More FeLV tests today, I'm nervous:(

taryn

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Attitude(who never fought anything to do with needles for the most part, to her it was part of being a cat) and Nuts were never sedated for blood work. They never sedated Maude either and doing a simple routine exam on her required full body armor.

Did you ask about doing titers on the negative ones(especially Lucas) to see if they are immune to FeLV which would eliminate the needs for seclusion? or vaccinating some(since I'm sure you don't want to/can't vac Lucas, not sure about the others) of the negative ones against FeLV?

Just remember not all FeLV+ cats follow the same course. Attitude, as I'm sure you read, was always sick. Nuts has never been sick a day in his life. The others outside(all 5 of them) are all healthy appearing as well. The worst we've had was Mama with her rectal prolapse last year(vet put everything back where it belonged and she's been fine since) and Blue had an abscess on his neck. Neither were related to the FeLV. I still have no clue how he would end up with an abscess, he's neutered(Runt isn't, he missed his appointment by refusing to get caught and he doesn't fight with Blue, everyone else is fixed) but he obviously got into a tussel with someone. Everyone but Attitude is healthy with no FeLV related(or non-FeLV related, other than the 2 listed above) issues. Just remember Baddy doesn't know he's sick.

It's great news that so far everyone else is negative. I hope this streak continues and everyone else you get tested is also negative.

Taryn
 
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momto4kitties

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i'M HAPPY MY VET SEDATES MY CATS FOR TESTING. MY CATS DON'T REALLY NEED SEDATION, THEY ARE SUPER NICE, WELL BEHAVED AT THE VET, BUT HE DOES IT BECAUSE HE SAYS HE DOESN'T WANT TO TURTURE THEM, AND i PREFER IT THAT WAY. TODAY, MY KITTIES ARE HAPPY AND PLAYING.

i ASK ABOUT THE TEST AND HE TOLD ME HE CAN DO IT AND SEND IT TO THE US AND IT IS EXPENSIVE. i WILL THINK ABOUT IT.

HE TOLD ME THE BEST THING TO DO IS JUST KEEP THEM SEPARATED FROM THE OTHER CATS AND HE TOLD ME NOT TO GIVE LUCAS THE fELv VACCINE BECAUSE WITH HIS LUPUS AND ALL IT IS A RISK. aD LONG AS i KEEM THEM SEPARATED THEY WON'T HAVE THE VACCINE.
 

booktigger

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I dont mean to be controversial, but I dont understand why you would be happy at cats being sedated for something simple like bloods when they dont need to be, I dont see how having to starve them, make them stay at the vets all day and put them through a sedation (which carries risks) just for bloods is a good thing, and it isn't torture having bloods done, I have at least 3 lots of bloods done every year on my cats - in fact, this year between 4 cats they have had 7 blood tests, none of which they were sedated for and each was done in around 20 minutes (Emla cream takes 10 to work).
 
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momto4kitties

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Our vets don't have the same medicines and equipment your vets in the Us and other countries have, believe me , if there was other way I would do it.
In fact, this is the only vet in my area who does FeLV tests.

I don't even know what Emla cream is, we don't have that here. My kities are nice at the vet, but once thety start taking the blood they do suffer.

My vet tried to do the test without sedation to Princess who was severely anemic and she started screaming, it was painful to her, I don't know how your vets take blood from your kitties , but here they take it from the veins in the neck. They shave the neck and then they take the blood, it is very scary for my kitties, so that is why I prefer sedation over nothing.

Is not that they give them a lot, just enough to keep them calm and when I go pick them up, they are just fine, My vet is a very nice compasionate vet and I have no problem with him.

I completely understand what you are saying and I respect that 100%, and if there was other way I would do it. I don't have a choice at all. I personally don't like to see my kitties being held by force to have their necks shaved and then seeing them cry while the vet take blood from their neck.

I love my kitties and I'm trying to do what is best for them,, believe me, here in Puerto Rico we don't have as many advances in pet care as you do in other countries. I'm lucky this vet is so good and loving to animals and I try to get infromation online to understand Lucas Lupus and I"m doing everything i can for Baddy and his FeLV.

Please don't judge me if you don't know what is like here in Puerto Rico. I can't even get the alpha interferon Lucas needs for his Lupus because they don't sell it here anymore. I can't get Natual food for Lucas because they won't ship it to Puerto Rico. he has to eat Purina One or Science diet (yuck). I'm fighting like crazy to keep my kitties healthy.

Don't think I don't care about my kitties, I do so much.
 

Willowy

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Nobody thinks you don't care about your kitties. It's just reallyreally strange that a vet would sedate a cat (which is fairly risky in itself) just to get the few drops of blood needed for a FeLV test. My vet just takes it from the front leg, it takes maybe 5 seconds. It's sad that you can't just find a better vet, it's hard when your options are limited. I suppose I could understand giving a bit of a calming drug to take the edge off, but if you have to fast the kitties, that means it's full anesthetic--scary!

Glad to hear that those 2 are negative! Hopefully the others will be as well.
 
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momto4kitties

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I think is just a light sedative because I don't have to fast them.

Well is like I said, he is the only vet that does the test and that is the way he does it. he takes the blood from the neck, I have no other choice. The other choice would be to just not test them and let them all get leukemia. I'm trying my best.

Anyway, I should have just told everyone I had my kitties tested and I shouldn't have give all the details, I thought the way my vet did it was the normal way to do it.

