I lurk around this forum every now and then since joining, but I've never seen this thread til now. Thank you so much for taking in these babies and giving them all the love they deserve. And also thank you for this thread. It's a great read and I'm really sorry for the loss of your Cupcake. I took in a stray this past summer that turned out to be FELV+ at 5 weeks. I held onto hope that she would beat it somehow, but she is certainly positive for life. She is my first FELV kitty I've ever had and she has already encouraged me to learn SO much more about this disease. She continues to be happy and healthy now at 9 months.
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Adventures With The Felv Fosters
- Thread starter SheriB
- Start Date
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- #162
Welcome ma.cro430! I’m so sorry your kitty wasn’t able to throw off the virus, but so happy she’s healthy, and loved! We’d love to see a picture!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #163
Norachan
or anybody else, in your experience how long does it take for the L-lysine to have an effect? My guys have been taking it for a few days now, I can definitely say it’s helping Harley and Aggie with the sneezing, but doesn’t seem to be helpful for the cats with runny eyes. Any other suggestions for runny eyes?
It didn't seem to have any affect at all on Happy, but she is FIV positive as well as having herpes. My other two cats who have herpes flare-ups showed signs of improvement after just a few days, but they're both healthy apart from the herpes.
Maybe
shadowsrescue
can help? She's the one who suggested the L-lysine to me. The brand she recommended worked the best, but sadly that's the one I can't get shipped to Japan any more.
Maybe
shadowsrescue
can help? She's the one who suggested the L-lysine to me. The brand she recommended worked the best, but sadly that's the one I can't get shipped to Japan any more.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #165
Is it something I could get and ship to you?It didn't seem to have any affect at all on Happy, but she is FIV positive as well as having herpes. My other two cats who have herpes flare-ups showed signs of improvement after just a few days, but they're both healthy apart from the herpes.
Maybe
I have used 2 supplements. For herpes I used a granular l lysine that I could mix into wet food. It is also made in a paste and now also comes in a chewable treat.
For my 2 FIV boys, I use a liquid supplement that I put into their wet food daily.
I use this on all my cats and have been for about 2 years now. Search around as the price fluctuates. Sometimes Amazon is the best price and other times Chewy.
For my 2 FIV boys, I use a liquid supplement that I put into their wet food daily.
I use this on all my cats and have been for about 2 years now. Search around as the price fluctuates. Sometimes Amazon is the best price and other times Chewy.
I like to do a lot of research on FIV and FELV after having one former feral test positive for FIV and one this past year also test positive for FIV. Last year I found a rather unconventional vet who did some research on FELV cats. He started them on a type of Vit C therapy. He was doing this type of treatment many years ago and having great success. He is now at least 90 years old, but still available for help. I emailed him last year with some questions and I also was asking for suggestions for my FIV boy. You can read about him and some of his products at www.belfied.com
I loved his book "The Very Healthy Cat Book" I found it for around $5 on Amazon last year. I have been using his Vit C supplement on all my cats as well. It takes them a bit to get used to the sour taste, but all manage it once a day.
I loved his book "The Very Healthy Cat Book" I found it for around $5 on Amazon last year. I have been using his Vit C supplement on all my cats as well. It takes them a bit to get used to the sour taste, but all manage it once a day.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #168
Shadowsrescue thank you so much! This is excellent info and so useful. It has never popped up on any of my many searches of feline leukemia so I am very grateful. I sent for the book and will place an order for supplements soon. This kitten season I have been asked to be the medical advisor for our fosters at the shelter so I am going to add the pediatric supplement to my arsenal. Most of the cats that come to us have respiratory and other issues. If we can boost their immune systems it would help immensely.
It's very kind of you to offer, but the problem was that as it came in a glass bottle the mail carriers between the US and Japan couldn't guarantee it would get here in one piece. Twice the order had to be sent back and then sent out again because the bottle got broken in transit.
I think I'll just muddle along with the paste I bought over here for now.
It was the liquid supplement that ShadowsRescue uses with her boys. Doesn't seem to have any taste at all. I hope it works for you.
