[Felvtalk] Please help! Anemic felv kitty, what can be done??

[Sally Dwyer]

Hi there,
Sounds like you are doing and have so much to help your little guy.  I was just curious to know if they have done a pcr to determine if there is a mycoplasma? I know you are treating presumptively with Doxy for this, but it would be good to know.
My guy, Rumi had a pcv of 8 three days after we got him from the SPCA  - he did have a mycoplasma and was also diagnosed with felv and fiv as well as immune mediated hymoltic anemia.  He is still with us 2 + years latter.  We gave him doxy, 10 mg of prednislone a day and a gastro protectant.  His PCV climbed very slowly over the course of 3 weeks. The transfusions were necessary even though I remember feeling like we were pouring water into a bucket with a hole in it.  We crossed our fingers and prayed that the doxy and pred would eventually seal up "the hole."  

We started LTCI a year latter (wish I had started sooner) when he went IFA (in the bone marrow) positive.  I live in Canada and the internists we were working with were very negative about LTCI and had me sign a statement acknowledging that they did not recommend using it.6 months latter  we had him tested again and he was IFA negative!!!

I have used Dr. Donna Spector as a consultant .  She is extremely competent - consults with upwards of (40 vets a day) and she recommended the LTCI.  You can check out her website - she will look at all the medical records, do a phone consult with you and also talk to/make recommendations to your vet.  I find her to be a wonderful combination of very sharp and compassionate as well as affordable.  She has often picked up on things that other vets have missed and I continue to run lab results by her

Terry Beardsly, director and discoverer of LTCI is also very approachable.  He has lots of documented cases of cats responding very quickly in terms of PCV numbers ( in a couple of days).  Perhaps you can give him a call at Tcyte (800 483-2104 ext 88) and get his recommendations.  His wife Gale does the ordering end of things and they have shipped to my vet same day.   I kind of figure at this point you don't have a lot to lose.      

Hope this is helpful  and I will keep you in my thoughts,
Sally


  
 

     On Friday, February 27, 2015 3:01 PM, N. E. Juskowich <nej917 at gmail.com> wrote:
   

 Time is of the essence for us and I need to know if there's something else that can be done for my sweet little just-turned-one-year-old boy.  He had a PCV of 12% and received a blood transfusion, his PCV went up a little, then back down, then up to 17% over the course of 24 hours.  He was put on 7.5 mg. prednisone, 25 mg. mycophenolate, 18.75 mg. plavix (to prevent clots from the pred/mycophenolate combo), 25 mg. doxycycline (in case of mycoplasma infection), and 5 mg. famotidine to prevent GI issues from the pred.  
His anemia is currently non-regenerative with two most likely potential causes: he was agglutination positive, a sign of immune mediated red blood cell destruction; he may have leukemia in the marrow.  We did not do a bone marrow aspirate because cancer would be too advanced at this stage, the severe anemia indicating this to be the case.  The doctor said it could take a few days of immunosuppressant therapy for the bone marrow to respond.  
Two days after the PCV of 17% we had a recheck and it is now down to 14%.  He is going to receive another transfusion.  
I need to know as quickly as possible: Is there anything else that can be done at this stage?  I was looking into treatment with TCyte (LTCI), but my vet said it would be a waste of time and money.  I'd read on a forum that a severely anemic felv kitty responded very well to the drug and I would've been willing to give it a shot.  My vet is of the opinion that I should not have bothered with this second transfusion (he had to go to emergency hospital for it) and the TCyte is "hogwash".  I'm sitting here feeling hopeless and wondering if this really is the end and what do I do now if he doesn't respond to the transfusion.  
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  No sugar coating necessary, but please be gentle.  If nothing can be done, what can I do for him to keep him happy and comfortable?  Will he need euthanized or will he pass peacefully?
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