 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Transfusion? Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ _ TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49979/*http://tv.yahoo.com/ on Yahoo! TV. IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayers should seek advice based on the taxpayers' particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
Re: Transfusion?
I just got a transfusion for my Tomi a week ago, he was very anaemic with his blood count being only 9 (anything below 12 is critical they said). It looks like they did it through his front leg, as he had a bandage on it after, but I don't know if they had to sedate him for that or not. They did it Friday afternoon, and I brought him home Saturday at noon (he ate his food so they said he could go). Probably the most traumatic thing for him, is they had him next to a noisy dog, and he is really scared of strange places/people/dogs. It cost me $200, plus the overnight stay, and it definately made him feel better. His blood count is only up to 17 now though, a week later, so he's not out of the woods yet. It was 13 after the transfusion, so at least its going up slowly. To me, it was worth it, as I don't think he would have lived without it. Whether i've bought him a only little more time, or a lot more time, I don't know yet. Did they test Slinky's blood to see what the actual count is? If its not critically low, you could try the wait and see approach. Tomi's gums were pretty much white when his blood count was at 9, they're noticably pinker now. Good luck with your kitty Cassandra - Original Message - From: Marissa Johnson To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 6:30 PM Subject: Transfusion? Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ -- TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks on Yahoo! TV. -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/722 - Release Date: 3/14/2007 3:38 PM
RE: Transfusion?
One more thing, Melissa--I live in Chicago, and the cost was $400 for the transfusion and $150 or more for drawing the blood donated by one of my cats, much more than I thought it wd be. Kerry -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of C J Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 8:54 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Transfusion? I just got a transfusion for my Tomi a week ago, he was very anaemic with his blood count being only 9 (anything below 12 is critical they said). It looks like they did it through his front leg, as he had a bandage on it after, but I don't know if they had to sedate him for that or not. They did it Friday afternoon, and I brought him home Saturday at noon (he ate his food so they said he could go). Probably the most traumatic thing for him, is they had him next to a noisy dog, and he is really scared of strange places/people/dogs. It cost me $200, plus the overnight stay, and it definately made him feel better. His blood count is only up to 17 now though, a week later, so he's not out of the woods yet. It was 13 after the transfusion, so at least its going up slowly. To me, it was worth it, as I don't think he would have lived without it. Whether i've bought him a only little more time, or a lot more time, I don't know yet. Did they test Slinky's blood to see what the actual count is? If its not critically low, you could try the wait and see approach. Tomi's gums were pretty much white when his blood count was at 9, they're noticably pinker now. Good luck with your kitty Cassandra - Original Message - From: Marissa Johnson mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 6:30 PM Subject: Transfusion? Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ _ TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49979/*http://tv.yahoo.com/ on Yahoo! TV. _ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/722 - Release Date: 3/14/2007 3:38 PM IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayers should seek advice based on the taxpayers' particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
Re: Transfusion?
Would you recommend Epogen or Winstrol instead of a transfusion or in addition (like after the transfusion)? No one has mentioned either of them. I can't afford to keep paying for office visits in addition to the treatments. But I'll try calling my vet to see if they'd do either of them. What is Epogen? THANKS!!! M wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Marissa, What about Epogen? Have you tried that? Also, Winstrol, a steroid, stimulates red blood cell production. Has your vet mentioned that? A transfusion can buy your kitty time for other treatments to work, but it is only temporary. You have to have a treatment in mind for Slinky. The transfusion only buys time. :) Wendy --- Marissa Johnson wrote: Hi. Does anyone have any experience with blood transfusions for sick kitties? Two vets now have basically told me that's about the only recourse I have left for trying to turn Slinky around. He seems to be doing a BIT better right now...I took him in and got some Sub-Q fluids (though I haven't started them yet), but I think being outside probably got his fever down a bit. I also gave him some vitamin C, L-Lysine, Hi-Vite, and his 2 abx. He sees a bit more energetic and actually left my bedroom for the first time in days! But the vet says his gums look like he basically has no blood (low red cell count). I have no idea if I can even afford it, but I'm going to do some research into costs and payment plan options tomorrow. He's still eating, grooming, etc. so I think he wants to fight...and I told him I'd keep fighting 'till he tells me to stop. Anyway, was just wondering if anyone had any experience with transfusions. Do you think it's worthwhile? Is it horribly invasive or traumatic? Is it something that has to be repeated periodically or...? Any info or advice would be most appreciated. Thanks! Love and hugs to everyone's fur kids! MJ - TV dinner still cooling? Check out Tonight's Picks on Yahoo! TV. 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news - Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food Drink QA.
Re: Transfusion?
Hey Marissa, Epogen is basically the same thing as Procrit for humans. You can probably do Epogen and/or Winstrol while also transfusing. I don't know about doing Epogen and Winstrol at the same time; I imagine it's probably ok. But I do believe you can do the transfusion with the other treatments. I think it takes Epogen a while to work if it's going to. Maybe two weeks? I'm not sure about that. Repost your questions about Epogen with Epogen as your subject line, and those who've had experience using it will be more apt to read the message and reply. Lots of people here in the past have used it. I don't know enough about Winstrol to know if you could use it with Epogen, but your vet should know that. And you might also be able to find info on the internet about the combination. Some vets don't use Winstrol anymore because they link it to kidney failure over extended periods of use, but for short periods, it's ok as far as I understand. Time will be of the essence with anemia. Transfusions are sometimes viewed as a waste of time, other times not. If Slinky cannot start making red blood cells again, then the transfusion can only draw out the inevitable. Slinky being able to produce red blood cells depends on if his anemia is regenerative or non-regenerative. If it's non-regenerative, meaning that he has no reticulocyte count at all, then that's not good. But if he does have some reticulocytes, then that means that his body is trying to make rbc's, and the Epogen and a transfusion might help. If your vet doesn't know what reticulocytes are, find a new one. An Internal Vet or Oncological vet will be your best bet in fighting anemia. If it were my kitty, I'd start the Epogen asap, and if you can afford the transfusion, because it will probably be $200-$400, do it. However, if you think your vet knows what he is talking about, and doesn't think the transfusion or Epogen will help, then you might have to consider letting Slinky go. I know you don't want to think about that; it's so hard. I am so sorry that Slinky's rbc is down. I lost my baby to anemia and I know what you are going through. I didn't have the resources that you have now though. I got a lot of info. after it was too late. I didn't have Cricket on Epogen because I didn't know about it. Only you and Slinky will be the right ones to make the decision. I'm praying for wisdom and peace for you. Please keep us posted Marissa. :) Wendy Sucker-punch spam with award-winning protection. Try the free Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/features_spam.html
RE: transfusion