That's so odd it came in a glass bottle. I order from Amazon or Chewy.com and it always comes in a plastic bottle. I have been using this for a few years now. Even my kitty with herpes outbreaks does really well on it. He has flares with one of his eyes every time he gets stressed. The DMG keeps the flares to a minimum. He has not needed to see a vet for this since I started the DMG. For my cats it worked better than l lysine.
It's very kind of you to offer, but the problem was that as it came in a glass bottle the mail carriers between the US and Japan couldn't guarantee it would get here in one piece. Twice the order had to be sent back and then sent out again because the bottle got broken in transit.
I think I'll just muddle along with the paste I bought over here for now.
It was the liquid supplement that ShadowsRescue uses with her boys. Doesn't seem to have any taste at all. I hope it works for you.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #171
Goose has never really responded to the bird toy thingy, or any toy very much, until I started to play with him through the bars of his enclosure tonight, he was so cute!
I sent for some DMG today, we’ll see what kind of bottle I get. I got some when I first started bringing home the FeLV cats last year, but things were so chaotic for a while that it fell by the wayside and now I can’t find the bottle. It was glass. I ordered a small bottle from Amazon so I could get it sooner, then added a large bottle to my auto-shipment from Chewy which will come about the middle of next month. I will be so grateful if it can help the kitties with runny eyes.
That is odd. I still have the first bottle because I thought the rubber "eye-dropper" top would be useful. It's glass. I don't remember if the second bottle we ordered was though.
Goose looks very sweet there Sheri. Isn't it great when they finally start to play again?
Do you see a difference at all using Vitamin C on your FIV cats? Do you have any FELV+ cats you use it on? I have read about this before, and I've heard of this doctor before too. I believe I added his book to my wishlist on Amazon, but I still have yet to order it due to other expenses I've had to pay.
I've been wanting to try his vitamin C supplement, but because my Thalia was having issues with cystitis, I held off using it because I was afraid of acidifying her urine and making things worse. I also asked my previous vet about it and she told me that cats don't need vitamin C at all because they make their own. Then again, I no longer see that vet either because she started being very ignorant towards me once I started asking questions about stuff I was researching and reading, not to mention she pretty much ignored all my cat's problems too with the urinary saying there was nothing she could do and that it was common with FELV+ -- of course, only for myself to figure out that her cystitis was a food aversion (fish!!). I recently switched to a new vet this week and they commended me on my research and were happy to answer all my questions rather than give me flack for my curiosity. I totally forgot to ask about the vitamin C though.
Thalia just got back from our new vet when I took this. Still happy and healthy and growing too! Now up to 8 lbs. The vet noticed she already has gingivitis starting (something common in FELV+ cats I was told), but I'm hoping to maybe alleviate that by trying out brushing her teeth.
(Kitty in the background is my oldest, Venus -- who is also my avatar. She's a girl full of attitude but lots of love.)
I would go to the www.belfield.com site and read some of his blog. You can also call their phone or email with questions. Dr. Belfied is now over 90, but I was able to both email and speak directly with him.
My 2 cats with FIV are both very healthy. I was not seeing them in poor health, but I use the DMG, Vit C and Vitatabs on them daily to keep their immune system boosted.
I did have a feral cat who tested positive for FELV, and found Dr. Belfield. My cat was not exhibiting any symptoms yet and was told that Vit C therapy works best before the virus is full blown. I treated the feral daily with 1/2-1 t. of Vit C. It was a process as he hated the taste. I had to mix with strong fishy food and work my way up slowly to prevent diarrhea. I treated him for 6 months and then retested. He tested negative. I also had him retested in January before I moved.
I would suggest reading the book and/or looking at the site and contacting Dr. Belfield. My vet told me it was impossible for Vit C to work. The key is making sure the virus is not full blown yet.
Also since my cat was a feral, I did not do a blood test as no one could touch him but me. I used a saliva test that used a litmus type paper and/or cotton swab. I had the test run 3 times and each time he was positive. I also tested my other feral cats and they were negative. I retested 6 months later and he was negative. I then had a mobile vet come to the house as I was moving and taking the feral cats with me. I had the blood test performed and he was negative.
