That's so much for you to absorb at once and have to deal with. Many, many 
for Koko.
for Koko.-
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Koko most likely has IBD - a new journey for me
- Thread starter momofmany
- Start Date
I was so happy for you that she's negative for cancer. I think they've done so well for so long because a loving home, good food, good care, has to count for something in a cat's lifespan!
So sorry about the FeLV diagnosis, even if it is "better" than cancer. But like Pat said, a loving home does indeed account for a lot.
Maybe check out Transfer Factor Plus TriFactor as one of the options along with the Chinese herbs. It's pricey, but could provide an extra boost to Koko's immune system.
Maybe check out Transfer Factor Plus TriFactor as one of the options along with the Chinese herbs. It's pricey, but could provide an extra boost to Koko's immune system.
Amy, just saw your update about Koko being postive for FeLK. Mega vibes and hugs to Koko and you. You absolutely love all of your kitties so very much :heart3: They are lucky to be in your care. This must be very hard on you for sure. It is very scary to think that some kitties could be harboring FeLK in the bone marrow and that the regular blood test could be a false negative :shame:. Keeping you close at heart. 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #105
The fact that it can only be identified thru the bone marrow is very scary. The aspiration test for that procedure was close to $500, so that is not something I can do with every cat here. I'm not sure I would do anything differently if I found out who has it anyway.
My friend and I had a long talk about this. We both now have FeLV houses. No more adoptions until all of our current babies are gone (she has 4, I have 7), and plenty of love to the ones we have. The studies indicate that they aren't shedding virus, but there clearly isn't enough research to be 100% certain. No point in risking others. Any infection done by these cats would have occurred in nine years they've already lived together. But now we know that any major illness that any of these cats develop could be triggered by the FeLV, and that changes the course of how we can treat them. It is what it is.
When I think of all the cats that don't make it to 9 years old, then I consider myself blessed that I have so many of them close to or over that age. I'm angry that this happened to one of our bottle feds - the bond you form with them is always stronger than with other cats.
But I want people that rescue feral cats to use this as a lesson. If they come from a FeLV colony, the odds that they have it and test false negative are quite high. Koko's exposure had to be her mom who died when she was 10 days old. Her littermates would have got it along with Koko. All 4 have always tested negative. For 9 years.
I really hate this disease.
My friend and I had a long talk about this. We both now have FeLV houses. No more adoptions until all of our current babies are gone (she has 4, I have 7), and plenty of love to the ones we have. The studies indicate that they aren't shedding virus, but there clearly isn't enough research to be 100% certain. No point in risking others. Any infection done by these cats would have occurred in nine years they've already lived together. But now we know that any major illness that any of these cats develop could be triggered by the FeLV, and that changes the course of how we can treat them. It is what it is.
When I think of all the cats that don't make it to 9 years old, then I consider myself blessed that I have so many of them close to or over that age. I'm angry that this happened to one of our bottle feds - the bond you form with them is always stronger than with other cats.
But I want people that rescue feral cats to use this as a lesson. If they come from a FeLV colony, the odds that they have it and test false negative are quite high. Koko's exposure had to be her mom who died when she was 10 days old. Her littermates would have got it along with Koko. All 4 have always tested negative. For 9 years.
I really hate this disease.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #106
All of Koko's test results are being faxed to the cat specialist clinic that treats her 2 litter mates. They want to see if there is anything they need to do immediately for her brothers, or just something they want to keep in their records in case they get sick down the road. I've been very fortunate to have these vets available to me. They've always been fascinated about the genetics within this litter, considering they were separated at 5 weeks old and live 600 miles apart. I've always sent health reports to them on my 2 and I get filled in on the health of the other 2.
I warned my vet that this clinic may take interest in Koko and call her. My friend is going to push the vets in this clinic to see if there is something more we can do for Koko. They are closer to recent studies that my vet admits she can't stay up to date on. My vet said she would welcome their input.
So I've got 3 vets working on this, 2 of them specialists. Let's hope they find something to help with the anemia.
Koko is still more subdued than her normal self, but boy howdie she perks up when I bring out the deli ham.
I warned my vet that this clinic may take interest in Koko and call her. My friend is going to push the vets in this clinic to see if there is something more we can do for Koko. They are closer to recent studies that my vet admits she can't stay up to date on. My vet said she would welcome their input.
