That is a lot of weight loss. Did you mean 13 pounds, or was he really 30 pounds? I would get a full blood work up and have him palpitated for tumors. FeLV+ cats are prone to lymphoma and anemia, both of which can cause weight loss like that. Both have treatments that can help a lot, at least i
I think I would get a full-body x-ray to look for tumors, and do a full blood work-up.
Michelle
P.S. The appetite Winstrol V (or something like that) has been working really well for my horse Pepsi. I know it is used for cats too, so might be worth a try. it is an anabolic steroid.
In a message d
It's true that feline interferon, or Virbagen Omega, available only from England with FDA approval, has helped some positives who had massive weight loss and inappetance. Also immuno-regulin has too, and that is more easily available.
If he does not have lymphoma or another cancer, I would try the
IVD makes a feline dissolution formula for struvite crystals that has much less by-products-- I think it's the fifth ingredient or something-- than the other prescription brands, and the cats love it. It's called something like feline dissolution formula in gravy. Make sure you get the one that i
Immuno-regulin is supposed to be very good at helping positive cats who have elevated temperatures-- much better than Interferon (I have never heard anyone say that Interferon brought a fever down). Your vet should be able to get Immuno-regulin, and there is an article about it on the website for
Does anyone here keep Immuno-regulin on hand? Someone sent something around, I think, about a place to get it without a prescription? I am thinking it is something I should keep onhand like the VO, in case one of mine gets sick and the vet does not have any (my current vet does not keep it or use
I would never give it myself-- I can not give IV shots, anyway. I would bring it to the vet to do. I am just worried that if I want to try it in an emergency that the vet will not have any, that's all.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/1/2005 12:40:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] write
Thanks, Kyle. I don't need it right away. I am thinking of just keeping it onhand.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/1/2005 12:49:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Here's where I bought Immunoregulin myself: http://www.revivalanimal.com/product.asp?pn=31-020&ss=immunoregulin
I would assume it can be used with negatives, since it was not developed specifically for positives, to my knowledge. However, that doesn't mean it is necessarily a good thing to use in that cat's case. That I would not know. But worth asking the vet to look into it.
Michelle
Epogen is what helps sometimes when not producing red blood cells. Takes time to work though.
Michelle
Hi, Nina. I would try Immuno-regulin with Jazz. It seemed to help Brissle a
lot. I will try it if something goes wrong with one of my remaining 3. In
fact, I want to keep some on hand so I can bring it to the vet with them
if/when
there is a problem, to make sure there is no delay in trying
Two of mine, and possible a third (had no palpable tumors and was not
definitively diagnosed) died of lymphoma. FeLV+ cats get it a lot, and 4 is an
age
that is common for getting it. My cat Simon died in February of lymphoma which
was in his spleen, liver, and bone marrow.
I would definitel
Yes, immunoregulin is IV injections.
Michelle
If it is Stage V lymphoma there are only 2 things that could possibly help
him-- chemotherapy and steroids. The combination gave Simon 2 months, most of
which were good, and probably would have given him more if he had not developed
an autoimmune reaction to the cancer. He had Stage V lymphoma
Liver shake does not help anemia unless it is iron deficiency anemia, which
is rare and is probably not what TeeCee has. It's good to use because they
will sometimes eat it when they will not eat anything else, and it is
nutritious.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/4/05 10:58:52 PM, [EMAIL PROTE
Tonya,
The Beandryl cream (compounded benadryl I put on the inside ear skin)
DOES help Patches and does NOT make her drowsy, at least not so I can tell.
She
is less combative and pulls her hair out less, but still runs around. It only
works in combination with a feloway diffuser though, f
Simon had a billirubin of 25 (!) and was very jaundiced when first diagnosed
with lymphoma. He had it in his liver. You might want to get his liver
ultrasounded. Before his diagnosis, they told me it was that or
cholangiohepatitis,
which is treatable with antibiotics. The ultrasound made them
It's behavioral-- anxiety related. The benadryl sort of works like a
valium, I think. It's an extremely small dose, and just calms.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/5/05 11:38:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Thanks, I'm going to ask about it again before I turn to
I think I would also do Immuno-regulin. There is an article on the
felineleukemia.org website and if your vet does not have it, Kyle sent a link a
few days
ago to a place where you can order it. His cat has been doing remarkably well
(knock on wood) on a combination of Immuno-regulin and feline
Both. You have to get permission from the FDA to import it, then order it
from England. Instructions for doing both have been posted, and your vet can
get
an info packet from Nina's vet's technician.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/6/05 11:32:34 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< What is the lates
You can buy kitty wipes for cleaning sick cats at a lot of pet food stores.
