questions regarding Feline Leukemia?

Question

I found a kitten who was about 8-10 wks old a little more than 2 years ago. He kept having swollen glands every 2-3 months and then they would go away, but he never acted sick. He has always been very active and has always had a healthy appitite. He had an upper resperatory infection about 2 months ago and it was cleared with antibiotics but his glands remained swollen. I took him into the vet and he tested positive for Feline Leukemia (ELISA). The vet said he is also highly anemic. I asked what his life expectancy is and the vet said it is hard to tell. Could be days, weeks, a month or if its in remission it could be 10 yrs. Could he have had this disease for 2 years already? He is still acting "normal" having regular bowel movements, eating, drinking and he's active. Is there a way to find out which stage he is at with the disease. I just want some information from someone that has delt with FeLV.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Feline Leukemia (FeLv)) can be transmitted in utero (from mom) or by milk. This is most likely where he got it from. FeLv is commonly transmitted through saliva so cat-to-cat contact. Grooming one another, drinking from the same bowls etc. Cats with FeLv are far more likely to develop FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) and gingivostomatis (Inflammation of the gums and mouth). FeLv positive cats can live a long life very close to the same life expectancy of a FeLv-neg cat. They need to be kept strictly indoors, away from ill cats & in a low stress environment. The FeLv virus commonly affects bone marrow causing them to have non-regenerative anemia. Working closely with your vet he can live for a long time but keep in mind he can and most likely will develop a multitude of health problems. Feline Leukemia is not a death sentence by any means but is VERY serious. Good luck!

Answer 2

I had taken in a kitten many years ago that had the same problem..kept getting swollen glands and also tested positive...she was born with it and i had to have her put down at 4 yrs old.

As long as you treat each illness..antibiotics and fluids and the cat gets better you're okay. If the cat is eating and drinking and is still "happy" just keep doing what you are doing...cats can life for many many years with this.

You must make sure that the postive cat and your other cat do not fight or cause bite wounds..this is how the disease is transmitted.

Answer 3

Since she contracted it from her mother she only has about a 40% chance of survival. False positives ARE possible but most of the time false NEGATIVES happen not positives. Do keep her away from other cats and INDOORS AT ALL TIMES. If you do want to keep this kitten you need to get all your cats the shot for Feline Leukemia but know that that only gives them about 80% protection. She COULD still infect them simply with her saliva using the same bowls or with blood if they fight. Also know that at the MOST this kitten will only live two to three years. Is that really worth infecting and potentially killing your other cats? And when she does end up sick - do you have several hundreds of dollars to cover all her inevitable vet bills? FeLV destroys the white blood cells which leaves her open to ANYTHING - URI's, kidney disease, eye ulcers - you name it. How did you end up with an FeLV positive kitten? And have you already allowed her to interact with your other cats? If so they're probably already infected.

Answer 4

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but many years ago my very best friend Snowy was afflicted with this terrible disease.



My vet said she had probably had it for quite sometime as it was spreading through her brain.



She was in terrible distress and dragged her head across the ground and had small seizures. Needless to say we had to put her down due to the fast progression of the illness.



Your cat could have had this since he was born or contracted it later in life. (is he an outdoor cat? Do you have other cats?) If my memory serves me correctly the vet said it could be transferred via saliva.



I think as long as he is acting healthy you should be thankful. When you notice that he is in pain or acting lethargic, that is the time to consider euthanasia.

Answer 5

There are at least two very good Feline Leukemia boards over on yahoogroups, the owners there are all dealing with cats with FeLV, they can give you personal advice on anything associated with this disease. I highly recommend you look them up and join one of the boards. They speak from experience.



The Elisha test is pretty accurate for FeLV, though it's not good at all for correctly diagnosing FIV.

Answer 6

Yes, he could have had FeLV all this time.



I have not had to deal w/ it since the 1970s as I test EVERY cat I get, but at that time my FeLV positive cats also had FIP... FIP kills much faster.



Keep him inside so that he does not expose any other cats & to protect him from exposure to other illness/parasites. Feed him quality food. Lysine & Colostrum (drug/health food store) will help to boost his immune system.



More info:

http://winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/FeLV_Web.pdf