T-Cyte Treatment for FeLV & FIV Cats?

carolyn woods

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Hi John,

Thanks for the info.  It was very helpful.

The other 2 kitties tested negative and since they had all been together for 5 years, both vets feel that immunizing them is the best solution.

Poppy had her third injection yesterday, plus blood work.  I'm waiting for a call from the vet now.  I am hopeful that if the blood count has not gone up, at least it's stabilized.  Baby steps.

I'm curious about your Tiffy and his kidney malfunction.  Do you think it was because of the t-Cyte? My concern is are we may do other damage to Poppy with the injections.

Thank you,

Carolyn
 

johnbonnard

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Hi Carolyn

Tiffy's kidney problem was apparent before he started T-Cyte treatment - so you can rest assured that your cat's kidneys are not at risk due to T-Cyte. As a matter of fact Tiffy's levels of Urea and Creatinine were decreasing as he went along, this was probably due to the kidney support powder he was on (Aventi KS that I got from Amazon.) One lady on the Cat Site that I corresponded with has a 16+  year old cat that has been on T-Cyte for about 6 years, from which one can conclude that this medication is entirely safe. Cats with failing kidneys are in any case at risk of strokes due to hypertension.

I presume that you are giving Poppy Heptonic or similar to help build her red blood cell count, also that she is not on cortisone which reduces the effectiveness of T-Cyte.

I wish Poppy a speedy return to health, please let me know how she gets on, Incidentally I am in South Africa, whereabouts do you live?

Regards

John.
 

howmany

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carolyn woods carolyn woods I see by your post that you're cat Poppy is already receiving the t-cyte was she ill when the already when she started. How much do they cost where you are I have a cat Rudy that is having trouble fighting a uri and has lost alot of eieght but I don't know if he is anemic yet or not.
 

carolyn woods

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Hi John,

Thank you, and good info to know about the kidneys.

Just got word that Poppy's hematocrit is back up. It's still low but better than last week.  

Besides the t-Cyte, Poppy is taking a daily antibiotic, at least until Mar 15. At that time she'll get another shot and more blood work, and then we go from there.  By then she will have had a total of 4 shots. I'm looking forward to her going on maintenance and I'm guessing she is also.

I will definitely make  note of Heptonic. The vet did mention that she may need an iron supplement.

I am so glad I found this site.  It has helped me immensely.

Wow, South Africa.  This is definitely a world-wide site.  Another poster, Julia, is from Budapest. We are in San Diego California. 

Take care,

Carolyn
 

carolyn woods

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@howmany  - Poppy was not acting normal, she was sluggish and just not herself.  I knew something was wrong but I was not prepared for the diagnosis. She's otherwise been very healthy.

We're in San Diego, California.  The initial shot included a 'start-up' fee of $25, So the first one was $180.00.  I haven't seen the bill for the second and third shot, but as I understand it, each shot costs less.  I'll find out soon enough, I guess.

Before she had her transfusion, her hematocrit was 10% and after it was up to 16%.  Her test from yesterday has her still at 16% and I'm happy about that, since it hasn't gone back down.

Good luck with your Rudy.  This is never easy, is it?

Regards,

Carolyn
 

howmany

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Thanks for the response,sometimes it is awkward to give details, it's appreciated.
Unfortunately I just came back from the vets again and I was able to get some more information from that, she actually went and looked up the t-Ctye injection as she had not been familiar with it . The reason is that is not approved for any use in Canada. It's was provisionally approved in the the US by the fda in 2006 but no studies have been done (double blind ect.)that have removed the provisional status or led to it being approved in Canada.
So Rudy is continuing to lose weight and she thought his kidney seemed enlarged,
I have given him some more antibiotics in order to keep him breathing clear from the uri.
I asked about blood work for red blood cells and an x-ray for the kidney and she basically told me that he isn't going to make it and is a danger to the other cats .That it be throwing good money after bad ; I am starting the process of testing the other cats and vaccines if possible. And trying to get to where I can say goodbye with grace.
 

carolyn woods

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Well, the story of my Poppy didn't turn out well.