So I've got 3 vets working on this, 2 of them specialists. Let's hope they find something to help with the anemia.
Koko is still more subdued than her normal self, but boy howdie she perks up when I bring out the deli ham.
YAY FOR DELI HAM!!!!!!!!!! MAN, that stuff does wonder for pet's appetites :nod: Amy, I am SO glad to hear that your vet's are so interested in these cases of FeLK and are so caring and working to help you in anyway possible. I have a friend, a lady who has volunteered at the shelter, and she also has a FeLK household. The wonderful thing (if there is anything good about FeLK 
) is that she is now able to save some of the kitties that would otherwise be euthanized at the shelter because of a positive FeLK snap test. YEP - they all get euthanized. She takes these cat's to her home. AND believe it or not, there are people out there in the world that have a FeLK positive cat and are always looking to adopt other FeLK positive kitties for a companion or just to give them the best life they can have for the time they have.... which btw.... one never knows. They could go on for years without any ill effects :dk: Anyway, just something I wanted to share. I think you are a special, loving, compassionate lady for taking in these kitties. We just never know - these feral cat's - do we.... if they are harboring something like this awful disease. Makes me worry too. BUT we do what we can for the needy kitties. They need us to be there for them. Koko is lucky to have you..... and you can take that to the bank :dollars: :dollars: :dollars: :dollars: (wish they were real dollars :lol3
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #108
Unfortunately, I can't take any FeLV+ cats in. I'm betting that not all of mine would test positive for it in the marrow, and at their ages, I can't risk bringing in a cat that is actively shedding the virus. My youngest turns 9 in May and my oldest turns 17 in a few weeks. I thought I was just a house of seniors, but now a FeLV house of seniors. Big yikes.
I did have an interesting insight with L-Lysine this past week. I stopped using it when Muddy's chronic herpes went away. I started dropping powder into the cat's water bowl a few days ago. This is a bowl up on a counter where the dogs can't touch it, and the cats never drained it - the cats usually share the water bowls on the floor with the dogs. The water in that bowl started to be drained within a day, and they drained it overnight last night. There must be something about the taste that they like and more and more have discovered it. L-Lysine won't help Koko, but it might help all the other cats.
I don't entirely trust my scale to weigh Koko precisely, but I can tell when I pick her up that she is getting a little paunch back in her belly. I'll take those small things.
I did have an interesting insight with L-Lysine this past week. I stopped using it when Muddy's chronic herpes went away. I started dropping powder into the cat's water bowl a few days ago. This is a bowl up on a counter where the dogs can't touch it, and the cats never drained it - the cats usually share the water bowls on the floor with the dogs. The water in that bowl started to be drained within a day, and they drained it overnight last night. There must be something about the taste that they like and more and more have discovered it. L-Lysine won't help Koko, but it might help all the other cats.
I don't entirely trust my scale to weigh Koko precisely, but I can tell when I pick her up that she is getting a little paunch back in her belly. I'll take those small things.
Of course, you wouldn't take in anymore FeLK + kitties...
I was just thinking about this lady from the shelter who does do that - when she can of course. She has her limits. :nod:That is great about the Lysine in the water!!!!!
The more they drink the better :bigthumb:So glad to hear the Koko her paunch again :lol3: !!!! It is great to here that she is feeling well :rub: Keeping you in thought!!!
I'm so glad she is getting her paunch back. I really think the Chinese herbs are the way to go. They've been working for thousands of years!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #112
Koko had her blood rechecked yesterday. The good news is that she's gained 10 ounces in weight since this all started (she's up to 7 pounds 11 ounces), and her platelet count went from 80,000 to 133,000 (80k was at the extremely dangerous end of the scale). So while low, the danger that she would bleed out is gone for now.
The bad news is that her red and white blood cell counts got worse. She has been on prednilisone (5mg) every day to help with her anemia, and it's obviously not turning it around. At best its keeping her somewhat stable. We put her on doxycycline in the extreme chance that she also has some blood infection going on. It won't hurt.
The anemia is just the true form of FeLV running its course. Some cats get other opportunistic health issues with FeLV, and others like Koko just get blood issues. If her blood gets worse, transfusions can help temporarily, but would only give her more energy for a short period of time. The disease is simply going to waste her away.
After seeing the blood results this time, I once again asked the vet for her prognosis. The best she could offer is that "she won't be around this time next year". There is no sugar coating any of this and I appreciate my vet's honesty.
