[Felvtalk] Grieving, and need to understand about felv

Fri Nov 27 12:40:40 CST 2015

Dear Lance,

Thank you so very much. It means so much to me to have the input from those who understand the disease, and who also love their furbabies. 
I will have them tested, sooner than later, because every time I look at them now, I fear for them.

Thank you for the link. It was helpful and I will check it out more fully.
best wishes, 
anne

-----Original Message-----
From: Lance <linimon at fastmail.fm>
To: felvtalk <felvtalk at felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Fri, Nov 27, 2015 1:21 pm
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Grieving, and need to understand about felv

Anne,

I’m sorry for your loss. Sam sounds adorable (we have a squirrel-tail, too). You did what you thought was best for him based on the advice of the vet. And that’s okay. It’s the best any of us can do. We all walk a fine line between wanting to give them every chance to rebound and wanting to prevent avoidable suffering.

It’s worth looking over the AAFP’s official paper on feline  retroviruses.

http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/retrovirus-management-guidelines

It’ll be good to get both Dom and Roxie tested. It’s unnerving to wait for it. Many of us have had cats we were certain had contracted FeLV through extensive contact with known positives, and tests later showed no infection in these “vulnerable” ones.

Perhaps some of these cats have latent infections that are unlikely to ever surface. Or, they just weren’t infected when overexposed to the virus, and they’re resistant.

I hope you get good news about both cats once you get them in for their tests. 

Best,

Lance

On Nov 27, 2015, at 12:00 PM, annetburton at aol.com wrote:

Hello. My name is Anne, and I just had to put my kitty, Sam, down on Wednesday, due to his having felv and being very ill.

I am having those terrible self doubts now... I have had to let some furbabies go in the past, and I always have those doubts, even though I know it was the right thing for them.  

I am a cat rescue participant. I have had strays fixed, taken to vet, treated, and have found homes for some. I rescued Sam and his brother Domino, when they were young kittens, the babies of a feral/stray momma. An evil neighbor trapped their mom, brother, and sister, and took them to Animal friends in our town, where they were euthanized immediately... the animal warden made me aware of this when I called him, to talk about the neighbor trapping them. 

Anyway, Sam and Dom , and another rescued abandoned girl, Roxie, have been my only ones for the past few years. Sam and Dom are four years old. Sam was always sickly, with colds. the vet thought it was probably feline herpes, and he was treated for colds, and finally didn't get them anymore, though he began to have issues ... stomatitis. it was getting harder and harder to get it to clear up. 

I had Sam and Dom neutered when they were about six months old. I thought they had a felv shot at that time, but Wednesday, I learned that they had not.

Sam was always happy, bouncy, and my little squirrel tailed kitty :), but his mouth became very inflamed and  I took him in to the vet. She gave him zenequin and prednisone. It wasn't working, and he became worse, not eating much, and I took him back. they then gave him fluids, and a depo medrol shot. I was to call back in two days. He became lethargic the day after the shot.. hardly walking, eyes became bloodshot and running a lot. I knew he was in trouble, and took him back in. They called me to say that they tested him and he was feline leukemia positive. 

I was so afraid that he was not going to get better. He was anemic by this time. petikia in his eyes, his gums terrible. not even standing by this point! I honestly could not imagine him coming back from this point, and asked them if it was the best thing to let him go. They said yes, that he was just going to keep going down hill (he was already bottomed out, in my opinion). So I went in, and held him while giving him freedom from his pain and suffering. It is breaking my heart and I need to hear that I did not do this prematurely.... I see things online now, where people say it can be treated. 

I have the other two, who seem very well. Roxie was a pet store cat, who was abandoned by a relative who was supposed to be caring for her. she had a micro chip and I was able to talk to her owner who was away at college. I am thinking that Roxie had had her vaccine for that. I will be having her tested soon, at another vets, where she has a treatment plan. The same for Domino, who I am worried about, although he has been through a broken  leg, an infection in the cast, and a long treatment before  his leg was able to be re -casted.  he has always been very healthy, but I am worried. I have been reading , searching, as to whether some cats may not get it, and I am hoping that my Domino is one of the lucky ones who may have had it and thrown it off (If I understand that process correctly).

I am so sad, wondering if I could have given my Sam more time. The vets were not positive at all, and agreed that it was the best for Sam. I do not always believe vets, and don't have the utmost trust in this practice, but I also know that doubts are normal, when you have had to make this terrible choice, for your beloved furbaby.

any reassurances are welcome. 
thank you,
anne
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