Poppy had received her 4th t-Cyte shot and seemed to be improving.  Then she stopped eating a took a downward turn.  After many tests, it was determined that she now had lymphoma. They couldn't say if the feline leukemia opened the door to the lymphoma.  

I was ready to fight the feline leukemia, but this new diagnosis was overwhelming.  One vet started talking about feeding tubes and chemotherapy while another said Poppy was not strong enough to go thru all that. The last blood and urine test showed that her kidneys were now involved.  

We had to take a very deep breath and make the decision to let her go.  Hardest thing I've ever done and I won't get over this any time soon.

For anyone considering t-Cyte, make sure your kitty doesn't have other health issues going on or you might end up with the same sad situation.

One thing I think would be interesting to find out is if giving an otherwise healthy kitty a periodic injection of t-Cyte would keep the immune system in good working order. Kind of like a prevention vaccine.

Carolyn
 

howmany

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I am sorry to hear about Poppy,
We also had to say good bye to Rudy,with his kidneys failing and he just wanted to be held all the time, so I am right there with you and hope that you're okay with your decisions.
Again I am sorry.
Our one happy note had one of our 10 month olds kittens tested and it came back negative come back . That was a big relief.
 

carolyn woods

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So sorry for the loss of your Rudy.  It's very hard, isn't it? It wasn't an easy decision for us, but we didn't have much of a choice.  Her kidney's were failing also. I held her while the vet gave her a sedative, then let her go. I'll be teary-eyed for a long time.

I have so many questions about all the diagnoses but very few answers.  I'd like to know if the compromised immune system caused by the felv led to the lymphoma. I don't know why the first vet didn't think to check for any other issues, like lymphoma, unless she figured the feline leukemia was it. Also,why would one vet want to treat the lymphoma of a kitty who had feline leukemia?  It seems like too much.  

The frustrating part is that I don't know where to go to get the answers.

c
 

smcclung101

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Anybody out there used this product? My vet & I are looking at treatment options for Howie - who at this time is in fine health regardless of his FeLV/FIV status - just planning ahead. She suggested I check out this site(tcyte.com) - she's never used the product as when it was initially released, it was cost prohibitive for most owners. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in her getting prices etc., but I can't find any independent studies of this product or any owners out there giving it a thumbs up or down for that matter!
Saved my two cats lives.Betsy now in Remission and her sister that was a week from dying, turned around in days and the three load doses have helped her stabilize and gain two pounds. I believe in six months she will be negative as well. Also use on my dog for arthritis
 

smcclung101

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Hi. I just read the posting and I know is and old thread. My 2 kitties are on t-cyte and thet are doing very well.
ditto for me. Betsy's retest is she shows only a light light positive and her sister is right behind her.
 

smcclung101

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Anybody out there used this product? My vet & I are looking at treatment options for Howie - who at this time is in fine health regardless of his FeLV/FIV status - just planning ahead. She suggested I check out this site(tcyte.com) - she's never used the product as when it was initially released, it was cost prohibitive for most owners. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in her getting prices etc., but I can't find any independent studies of this product or any owners out there giving it a thumbs up or down for that matter!
as to cost, my vet orders and sells to be at cost. I administer both the load doses and the maintenance. My dog uses it for arthritis and his pet insurance covers 90% of costs.
 

smcclung101

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Can the vet get a hold of the clinical studies that were done to receive the approval for the product?

I don't know if your vet wants to take the steps necessary to import an unapproved product, but there is a company in Malaysia that has developed a drug that appears to cure both FIV and FeLV (and a number of other things. The drug is a new approach to treating viruses altogether - a serious biomedical breakthrough if it proves out. But it is curing cats and dogs of parvovirus, calcivirus, FIV and FeLV - just no large clinical trials behind it, they're looking for funding):

http://www.furryfriendsfarm.org.my/in-the-press/retromad1-new-drug-packs-big-promise/