My FELV cat Flavia's breathing was rapid and she had separated herself from the group. I took her to the vet as an emergency and she had a transfusion later that day. But as with any cat, any change in behavior is an indicator that there may be a problem. I think (the sad fact is) everyone with an FeLV cat, or cat with otherwise compromised health, is on continuous red alert for behavior change. Kerry M -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 6:33 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re:transfusion In a message dated 1/27/2007 9:26:47 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: If anyone has any ideas or information about how cats normally look and act when needing a transfusion (i.e. just tired, or not eating and almost nonresponsive?), I would appreciate it. Just saw this. Be very careful. From the 4 experiences I had with my cat, the first was when I had just gotten out of the hospital myself, and it was obvious he needed help. But the next 3 times, he was at 13, and once he had a minor respiratory infection to boot. At those times he wasn't obviously in any distress. The thing that alerted me was his faster heart rate after any real activity, and a bit of panting. He paradoxically has never stopped eating, his appetite has been fairly constant all along. You want to deal with it before it gets too bad, because most cats will hide sickness like that well (if it's only gradual onset of pernicious anemia). I think it's more of a case of watching the individual cat, and if he/she is acting out of the norm as far as energy and/or breathing, be safe rather than sorry. It would be great to find a way to get a quick PCV without committing to a transfusion if you suspect the anemia is getting bad. IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayers should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
Re: transfusion question
good point, hideyo--see if one of the vet tech's from you vet's office would be willing to make a house call. On 1/26/07, Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Michelle – can you call around and see if there is any way that you can find someone to draw a tiny bit of blood to check on her PCV – they can do it in such a way that they only need a very very small amount to check her PCV – the fact that she is eating so much of baby food is so wonderful though – has she lost any weight? -- *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] *Sent:* Friday, January 26, 2007 5:08 PM *To:* felvtalk@felineleukemia.org *Subject:* transfusion question Lucy seems more comfortable and happy, but also much more tired. She has hardly moved all day-- just once or twice she went into the other room to use the litter box, then got right back up on the futon couch. At one point she climbed onto the other couch a few feet away to lay next to me, and then later climbed back to the futon couch. She has been eating baby food when I offer it to her-- about 2.5 jars so far today-- and is grooming herself sometimes (like right now). But mostly she is just sleeping or laying there. So I am worried that her HCT and PCV have continued to drop. Her HCt was 16.5 and her PCV 18 last Wed (9 days ago). She has been on epogen since Monday (third shot today) and pet tinic. She is pale, especially her gums, but her tongue is still pink. I have not gotten her HCT checked since last Wed, because I do not want to bring her to the vet and draw blood until I need to, because she gets incredibly stressed and because I want to conserve her blood. So here is my question-- in your experience, does a cat who is anemic enough to need a transfusion still eat, groom, and purr? When Simon needed them he was like a dish rag and almost unable to focus on anything. But his HCT dropped quickly from lymphoma, so he did not have much time to adjust. My Buddy's HCT was at 8 before he died, and he was still walking around, but he was zipped up on dexamethasone, and was not moving around much when he was just on pred, like Lucy is, and not getting the dex-- and I do not know when his HCT got that low because he did not have frequent checks. If it is absolutely necessary to get her a transfusion to give the epogen time to kick in, I may do it, but really do not want to do it to her if I don't have to, do to how far I have to take her, the fact that I have to do it at an ER, and the fact that she gets abominably upset and depressed from going there. If anyone has any ideas or information about how cats normally look and act when needing a transfusion (i.e. just tired, or not eating and almost nonresponsive?), I would appreciate it. Thanks, Michelle -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
transfusion question
Lucy seems more comfortable and happy, but also much more tired. She has hardly moved all day-- just once or twice she went into the other room to use the litter box, then got right back up on the futon couch. At one point she climbed onto the other couch a few feet away to lay next to me, and then later climbed back to the futon couch. She has been eating baby food when I offer it to her-- about 2.5 jars so far today-- and is grooming herself sometimes (like right now). But mostly she is just sleeping or laying there. So I am worried that her HCT and PCV have continued to drop. Her HCt was 16.5 and her PCV 18 last Wed (9 days ago). She has been on epogen since Monday (third shot today) and pet tinic. She is pale, especially her gums, but her tongue is still pink. I have not gotten her HCT checked since last Wed, because I do not want to bring her to the vet and draw blood until I need to, because she gets incredibly stressed and because I want to conserve her blood. So here is my question-- in your experience, does a cat who is anemic enough to need a transfusion still eat, groom, and purr? When Simon needed them he was like a dish rag and almost unable to focus on anything. But his HCT dropped quickly from lymphoma, so he did not have much time to adjust. My Buddy's HCT was at 8 before he died, and he was still walking around, but he was zipped up on dexamethasone, and was not moving around much when he was just on pred, like Lucy is, and not getting the dex-- and I do not know when his HCT got that low because he did not have frequent checks. If it is absolutely necessary to get her a transfusion to give the epogen time to kick in, I may do it, but really do not want to do it to her if I don't have to, do to how far I have to take her, the fact that I have to do it at an ER, and the fact that she gets abominably upset and depressed from going there. If anyone has any ideas or information about how cats normally look and act when needing a transfusion (i.e. just tired, or not eating and almost nonresponsive?), I would appreciate it. Thanks, Michelle
RE: transfusion question
Michelle- It's absolutely depending on a cat - I hate to say,, my Tsubomi was eating a day before when she needed the transfusion - and her PCV was 9 - and her gum and tongue was very pale.. but she was still eating.. and did not seem that sick until two days before she died of anemia though she got transfusion a day before she passed away - I don't really want you to make a decision based on what other cats may have or may not have as behavior may be so different on each cat - I never thought that Tsubomi was that sick --- the day I took her to the vet and found out that her PCV was 9 - One another thing to remember is that epogen increases the likelihood of causing a reaction from transfusion- not so much for the first time of transfusion, but the 2nd or 3rd time of the transfusion - so you want to make sure that blood type are the same at least - and call emergency clinic to make sure that they do have a blood supply there - because my emergency clinic did not have blood for Tsubomi and I had to bring my own donor cat --- My Tsubomi had a reaction and her temp went up to 107 that night - but again, I did not regret it because I needed to do that to save her life - unfortunately she had some type of auto mediated disease and her body was destroying her own blood cells and her transfusion effect only lasted a few hours - it was very sad -but I wouldn't have done any differently - as if I did not, I would have regretted it that I did not --- _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 5:08 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: transfusion question Lucy seems more comfortable and happy, but also much more tired. She has hardly moved all day-- just once or twice she went into the other room to use the litter box, then got right back up on the futon couch. At one point she climbed onto the other couch a few feet away to lay next to me, and then later climbed back to the futon couch. She has been eating baby food when I offer it to her-- about 2.5 jars so far today-- and is grooming herself sometimes (like right now). But mostly she is just sleeping or laying there. So I am worried that her HCT and PCV have continued to drop. Her HCt was 16.5 and her PCV 18 last Wed (9 days ago). She has been on epogen since Monday (third shot today) and pet tinic. She is pale, especially her gums, but her tongue is still pink. I have not gotten her HCT checked since last Wed, because I do not want to bring her to the vet and draw blood until I need to, because she gets incredibly stressed and because I want to conserve her blood. So here is my question-- in your experience, does a cat who is anemic enough to need a transfusion still eat, groom, and purr? When Simon needed them he was like a dish rag and almost unable to focus on anything. But his HCT dropped quickly from lymphoma, so he did not have much time to adjust. My Buddy's HCT was at 8 before he died, and he was still walking around, but he was zipped up on dexamethasone, and was not moving around much when he was just on pred, like Lucy is, and not getting the dex-- and I do not know when his HCT got that low because he did not have frequent checks. If it is absolutely necessary to get her a transfusion to give the epogen time to kick in, I may do it, but really do not want to do it to her if I don't have to, do to how far I have to take her, the fact that I have to do it at an ER, and the fact that she gets abominably upset and depressed from going there. If anyone has any ideas or information about how cats normally look and act when needing a transfusion (i.e. just tired, or not eating and almost nonresponsive?), I would appreciate it. Thanks, Michelle