Michelle
Has he been checked for lymphoma? If he is FeLV+, that would be my guess.
There are things you can do for lymphoma. To diagnose, first step is
usually blood work and palpating for tumors, and if no tumors that can be felt
doing a full-body x-ray to see if any show up. Lymphoma can be diffus
I am not sure because I have Patches' benadryl compounded into an ear
cream. She gets 1 cc of that but that does not translate into any other form of
benadryl. When I was first told to give it to her I was told to give her
the pill, and it was either 1/4 or 1/6 of an over-the-counter pill (
Macarena,
I would assume that the nausea is from the kidney
problems rather than the diabetes, though the two problems may be related.
Kidney problems can be helped by subcutaneous fluids and phosporous blockers,
and perhaps other things that are currently slipping my mind. The nausea
P.S. If he turns out to have chronic renal failure, or kidney failure,
there is a very helpful yahoo group you can join. I can dig up the address
of the group or someone else must have it. There is also a diabetes list.
Michelle
Kyle,
I am at a loss to understand why your vet thinks it's
cancer in the bone marrow. First, if she has cancer (it would be lymphoma)
in the bone marrow, that would have been causing the anemia and it would NOT
have gone away from Immuno-regulin and VO. A transfusion might have helpe
I just lost one dog Nubi, to adeno-carcinoma cancer in November. She was 9,
almost 10. My dog Fern, my only remaining dog, has fibro-sarcoma cancer
(she was given 2-6 months to live 16 months ago, but has done well on an
experimental treatment until recently, but the tumors in her lungs are
oh, yes, I forgot to answer about chemo. It is once a week for a while,
with the drug changing every week for a while. There are 4 or 5 drugs,
depending on the protocol. Some are very cheap (one was under $10) while others
are more expensive. I don't think any were as expensive as the
tra
It's an internist not an intern (interns are not full vets yet, while
internists are vets who have extra training and certification). Internists
do take clients directly. If you are near a veterinary hospital, I would
call there and ask for an appointment in their internal medicine departme
FYI, lymphoma in the spleen or kidneys can also cause anemia, without
suppressing white blood cell count the way lymphoma in the bone marrow
does. But it also makes the spleen and kidneys enlarged, and a vet should
be able to feel that when examining the cat. So I would doubt it is that eit
by the way, kyle, whatever is happening with Brissle, I think you should be
overjoyed at her HCT results, at least tentatively.
Michelle
Anything I know I know from having gone through hell, as is the case with
most of you, so it is nothing to think of as awesome. I love you people
too, though!
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 3:46:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Yes we
do love Michelle--she's
Hi, Hideyo. I don't think vomiting itself is a symptom of FeLV, or that
positive cats who are not otherwise sick do it any more than negative
cats.
If her appetite is down but she has no other symptoms, I think I would try
Immuno-regulin. That article on the website says it helps with all
rebounds are little miracles. I hope to god it continues for Tee Cee.
I do not know about muscle spasms. I only saw them in Simon when he was dying--
i.e. in his last few hours when he could not otherwise move.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 6:43:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PR
Is this a regular vet, or an internist or oncologist? I would see one of
the latter, preferably an oncologist. My understanding is that they do not
normally remove lymphoma surgically. Steroids and chemo can shrink it to
almost nothing if it responds. Lymphoma tends to line organs and not
Also, lymphoma if left untreated can move very fast. I would really be
trying to get things done next day, not waiting days in-between each thing, even
if you need to bug vets and insist. Now is the weekend so it is tricky to get an
appoinment with an oncologist probably, but some are open o
Just another trick to add to the files-- had to take Quincy, my negative,
to the vet today (he has crystals). He is the hardest cat to get in a
carrier, and I have been scratched and bitten a lot trying to get him in
(backwards, forwards, carrier on side, etc.). I have devised a fool-proof
Ultrasound specialists are usually just that, or maybe radiologists, but
not oncologists or surgeons so I would not trust that. Some oncologists
will not make an appointment without a diagnosis, it's true, although I would
think that a palpable tumor in an FeLV+ cat would be enough (it is a
I see-- that's really far. Is there an internist nearer by?
Internists are often pretty up to speed on chemotherapy as well. You
might be able to get an oncologist to consult with your regular vet by
phone. Didn't someone on the list say their oncologist is willing to do
that?
Serious
Might be worth buying a little cat bed to use for this purpose if you have
any sticklers.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 10:27:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
great
idea! (for those cats who sleep on beds, at least. picturing trying to
fold up the human-
Actually the large cell aggressive lymphoma responds better to chemo than
the small cell lymphoma. This is because chemo kills off lymphoma at the stage
that it is dividing into new cells, and aggressive lymphoma does this faster and
more frequently, or something like that.
