Feline Polycythemia Vera

adelheid

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Hello Kshaw,

how is your cat doing now?

Ours has been diagnosed (male 6 years 2 months old) one month ago.  The animal hospital told us that it comes from the bone marrow, he has no other cancers in his organs.

He seems to be doing fairly well, he is not as lively as he was beforehand but the Vet seems to be reasonably happy with his blood count which is 58% and he says that there is no need for any more blood letting at the moment.

His next blood check is again in 3 weeks time.

I do feel so sorry for our little boy as he is not exactly his old self and I just hope that he does not get a lot worse.

All the best,

Adelheid
 

adelheid

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Hello lunarleslie,

how is your cat doing on the chemo tablets?  

My vet wants to wait and do blood lettings, whenever needed, first.

How is the blood count of your kittie now?

Ours is 58%.

Thank your for your reply,

Adelheid
 

sherryla

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Hi everyone,

My 11 year old cat Murphy has lived with Polycythemia era for 7 years and is doing very well!!! He had seizure at 3 am and I rushed him to my 24 hr vet. His blood level was at 76% ----UGH!!!!!

In order to lower his levels, they prescribed Hydroxyurea 200 mg every other day (I have it compounded at a local pharmacy - cost approximately $75.00 per month). Initially, they had to do some blood-letting, but once his #s decreased to a "safe level" (60 or below), they decided to stop taking blood (it lowered his blood pressure too severely). Other than routine care and blood-work (1-2 x per year), he is living a normal, happy life!!!

The Hydroxyurea 200 mg is filled in a capsule. I wear gloves and a mask (recommended), simply pour the med into his favorite Fancy Feast "treat" and he eats away! Be CAREFUL that no other animal eats the food with med; it can be fatal for them!!!

If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to respond!!!!! Hang in there; this is a condition that with proper vet care, meds, and commitment is controllable .
 

sherryla

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I have been giving my Murphy Hydroxyurea 200 mg (compounded in capsule form so I just pour the contents into his wet food "treat") every other day for 7 years. He is doing well and blood levels remain between 50-60. He is a happy boy with quality life. I pay about $70.00 for 30 capsules (every other month); my pharmacist is amazing!!)

The only time my vet did some blood-letting was when he was initially diagnosed (and his level was 76%!!) It lowered his blood pressure too severely and we decided that once his #s decreased into the 60s, NO MORE blood-letting - MED only!!!

He is 11 yrs old and going strong! Just beware; if you have multiple cats in the home, the Hydroxyurea can be fatal for them if ingested. Also, make sure you wear gloves (and mask) when you open up the capsule to pour med into the wet food; it can affect you if you are not cautious.

If you have any questions, let me know!
 

adelheid

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Hallo Sherryla,

our little boy Rupert has been diagnosed with this disease on 26.7.14.  They took 60 ml of his blood and he went from 70 to 60, then 65, 58 for 4 weeks and unfortunately it went up to 63%.   He feels really well, jumps up on high furniture again and I could not believe that his blood count was that high today.  The vet wants to take another test in 5 days time to see if our boy needs another blood letting.  He had 2 seizures in one day when he was at 70.

Did your cat's blood count go up and down as well and after what time and at what percentage did the vet decide to put him on chemo tablets?

Does your cat get any side effects on the medication?

7 years is a long time to live with this type of blood cancer, I can only hope that our little boy will live this long.

Our cat only eats dry food, so how can we give him the chemo tablets?

The animal hospital told me that it is best to have blood lettings first.

All the best to both of you,

Adelheid 
 

kellyanne

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Hi, I really hope someone can help me as I'm runningout of options rapidly!!!

My 5yr old male cat has been diagnosed with polycythemia. His initial blood count was 79, after two lots of bleeding, a week apart, his blood is back up to 70. The specialist is saying he needs chemo tablets, 1 a day, at a cost of £185 per 50. As well as tablets he will need his blood letting on a weekly basis at a cost of £400 a time. Our insurance will not cover the treatment and I am devasted that without this expensive treatment we will lose him... he is like a baby to me and I will do anything I can to save him. He's not in pain, and has improved since his initial seizure, however he is still not strong enough to jump onto anything higher than the sofa. How long can cats live without treatment? Does anyone know of any other treatments that are available? The blood letting leaves him traumatised and takes him several days to recover from, it seems unfair to put him through it weekly but on the other hand he is too well to be put down. Also, are the side effects to chemo tablets confirmed? We plan on having a family shortly. ..

