My cat was recently throwing up and having other minor issues and overall just not feeling well..I took her into the vet and he did a complete blood test on her. He tested for Feline Leukemia and kept retesting 3 times because he was barely getting a positive. He still couldnt get a very good positive and diagnosed her with it. He gave me antibiotics to give her and one week later she is her normal self again, eating great and everything is good. What do you guys think?
2007-12-13 17:07:32 · 3 answers · asked by Dee 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
You need to have a long talk with your vet about exactly what feline leukaemia is.
It's a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Cats become ill when they initially contract it, but then one the virus has 'settled' they are fine for a few years - but the virus is still in them. It's like AIDS - eventually her immune system will be broken down and she will not be able to cope with illnesses.
It can hard to get a proper positive when the virus is intially contracted. Best thing to do is test again in a few months time and/or have the sample sent off to an external laboratory for more complete testing. If she isn't indeed positive for FeLV there's nothing that can be done unfortunately, except keep her away from other cats so she can't infect them and manage her illnesses when she starts to go downhill - which could be years from now. Cats with FIV or FeLV can still live a fair length of time; it depends how old she was if/when she contracted it.
Chalice
2007-12-13 22:45:02 · answer #1 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want a certain diagnosis ask the vet to send out a blood specimen to a laboratory. I am assuming the in-house test was a snap test done with a drop of blood. I have a feeling that if they got three weak positives that your kitty does have this virus. Below is some info about Feleuk. There are immune boosting drugs avail that can extend the quality of these cats for some time. Best wishes to you and your kitty.
2007-12-14 01:20:32 · answer #2 · answered by NinjenWV 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My cat has the same thing. She spent 3 days at the cat hospital and now he's home, but he won't eat. I'm glad yours is better.
2007-12-14 01:11:55 · answer #3 · answered by Tessie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