Listen, I reall
With Quincy, the vet would have to be a good runner, as Quincy runs all
over the place when any strangers try to go near him. The vets in my area are
too out of shape.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 10:36:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
i've
solved it a differ
I am pulling for you and Shelby. I am so anxious about Shelby just
from these emails, as it brings me back to what happened with Simon, Josephine,
and Buddy. I think you should ask the lymphoma list serve folks about
surgery. But I do not remember any of them ever mentioning their cats
g
I did not have the underwear trick in my files. Am making note.
:)
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 11:05:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
The last
time I snagged Smoky, I had to sit around in the living room for 10 minutes in
my underwear so he would think I
FYI, cancer dosage is 1 tab (5 mg) twice a day and staying on that for many
weeks.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/8/05 11:18:13 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
i have
prednisone here. She is currently on an everyother day pill.
she was put on it for anemia. sheha
Nina, I am so sorry, and so shocked. I had no idea she was that sick.
Do they think it was lymphoma? I think that lymphoma is what takes so many
of our positive babies, probably more often than it is actually diagnosed.
It has taken at least two of mine, and perhaps Buddy also. It is horr
Barbara,
You have no idea how long Tom has, and neither does
anyone else. There are people on this list who have had FeLV+ cats live to over
10 years old. It is rare but it does happen. I have one whose age I don't want
to say because I am superstitious and do not want to jinx her, but s
I would not recommend this advice as far as Shelby goes, until Shelby
sees an internist or oncologist. Shelby's vet does not seem to
understand much about lymphoma, as many regular vets do not.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/10/05 3:42:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes
That is great, and really nice of your vet. Do not panic if there is
a spot on the lungs. Lymphoma has usually spread by the time it is caught. If it
is going to respond to chemo, it can still respond even after spreading.
As you have probably heard on the lymphoma list serve, some people'
Barbara,
You should not take away from all this that most positive cats
live until 10 or 12 without any problems. I think the majority on this list have
died before 4 years old, probably. But the point is you just don't know. I lost
one at 18 months, one at 3, one at just under 5, and I ha
You all might want to join the No More Homeless Pets Forum (Best Friends
Animal Society) this week-- there is a vet discussing FeLV and FIV, and
answering questions. You can join for free at www.bestfriends.org, and follow links to
members and pets, I think. I generally find the forum useful
I would do both, I think. I would make both appointments (and call the
internist every day to see if you can get in there sooner than Thursday) and
also make the 4/20 appointment. After seeing the internist, and discussing it
with her/him, you can decide whether or not to also go to the onco
I am so sorry you lost your kitty. I am not sure if anyone on this list
other than the list administrator can remove your name. I do not have
James' email address anymore-- can someone forward this message to him so he can
remove her name?
Michelle
In a message dated 4/11/05 1:57:49 PM Ea
Yay! I'm so glad! Is this the internist? Which chemo did she get? Simon
started on Elspar, but I think that is a subcutaneous shot and it sounds like
Shelby got an IV shot.
Please let us know how she does. Hopefully you will be able to feel the
tumor getting smaller.
Michelle
In a messag
I think maybe they started Simon on Elspar because his liver was already very
compromised by the lymphoma and Elspar is not processed through the liver.
When his liver values came down from responding to the Elspar and steroids, he
got vincristine, which he responded to even better, the first ti
I sent him infor earlier (Nina had emailed me individually with his email
address) about mediastinal lymphoma and anemia.
Michelle
That is so great,
Michelle
In a message dated 4/12/05 4:20:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Michelle,I'll definitely keep you updated. You have all
beenso helpful. Shelby is still feeling herself I think. She was
up on the bed with me rolling around on all mypap
Michael,
If it is lymphoma, whether or not you do chemo ask the vet to give a
dexamethasone shot. It is a fast-acting steroid that shrinks tumors and often
brings back appetite within hours.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/13/05 12:20:22 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<<
It seems stitches con
Is it possible he has pneumonia? One of my positives had that a few years
ago and Baytril cleared it up. It can definitely cause fluid in the lungs,
and I would assume could enlarge a lymph node since infections do that. I
would still rule out lymphoma though.
Sending lots of good wishes,
After i had mono, the lymph nodes in my neck stayed enlarged for a long
time and I can still feel one of them, 16 years later. So it might be that they
are still enlarged from a prior infection.
I think I would get her checked, though.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/13/05 4:59:27 PM Easter
I don't know. I guess I would do another week? Or ask the vet?