RE: transfusion question
Michelle - can you call around and see if there is any way that you can find someone to draw a tiny bit of blood to check on her PCV - they can do it in such a way that they only need a very very small amount to check her PCV - the fact that she is eating so much of baby food is so wonderful though - has she lost any weight? _ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 5:08 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: transfusion question Lucy seems more comfortable and happy, but also much more tired. She has hardly moved all day-- just once or twice she went into the other room to use the litter box, then got right back up on the futon couch. At one point she climbed onto the other couch a few feet away to lay next to me, and then later climbed back to the futon couch. She has been eating baby food when I offer it to her-- about 2.5 jars so far today-- and is grooming herself sometimes (like right now). But mostly she is just sleeping or laying there. So I am worried that her HCT and PCV have continued to drop. Her HCt was 16.5 and her PCV 18 last Wed (9 days ago). She has been on epogen since Monday (third shot today) and pet tinic. She is pale, especially her gums, but her tongue is still pink. I have not gotten her HCT checked since last Wed, because I do not want to bring her to the vet and draw blood until I need to, because she gets incredibly stressed and because I want to conserve her blood. So here is my question-- in your experience, does a cat who is anemic enough to need a transfusion still eat, groom, and purr? When Simon needed them he was like a dish rag and almost unable to focus on anything. But his HCT dropped quickly from lymphoma, so he did not have much time to adjust. My Buddy's HCT was at 8 before he died, and he was still walking around, but he was zipped up on dexamethasone, and was not moving around much when he was just on pred, like Lucy is, and not getting the dex-- and I do not know when his HCT got that low because he did not have frequent checks. If it is absolutely necessary to get her a transfusion to give the epogen time to kick in, I may do it, but really do not want to do it to her if I don't have to, do to how far I have to take her, the fact that I have to do it at an ER, and the fact that she gets abominably upset and depressed from going there. If anyone has any ideas or information about how cats normally look and act when needing a transfusion (i.e. just tired, or not eating and almost nonresponsive?), I would appreciate it. Thanks, Michelle
FW: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion
Hi, if anyone has an experience regarding transfusion, please respond immediately as supposedly she scheduled to put her kitty sleep tomorrow - -Original Message- From: Hideyo Yamamoto Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 3:07 PM To: 'linda vann'; kschultz2006 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion Please don't give up yet - PCV 10 is definitely lower than we hope, but considering the fact that all other numbers are not that bad - I think you should definitely consider it. I know you can also use epogen but it will also take a couple of weeks to start building red cell through epogen, and it will be too long for your baby.. and when you get transfusion and you can start on epogen as well. I am also on Felk support group and I know people who have done transfusion for their kitties as well - I am copying the group here just in case you need to post them the message as well. felvtalk@felineleukemia.org -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of linda vann Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 2:56 PM To: kschultz2006 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion dear kathy, i have not been down this road but i was wondering if you belong to the anemia group. im sure you will find very experienced people there. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_Anemia/ this is information from helens site http://felinecrf.org/anaemia.htm prayers for you and ollie. linda, angel fabians mom in texas --- kschultz2006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ollie is 19 - CRF since october - we have been managing well with subQs and diet. Three days ago Ollie got very weak; not eating. At a new vet today, found out he is very anemic - PCV is 10! Other blood panel numbers not too bad. Question of doing a transfusion, then epogen or calling it the end and putting him to sleep (which the vet said she would do if it were her cat). I scheduled it for Wednesday, but wondering if it's the right thing. Can he pull out of this...just to have another crisis down the road...in how many days/months from now? Is this the end point of kidney failure. I'm crying so much - is now the time to let him go? He's weak, but still responsive to me, to touch. Please, has anyone else gone through a crisis like this? Kathy All messages sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] are Copyright 2006 by the original author. Do not forward or excerpt to another group or nonmember without the author's permission. Any suggestions regarding medical matters are the opinion of the author. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to verify all treatment descriptions and advice received with a qualified veterinarian. Yahoo! Groups Links http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF-Support/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com All messages sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] are Copyright 2006 by the original author. Do not forward or excerpt to another group or nonmember without the author's permission. Any suggestions regarding medical matters are the opinion of the author. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to verify all treatment descriptions and advice received with a qualified veterinarian. Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF-Support/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: FW: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion
Bailey had a transfusion a couple of hours before he passed, it did what we wanted it to do but for him it was too late. He needed it to get his platelets up. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web design] http://HostDesign4U.com BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion
Flavia was down to between 6-7.5 on June 22/05 when she had her transfusion. The transfusion raised her PCV to 21 but it gradually dropped again over the next 2 weeks and she was euthanized when it reached 10 on July 6. The 2 weeks at least gave breathing space to try other measures. - Original Message - From: Hideyo Yamamoto [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 4:14 PM Subject: FW: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion Hi, if anyone has an experience regarding transfusion, please respond immediately as supposedly she scheduled to put her kitty sleep tomorrow - -Original Message- From: Hideyo Yamamoto Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 3:07 PM To: 'linda vann'; kschultz2006 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion Please don't give up yet - PCV 10 is definitely lower than we hope, but considering the fact that all other numbers are not that bad - I think you should definitely consider it. I know you can also use epogen but it will also take a couple of weeks to start building red cell through epogen, and it will be too long for your baby.. and when you get transfusion and you can start on epogen as well. I am also on Felk support group and I know people who have done transfusion for their kitties as well - I am copying the group here just in case you need to post them the message as well. felvtalk@felineleukemia.org -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of linda vann Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 2:56 PM To: kschultz2006 Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion dear kathy, i have not been down this road but i was wondering if you belong to the anemia group. im sure you will find very experienced people there. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline_Anemia/ this is information from helens site http://felinecrf.org/anaemia.htm prayers for you and ollie. linda, angel fabians mom in texas --- kschultz2006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ollie is 19 - CRF since october - we have been managing well with subQs and diet. Three days ago Ollie got very weak; not eating. At a new vet today, found out he is very anemic - PCV is 10! Other blood panel numbers not too bad. Question of doing a transfusion, then epogen or calling it the end and putting him to sleep (which the vet said she would do if it were her cat). I scheduled it for Wednesday, but wondering if it's the right thing. Can he pull out of this...just to have another crisis down the road...in how many days/months from now? Is this the end point of kidney failure. I'm crying so much - is now the time to let him go? He's weak, but still responsive to me, to touch. Please, has anyone else gone through a crisis like this? Kathy All messages sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] are Copyright 2006 by the original author. Do not forward or excerpt to another group or nonmember without the author's permission. Any suggestions regarding medical matters are the opinion of the author. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to verify all treatment descriptions and advice received with a qualified veterinarian. Yahoo! Groups Links http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF-Support/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com All messages sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] are Copyright 2006 by the original author. Do not forward or excerpt to another group or nonmember without the author's permission. Any suggestions regarding medical matters are the opinion of the author. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to verify all treatment descriptions and advice received with a qualified veterinarian. Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Feline-CRF-Support/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [CRF] desperately need advice-blood transfusion
Simon's went from 11 up to 13 from a transfusion and then with proper treatment for lymphoma went back up to 30 for a while. Michelle In a message dated 5/9/2006 7:40:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Flavia was down to between 6-7.5 on June 22/05 when she had her transfusion.The transfusion raised her PCV to 21 but it gradually dropped again over thenext 2 weeks and she was euthanized when it reached 10 on July 6.The 2 weeks at least gave breathing space to try other measures.
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Bonnie, Ask your vet about giving him a dexamethasone shot. It really makes them feel better, even when they are really sick. And sometimes helps with anemia. It may be contraindicated because of his kidney and thyroid problems, though, I don't know. Michelle In a message dated 1/5/2006 10:42:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Fu is pretty wiped out, Michelle. He can barely move, but I think thefolic acid has helped a little. When he looks like he had to go to thelittle box, I carry him there and support him while goes - or tries to go. I'm hand-feeding him a/d with Fancy Feast beef liver mixed in. I've gotsome beef liver on hand that I'll cook up for him later. Bonnie
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Michelle, Thanks for the suggestion, but Fu is already on Prednisone to keep his cancer in remission. I will ask the vet about the dex though. My Nina takes it in pill form for her IBD and asthma. Bonnie www.elephants.com - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Friday, January 6, 2006 10:16 am Subject: Re: cost of epogen/transfusion? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Bonnie, Ask your vet about giving him a dexamethasone shot. It really makes them feel better, even when they are really sick. And sometimes helps with anemia. It may be contraindicated because of his kidney and thyroid problems, though, I don't know. Michelle In a message dated 1/5/2006 10:42:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Fu is pretty wiped out, Michelle. He can barely move, but I think the folic acid has helped a little. When he looks like he had to go to thelittle box, I carry him there and support him while goes - or tries to go. I'm hand-feeding him a/d with Fancy Feast beef liver mixed in. I've got some beef liver on hand that I'll cook up for him later. Bonnie
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Michelle, Thanks for the info. I was basically wondering if a transfusion would help Fu. The vet is leaning toward thinking that his cancer, although in remission could be causing the anemia. Fu did start to come out of remission earlier last year, but we doubled the dose of pred and that put him into remission. The vet referred to this as anemia caused by chronic disease. Bonnie www.elephants.com - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thursday, January 5, 2006 8:07 pm Subject: Re: cost of epogen/transfusion? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org If you are wondering about cost for a blood transfusion (I answered only about Epogen before), Simon's were each about $400, I think, when given to him as an outpatient. Each transfusion took a few hours. I think I remember others saying this was the cost they paid as well, except for someone in NY who had trouble finding one for under $1,000, which seemed very odd to the rest of us. Michelle
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Fu is pretty wiped out, Michelle. He can barely move, but I think the folic acid has helped a little. When he looks like he had to go to the little box, I carry him there and support him while goes - or tries to go. I'm hand-feeding him a/d with Fancy Feast beef liver mixed in. I've got some beef liver on hand that I'll cook up for him later. Bonnie www.elephants.com - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thursday, January 5, 2006 5:45 pm Subject: Re: cost of epogen/transfusion? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org In my experience vets would not transfuse until the hematocrit was down to 13. But a transfusion could help. Epogen normally takes a few weeks to kick in, I think, so you might need to do a transfusion to keep him strong until then. Epogen is definitely expensive. If his cancer is in remission, it does not make sense to me that the anemia is from the cancer. If it is from the cancer, it means the cancer is in his bone marrow and not in remission. How is Fu feeling? Michelle In a message dated 1/5/2006 6:19:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: How much does Epogen cost? My vet called one pharmacy; they told him they have to order it in units of ten, which would come to $350. I wonder if Fu could use a blood transfusion. His rbc is 15. The vet thinks the anemia is probably due to his GI tract cancer, although thatis pretty much in remission at present. Fu also takes methimazole for a hyperthyroid condition, And I've heard tat long term use of that couldcause anemia. Thanks, Bonnie and her 19 year-old Foozer
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
That's what I thought too; I'll ask the vet to clarify. If his cancer is in remission, it does not make sense to me that the anemia is from the cancer. If it is from the cancer, it means the cancer is in his bone marrow and not in remission. How is Fu feeling? Michelle In a message dated 1/5/2006 6:19:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: How much does Epogen cost? My vet called one pharmacy; they told him they have to order it in units of ten, which would come to $350. I wonder if Fu could use a blood transfusion. His rbc is 15. The vet thinks the anemia is probably due to his GI tract cancer, although thatis pretty much in remission at present. Fu also takes methimazole for a hyperthyroid condition, And I've heard tat long term use of that couldcause anemia. Thanks, Bonnie and her 19 year-old Foozer
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Bonnie~ Have your vet set up an account with PVPL (Professional Veterinary Products, Ltd.). It is a veterinary supplier, like a co-op, and they are offering a 30 day trial period. When I did all the ordering for the shelter, our main supplier was PVPL, and I ordered our Epogen (epoetin, procrit) from them all the time, as needed. (It's been 2 years since I did the ordering, at that time, a single vial was approx. $40.00) I was able to order a single vial at a time If your vet will not do that, perhaps you can check w/ any local shelters/sanctuaries, and perhaps they can order it for you.. Didn't Belinda just order from Fred Mayer? Would that be a possibility? Best wishes, Patti
Re: cost of epogen/transfusion?
