Click Donate Button To Log into
your Paypal Account or Donate by
Credit Card or Bank Account

You can also donate by
'snailmail' using this address:

 501 North Claypool Court 
  Va Beach, VA  23464
  ♥ Thank YOU! 
      
            






 

Feline Virus Warningcatlhsiting




This is a compilation of information from various sources about the Feline Leukemia Virus

 
     The Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) does not survive the enviroment, meaning it only lasts less than a few seconds outside of your kitty.  There is no danger of exposure to humans and only to other cats if your kitty has direct contact with another kitty shedding the virus.  This tramission shedding requires intimate moist contact, such as infected saliva...through grooming, licking, biting and shared dishes, or litter pans.  FeLV can also be transmitted through giving you kitty a blood transfuion.  Certain household detergents will kill the FeLV virus, one example is Shaklee's basic G.

FeLV symptoms include:
General malaise, fever and diarrhea.  You will also see kitty losing a signifinate amount of weight.  Kitty will progressively become weak and will have difficulty breathing and have swollen lymph nodes.  Kitty's gums will lack the pink or red color which is a sign of anemia and will show signs of of chronic, recurring infections. Blood found in the stool is another sympton of FeLV.  

FeLV also produces wide variety of associated diseases and symptoms:
Degenerative diseases – anemia, liver disease, intestinal disease and reproductive problems
Cancerous diseases – lymphosarcoma and leukemia (average survival time of 6 months with aggressive chemotherapy)
Infectious diseases and other problems – chronic respiratory infections, chronic gingivitis and stomatitis, feline infectious peritonitis, poor healing of wounds and abscesses and chronic generalized infections

There are four possible outcomes of kitty having FeLV:  

paw prints 3An effective immune response is produced and the infection is resisted.  This happens in approximately 30% of kitties that test positive for FeLV, and they become naturally immune to FeLV infection for an unknown peiod of time. 
paw prints 3In approximately 40% of other cats the virus is successful and the kitty eventually becomes persistently infected and is excreting the virus in its saliva. 
paw prints 3Cats do not produce immunity but they also do not become persistently infected immediately, this third type of response occurs in approximately 30%.  The virus hides in their bone marrow for up to 30 months and these kitties will eventually overcome the virus or become persistently infected.
paw prints 3Some kitties can develope latent or sequestered infection - less than 5-10%.  In kitties where the FeLV virus is hiding in sites such as the bone marrow, will rarely be contagious and they are unlikely to develop illness and will not test positive on routine testing.

kitten 2   Young cats, especially those under 4 months of age, have the least ability to mount an effective immune response and are most susceptible to FeLV.  All cats/kittens should be tested whether ill, exposed to a FeLV positive cat or a new cat to a household.

  Positive cats are not always young cats and may live for months to years. 



  Euthanasia should be addressed on an individual basis in consultation with your veterinarian
and your specific wishes to let your kitty live out their remaining life with you.

 Allowing your kitty to live with is a viable option even if you have other kitties at home, even if your other kitties may or may not test positive. But they should never be exposed to other kitties nor under any circumstances should they be allowed to roam outside.



sick cat 3         Caring For Your FeLV Positive Kitty

         Treating your kitty with good supportive and loving care is so important even though there is no specific treatment or no known controlled cure.   Always...Keep kitty indoors and...

Protect them from exposure to other diseases.

Ensure they have good nutrition, good quality diet
Immunotherapy:  Staph protein A – (ProZyme)- digestive enzyme (1/4 tsp per 1 cup food).
Pet-Tinic – liquid vitamin mineral supplement with Iron
Transfer Factor-boosts the immune system to help defend the body from all kinds of disease, infection and intrusion.  Contains over 40 valuable nutrients, including amino acids, probiotics, essential fatty acids and 25 vitamins and minerals considered essential for the optimal health of your cat.  Also includes a synergistic blend of glucosamine and chondroitin, designed for felines. It is a lymphokine – the two most notable lymphokines are interferon and interleukins.   The need to use antibiotics is lessened.  Transfer Factor can stimulate a better immune response to respiratory bacteria, skin pathogens and various viruses.
 Mix own food - receipes to follow soon

Reduce as much stress in their lives as possible
(SAMe)-pet formula only, do not split or crush. A very good generic brand is Deneysol

Give their regular vaccinations with killed virus vaccines (no feline leukemia vaccine)

Control parasites, such as fleas, earmites, intestinal parasites.

Early and aggressive treatment of any symptoms that appear (see above symptoms)


Testing should be done every 3 months

Tests used have a small percentage of false positive results – 1-5%

Test look for viral antigens not antibodies

Kittens can be tested at any age because maternal immunity does not interfere with test

ELISA is the most common screening test

IFA (immunofluorescent antibody) test is the most common confirmatory test

Test done on tears or saliva are unreliable, it should be performed on a blood sample

All cats/kittens should be tested whether ill, exposed to a FeLV positive cat or a new cat to a household.
 