Michelle
In a message dated 4/13/05 5:07:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Okay.
Any ideas on how long she should remain on the meds? I understood that
with an FELV+ cat, you should stay on meds for qui
We have been discussing it, and some of us have gotten it through our vets
getting FDA permission to import it.
We should look into the online pharmacy thing, but I think without FDA
approval there is a risk of the stuff being confiscated by customs, and you
will not
get a refund from the phar
Waisong has a vegan dry food called Wysong Vegan, for cats and dogs. Two of my dogs ate it for years. I tried it with my cats and it gave two of them urinary crystals so I stopped.
Sorry if this was mentioned already. I have not been following the food thread closely.
Michelle
Hideyo,
sorry I just got this email now. Did you get the packet from Nina's vet? I don't think my vet used it, but it is the easiest way to go. Your vet just sends in a letter to the FDA, they send a letter back to the vet, and the vet orders the VO from Abbey Vet and it is shipped to the vet. At
I have heard of rerouting it, and a cat I grew up with had that done, but
never removing it.
Michelle
If transfusions last a month or two and they will give them to her without waiting for her HCT to drop below 20, then I think it makes a lot of sense to keep giving them to her as therapy. I certainly would have kept giving them to Simon if they could have kept him going like that.
Simon had the b
Right. That's the way it works with lymphoma in the bone marrow, anyway.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/22/2005 1:35:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Michelle, are you saying that the chemo would try to attack the cancer in her
bone marrow - and if that worked, it would allo
Kyle, something that helps sometimes with nonregenerative anemia is Procrit, also called Epogen. I did not write about it earlier because if Brissle really has leukemia then I do not think it would help. What Procrit and Epogen do is send a signal to the bone marrow, which is supposed to be sent
They aren't always donor cats. Some people bring their own cats and dogs in to donate blood. A lot of vet technicians do it. And some people do it regularly with their own animals, every few months, to do a service. It's a great thing. It's weird, though, even though I am so greatful the blood was
Hi. I am so sorry that you had that experience with the emergency vet. I think you should take Roxie to an internist. She could possibly have lymphoma, if she is FeLV+ and having trouble breathing and lethargy (or it could just be pneumonia or something-- my Patches had that). Either has a chance o
Sally is very knowledgeable, but having done a ton of research on feline
cancer and been through it numerous times and active on the lymphoma list
serve,
there are a few inaccuracies in this message.
First, blood transfusions do not require anesthesia. If the cat is not
stressed by it, the o
I have found that my FeLV+ cats with URI's respond better to Baytril or
Doxicycline than to Clavamox, though it sounds like Roxie is responding to the
clavamox (knock on wood!)
Michelle
In a message dated 4/25/05 9:43:35 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Well, good news. Roxie seems to be much
Kyle, I do not know much about leukemia the cancer, but I know a lot about
lymphoma and I can tell with absolute certainty that chemo and steroids are the
way to go with lymphoma. I have tried it both ways. I did not do chemo with
Josephine or Buddy, though I did steroids and the steroids made
Kyle,
Chemo was not that expensive when I did it with Simon, but it could be
different for leukemia than for lymphoma, I don't know. Some chemo drugs cost
more than others.
Prednisone and Epogen are not things that you choose between. They are
totally unrelated. Prednisone is a steroi
Doxi is stronger and broader spectrum, and not what vet usually use for
URI's. Clavamox is more specific to URI's and not as strong but generally
works, so
vets prescribe that. I have just found that with my positives it does not
always work, while doxi does so far.
Baytril was prescribed for
most likely urinary tract infection and/or urinary crystals or bladder
stone/s. I would take the cat to get checked. Will probably be prescribed
an antibiotic and, if crystals or suspected stones, a special food to adjust the
ph of the urine.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/25/05 9:21:08
Kyle, any vet should have both dexamethasone and depomedrol on hand. The vet
can draw them both into one shot, or just give two shots. There is no pre-made
combo to my knowledge. However, I think checking with the internist is a good
idea.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/27/05 9:40:25 AM, [EMAIL
It can mean any kind of illness, but most likely indicates that she feels
extremely sick or weak. I would take her to the vet immediately.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/27/05 10:29:45 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Hello there, I just have a quick question, I am drawing a blank. One of my
kit
Doxicycline definitely does that if it gets in their mouth at all. I cover
it with Nutristat before pilling with it for that and other reasons.
Michellle
In a message dated 4/27/05 12:31:59 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Jenn-Thank you so much for that piece of info that I didn't know---
I really don't know. The oncologist just ordered it and charged me after it
came in (a month after, actually).
