please pray for my LEO! He has critical anemia!!

He's so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was just at the vet today but hadn't been to TCS yet. I'll ask about Hydrea 125 tomorrow.

Interesting about the PCV level info you have - vets 'round here all seem to think 40 is normal, with 33 at the low-end, which is why Tuxedo's still receiving Epogen. All blood work prior to the anemia had his levels around 33. Though I must say - he's playing and active again, and his nose and pads look pink again!

However, I just got hold of an article from Cornell on the use of Epogen in cats & dogs, and it basically says that the goal of any therapy is to get the PCV level back to 33% - 40% of normal - which is 24 - 26 if you use 40 as the starting point. ??????????????

I'm SO GLAD Leo's feeling and acting better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is SUCH a relief when this happens, and I know exactly what you mean that you just wanted to see him happy again. I'm so glad you're both enjoying cuddles.

Ooops! Almost forgot to mention. When giving Leo the pills, are you using a "pill gun?" We always gave our cats medication in pill form with just our hands, but Tuxedo doesn't like pills more than our other kitties, and his teeth are SO big and sharp! The vet gave us a "pill gun" with is just a long thin tube with a plunger and a rubber tip. You sit the pill in the end of the rubber tip, put it in the back of his mouth and push the plunger. Because it's a really soft bendable rubber tip, it can't hurt kitty's throad - and it takes like one second to successfully get the pill down. It saves our fingers and is far less stress on ALL of us, lol!

Thanks LDG and everyone! I have always thought my Leo was a gorgeous kitty! He is grey and white! (not black)...and I will give him many kisses from all of you!

yeah I am confused about the correct level too....from what I read anemia is only when it is lower than 24....? How is Tuxedo doing?

Leo's pads and nose don't look that much pinker, but the specialist said that is his coloring, and we looked at old photos of him and he was always pale pink...but I am still concerned a little...

Also did Tuxedo have a bump when the needle of the aspirate went? Leo seems to have one only at the shoulder point, not back leg...it is not sensative to the touch, and is not hard bump, I called the specialist and he will call me back in the morning so I could tell him about it..

I give him the pill by hand, my husband helps hold him and I give him the pill..he has been putting up a little bit of a struggle but I think he is getting used to it, the first few times were harder! If it becomes more difficult I will try the pill gun..thanks...

Leo is continuing to do well, but he still can't run or jump, but walks around, purrs when ever I come to see him, and is playing a little bit each time...
I got some really cute pictures of him, I am gonna try to post them tonight!

wish I could figure out that remote linking thing!

I'm glad his doing better and glad for him that he has such caring owners

Fern

check out the last 6 pics! click to zoom!

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=888214

Oh Anita! Those are just gorgeous pics of Leo!! I love the one of him on his back being bunny-kitty. And the one in the box...and the one where he's looking up by the window....oh I love all of them! Leo looks SO much brighter and livlier in these pics.

Those are all great shots.

Love the one of him on the stairway and the one of him on his back.

Why do I get the idea this little guy is feeling more like himself all the time?

Great pics! So glad he's feeling better.

Oh, I love Leo's new pics! My favorite is the one of him posing on the stairs!

He is so darn cute! I love all the new pics, and I must say, he really looks perky and happy!

Tuxie's acting great - he was playing by himself yesterday, tossing a mouse around, rearing up on his back legs and POUNCING on it, LOL! He terrorized Spooky for a few minutes, and played hide & chase with Flowerbelle. He stood on Gary's tummy when we were trying to get to sleep, and he slept on his sheepskin next to Gary for several hours last night. The not-so-happy news is that his PCV was 28 this time - so it's gone 30, 29, 29, 28. We're having a full-blood work-up done this time to see if there's a problem with his thyroid that's causing his hair not to grow in (although this is uncommon in cats), and we're checking his iron levels.

glad to hear Tuxedo is still his perky self, and hopefully they will figure out what is going on, and it's won't be anything serious!

I took Leo to my vet today. The bump was just clear fluid and nothing to worry about.

he also recieved the report for the faculty about Leo. He has myeloid leukemia.

Basically the cancer attacked hes red blood cells. The only positive thing is that his white blood cell count is normal, which I was told means his immune system is fine. And that the cancer has not attacked other cells yet. So if the pill works he can live comfortably until the cancer starts to destroy his red blood cells again. (could be months to years)

Next week Leo will have a blood work up, and that will tell us if the pill is helping. Now it is too soon to tell. Because this is so rare to happen in a cat Leo's age, they do not know what to predict. They are saying that right now it could still be the blood transfusion that is making him better, but if his count is the same or higher next week, then it will be worth continuing treatment. If by some lucky chance the number of cancer cells has also significantly decreased they may be able to reduce the dosage to one pill every second day.