Please help me :(

Kelly x
 

gomezopotamia

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Hi Kelly,

My 7 year old cat, Gomez also has polycythemia vera. I won't lie, it hasn't been an easy ride, but it really is treatable. When we first discovered that he had PV his blood count was 73, this was back in April. Since then we have had about 5 blood lettings, and are now on the chemo tablets (hydroxyurea) at 100mg everyday. The hydroxyrea is currently controlling his blood levels. It was been nearly a month since his last blood letting and he has maintained a hematocrit of 41. It did take a little over a month (nearly two) for the drug to finally suppress his bone marrow.

I'm not sure why the medication seems to be so expensive for you. We are paying about $40.00 or about  £25.00 for 40 tablets. Is there any other place that could get you a better price? 

Do you know how much blood is being taken when they do the blood lettings? I think our veterinarian takes about 20ml, and replaces the blood taken with saline to prevent the blood volume from being too low.

I would send a PM to the user Adelheid, she is also in the UK and may have some ideas on where you may be able to go to get a better price on the treatment.  

Unfortunately the only treatment really is to keep the blood count at a safe level, which can only be done with removing the blood or using the hydroxyurea to suppress the bone marrow and prevent more red cell production. Though I've heard of some people using leeches to bring the blood count down, but that doesn't sound very nice at all!

As far as living without treatment, it just can't be done I'm afraid :(  What will happen is that his blood will become so thickened it won't be able to pass through his circulatory system.

However, this really can be treated, Try to not give up. Ask questions, call other specialists and see if you can get a better price on treatments. It sounds like your kitty's blood count does go up quite rapidly, and he may need blood lettings along with the medication, but hopefully the medication will reduce the frequency of blood lettings (though it could possibly still eliminate them!) My cat usually goes up 5-6 points a week. 

The blood lettings and vet visits are stressful, I completely understand. We actually have Gomez sedated and draw the blood slowly, which seems to be far less stressful for him (and his veins). 

There were many times over the last few months when I felt hopeless, and afraid that my cat wouldn't make it, but I tried to not give up, and he seems to finally be doing well. It definitely won't be easy, especially in the beginning when you are still figuring everything out. But, as you can see from this thread, quite a few of us are managing this disease. Feel free to PM me or one of the other previous posters if you have more questions.

Take care and stay strong.

-Angela
 

gwen416

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My 7 yo cat, Gracie, was diagnosed with polycythemia vera 2 years ago.  After many months of weekly blood test ($78) and monthly phlebotomies ($150) we have found a dosage of hydroxeuria that works for her.  The pharmacist flavors the liquid with fish and marshmallow and she gets the med 5 times a week.  A bottle costs $55 and last for at least 6 months.  She hasn't needed a phlebotomy for over a year now and is still tested every 6 weeks to assure that her hematocrit stays within the "normal" level.  We found you initially need to give a higher dosage but once it builds up in their system you can reduce the amount needed.  I thank God everyday for this little kitty. 
 

gomezopotamia

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Thanks for sharing, Gwen. I'm glad to hear your kitty has been doing well for over a year now! Do you know how many miligrams are in the dosage of hydroxyurea you give your cat? I only ask since I'm hoping the dosage my cat is on can be reduced over time. Currently he's on 100mg everyday.