I just like posting here because I'm new at this Leukemia thing and I like to learn all I can from all of you.
 

Willowy

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Aww, don't feel bad
. If you didn't care about your kitties, you wouldn't bother to even have them tested, or try to find the best food for them or anything. So of course we all know you love your cats very much. Disagreeing with a vet's techniques isn't an insult to the owner, just to the vet (LOL). But if he's a good vet otherwise, no reason to get too worked up about that one thing.

I once took 2 cats to a vet who took the blood from the neck. Mooch did fine, but Dot wouldn't stop bleeding! It scared me to death! I didn't go back to her again. No reason to tap an artery when they can use the vein in the leg. Maybe PR vets are trained to use the artery for some reason. Anyway, your kitties are fine and that's what counts!

It did sound in your original post like you had to fast the kitties beforehand, and that they needed time to wake up. If not, probably it was just a light sedative and not as strong as a full anesthetic. That would be less scary to me---I worry every time one of my kitties needs to go under full anesthetic, for spay/neuter or teeth cleaning or anything. But a light sedative (where they aren't fully asleep, just dopey) doesn't have the same risk.

Still, if a U.S. vet had to sedate a tame cat for a routine blood draw, I'd be suspicious. But like I said, maybe they're trained differently in PR.

And at least you know they don't have FIV or heartworm, either!
 
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momto4kitties

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Well, Yes, I understand, it was scary at first for me too, but I guess I think he knows what he is doing , you know?

I just been under so much stress this week, and then I see that people are telling me I'm not doing what's right for my kitties it hurts a lot.

I didn't fast them, he never asked me to, in fact they both ate the night before. That is why I'm guessing it was a light sedative. he keeps them until they are fully alert, but I don't think they were fully asleep. I just used the term "wake up", but I don't think it was a full anesthetic he used.


Anyway, them important thing is they are ok, I will ask him more questions about the way he does the test, to see if i have more options, i need to have Baddy restested in a couple of months.
 

booktigger

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I didn't mean that you didn't love your cats, just can't see why your vet does that. Bloods are taken from the neck here too, and having numerous cats (double figures, as I deal with a lot of old/ill cats) have blood taken, ranging from cats you can't normally touch to complete lovebugs, I have only ever had to have one sedation, and that cat did send the VN to hospital due to how bad she reacted (6 years on, I still have a scar from that cat).

I would also ask about fasting when you need to have more bloods taken, one of mine was sedated for euthanasia, and the vet told me it could make her feel sick because I had let her eat first, and the ones that have been sedated for an ultrasound have needed to be fasted first, and stay at the vets for a similar period to yours. Emla cream is a local anaesthetic cream, so they might have it over there, over here you can buy it in chemists, so it might be worth looking into it, although it likely has a different name.
 
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momto4kitties

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I will talk to my vet and talk about my options for next time.

I'm happy my two babies are ok, I'll just think about that, the positive things in life. They could have leukemia, but they don't, I won't let anything take my happiness away
 

farleyv

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I don't know what Emla cream is either. I am just happy your guys came through it good and you have good news.

Gonna google Emla cream.
 

bastetservant

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It is obvious you care a lot about your cats and are doing all you can to ensure their health and well being. Many positive vibes to you and them that the other two are negative for FeLV also. And also that Baddy remains symptom free.

I have so much fear of anesthesia that I can't imagine having to do that for blood tests. My vet recommends a yearly "wellness" panel be done on all cats age 7 and up. Even a more elaborate panel on cats age 10 and up. No anesthesia is given, or Emla cream (never heard of it). I ask that the blood be taken from a leg because most of my cats are black and they have white skin. The shaved place remains a blemish for many months, and if it is on the neck it is very visible. My Lily, who just had dental work (who is sitting by my computer now looking and me and purring), has a place about 2 inches by 1/2 inch on her little left leg where the IV fluids were injected. That may be where they took blood before the dental procedure (to check that all was well, first), too, but I haven't looked her over all over to see if another place was shaved. Usually, if they can take it on a leg, they take it from inside a back leg. Lily had a gas kind of anesthesia, not an injection. They said the gas works fine for cats and small dogs and is less risky than for injected anesthesia (and less expensive). She did have to fast for 12 hours beforehand, though.

Anyway, if you trust your vet and think you have the best one available, then I wouldn't worry. However, it is always good to question everything the vet does, recommends, or doesn't do. It is important to be well informed regarding cat health, just as it is for your own health.

Best wishes to you and all your kitties for the new year.

Robin
 

bastetservant

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Oh, and I wanted to say that I've had cats live to age 18 fed almost exclusively Science Diet cat food. When SD came out, it was such a vast improvement on what was available before, that it was a God send. I know there are problems with it, but you should realize that these issues are controversial and not all vets and other animal authorities think SD is a bad food.

My vet still feeds his cat SD. And he loves his cat.

So I wouldn't fret that SD is all you can get. A lot of cats live long lives eating much worse food.

Robin
 
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momto4kitties

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Thank you for your kind words, I'm just so greatful two of my babies are ok.

I will definitely ask my vet about other options next time.

My Baddy is symptoms free, I feel so sad for him, but I will make sure he has a good happy life and I'm taking good care of him. he has a great appetite and he is just gorgeous. The only thing that has always worried me about baddy is that he sleeps too much, he sleeps all day and all night. he gets up and eats and then he goes straight back to sleep.
 
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