Bonnie~ It sounds like maybe a transfusion would be beneficial for Fu right now With my feral girl who was on Epogen (she was dx.w/ CRF _ I basically took her home for hospice care cause no one at the shelter could touch her), after I found a vet willing to treat a terminally ill "feral", we gave her a transfusion first step. It's been so many years, I don't recall what her bloodwork was, but the vet felt if she responded to steroid shots transfusion, we'd proceed w/ Epogen. And, miraculously she did respond... Very well. We then did the Epogen and my Beauty lived an additional 9 months after I took her home... Transfusions can really make a BIG difference. Keeping Fu and you in my prayers, Patti
CRICKET NEEDS A TRANSFUSION
Wendy, A hematocrit of 7 is almost at the point of death and well beyond the point of maybe needing a transfusion. A transfusion may not save him at this point, but he will definitely die without one. He needs one today if you are going to try anymore therapies or he will not be strong enough to last until they work. Michelle In a message dated 10/27/2005 1:09:39 P.M. Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Hi Belinda,Cricket isn't feral, but he sure does act like itsometimes. He gets crazy if anyone tries to doanything to him at the vet. Since he was so anemic,it was less stressful on him to sedate him. I didfind a vet who will administer the ImmunoRegulin thatI bought as soon as it gets here. I just don't knowwhat dosage to give him. The vet said he would lookup the dosage, but I am a little weary about vetsanyway, and like to find the information out before Ido things so I'm not caught off guard or know ifsomething doesn't sound right. I hope we have enoughtime. Cricket's labs came back with a hemocrit of 7%,which is pretty bad, and he didn't look so well thismorning. So I am just trying to get through the dayat work so I can get home to him. I wish it wereFriday. The vet didn't sound very encouraging afterlooking at his labs. He also had one eye dilated thismorning so I don't know what in the world that means. I just hope if he goes that I am home with him. Hasanyone had a cat die of anemia at home while you werethere? Is it painful? I don't want to take him tothe vet if I don't have to because he hates going tothe vet. Thanks.Hanging on to hope-Wendy
Re: CRICKET NEEDS A TRANSFUSION
Hi Wendy, I'm afraid Michelle is right, my Frankie's Hemocrit was 6 when I lost him, I would definately get a transfusion to boost his hemocrit and hopefully give him the strength to get the full benefit from the immunoregalin!! -- Belinda Happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties ... http://www.bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candle Light Service http://www.bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com (affordable hosting web design) http://HostDesign4U.com --- BMK Designs (non-profit web sites) http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: transfusion donors
I'm wondering also if there are cheaper places to have transfusions done. My internist charged $412. Out of that, $30 was for the red blood count. -Kyle - Original Message - From: catatonya To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 5:36 PM Subject: transfusion donors I have to say I would complain if a donor cat were kept in a cage in the back! That is ridiculous! My vet does have donor cats who are 'office cats' . BUT they are up for adoption. They don't just stay and do that forever! Also, if you know in advance, there are 'bloodbanks' for cats to my knowledge. Of course, I don't know how cats are kept that donate to the bank. Good thing to look into... I will ask my vet next time I'm in. tMelbeach [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Jenn, I thought about that after the last transfusion. My vet mentioned that they had a cat on hand for doing transfusions. What an awful fate! Spending your life in a cage, waiting to have a needle stuck in your arm. I was definitely disturbed when I heard about this. That's why I offered to bring Brissle's littermate brother in as a donor. In Brissle's case with the first transfusion at our regular vet, the onsite cat had a different blood type. So my vet was kind enough to use his own cat as a donor. With my internist, I'm not sure. Can't they just draw the blood and store it?I was thinking this had to be the case with the internist, as they charged double what my vet charged ($400 vs $200). Probably not though. My internist is the only show in town. Plus his office is exquisite. You'd think they would cut down on overhead a bit to help their customers save some cash! -Kyle - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 11:31 PM Subject: Re: Brissle crashing again, bloodwork looks grim. I hope yourbaby feels better after the transfusion! I'd just like to point out, that in many cases (but not all), there is a donor cat inthe vet's office (maybe caged in the back, or could be the "office cat" who greets you), who is saving your cat's life. Try to go out of your way to tell the donor cat thanks (if there is one), and give him/her a good petting, it's the least we can do for those cats who do so much for us and out babies! (I worked at a vet clinic and will never forget "Sugar" our office's "donor cat". Just a little reminder that there's two sides to every story.) Jenn ~~~Well Brissle is having her transfusion now. My internist feels that shereally needs to have her marrow tested in order to be sure about how toproceed. If it is erythroleukemia, this is a rare form, that's very hard totreat. He said there's a small chance that an oncologist may be able to moveforward without the marrow test. He just doesn't know. That's not hisexpertise. Of course the only oncologist is about a four hour drive away. IfBrissle's rbc is high enough on Monday, I will probably go ahead with thetest. These people are not cheap. $750 for the marrow test.The other option the internist mentioned, as crazy as it sounds, would be touse the blood transfusions as her main therapy. He believes that consideringwhat looks to be going on with Brissle's bone marrow, the interferons andimmunoregulin may have only been helping slightly. But the transfusion itselfwas the main catalyst towards Brissle recovering. I told him I thought bloodtransfusions only lasted a few days. But he said they can last a month or two. No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.2 - Release Date: 4/21/2005