I really hope it is the pill that has let him improve so much! He was able to go up the stairs today! I have been enjoying each moment I get to spend with my Leo. What ever happens I am glad we got this time together. It is wonderful to see him alert, curious, playful and purring, and still eating and drinking....

We have only let him out with the other cats when we are there to supervise, because he doesn't have strength enough yet to palyfight with Roxy like they used to, She really wants to play with him...she has been grooming this fluffy toy since Leo isn't there (she never did this before)...it's gonna be tough on Roxy to be without her buddy....

Please continue all your positive thoughts that Leo will continue to fight this, and live longer than anyone expects....

He is sleeping is his cubby beside me right now....he is such good boy, he brings so much happiness to ours and Roxy's lives!

Of course your strong beautiful Leo remains in my prayers! It's wonderful that his WBC count remains normal! I look forward to hearing more reports of his progress. That's so sweet about Roxy grooming the the little fluffy toy.

My thoughts are with you and Leo and I am hoping SO HARD that his next tests come back positive!!!!

Roxy AND Leo are in my prayers!!!!!! That she's grooming his fluffy toy is just too sweet.

Anita, after Tuxedo's blood transfusion, his blood cell count dropped but then stabilized. It wasn't until week two of medication that we began to see the PCV improve. Obviously Tuxedo's on different meds with a different condition. And I am sending up prayer after prayer that these meds are working for Leo!!! But all I'm saying is that this is the first week of meds - if the number falls, I'm not sure I wouldn't give it another week. Of course, this is a decision for you and your vet to make, but given how much better he's feeling, SOMETHING is going on to improve his health whether you can see it in the numbers yet or not!!!!!

LDG thanks and I totally agree with you. Leo is doing so much better. He climbed his tree last night! I figured as long as his blood doesn't show he is getting worse, I will continue....we can see he is happy...

ALso I must share this with you LDG! I gave Leo GSE because he was sneezing, and he stopped completely in 3 days, I was surprised especially since the chemo drugs lowers his immune system.....

So I was surfing the net to see if there was any new info on GSE since I last looked into it...and I came across another product that may be helpful to my Leo and your Tuxedo!

It's called transfer factor, or transfer factor plus (the human formula is better than the feline formula from what I read)

It is suppose to boost there immune system from autoimmune diseases (what Tuxedo may have and Immunodeficiency diseases like cancer what Leo has.
Form what I read a condition like Tuxedo should take transfer factor and Leo should take transfer factor plus, but there is no harm to give both...

please check it out and see what you think! I am thinking of trying it for my Leo along with his meds! I am currently trying to get some in montreal canada, but haven't found anyone who carries it...If I don't find anyone tommorrow I will order online.

here is some info from one site, check it out....

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.co....htm#direction

Dr. Steven Slagle, DVM - A cat with Leukemia, an oral tumor, and posterior paralysis due to a spinal tumor was very ill and emaciated. One month after starting her on Transfer Factor Plus at 1 capsule per day, there was some regression of the oral tumor, restored appetite with some weight gain, and increased sociability. Five months later, this cat continues to improve - she regained her normal weight, her oral tumor has regressed 80%, and she has regained the use of her hind legs and tail.


this is a dog with anemia, but could work on your Tuxedo!

Dog's recover from Auto Immune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA)
My dog Arnie had been given up on by the vet. He had acute anaemia, a disease characterized by increased destruction of red blood cells (erythrocytes) by the dog's own immune system, and quite honestly we were making arrangements for his funeral. After one week on Transfer Factor we noticed a dramatic improvement. Three months later, after finishing the entire course, Arnie is doing so well that he no longer needs Transfer Factor . He now has so much energy on his new diet (James welbeloved) that we have to restrict his intake or we could be pulling him off the ceiling. He is putting on weight steadily as is his partner Heidi, She has been on Transfer Factor also and it has cured her scaly flaky skin condition on her back. Dave Burrows in Eastbourne, United Kingdom [email protected]



The difference between Transfer Factor (basic) and Transfer Factor Plus:

Immune system disorders fall into two broad categories:

Immunodeficiency - when the immune system does not recognize invaders as being undesirable and therefore does not mobilize to destroy them.

Autoimmunity (self-destruction) - when the immune system fails to recognize 'self' as friendly and mounts an attack on itself."

Explaining Autoimmune Disease by David Isenberg, PhD and John Morrow, PhD
Duane Townsend, MD - "Transfer Factor helps to modulate the immune system." (autoimmunity - over-active immune system)

Baruch Rosen MD - "Transfer Factor Plus, a preparation which enhances and stimulates the body's own immune system to fight against all pathogens, viral or otherwise." (Immunodeficiency - underactive immune system)



If this could help our precious Leo and Tuxedo, I had to share what I found out with you. GSE has worked for me on cat colds in the past better than any antibiotics the vet gave me, so I am really thinking of trying this to help improve my Leo's quality of life....some humans with cancer have had good results witht transfer factor, maybe my Leo will too!

