| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
My kitty (Rusty) has been diagnosed as having FeLV.
Is there any alternative (other than the obvious) that would
keep her with us while not causing her discomfort or pain?
Currently she is extremely weak and is down to 7 lbs. for a
full grown cat. We hate to see her like this but are hoping
that we don't have to put her to sleep.
Thanks.
Drew
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 486.1 | Don't know if this will help.... | LAIDBK::SHERRICK | Molly :^) | Wed Feb 18 1987 15:18 | 15 |
I sympathize deeply with your problem. The diculty with FeLV is
that is is not really a specific disorder - it is an overall depression
of the immune system - like AIDS in people. Many cats live for
years after contracting it. Then they start to pick up all kinds
of ailments, cause their bodies don't have resistance. Whether
or not Rusty can be made more comfortable probably depends on what
the particular condition is. It is rarely an actual "leukemia".
I suppose your vet is the best resource, or if you want a second
opinion, you could consult a feline oncologist. I would say, if
the cat seems to be content, although weak, just try to make her
comfortable. When I was a kid we had a cat who died of FeLV, and
he purred when we cuddled him right to the end. I believe he was
still getting satisfaction out of life.
Best of luck.
Molly
| |||||
| 486.2 | I agree with Molly | PUZZLE::CORDESJA | Wed Feb 18 1987 15:44 | 12 | |
As long as Rusty is an only cat and is still happy and enjoying
his life I think you should be able to have him with you for as
long as possible.
Felv is so very contagious... I have a multi cat household and a
few years ago I lost two cats to Felv. Both of them were strays
that I had found dumped outside of work and I often thank God for
giving me the insight to keep them seperated from my other cats
when I brought them home.
Good luck to you and to Rusty.
Jo Ann
| |||||
| 486.3 | FYI | JAWS::COTE | Hopelessly stuck in a triplet... | Thu Feb 19 1987 19:36 | 20 |
I submit this for FYI purposes only...
Some years ago one of my parents 5 cats was diag'd as having Felv.
This was my father's favorite cat. Not wanting to loose his cat,
he convinced the vet to give her a transfusion from one of the
healthy ones.
The response was, in a word, remarkable. We're talking lethargic
to kittenhood again! The process had to be repeated sometime later,
on the order of months.
The cat eventually did succomb.
I have no idea whether this practice is recommended, sanctioned
or whatever and do not relay it in an effort to convice you to
consider it. That's a vet's decision...
Edd
| |||||