Feline Leukemia

[jalindal]

I took Mackerel to the vet this morning because she hasn't been eating much and is very lethargic and drinking lots of water. The vet found a 5cm lump in her abdomen, and says that it might be Feline Leukemia. He took blood and I'll get the results on Monday.

I feel so guilty. She had her shots and vaccines for Feline Leukemia along with everything else when she was a kitten- the last one she had was in late 2008. A friend doing Veterinary Science told me that vaccinations don't need to be done every year, that every three years is fine, especially if she's an inside cat, which Mackerel is.

I did have a housemate with a cat who was an outside cat and completely unvaccinated. Could she have given it to Mackerel? I'm confused about how Mack could have caught Feline Leukemia if she was vaccinated... was my friend wrong?

Also- I looked after my friend's cat a couple of weeks ago for a day. He and Mackerel were never in the same room and he had his own food and litter tray. He's a kitten and only had his shots and vaccinations a few months ago- is it likely that he has it if Mackerel does? I've called my friends and told them that they might want to get some blood tests done.

Sorry guys this is probably a lot of babbling. I'm not doing too well, mentally I'm just a bit.. frazzled.

 

[carolina]

Here in the US we never, ever vaccinate inside kitties for FeLV...
I think there is very little chance of your cat having FeLV... I am not even sure why it was vaccinated... Very strange...
Is there a way to get on hold of your roommate to see if this cat had FeLV?

Edit: About the kitten: if they never came in contact with each other, never shared bowls, were never in the same side of the house, and never shared litter, I really don't see a problem...
I don't know, but I have a feeling this is way off here...

 

[Willowy]

A lot of vets don't test for FeLV before vaccinating kittens, so there is a slight possibility she had it before she was vaccinated. Although kittens with FeLV don't often live very long.

And the vaccine isn't 100% effective, so if the housemate's cat had it, there's a small possibility he gave it to her. But that would be a long shot.

I don't even know if abdominal masses are caused by FeLv. It's all kind of odd.

Will your vet run other tests besides the FeLV test? I would want a full blood workup. A kidney problem could also cause her to be skinny. Or it could be a partial blockage, since she won't eat.

I hope they find what's wrong with her! Poor kitty.

 

[jalindal]

My cat and my housemate's cat lived together and were together all the time, they had lots of contact. She's 14 and really healthy, so I don't think she has it. But she is an outside cat, and my housemate used to let Mackerel out a lot even when I asked her not to, and a couple of times she's been in fights with other cats.

The cat I was talking about where they weren't in the same room was my friend's cat that I looked after for a day while they had their apartment sprayed.

 

[hissy]

Where I am from they always test for FeLV and I always ask them to. The test only takes 10 minutes to get the results back, so I know right away if they are infected. Everybody else I know who has kittens always test for it too- just because a cat is an inside kitty doesn't mean it can't be infected. Last year it was second in the cause of death for household cats.

 

[alicatjoy]

Every kitten or cat that I have adopted or happened upon and taken in has been tested for FeLV and FIV prior to being vaccinated. And, unless a client asks us not to test or refuses to pay for a FeLV/FIV test, all cats and kittens are tested prior to vaccinations where I work. And, because indoor cats can be infected with FeLV, we offer yearly testing. If a cat has not been outdoors or has not been introduced to another cat in a long period of time, testing can be opted out of. But, it is standard at the vet clinic where I work.

I am, however, curious as to whether a snap test or bloodwork was done to determine whether Mackerel has FeLV or FIV. An abdominal mass could be indicative of many things -- certainly not just feline leukemia. And, in fact, I'm not sure any vet that I work with would go directly to a diagnosis of FeLV for a cat presenting with an abdominal mass. Though, to be fair, weight loss and lethargy could be symptoms. But, overall, those symptoms are so vague that more testing should be done to rule out other health issues.

If it were my cat, I would return to the vet or seek a second opinion. And, sooner rather than later. The symptoms you've described could mask a more serious illness. Or, if it is FeLV, it should be specifically tested for so that a treatment plan can be worked up. Of course, feline leukemia is not curable. But, it is always best to know what you're up against. And, unless more testing is done, Mackerel may continue to get worse or decline due to an illness that could have been treated.

Good luck and please let us know what happens with Mackerel. I hope it's not FeLV, but something definitely seems awry. And, another visit to the vet (or, perhaps, preferably, to another vet -- as this one may not have been thorough) is in order. Many vibes are being sent your way ...

 

[my4llma]

I hope Mackerel's test results come back negative.

 

[otto]

I could swear I replied to this thread already but I don't see my post here.

What I (thought I) said is that the FeLV/FIV test is quite simple and gives results in five minutes. So I'm not sure why you are having to wait so long for results.

Most vets test for FeLV before vaccinating for it. Someone here said cats in the USA are not vaccinated for FeLV if they are indoor cats, but that is not quite accurate it varies from vet to vet.

