Felv- worth the cost of treatment?

[Pouncecat1]

My cat has been diagnosed with Felv after being diagnosed with pancreatitis. He has lost a lot of weight. He has enlarged lymph nodes which could be cancerous but could also be related to his pancreatitis.

He is eating well for the moment. My question is regarding treatment. There are experimental drug options available that could possibly lengthen his life. Some of the medications are about $130/month. My question becomes, is it worth it? If he already has cancer started and I put him on antiviral drugs, it might reduce the virus, but if the cancer is already there, how much time am I really buying him?

Part of me thinks the logical course of action is to do nothing and euthanize when he declines. Part of me thinks I should do everything possible to save him, but it will come at a significant cost. He has insurance but it doesn't cover experimental medications.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, I don't know that there's an answer but with my angel Poppycat, he was stressed enough by vets even with calming products, and like your cat, had a very compromised system, that we didn't go the route of heavy duty treatments.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that you are facing this with your cat. There is no right answer as no one knows what the outcomes will be, so you really can only go with your own gut level. I would consider the following:

How much of a stretch is it for you to come up with the ongoing expense? (Don't answer; it is not any of our business).
Side effects, especially given the comorbid conditon of panreatitis.
Will your insurance cover side effects which might be directly related to the use of the experimental drug?
Can any of your vets help you determine how much time your cat may have given what they know now?
Ask your vets what they would do if he were their cat. Some doctors hate this, but ask anyway.
What is the average survival time with the use of the experimental drug? Is it remarkable enough to try it?

I had one GSD in an experimental program years ago, probably more experimental than the drug you are referring to and it was ultimately considered to be ineffective...but it bought him 2 years.

In the case of another GSD, he received immunotherapy (not experimental) for cancer and I was told that he would only live for a year and a half even with the treatment. But he lived for 4 years and did not die of the cancer.

I am by no means telling you what to do and faced with your situation and a personal cat, I am not sure what choice I would make.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If I understand correctly, you may be hesitant to start the experimental FeLV drug because it's possible he may have cancer? Can they not biopsy one of those enlarged lymph nodes to determine for certain if he does have cancer of not? I mean, really! There has to be a way to make that determination, which will help you make your decision. Plus many cancers can be cured these days, so it would be nice to have all this info at hand in order to make a truly informed decision.

 

[silent meowlook]

This is a decision you have to make yourself. I can’t say what I would do because I’m not in that situation. I like to think that I would wait until the quality of life declines and then euthanize, but I don’t know.
You should research as much as you can about the success of the experimental drugs as well as any side effects.
FELV is linked to feline lymphoma Roma. So the enlarged lymph nodes should be explored.
With the positive FELV test, was this confirmed through the lab?