The only thing we can really do from here on is to keep her stress free and her immune system as healthy as we can. The anemia will progress to the point where she will be so exhausted she'll stop eating. I'm hoping to put that off as long as possible.
The bad news is that her red and white blood cell counts got worse. She has been on prednilisone (5mg) every day to help with her anemia, and it's obviously not turning it around. At best its keeping her somewhat stable. We put her on doxycycline in the extreme chance that she also has some blood infection going on. It won't hurt.
The anemia is just the true form of FeLV running its course. Some cats get other opportunistic health issues with FeLV, and others like Koko just get blood issues. If her blood gets worse, transfusions can help temporarily, but would only give her more energy for a short period of time. The disease is simply going to waste her away.
After seeing the blood results this time, I once again asked the vet for her prognosis. The best she could offer is that "she won't be around this time next year". There is no sugar coating any of this and I appreciate my vet's honesty.
The only thing we can really do from here on is to keep her stress free and her immune system as healthy as we can. The anemia will progress to the point where she will be so exhausted she'll stop eating. I'm hoping to put that off as long as possible.
Amy, have you consulted with anyone to get her on some herbals yet? I have no idea if Yunnan Biyao would be the treatment of choice, but if you want to spare her further vet visits, honestly, I really think it may help, if you can pill her without too much trauma. :heart3:
Laz weighed 10 pounds: when he was anemic with a low white cell count. The vet had us NOT give him the little red tea pill in the package (that's for emergency stop bleeding), but give him the capsules with powder - one pill every day for three days, then one pill every two days for a week (three pills), then one pill every three days until his bloodwork improved to non-anemic.
!!!!!!!!!!!
Laz weighed 10 pounds: when he was anemic with a low white cell count. The vet had us NOT give him the little red tea pill in the package (that's for emergency stop bleeding), but give him the capsules with powder - one pill every day for three days, then one pill every two days for a week (three pills), then one pill every three days until his bloodwork improved to non-anemic.
!!!!!!!!!!!
More for Koko!
for Koko!
Hi Amy, glad to heat that Koko gained 10 ounces . I think you are doing the best you can for Koko considering the circumstances of this terrible disease. Please know I am sending you loads of hugs and Koko loads of vibes that she may have some wonderful, comfortable days with you, still :cross: :cross:
. I think you are doing the best you can for Koko considering the circumstances of this terrible disease. Please know I am sending you loads of hugs and Koko loads of vibes that she may have some wonderful, comfortable days with you, still :cross: :cross: - Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #117
We've had a scary week here. We put Koko on a round of doxycycline at her last vet visit. If there was an outside chance that her anemic condition was caused by a blood parasite, then antibiotics should relieve some of her symptoms. Unfortunately once you start a cat on pred, the blood tests for those blood diseases won't show accurate results. This doesn't take away her FeLV, but it could be that her anemia had a different trigger, which means that her FeLV in her bone marrow could still be dormant.
The doxy made her pretty sick and she started eating a lot less for about a week. But as of 2 days ago, she actually perked up quite a bit. Not only begging for food again, but I caught her stampeding down the hallway (something I haven't seen her do for months), and she is spending more time outside of our bedroom (she was camping on our bed most of the day). She actually has some of her energy back (the anemia had sapped her).
These antibiotics typically take about 7-10 days to show their effect. Yesterday was day 11 of the meds. I'm not getting my hopes up too high, but it appears that they actually helped her. Only time will tell.
The doxy made her pretty sick and she started eating a lot less for about a week. But as of 2 days ago, she actually perked up quite a bit. Not only begging for food again, but I caught her stampeding down the hallway (something I haven't seen her do for months), and she is spending more time outside of our bedroom (she was camping on our bed most of the day). She actually has some of her energy back (the anemia had sapped her).
These antibiotics typically take about 7-10 days to show their effect. Yesterday was day 11 of the meds. I'm not getting my hopes up too high, but it appears that they actually helped her. Only time will tell.
Yay for stampeding!!! One of my favourite things to see/hear (unless it's 3am, but even then I can't help smirk a little).
Is Koko on any probiotics to counter the gut-flora decimation by the antibiotics? That might also help her feel a bit better.
for some improvement! Stampeding is definitely a positive sign.
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Not only do I love stampeding but ESPECIALLY in a sick kitty! Hurrayyyyy!!!