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Good morning, I am very sorry to hear about your Brissle's condition. How is she doing? (and what an unusual name!) I'm no expert on the blood results. hopefully someone w/ more knowledge will respond soon. there's lot of info about anemia in the archives. Pet tinic is usually available only at the vet's-tho I believe i've seen it sold in kv vet supply online. don't have their link but you can probably find it if you google. i recall reading others' posts about their cats getting B12 shots. I've gone thru the transfusion route with two of my +'s--both of whom sadly passed away from leukemia. I hope you are able to enjoy some quality time with your pet. thymus, echinecea are available at health food stores but call around first. also with the ech. you can't give continuously and it does have a nasty taste and always made my cats foam at mouth. if you haven't yet, you might also go thru the topical archives over at www.holisticat.com site. the liver shake receipe is in the archives on both sites, I believe. I know it's overwhelming and stressful to try to go thru all the information to try to find some way to help your beloved animal. just remember to love her now. remember to enjoy her now. I've lost 3 to leukemia however one of mine also tested negative after four years of supplements and vitamins. regards Barbara - Original Message - From: Melbeach [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 2:40 PM Subject: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. Hi everyone. First post here. My 8-year old female Brissle was diagnosed two days ago with severe anemia and FeLV. The vet was not optimistic about her chances. She had a blood transfusion yesterday. She's doing much better now, eating really well, color is returning. But I know this is probably only temporary. She's still licking wood, which I know is a sign of anemia. I wanted to post Brissle's blood results (before transfusion) and see if anything stands out. If it's bad, don't be afraid to tell me! For one, my vet was concerned about lymph-related issues. Well here are her results from Friday, before the transfusion. (In parenthesis, I included where the number falls in the report's Reference Range): HCT = 9.7% (extremely low) HGB = 3.1 g/dl (extremely low) MCHC = 32.0 g/dl (normal) WBC = 17.3 x 10^9/L (normal) GRANS = 8.3 x 10^9/L (normal) %GRANS = 48% L/M = 9.0 x 10^9/L (high) L/M% = 52% PLT = 175 x 10^9/L (low to normal) Retics 4.0% ALB = 2.79 g/dl (normal) ALKP = 31 U/L (normal) ALT = 87 U/L (normal) AMYL = 1667 U/L (high) BUN = 30.0 mg/dl (normal) Ca = 9.43 mg/dl (normal) CREA = 1.46 mg/dl (normal) GLU = 151.3 mg/dl (high) PHOS = 5.46 mg/dl (normal) TBIL = 0.75 mg/dl (normal) TP = 8.48 g/dl (normal) GLOB = 5.70 g/dl (very high) I'm debating between Interferon and Immunoregulin for the FeLV. I'll be going back to my vet tomorrow and want to be decided by then. My vet doesn't seem very up to date on these treatments. But at the same time, he's receptive about ordering the Interferon from Island Pharmacy and there are other things I like about their office. So I'm not kind of in the middle about switching vets. But I think I can work with this guy as long as I'm prepared. I'm also really worried about the anemia. Something tells me this could be the bigger issue. I'll be going shopping in a couple hours before PetSmart closes. Anything good that PetSmart might carry? I'm not too worried about price at this point. I'm just at the beginning of researching the diet issue now. So far, I've read about: Pet Tinnic, thymus, echinacea, Periactin, liver shakes. Does PetSmart carry any of this stuff? I'll keep reading Thanks! Any help would be greatly appreciated. -Melbeach
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Did your vet test for hemobartenella? Better yet is he treating for it, the test often comes back negative even though the cat really is positive. I think the preferred antibiotic for hemo is doxocycline (sp?), many vets will prescribe it even if the test comes back negative because it won't hurt anything and may very well save Brissle's life if she shows a false negative. -- Belinda Happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties ... http://www.bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candle Light Service http://www.bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com (affordable hosting web design) http://HostDesign4U.com --- BMK Designs (non-profit web sites) http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
I would do Immunoregulin instead of Interferon. There is no indication that interferon can help a cat rebound from anemia, while there are some anecdotal reports that immunoregulin can. Feline interferon is another story, but has to be imported from England with FDA approval (see archived posts on Virbagen Omega, the brand name). I would also ask for a shot of dexamethasone and a shot of depomedrol, two strong steroids, in case your cat is having a hyper-immune reaction making her kill her own red blood cells. Someone on this list had results with that, though the anemia was not as severe (I thinkhematocrit only went down to 17). I would also try to do an ultrasound to see if your cat has lymphoma, in which case chemotherapy and steroids could help. Michelle
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Thanks alot you guys for taking the time to offer your knowledge. I really appreciate the help! Well I've been cramming my brains out the last couple days, so more of this is making sense. This site in particular has provided a lot of very useful info. To answer a couple of your questions: Did your vet test for hemobartenella? Better yet is he treating for it, the test often comes back negative even though the cat really is positive. I think the preferred antibiotic for hemo is doxocycline (sp?), many vets will prescribe it even if the test comes back negative because it won't hurt anything and may very well save Brissle's life if she shows a false negative. That's funny you ask, because I thought the same thing. There could be a small chance that the anemia was caused by haemobartonellosis and the FeLV just happened to already be there. When I saw my vet this morning, I asked him this question. He hadn't tested specifically for haemobartonellosi, but he had given her Baytril already on Friday and Saturday and just gave me a new bottle. I'm not sure what your vet meant by being concerned about lymph issues. Did he mean he thought Brissle might have lymphoma or cancer of the lymphatic system?? That was poor wording and ignorance on my part. He had pointed out the high L/M figure as a point of concern when going over the report. But after discussing it today, he wasn't diagnosing it as lymphoma or cancer. Actually, we are still not sure of the exact cause of the anemia. Though he strongly feels that it's FeLV induced. Hmm. I wonder if I should have that bone marrow test done. I wonder why he didn't offer? Must be real expensive. Well my vet wants to combine the Interferon and Immunoregulin therapies. He wasn't too keen about the steroids because of side effects relating to it being human form. But I found info about 'recombinant feline erythropoietin' (rfEPO) here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/7.12.01/feline_epo.html Does anyone know anything about this? So I have a prescription now for the Interferon and will be ordering it soon from Island Pharmacy. I'm also looking for a source of Immunoregulin (if anyone knows one). I'll be keeping my head up. For now, Brissle is doing well, eating like crazy. She's real feisty and has the cutest personality. I'm not ready to let go without a fight. I'll be watching her closely though. She's been cheerful so far. But I'm not one of those people that consider pets possessions. If it turns to daily suffering, I'll know I did everything I could. Thanks again guys. -Melbeach
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
steroid side effects are usually only long-term. the only short-term side effects is that every once in a blue moon a cat gets diabetes from one or two shots of depomedrol, but usually even that side effect is after months of use. If there is lymphoma or a hyper-immune reaction, steroids can help immensely and nothing else (except chemo if lymphoma) will. Michelle In a message dated 2/28/05 11:55:05 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Well my vet wants to combine the Interferon and Immunoregulin therapies. Hewasn't too keen about the steroids because of side effects relating to itbeing human form.