 Vaccination for FeLV

Does not affect test results

Vaccines are about 85% effective in preventing infection with feline leukemia virus

FeLV vaccines are designated as non-core vaccines and recommended only for those cats whose lifestyle places them at risk for FeLV – which include out door cats, indoor/outdoor, feral, cats in open multi-cat households, FeLV-positive households or where FeLV status of all resident cats is not known.

 

 

           Therapies that have helped FeLV Kitties.

AZT – Anti-viral drug- shows some promise – but has many side effects

Combining AZT with interferon or interferon and another immunostimultant – Propionibacterium acnes.

                 Immunotherapy: Staph protein A – (ProZyme)- digestive enzyme (1/4 tsp per 1 cup food)  
                 Immunoregulin: 
Not recommended once cat develops any type of lymphosarcoma, cat must
                                              be taken off Prednisone at least a week before starting treatment unless
                                              severe anemia is noted.  It is a biological product which can stimulate the 
                                              immune system to defend itself against disease.  It is administered
                                              intravenously giving 2 injections a week for one or two weeks, then one
                                              injection a week until symptoms are alleviated.
                  Acemannan:       (Carrisyn) – Oral doses are not yet available4.     
                  Baypamum:        Not available in North America due to FDA concerns. (it’s cultured on
                                              Bovine kidney tissue) possibility of MDC.  Studies are being done at Bayer 
                                              Company in Kansas.      
Moducare and Hyproxin:    Plant “fats” present in every single plant (fruits and vegetables).  Chemically
                                              very similar to the animal fat, cholesterol but totally different in biological
                                              functions.  They modulate the functions of the T cells - specialized cells
                                              which fight off offenders which live inside the host’s cells (e.g. Viruses,
                                              certain bacteria, etc.
Dimethylglycine (DMG):    A tertiary amino acid, a derivative of glycine and a natural component of
                                              animal and plant metabolism.  It supports transmethylation processes through
                                              its ability to give up its methyl groups to help produce Sulfur-
                                              adenosylmethionine (SAMe)-pet formula only, do not split or crush. A very
                                              good generic brand is Denysol.  It also protects against many forms of
                                              physical, metabolic and environmental stress.  This is a great source of
                                              sacosine, glcine, serine, etc, modulates T and B cells and their products, 
                                              impacts immune modulation and oxidative processes.
                     Interferon:      Good anecdotal reports of helpfulness and success in treatment of ill cats but 
                                              no reports of it actually clearing the virus under controlled conditions.
           Blood transfusion:    Help some cats.      
        Appetite stimulants:    Diazepam, oxazepam and cyprobeptadine
                                              Hill’s A/D diet.
       Haemobartonellosis:    T
reatment for a blood parasite, sometimes a complicating factor in FeLV

          It is responsive to doxycycline (10mg/kg of body weight once a day)

          Doxycycline is of the Tetracycline family.  
    You can add Baytril to the doxcycline.

        Prednisone therapy:     Does not help all cats, alternative for euthanasia
            Alternative Care:     Additional support is needed to reverse symptoms

          Symptoms may reappear with disregard of supplementation protocol
Immune enhancing, tissue building nutrients are:

              Vitamins A, E, B-Complex and C plus the minerals Iron, Zinc, Copper   
  and Selenium and supportive co-enzyme action nutrients.   Supplemented 
  cats show a marked improvement in health and a decreased need for
  medication.  Echinacea, astragalus and ganoderma mushrooms might also 
  be beneficial.

         Pet-Tinic – liquid vitamin mineral supplement with Iron

         Life Force super Antioxidants  and Vital Charge– made by Infinity 2

         Feline Leukemia virus Kit – Cell Restore (herbal-Atractylodes (alba), Cudrania, dioscorea, Momordica charantia, Paeonia, Sophora), Cell Enhancer (herbal-Coix, Cymbopogon, Garcinia, Sarcandrae, Sprouted Rice), Virus Fighter (herbal- Andrographis, Angelica Dong Quai, Astragalus, Lonicera Flower)

         Transfer Factor-boosts the immune system to help defend the body from all kinds of disease, infection and intrusion.  Contains over 40 valuable nutrients, including amino acids, probiotics, essential fatty acids and 25 vitamins and minerals considered essential for the optimal health of your cat.  Also includes a synergistic blend of glucosamine and chondroitin, designed for felines. It is a lymphokine – the two most notable lymphokines are interferon and interleukins.   The need to use antibiotics is lessened.  Transfer Factor can stimulate a better immune response to respiratory bacteria, skin pathogens and various viruses.

         Mix own food