My husband and I were in touch with the company to see if we could help them bring the product to the US for trials. The parent company sold the drug development rights for use in people to a larger company. The last we knew, they were in talks with a large university for animal drug development. Here's news on the people-drug development: http://archive.biospectrumasia.com/content/040112OTH17840.asp

This is the company: http://biosatria.com/

WOW! I just searched again, and there's an update on the drug posted February 22nd at fivtherapy.com!!! http://www.fivtherapy.com/fiv_news.htm

And here's one of the original blogs on it: Katz And Other Tales: Au Tests RetroMAD1, A New Wonder Drug Fighting FIV
It is not unapproved. It is approved. don't know where you received that information, or maybe just an old post.
 

honigkatze

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Saved my two cats lives.Betsy now in Remission and her sister that was a week from dying, turned around in days and the three load doses have helped her stabilize and gain two pounds. I believe in six months she will be negative as well. Also use on my dog for arthritis
Hi, my cat is in the final stages of FIV. I am considering Tcyte therapy, but my vet, who originally was the one that told me about it, is now discouraging me. He says there isn't enough research on it and he isn't convinced that it works. I wanted to know more from anyone that has first hand experience with this treatment. Particularly those who have cats with FIV and in the end stages or close to passing as some people have posted. Thank you!
 

smcclung101

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Hi Grant. Yes, there are continuous injections after the initial loading doses. You are your vet can decide what works best for the pet. My cat has been getting the follow-ups about every month and half to two months or so at this point. I get his CBCs done every so often, but there has not been a drastic increase in his numbers at this point. HOWEVER, they aren't going down, either!=)

Holly
Bestsy was a strong positive and now barely shows positive. has gained weight. she is up to almost seven pounds. She has asthma and allergies as well, but still going strong. In all honesty should have passed away by now but life quality is so good. She is on monthly maintenance. I am the kind of person that does not need any evidence to try something as long as it does not do harm. If you have a dog with osteo arthritis, it is amazing. I have five dogs on it.
 

smcclung101

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It is not unapproved. It is approved. don't know where you received that information, or maybe just an old post.
It is approved. where did you get that it isn't.? Amazing stuff. If your vet insists on more evidence, I am more a person as long as it does not harm, i'll try to save my pets life. And it has. Betsy shows barely positive. Now is it lurking, probably, but she has made it to six and I am hoping for a long life.
 

honigkatze

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Bestsy was a strong positive and now barely shows positive. has gained weight. she is up to almost seven pounds. She has asthma and allergies as well, but still going strong. In all honesty should have passed away by now but life quality is so good. She is on monthly maintenance. I am the kind of person that does not need any evidence to try something as long as it does not do harm. If you have a dog with osteo arthritis, it is amazing. I have five dogs on it.
Thank you for your reply. I completely agree with you. From what I've read, there are no known side effects to this treatment which is always a concern. I will also try anything to save my cats. As long as it doesn't do any harm, there is nothing to lose. I am not sure why my vet turned suddenly against it, but I will go ahead and give it a try. I hope my outcome is as good as your Betsy :) Thanks again for the feedback. Your support is most appreciated through this difficult time.
 

honigkatze

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Hi again. My vet ordered the Tcyte but it won't be in until some time next week. My cat has become severely anemic and was falling over tonight, howling and stretched out stiff. After this episode, which he had a couple of times, he got up, drank some water and is back to normal. Was this a seizure? I'm giving him Pet-tinic for the anemia. Is it still worth doing the Tcyte treatment? Or is this beyond the limits for it to kick in and reverse this? I'm waiting to get off work and might take him to an ER.
 

Mando82

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Hello all, I have a cat that was recently tested positive for FIV, I was always thought that she had something but living in Venezuela is hard to get a hold of tests, I had no idea (nor the vets there) that there are this kind of treatments (I'm guessing because of price) but since I'm getting her (my cat) to Spain, I will maybe trying to get this treatment, I also read about RetroMAD1 from Malasya. What would you recommend?

She's about 7 years old and has been showing some signs, slim figure, I gave her some hills a/d and she gained some weight, now a bit more than 6 pounds.

Any recent use of either treatments?

Thanks
 
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