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Michelle, Wow, I don't know what to say! But please, don't deprive your own kitty of what he needs. I'm in Melbourne, FL. I ship stuff all the time, so I could overnite you another overnite envelope. But please, think about it. I'm sure many others here would jump at that as well. Is the feline Interferonknown for treating anemia? Thanks for your othersuggestions too. I will ask about the dexamethasone depomedrol today- taking Brissle's brother in for testing. Thanks again! -Melbeach - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 10:43 AM Subject: Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. Where are you located? I have some feline interferon (Virbagen Omega from England, not human interferon) I might be able to share if you want to try that. Michelle
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
I've said this before and I will say it again, Jean Luc a cancer kitty had NON-REGENERATIVE anemia and epogen kept him alive for 2 years, granted he was not positive for FeLV so I don't know what throwing that into the mix would do, but I most certainly would try epogen on Bailey my positive if he ever became anemic and it was non regenerative. He is for sure going to die if it isn't tried soIi see no reason to not try it, you may be pleasantly surprised. And keep in mind epogen takes up to three weeks to start seeing results, so don't expect anything over night it takes a while. And it can take longer but three weeks seems to be average. -- Belinda Happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties ... http://www.bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candle Light Service http://www.bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com (affordable hosting web design) http://HostDesign4U.com --- BMK Designs (non-profit web sites) http://bmk.bemikitties.com
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
I would ask for the doxy. It can't hurt, and it might help! tonya[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Melbeach:You are right in assuming that the blood transfusion will only give Brissle a temporary reprieve from the severe anemia. An HCT of 9 and below is considered within the parameters of "non-regenerative" anemia, i.e. not enough red blood cells are being produced to make up for those being destroyed.Did the vet tell you what is causing the anemia? If it is caused by a blood parasite such as hemobaratonella, which can be difficult to diagnose, that can be treated with doxycycline. If the bone marrow is still able to produce red blood cells, sometimes Epogen and injectable steroids can have an effect. But if the anemia is FeLV-induced and due to destruction of the bone marrow, blood transfusions are only a temporary measure, nor will anything dietary in the way of iron or B-vite supplements have a significant effect...the HCT will continue to decline until insufficient RBC are being produced to sustain life and without enough oxygen, the organs will begin to "suffocate" and start to break down...the cat just gets weaker and weaker until death occurs.I'm not sure what your vet meant by being concerned about "lymph issues." Did he mean he thought Brissle might have lymphoma or cancer of the lymphatic system?? I am certainly no authority on reading blood values, but elevated Amylase can be due to kidney dysfunction or pancreatitis, and Globulin is a blood protein and can be elevated by chronic inflammation or "certain diseases," though which diseases do this were not specified.Brissle's HCT of 9.7% is borderline non-regenerative. The transfusion should improve that, and if her bone marrow is still functioning, there is a chance it may "take" and keep her going for a while, but, it will depend on whether or not her bone marrow can continue to produce sufficient RBC. I believe there is a test that can be done to determine that. Ask your vet.I lost my first FeLV+ kitten to non-regenertive anemia. She failed so quickly, there was nothing I could do to help her. Even if I'd been able to afford a transfusion for her, she was so weak the stress of the procedure may have been too much for her to handle, and when I talked to her via an animal communicator, she told me she did not think she could get well and wanted to leave her body, so I just kept her as comfortable as I could and she crossed over on her own volition. It was only 16 days from the time she first showed any symptoms (a runny eye and temp) to the day she passed.When a cat develops FeLV-induced, non-regnerative anemia, it is not a matter of "if" but "when" and the process usually proceeds rather quickly. A transfusion can help for a few days to a week, so I would enjoy whatever time you may have with Brissle. But do STAY POSITIVE and don't give up hope, yet, as there may be some other cause for her anemia that may be treatable. If there is not, realize you did everything you could, keep her comfortable and allow her to have a peaceful passing surrounded by your loving energy.Hoping for the best for Brissle and not the worst...Sally in San Jose
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Baytril was the only antibiotic that worked for my cat's hemobart. From: catatonya [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 14:51:39 -0800 (PST) Evidently Baytril doesn't work for hemobart like the doxy does. I don't know why scientifically, but it's what I've learned from the list. tonya Melbeach [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks alot you guys for taking the time to offer your knowledge. I really appreciate the help! Well I've been cramming my brains out the last couple days, so more of this is making sense. This site in particular has provided a lot of very useful info. To answer a couple of your questions: Did your vet test for hemobartenella? Better yet is he treating for it, the test often comes back negative even though the cat really is positive. I think the preferred antibiotic for hemo is doxocycline (sp?), many vets will prescribe it even if the test comes back negative because it won't hurt anything and may very well save Brissle's life if she shows a false negative. That's funny you ask, because I thought the same thing. There could be a small chance that the anemia was caused by haemobartonellosis and the FeLV just happened to already be there. When I saw my vet this morning, I asked him this question. He hadn't tested specifically for haemobartonellosi, but he had given her Baytril already on Friday and Saturday and just gave me a new bottle. I'm not sure what your vet meant by being concerned about lymph issues. Did he mean he thought Brissle might have lymphoma or cancer of the lymphatic system?? That was poor wording and ignorance on my part. He had pointed out the high L/M figure as a point of concern when going over the report. But after discussing it today, he wasn't diagnosing it as lymphoma or cancer. Actually, we are still not sure of the exact cause of the anemia. Though he strongly feels that it's FeLV induced. Hmm. I wonder if I should have that bone marrow test done. I wonder why he didn't offer? Must be real expensive. Well my vet wants to combine the Interferon and Immunoregulin therapies. He wasn't too keen about the steroids because of side effects relating to it being human form. But I found info about 'recombinant feline erythropoietin' (rfEPO) here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/7.12.01/feline_epo.html Does anyone know anything about this? So I have a prescription now for the Interferon and will be ordering it soon from Island Pharmacy. I'm also looking for a source of Immunoregulin (if anyone knows one). I'll be keeping my head up. For now, Brissle is doing well, eating like crazy. She's real feisty and has the cutest personality. I'm not ready to let go without a fight. I'll be watching her closely though. She's been cheerful so far. But I'm not one of those people that consider pets possessions. If it turns to daily suffering, I'll know I did everything I could. Thanks again guys. -Melbeach
Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