I wonder if you misunderstood something, because I don't know why a vet would make a guess diagnosis like that based on Mackerel's symptoms, as her problem could be many things besides FeLV, and anyway you should know already the results of a FeLV test.

You might want to consider trying another vet.

Mackerel. How is her appetite?

 

[momofmany]

Are you talking about the cancerous leukemia, or the Feline leukemia virus? If your vet found a lump, then I would guess that he thinks it is cancer, which has nothing to do with the vaccination for the virus. They are 2 very different diseases.

I lost a cat to the cancerous leukemia many years ago. A simple blood test wasn't enough to diagnose it and it took a surgical biopsy to definitely diagnose it. The blood levels will be off, but not conclusively. His cancer started in his abdomen and spread to his lymph nodes.

If your vet suspects the viral leukemia, then ask if the test they ran was the Elisa or IFA test. The IFA test is the only test that can positively identify the virus. The Elisa test is simply a screening test to see if they had been exposed.

Don't kick yourself. Find out more information about what he suspects.

Sending vibes.

 

[jalindal]

Hi guys,

The test results took so long because the lab isn't open on the weekend.

The results are negative for FIV and for FeLV.

Still waiting on results for kidney and liver function and other tests. Her appetite's still not good.

When I get the other results this afternoon I'll get to speak to my vet and ask him what he suggests.

 

[Willowy]

Well, it's good news that she tested negative. . .hopefully the other tests will come out OK, too.

 

[carolina]

I was pretty sure this was going to be negative... Now that the tests are back I am SO relieved! That is great!
Please, please be proactive on force-feeding Mackie... Don't rely on her appetite... You don't want her liver to fail, and I can't stress how important it is to force feed. Shoot for almost a whole can (large), in 4-5 meals a day. Get yourself a large feeding syringe, take a deep breath and do it. It can be life-saving. A kitty can go into liver failure (Hepatic Lipidosis/Fatty Liver Disease) very fast when it doesn't eat properly, it doesn't take long... It is crucial that she eats... Probably one of the most important things you will be doing for her recovery. Your vet should be able to give you some syringes, though they are usually small... Get 3-4 of them, as you will need fill/use a few per feeding...

 

[jalindal]

Thanks for all your help Carolina. :-) Still haven't heard from the vet, but we just had our first assisted feeding sesh and she did SO well. I'm so proud. :-) I didn't have to hold her there at all, she just sat and chewed on the syringe while I fed her. I'm going to do another couple of sessions this evening so that she has a whole can but we're going to take it slow.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Jalindal

Thanks for all your help Carolina. :-) Still haven't heard from the vet, but we just had our first assisted feeding sesh and she did SO well. I'm so proud. :-) I didn't have to hold her there at all, she just sat and chewed on the syringe while I fed her. I'm going to do another couple of sessions this evening so that she has a whole can but we're going to take it slow.

Awesome news! That's excellent! Try spacing out that can into 4-5 feedings, if you can't do 5, 4 is ok.... She will start getting better and better with nutrition, you will see! only stop force feeding her when you feel confident she is eating on her own again - usually a couple/few days of force feeding will revert the process and will get her appetite back on tract. Ask the vet about an appetite stimulant depending on what comes back on her blood test. Her liver numbers might come higher at this point, but with proper feeding it should go down, especially bilirubin... (is she jaundiced/yellowish?)
I will be praying for your girl, and the kitties are sending heavy purrs!

:vi beslease keep us posted!

 

[jalindal]

Just called and the receptionist said the vet looked at the results and said that Mackerel is in acute kidney failure. :-( No other details yet, the vet is too busy to speak to me.

 

[otto]

I am very sorry to hear Mackerel is in kidney failure. There is actually much that can be done for cats in renal failure depending on how advanced it is. There is a difference between acute and chronic, your vet should be taking the time to talk to you.

Is there another vet clinic available?

Please keep us posted and well done on the assist feeding!

Mackerel

 

[jalindal]

My vet clinic definitely said Acute Renal Failure. I still haven't heard from my vet and when I called (again) to try and speak to them they're now closed.

I called the 24 hour vet hospital on the other side of town but they said they can't do anything until they confirm the ARF diagnosis (which they wont be able to do until they get blood back from the lab, and would take longer than getting them from my vet tomorrow morning.), but that she should be on IV fluids if the diagnosis is correct. The vet hospital says that what I can do at home is to assist her in drinking with the syringe that I've been using for feeding- 20ml every 4 hours.

I'm so angry that my vet has failed me so badly. Apparently the reason I didn't get a call is because the guy I saw on Saturday (not my normal vet) isn't in at work today. Really not good enough, I think, especially if there's something that might help, like IV fluids, and that's time sensitive, like this seems to be.