Desperately need help for FIV+ cat

cheeser

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We knew that Buddy was FIV+ when we took him in a few years ago.  However, his immune system has pretty much tanked, and he seems to be developing new problems faster than he can recover from the last batch.

To make matters even worse, Buddy is so terrified of going to the vet (despite all of the meds, Feliway wipes, etc.), he always spews from every bodily orifice like a scene out of The Exorcist and gets badly dehydrated.  Then he has to recover from that in addition to whatever it was that prompted the visit to the vet in the first place.

All of our pets over the years have had some kind of catastrophic illness, so we're all too familiar with 'that look' that says 'please let me go.'  But we're not seeing that with Buddy.  Not yet, anyway.  He's eating well, and still has spurts of kitten like exuberance and energy despite all of his chronic health issues -- e.g., demanding that we stop whatever we're doing to play with him, dive bombing the covers while I'm trying to make the beds, hiding under the furniture and attacking us as we walk by, getting excited when we buy him new things, etc.

Three vets have recommended putting Buddy to sleep, and our current vet has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want us to give Buddy any lactoferrin or anything besides the L-Lysine to try to give his immune system a little boost.  He seems to think we're rather kooky in that respect.

We realize, of course, that Buddy may be running out of options, and we may be nearing the end of the road.  But we're hoping we're just at a crossroads, and maybe some holistic remedies might help Buddy bounce back from this latest setback, or at least allow him to enjoy a decent quality of life and as little stress as possible for however many days he has left.

We still have some lactoferrin left, and we stumbled across an article somewhere about something called 4Life Transfer Factor.  But we're hopelessly confused by all the info re: nutritional supplements and holistic remedies that might help his immune system.  For what it's worth, Buddy takes L-Lysine 250 mg. twice a day when he's somewhat healthy, and that's bumped up to 500 mg. twice a day when he has a flare up of some kind.

Does anyone have any suggestions?  And is there such a thing as a holistic vet that does internet consults for a fee?

Thanks bunches!
 

mrsgreenjeens

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WHY is your Vet against Lactoferrin?  Did they give you any valid reason?  If they have all but given up on your little guy, then I say, wht can it hurt.  I've read only good things about it, and how it might help boost the immune system.  Same with Transfer Factor.  Whether they will help an FIV cat ...who knows, but would it hurt?  If he is on his last legs, what harm would it do?  Is Buddy taking any other meds that they might interfere with?  Iwould seriously ask your Vet what the issue is on both.  did your Vet recommend the use of the L-Lysine?  BTW, I recently learned that L-Lysine is best given without food!  It was a shock to me, but this came from a Vet.
 
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cheeser

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WHY is your Vet against Lactoferrin?  Did they give you any valid reason?  If they have all but given up on your little guy, then I say, wht can it hurt.  I've read only good things about it, and how it might help boost the immune system.  Same with Transfer Factor.  Whether they will help an FIV cat ...who knows, but would it hurt?  If he is on his last legs, what harm would it do?  Is Buddy taking any other meds that they might interfere with?  Iwould seriously ask your Vet what the issue is on both.  did your Vet recommend the use of the L-Lysine?  BTW, I recently learned that L-Lysine is best given without food!  It was a shock to me, but this came from a Vet.
Well, I don't think he specifically objects to the lactoferrin itself.  He just seems a little defensive sometimes and more of a by-the-book kind of vet, and I guess some holistic options aren't in that book. ;-)

Maybe our vet is okay with the L-Lysine because it's something he's more familiar with, and because Buddy was already taking it when we started going there. :-)

So we'll probably need to change vets, yet again. *sigh*

In the meantime, maybe we'll order some transfer factor, as soon as we can figure out which one to order. ;-)

Thanks much for the info about the L-Lysine.  I did not know that.  But how do you give it to a cat without food?  We've been using Viralys, and mixing the powder with his food.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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I guess from what I recently read the L-Lysine is best given in pill form
, however, there is also Viralys oral gel, which might work, and also there are L-Lysine chews , which , honestly, I don't know anything about....just that they make them.   It may also come in a liquid form

We have several threads on Transfer Factor...here's just one:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/230491/transfer-factor-for-the-cats-immune-system

Here's a link to see if there are any "holistic vets" in your area"  http://www.ahvmf.org/  And there is also this one:  http://www.tcvm.com/
 
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cheeser

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I guess from what I recently read the L-Lysine is best given in pill form
, however, there is also Viralys oral gel, which might work, and also there are L-Lysine chews , which , honestly, I don't know anything about....just that they make them.   It may also come in a liquid form

We have several threads on Transfer Factor...here's just one:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/230491/transfer-factor-for-the-cats-immune-system

Here's a link to see if there are any "holistic vets" in your area"  http://www.ahvmf.org/  And there is also this one:  http://www.tcvm.com/
Pill format, huh?


On the bright side, trying to get a pill down Buddy provides plenty of cardiovascular exercise...for both of us. ;-)

I used to give him the chews when we first took him in, mostly because he was still a little wild at that point and it was just the easiest way to get the L-Lysine down him.  But they dried out too easily, despite my best efforts.  So we went back to giving it to him in his food.

Thanks bunches for the links!
 
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cheeser

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