It's so encouraging to read all the the posts above that have successfully managed this disease for years now.
 

gwen416

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Gracie's hydroxyurea is in liquid form 200 mg/ml flavored with fish and marshmallow (yum
).  We were giving her 0.5ml/day and testing her PCV(hematocrit) every month for several months.  We decreased her dosage to 0.5ml/day except Sun in April 2013 when the PCV levels started to rise more slowly between testing.  She remained at this dosage for a year and we tested her every 6 weeks.  Last spring we noticed that her PCV levels were actually decreasing and remaining in the 49-52 level.  In April, 2014 we decreased her dosage to 0.5ml on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, & Sat. and her PCV has remained in the 45-47 range. She has not had a phlebotomy since June, 2013.   It took a lot of trial & error to find a dosage that was good for her.  I have learned that you need to be patient and not give up.
 

adelheid

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Hello to all people who have cats with 'Polycythemia Vera',

have your cats been vaccinated before they got ill with 'Polycythemia Vera'?

I just wondered, as our cat Rupert has been diagnosed with this blood cancer 6 weeks after he has been vaccinated.

Have asked the vet, he said he never came across it but he said everything was possible.

Should this be the cause of the illness, maybe there is a chance that it will go away after about a year when the vaccination has worn off again.

Thanks,

Adelheid
 

gwen416

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Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could find an answer as to why some cats get PV?  My cat, Gracie, was vaccinated a year before she was diagnosed.  In fact, I had an appointment 2 wks later to get her shots updated.  Once she was diagnosed, we decided to wait for 6 months, until she was more stable, to update the shots and then did them one at a time. 
 

lunarleslie

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Hello lunarleslie,

how is your cat doing on the chemo tablets?  

My vet wants to wait and do blood lettings, whenever needed, first.

How is the blood count of your kittie now?

Ours is 58%.

Thank your for your reply,

Adelheid
Hello Adelheid,

Sorry for the late reply! I hope Rupert is doing OK. My cat Motley has now been on Hydroxyurea for about a year now and is doing very well. His PCV is now holding steady at 43%. He gets 1 ML 2x a week and that seems to be the right dose for him. Please provide an update when you can, and if you have any questions about our experience with this strange disease please let me know.

Best,

Leslie
 

natattaack

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Lunarleslie-

I'm so glad to hear that Motley is doing well! I just now realized that I never told you what happened with Valo at the specialist.. Months ago!

Valo saw a specialist who performed an ultrasound. Luckily the ultrasound ruled out any kidney tumors:) He also saw a cardiologist who said his heart is normal and healthy:) So his diagnosis was PV. What a relief that was!

He is at the vet at this very moment receiving his third phlebotomy (since April). His PCV was at 82 this morning. He shows absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. He even went for about 2 months after his last phlebotomy where his PCV remained at 60 with no treatment. My vet is puzzled.

Today my vet noticed that his eyes have red pigmentation in them, so she asked if he was having trouble getting around, which he is not. After testing his blood and seeing how high his numbers were, she told me that is most likely the reason for the red pigmentation in his eyes (as well as his brick red gums).

After his phlebotomy today, we are going to discuss the benefits and risks of treating Valo with hydroxyurea. It's so nice to read from so many other people who are going through the same thing and experiencing positive results with the medication.

I'm praying for all of your kitties and hope that we all have positive stories to share :)
 

lunarleslie

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Lunarleslie-

I'm so glad to hear that Motley is doing well! I just now realized that I never told you what happened with Valo at the specialist.. Months ago!

Valo saw a specialist who performed an ultrasound. Luckily the ultrasound ruled out any kidney tumors:) He also saw a cardiologist who said his heart is normal and healthy:) So his diagnosis was PV. What a relief that was!

He is at the vet at this very moment receiving his third phlebotomy (since April). His PCV was at 82 this morning. He shows absolutely no symptoms whatsoever. He even went for about 2 months after his last phlebotomy where his PCV remained at 60 with no treatment. My vet is puzzled.

Today my vet noticed that his eyes have red pigmentation in them, so she asked if he was having trouble getting around, which he is not. After testing his blood and seeing how high his numbers were, she told me that is most likely the reason for the red pigmentation in his eyes (as well as his brick red gums).

After his phlebotomy today, we are going to discuss the benefits and risks of treating Valo with hydroxyurea. It's so nice to read from so many other people who are going through the same thing and experiencing positive results with the medication.