Kyle, are you getting it? If you do, are you able to get an extra box to send
one back to me? I need one more in order to have one for each of my three to
get prior to moving 5 hours a
yup. This is not something anyone can afford to actually keep a cat on. Just
to dose periodically when sick or facing extra stress.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/28/05 4:47:42 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< Do I understand correctly one order (90 day) supply will cost $700? >>
That is bizarre. If he wants to talk to my oncologist about it, I am sure he
would not mind. His name is Jeff Philibert and he is at New England Veterinary
Oncology Group in Waltham, MA, # 781-684-8688. He was hesitant at first to
give the amount of steroids I requested, but then did some resear
Also , it is completely bizarre that he would make you choose between
transfusing and chemo or steroids. Simon got transfusions for the very point
of
helping him stay strong enough for the chemo to work on him. He got 3
transfusions
while on chemo.
Michelle
In a message dated 4/28/05 5:53:
Tad, I did not get any posts about her. I am so sorry.
Michelle
Nina,
I think it could be a sign of something serious, but I also seem to
remember someone writing a long time ago that cats with FeLV sometimes just get
this
condition. I am not positive, but I really think I remember that, and that
it is not a big deal when it happens. I would certainly g
me too.
In a message dated 4/28/05 10:06:54 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Thanks Michelle for that ray of hope. I'm trying not to panic. Before
my animals started getting sick, I was so calm in crisis conditions.
That's all shot to h**l now.
Nina >>
Kyle, it's not a side effect. It's the drug wearing off. The reason that vets
normally combine it with prednisone or depomedrol is that dexamethasone only
stays in the system a day or two. It can have long-term effects if it is given
to reduce swelling or tumor size, since it does that a lot whi
They can both be given sub q. But long-acting would be depomedrol. But it
would be unlikely that the depo would have acted so quickly. If it was the depo
and it acted so quickly and is already not working, then I would guess
steroids are not going to help her very much. I do not know much abo
I actually think it makes sense to test them for toxo. A friend who lived
with us for a while had seven cats who all had toxo. They needed antibiotics
twice a day for a month and they got better. I do not remember any of them
having
the dilated pupil, but I do recall hearing it can cause that.
I give it to mine (in addition to Wellness, etc.-- they like a variety!) It
does not seem to have any by-products and few grains, and they really like it.
>From all appearances it looks to me as good as most of the health food
brands.
Michelle
When I asked about the transfusion, I did not realize that she actually got
one last week.
Yes, Depo takes a few days to kick in often. With Simon, I think it took even
longer than 3 days.
BTW, I did not ask my oncologist if I could give his number out, and he is
away until Monday. If you de
Thinking about her...
Michelle
My Patches likes tuna-flavored Laxastat, which is another version of
Petromalt.
Michelle
In a message dated 5/1/05 9:22:39 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< I know that someone here is going to have a great suggestion for
hairballs. Carolina will not take the standard tube stuff like Petromalt.
Kyle, something you may want to consider is a feeding tube. I considered it
with Simon but was able to get him eating on his own again. They insert them
under light anesthesia, I think they are called e-tubes, and apparently they
really do not bother the cats. You can easily get full nutrition
NO, those are nasal feeding tubes, which are supposed to be worse. E-tubes
are inserted to their stomach and threaded under their skin to come out on the
side of the neck. I don't think you can see much, and they are not supposed to
be able to feel anything much.
Michelle
In a message dated
Try sour cream too. And roast beef and/or turkey deli slices.
Michelle
In a message dated 5/2/05 9:29:38 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Thanks for the suggestion Michelle. Hopefully, it won't come down to that.
I'm
going to the store now to try baby food and different gourmet wet foods. I'll
I am so sorry. Although I never met Brissle, I am heartbroken. Not only for
her, and for you, but for all of us. When she did so well for so long after
that first transfusion and on the I-R and the VO, I thought we had found a
solution for all our cats to the anemia issue.
Kyle, she had an
That is so great!! Is the tumor gone?
Michelle
In a message dated 5/3/05 12:36:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Stitch is doing great! He is back to his playful self and is even
back to attacking my seven month old pug. He has been on the pred 5mg every
tweleve ho
I am not sure if you are on the lymphoma list serve -- if not, I highly
recommend it, but I think I remember that you are. Anyway, while I am
thinking about it, I want to tell you one thing: if Stitch goes into remission
and then comes out of it, or if the chemo stops working, you should as
Yeah, is that what people mean by "support our troops"? Really. You would
think the least we could do for military families is allow them to keep their
animals and other family members with them.
Michelle
In a message dated 5/3/05 12:54:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes
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