This is just my account. Each cat will be different.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #176
Aw, both of them are so beautiful! I love seeing pictures of happy and beloved kitties!
Thalia just got back from our new vet when I took this. Still happy and healthy and growing too! Now up to 8 lbs. The vet noticed she already has gingivitis starting (something common in FELV+ cats I was told), but I'm hoping to maybe alleviate that by trying out brushing her teeth.
(Kitty in the background is my oldest, Venus -- who is also my avatar. She's a girl full of attitude but lots of love.)
Please keep us updated on any results from therapies you decide to try. One of my teenagers, Aggie, has gingivitis. She also sneezes a lot. I think the l-lysine is helping with the sneezing, I have read that it can help with gingivitis, but no results yet.
One of the most exciting possibilities with the vitamin c is helping cats that come to me in the future if it can help them throw off the virus! Last year a litter of six kittens came in and five tested positive. Of the five, two recovered and were adopted, three are now my teenagers. Even though I give them the best I can, it still is better if they can be healthy and get families and homes of their own!
I am going to start all of the fosters on vitamin C as soon as I get the book and the supplies.
Out of the nine, several of the cats seem completely healthy, of the others, most of them are just dealing with something minor like sneezing and runny eyes.
Then there’s teenager Bette with chronic diarrhea. Right now she’s on antibiotics and panacure just to make sure there is no infection or parasites. They all are getting probiotics in their food for now. It all seems like a lot but it’s only because there are so many of them and it hasn’t been very long, less than a year for most, that they’ve had a home and good care.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me, and thank you
shadowsrescue
for sharing your research and experience!
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^ Thank you for sharing. What exactly do you mean if the virus is full blown? Is that if it's currently active and making her sick or if she's showing signs of anemia? Aside from her cystitis (that I believe was food induced; since taking out fish completely her urine pH is perfect and she quit peeing on the floors in as little as 24 hrs when I removed fishy foods) and the gingivitis we recently found she's been pretty healthy. I'm currently having an IFA test done as well, should be getting the results tomorrow.
Yes, I mean that the virus is active and the cat is exhibiting symptoms. My boy was not showing any signs of the illness. He was eating fine, weight was fine, no issues with chewing/eating and very active. He did show up with 2 wounds from a cat attack about 4-6 months prior. I was always worried that this attack brought the FELV.
I hope that you can find some answers for your kitty.
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- #179
Lots of help cleaning the fish pond today!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #180
Things are pretty quiet here, everybody seems to be doing well. I just got Dr. Belfield’s book so I’m excited to start reading it and trying the supplements.
I have been asked to do the shelter’s Facebook posts this week and so have been consumed with researching other shelters’ pages and Facebook techniques. Yesterday I set up a little photo shoot for an older kitty who has been in the shelter for her whole life, she was born there on Easter 8 years ago. We are making her part of our Senior Cats for Senior Laps program, adoption fees waived and medical care provided for seniors who adopt older cats. Hope it works out for her. She is shy and wasn’t thrilled to be the focus of the photo shoot, but I got a pretty good shot I think. It’s fun to be learning about photography again, and kitties are such a challenge! If I had had more time with her I would have worked to get more Easter elements in the shot, but she wasn’t having it.
I have been asked to do the shelter’s Facebook posts this week and so have been consumed with researching other shelters’ pages and Facebook techniques. Yesterday I set up a little photo shoot for an older kitty who has been in the shelter for her whole life, she was born there on Easter 8 years ago. We are making her part of our Senior Cats for Senior Laps program, adoption fees waived and medical care provided for seniors who adopt older cats. Hope it works out for her. She is shy and wasn’t thrilled to be the focus of the photo shoot, but I got a pretty good shot I think. It’s fun to be learning about photography again, and kitties are such a challenge! If I had had more time with her I would have worked to get more Easter elements in the shot, but she wasn’t having it.