I'm praying for all of your kitties and hope that we all have positive stories to share
Awwww - thanks so much for the update! I'm so glad it's not a tumor or heart problem. It seems like once a diagnosis is made this disease can have a very good prognosis. Please keep me posted. Motely and I send our love to Valo! :) XO
 

adelheid

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Hello Kelly,

how is your cat doing now?

Our Rupert needs blood letting every 4/5 weeks, this costs us £225, also weekly blood tests which are £30.

We love our cat as well, so we will pay for the treatment.

Our vet thinks we can wait with the chemo tablets for another while.

He feels a bit week after the blood lettings, but 3 days later he is is old self.

I wonder if a vaccination is the cause of all this.   Rupert was vaccinated last May and in June he had 2 epileptic fits and was diagnosed with Polycythemia Vera.

We hope, that he will get better when the vaccination wears off.

All the best,

Heidi
 

sherryla

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A few days ago my cat who just had her 4th birthday had a sudden seizure. When I first saw her I thought she had broken a limb or her back and was trying to get back up, it was terrifying. I ran to help, and probe various bones but couldn't find anything wrong, and then a few seconds later it was like nothing had happened. Actually, she was able to stand up and walk away with a degree of uncertainty in her step, but not like she was experiencing any pain at all.

We took her to the vet, and had some traditional bloodwork done and found that her red blood cell count was abnormally high. This was a bit of a surprise considering only 6 months ago blood work was done due to a kidney condition she had developed which had left her rather dehydrated and needing subcutaneous fluids. Now though, she seems totally fine, I mean completely normal. Like her normal self, however the vet is telling me that she will be needing a phlebotomy every month in order to maintain her blood count at a level that her brain will be able to tolerate.

They are talking about pulling something like 100ml of blood every month (and that's the "conservative" amount) or administering some oxyurea every day for the rest of her life. The treatment that they are looking at will wind up costing basically 400 dollars a month due to the time that the procedure will take. Does this make any sense to anyone? When we had taken her to the doctor the last time, she was definitely very sick, and got better very quickly following antibiotics, but could a kidney infection of that severity prompt this kind of condition 6 months later? We already had an x-ray done to check for kidney abnormalities, and an ultrasound done afterwards just to be sure, but nothing showed up. Her lungs appeared completely normal so she isn't suffering from a lack of oxygen uptake from what they can tell... and as far as I can ascertain they don't understand anything about the condition and have to refer to specialists way out in bumble to figure out treatment plans... ARGHHHHH someone with half a veterinary brain help me out, or anyone that has ever dealt with this before. Basically the condition means that her bone marrow is producing more red blood cells by almost double what she needs which is leading to a difficulty in blood flow through smaller capillaries and could potentially lead to a stroke. Anyone have any ideas please? :(

We are hoping that there has to be some other explanation for the increased RBC count, would a marrow test indicate a problem?  Or would it also test positive if she was producing more blood due to allergies or low oxygen?  She likes sleeping under blankets... would that lead to low oxygen? :(
 

sherryla

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My Murphy is doing great on the Hydroxyurea 200MG tabs. He has his medication every other day and his numbers are @ 46 (consistent readings for the past year!!) 


He has not had blood draws since 2009; the medicine is more effective and certainly less stressful. He will be 12 years old in March and is happy and active.

Glad to hear Rupert is doing well! Again, the cost for a two-month supply of Hydroxyurea (compounded by a local pharmacist) is $75.00. I know there has been much debate about the medication, but it has been the best thing for my Murphy and has delivered only the best results possible!!!

Keep in touch and god bless you and Rupert!

Sherryla
 

adelheid

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thank your for your post, Sherryla.

I am pleased that your Murphy is doing so well and that over years now.  It seems that mainly male cats around 6/7 years old seem to get the illness.

I really have got lots of confidence in the chemo tablets now

and hope our Rupert can be with us for many more years.

Love

Rupert and Heidi
 

sherryla

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Keep that positive attitude!!! I assure you that you will not be disappointed with the chemo tab treatment. The other cats my vet has treated have had similar results to Murphy's. Please keep me updated on Rupert!!!

Sherry
 
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