No they don't have the immunoregulin in stock. I told my vet I would look for it and let him know so he could order it. Turns out I could order it myself from Revival Animal Health. So it should be here tomorrow. So how'd the immunoregulin do for you? Thanks. -Melbeach - Original Message - From: Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:49 PM Subject: RE: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. My cat has had a series of immunoregulin shots on two occasions--both times the vet gave them to her had it in supply Is your vet saying he cannot get it? Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Melbeach Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 11:54 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. Thanks alot you guys for taking the time to offer your knowledge. I really appreciate the help! Well I've been cramming my brains out the last couple days, so more of this is making sense. This site in particular has provided a lot of very useful info. To answer a couple of your questions: Did your vet test for hemobartenella? Better yet is he treating for it, the test often comes back negative even though the cat really is positive. I think the preferred antibiotic for hemo is doxocycline (sp?), many vets will prescribe it even if the test comes back negative because it won't hurt anything and may very well save Brissle's life if she shows a false negative. That's funny you ask, because I thought the same thing. There could be a small chance that the anemia was caused by haemobartonellosis and the FeLV just happened to already be there. When I saw my vet this morning, I asked him this question. He hadn't tested specifically for haemobartonellosi, but he had given her Baytril already on Friday and Saturday and just gave me a new bottle. I'm not sure what your vet meant by being concerned about lymph issues. Did he mean he thought Brissle might have lymphoma or cancer of the lymphatic system?? That was poor wording and ignorance on my part. He had pointed out the high L/M figure as a point of concern when going over the report. But after discussing it today, he wasn't diagnosing it as lymphoma or cancer. Actually, we are still not sure of the exact cause of the anemia. Though he strongly feels that it's FeLV induced. Hmm. I wonder if I should have that bone marrow test done. I wonder why he didn't offer? Must be real expensive. Well my vet wants to combine the Interferon and Immunoregulin therapies. He wasn't too keen about the steroids because of side effects relating to it being human form. But I found info about 'recombinant feline erythropoietin' (rfEPO) here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/7.12.01/feline_epo.html Does anyone know anything about this? So I have a prescription now for the Interferon and will be ordering it soon from Island Pharmacy. I'm also looking for a source of Immunoregulin (if anyone knows one). I'll be keeping my head up. For now, Brissle is doing well, eating like crazy. She's real feisty and has the cutest personality. I'm not ready to let go without a fight. I'll be watching her closely though. She's been cheerful so far. But I'm not one of those people that consider pets possessions. If it turns to daily suffering, I'll know I did everything I could. Thanks again guys. -Melbeach
RE: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
My Tucson's problem was very low white blood count with no other clear symptoms hemocrit values ( other blood values good)--(She is FELV+). Both times, her wbc came right back up so I was pleased. My vet says he uses immunoregulin regularly for FELV cats I know he does treat a number of them including someone local who does rescue I'm in NY assume he has pretty access to get it though I don't really know where Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Melbeach Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 11:03 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. No they don't have the immunoregulin in stock. I told my vet I would look for it and let him know so he could order it. Turns out I could order it myself from Revival Animal Health. So it should be here tomorrow. So how'd the immunoregulin do for you? Thanks. -Melbeach - Original Message - From: Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:49 PM Subject: RE: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. My cat has had a series of immunoregulin shots on two occasions--both times the vet gave them to her had it in supply Is your vet saying he cannot get it? Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Melbeach Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 11:54 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results. Thanks alot you guys for taking the time to offer your knowledge. I really appreciate the help! Well I've been cramming my brains out the last couple days, so more of this is making sense. This site in particular has provided a lot of very useful info. To answer a couple of your questions: Did your vet test for hemobartenella? Better yet is he treating for it, the test often comes back negative even though the cat really is positive. I think the preferred antibiotic for hemo is doxocycline (sp?), many vets will prescribe it even if the test comes back negative because it won't hurt anything and may very well save Brissle's life if she shows a false negative. That's funny you ask, because I thought the same thing. There could be a small chance that the anemia was caused by haemobartonellosis and the FeLV just happened to already be there. When I saw my vet this morning, I asked him this question. He hadn't tested specifically for haemobartonellosi, but he had given her Baytril already on Friday and Saturday and just gave me a new bottle. I'm not sure what your vet meant by being concerned about lymph issues. Did he mean he thought Brissle might have lymphoma or cancer of the lymphatic system?? That was poor wording and ignorance on my part. He had pointed out the high L/M figure as a point of concern when going over the report. But after discussing it today, he wasn't diagnosing it as lymphoma or cancer. Actually, we are still not sure of the exact cause of the anemia. Though he strongly feels that it's FeLV induced. Hmm. I wonder if I should have that bone marrow test done. I wonder why he didn't offer? Must be real expensive. Well my vet wants to combine the Interferon and Immunoregulin therapies. He wasn't too keen about the steroids because of side effects relating to it being human form. But I found info about 'recombinant feline erythropoietin' (rfEPO) here: http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/7.12.01/feline_epo.html Does anyone know anything about this? So I have a prescription now for the Interferon and will be ordering it soon from Island Pharmacy. I'm also looking for a source of Immunoregulin (if anyone knows one). I'll be keeping my head up. For now, Brissle is doing well, eating like crazy. She's real feisty and has the cutest personality. I'm not ready to let go without a fight. I'll be watching her closely though. She's been cheerful so far. But I'm not one of those people that consider pets possessions. If it turns to daily suffering, I'll know I did everything I could. Thanks again guys. -Melbeach
New FeLV+ Cat, transfusion yesterday. Please see blood results.
Hi everyone. First post here. My 8-year old female Brissle was diagnosed two days ago with severe anemia and FeLV. The vet was not optimistic about her chances. She had a blood transfusion yesterday. She's doing much better now, eating really well, color is returning. But I know this is probably only temporary. She's still licking wood, which I know is a sign of anemia. I wanted to post Brissle's blood results (before transfusion) and see if anything stands out. If it's bad, don't be afraid to tell me! For one, my vet was concerned about lymph-related issues. Well here are her results from Friday, before the transfusion. (In parenthesis, I included where the number falls in the report's Reference Range): HCT = 9.7% (extremely low) HGB = 3.1 g/dl (extremely low) MCHC = 32.0 g/dl (normal) WBC = 17.3 x 10^9/L (normal) GRANS = 8.3 x 10^9/L (normal) %GRANS = 48% L/M = 9.0 x 10^9/L (high) L/M% = 52% PLT = 175 x 10^9/L (low to normal) Retics 4.0% ALB = 2.79 g/dl (normal) ALKP = 31 U/L (normal) ALT = 87 U/L (normal) AMYL = 1667 U/L (high) BUN = 30.0 mg/dl (normal) Ca = 9.43 mg/dl (normal) CREA = 1.46 mg/dl (normal) GLU = 151.3 mg/dl (high) PHOS = 5.46 mg/dl (normal) TBIL = 0.75 mg/dl (normal) TP = 8.48 g/dl (normal) GLOB = 5.70 g/dl (very high) I'm debating between Interferon and Immunoregulin for the FeLV. I'll be going back to my vet tomorrow and want to be decided by then. My vet doesn't seem very up to date on these treatments. But at the same time, he's receptive about ordering the Interferon from Island Pharmacy and there are other things I like about their office. So I'm not kind of in the middle about switching vets. But I think I can work with this guy as long as I'm prepared. I'm also really worried about the anemia. Something tells me this could be the bigger issue. I'll be going shopping in a couple hours before PetSmart closes. Anything good that PetSmart might carry? I'm not too worried about price at this point. I'm just at the beginning of researching the diet issue now. So far, I've read about: Pet Tinnic, thymus, echinacea, Periactin, liver shakes. Does PetSmart carry any of this stuff? I'll keep reading Thanks! Any help would be greatly appreciated. -Melbeach