Please let me know what you think...and if anyone else knows anything more about this please let me know!!!

My thoughts and prayers are with you and Leo. He is such a beautiful cat and I know you hate to see him going through this. Bless you for doing all you can for him and letting him know just how much you love him.

Anita, we've been putting GSE in the cats' water since... before Winter? None of them got sick this Winter (save Flowerbelle, but she's had such a compromised immune system, with her problems with herpes and respiratory problems from lungworm and EGC....)

Tuxedo did get runny eyes for a day or two after we'd started immune system suppression, but I just added another "squirtful" of GSE to the water fountain for a few days, and it cleared up, so I agree with the benefits of GSE!

I'm going to take a look at this site and chat with our vet about it. I can't thank you enough for sharing your search results!!!!

Also - I did some more searching on the PCV levels. Found in most articles about feline anemia that 25% is usually considered the "line" between anemic and not - but the red blood cell count should be at 5.5%, and Tuxedo's got as high as 5.3%, but has recently fallen to 4.2%, and his white blood cell count is still very low and fell again, thus the continued treatment. We're having a big "pow-wow" with the feline internist specialist - our vet is concerned that we may need to use different immune suppression treatment. Gary and I are worried about Cornell articles on the use of Epogen in cats - once those values start to fall, if it's due to a resistance they've developed to the Human Erythropoietin (Epogen) drug, they often develop a resistence to Erythropoietin in general - including their own that they ARE producing, and the anemia can become worse than it was! We sure have our fingers crossed....

How's Leo doing? Did you get the results yet? Still sending prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK. My first reaction to the Transfer Factor & related section of that website? I'm always very skeptical about "miracle" cures. I do believe wholistic approaches to healing are beneficial to those who use them and can (and should) supplement "proven" medical treatment.

I don't doubt that there's something to Transfer Factor - but if it worked consistently, I'd expect it would have been snapped up by some pharmaceutical company and widely distributed (and I do know how the industry works). For something to cure problems from ringworm to cancer is difficult to believe. However - I'm going to consult with the vet. If it can't hurt, then I see no harm in trying, because I don't doubt that the testimonials are real. I just hope Tuxedo and Leo can fall into that "it helped!" category!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I just now read this thread. You, your husband, and Leo are all in my thoughts and prayers. In the few minutes I had before I put my kitty Tank down, I wondered what in the world I was going to do without him, and how his sister/bestfriend/playmate was going to get by. I can definetly understand what you have been thinking/fearing/hoping. I think it's so awesome that you truly value every single day you get to spend with him. Isn't it crazy how we can become so close to an animal? Good luck with everything, and please keep us posted!
Laurie, I wish you luck and good thoughts/vibes for your furface, also. Hopefully whatever is really going on is manageable!
Take care, all of you!

Thank you all for your kind words and understanding what I have been going through! Leo is improving everyday! Today he chased Piper up the stairs full speed! I was shocked and so happy for him! He is still has a pale nose and pads though, but they did look a little pinker today, so maybe the pills are kicking in, and soon his count will climb, since he is doing much better, the vet said to give it a few more days to let the pills really make a difference before we test him again....

LDG, I know what you mean about being skeptical, and I agree....I have since tried to find out all the info on transfer factor.

What I learned, is it has only been out for 1 yr, there has been a study confirming it boosts the natural killer cells.

Also that it is not a cure, but just a boost to the immune system, which for some people can help achieve a cure. Basically it is usually in addition to the meds to treat a condition....I have read some post on message boards from people who said it took away thier allergies!

awe Leo is so cute, he is in his bunny postion under my computer chair! I am looking at his cute belly right now. He is such an amazing cat, still not giving me any problems to eat or drink, he is not giving up, so I am not going to either......

sorry back to transfer factor...I realize this may just be another stupid pill that does nothing, but it has been known colustrum boost the immune, so even if there is a slight chance it can help Leo I will try it, I ordered it and should get it in 7-10 days....Leo's condition is acute, and the hydrea pill he is on can let him live longer without syptoms, but not a cure, unless his own body decides to beats it (unlikely). So for me, I don't feel as if I have anything to loose by trying it! Also for Tuxedo, transfer factor is suppose to wake up the white blood cells too!

About Tuxedo, he is in my thoughts, I really hope than can figure out a way to get his values up to normal, before he starts rejecting the epogen (I had read about this too!)

Bossinova, so sorry to hear about Tank, and thanks you for your thoughts....it is crazy how attached we can get to an animal, but the bond is there, will always be there, and each day it grows stronger! Each cat is unique just like each person is unique!

Today was a good day for me and Leo, I really hope there are many more to come!