Feline Leukemia

HI my precious girl Riley Grace was diagnosed with the virus and the vet put her on interfuron and an antibiotic for an infection plus vitamins I was told she would be ok for now with this but all she does is sleep I know cats sleep a lot but if you had seen her before this you would its not normal for Riley she was a very hyper active cat loved her toys and climbing but now i can put her in her bed then go somewhere for 6 hours come home shes in the same spot like she doesnt have no energy at all she doesnt eat a lot like she used to  i am so scared  shes family and I feel like im losing her  

Did she have a CBC?  It's very important to know if Riley is anemic, and, if so, what type of anemia.  If she hasn't had one, get it done ASAP.  And be sure to get a reticulocyte count.  The number of reticulocytes in the blood will tell the vet if bone marrow is functioning normally, which has a far better prognosis.  If the anemia is non-regenerative (bone marrow dysfunction), it's not the end of the world.  A combined regimen of Cyclosporine and Prednisone can help improve function and stabilize the cat.  You may have to take the cat to see an oncologist. or internal medicine vet, for anemia treatment since most vets don't really know what to do with FeLV+ cats.  It was an internal med vet that put Rumi (my FeLV+ boy with non-regenerative anemia) on his current regimen, but the oncology department at specialty hospitals is generally where you'll find the most informed vets using cutting edge treatments.

 My vet and I decided against Interferon because she hasn't had any real success in treating FeLV with it.  It's one of those "try something because something is better than nothing" kinds of drugs.  Your cat may respond to it, and I hope she does.  Please keep us updated on her progress.  LTCI is another "try something" drug that may be more beneficial because it was designed to treat FIV and FeLV.  If you don't mind using your kitty as a guinea pig (and, really, what have you got to lose when they're terminally ill), your vet can procure RetroMAD1 from the manufacturer.  They're exchanging the drug for data, so your vet would have to commit to sending reports on Riley's progress.  Most vets aren't crazy about trying it, from what I understand, so this again is something a specialist might be able to help you with.  PM me if you'd like contact info (they don't want it posted publicly).  

Supplements I believe have helped Rumi: DMG, chicken liver powder (good whole food source of B vitamins), AHCC (be very careful with the dose if you try it: too much can cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and/or diarrhea).  Colostrum is another supplement that's recommended for FeLV cats.

I find that I have to give Rumi a slightly higher than recommended dose of DMG, and that carries certain risks, but my philosophy is that it's better to get them as healthy as possible now and not worry about future health.  

Please try to only give Riley filtered water.  There's so much stuff in tap water that immunocompromised cats shouldn't be exposed to.  

The best diet you can feed Riley is going to be helpful, of course.  High quality protein, low carb, carrageenan-free, grain-free.  Rotate proteins if possible to avoid food allergies.  

Best wishes and please keep us updated.  And   for better days ahead!

Plus, it could be either the interferon OR the antibiotic, or the combination of both, that's making her not feel well.  I know one of my cats used to get so ill on antibiotics that we always thought the cure was worse than the illness.  He would get so lethargic and lose his appetite, etc. . 

I couldn't find anything specifically about the side effects of interferon being bad on cats, but my brother-in-law stopped his treatments when on it because he said he's rather die than continue with it.  He said it was horrible.  (and, BTW, he didn't die when he stopped!  That was several years ago and he's still with us!! ) 

I agree with the3rdname that colostrum is good for improving the immune system.  Not sure what some of those other items are, but Vit B is also good for energy levels, and I also try to give my cats bottled water vs tap water.  I have a kidney cat vs a FeLV cat.

to both Riley Grace AND Rumi

if you do need a specialist, a board-certified oncologist vet or internal medicine vet can be found here:

http://www.acvim.org/AnimalOwners/FindaSpecialist.aspx