What Else Can Help To Calm A Cat's Immune System?

[cheeser]

Buddy's immune system gets a little too active sometimes, which can wreak a bit of havoc with his various allergies and skin problems. But since he's FIV+ and is extremely prone to antibiotic resistant infections, the vet wants to hold off on meds like cyclosporine or steroids that would further depress Buddy's immune system until there's just no other option.

On the bright side, we're not there yet.

In the meantime, we could use some help to try to come up with some less traditional alternatives to help calm Buddy's sometimes overactive immune system that we could discuss with our vet. He's very open to that sort of thing, but just isn't that familiar with some of them.

Buddy is currently on L-Lysine, lactoferrin, melatonin, Zyrtec, and a probiotic (RenewLife Ultimate Flora Extra Care 30 billion), as well as chamomile tea as needed for itchiness.

We did have some luck with 4Life Transfer Factor Classic for awhile, but after a few months, it didn't seem as effective as it once was. We've also discussed starting Buddy on DMG and/or a thymus product as possibilities with our vet.

The vet keeps recommending an omega-3 oil, but Buddy continues to thwart all of my efforts to get them down him, and I can't administer them via a syringe because of the risk of aspiration. Maybe we might have better luck with a powder like this product: Vitapet Omega Fish Oil Powder?

So what have we overlooked? Any ideas?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! An omega-3 such as Sundown Naturals fish oil capsules, --it's a human supplement, purified to eliminate mercury, pcbs and dioxins according to the bottle label.

I don't know if you've tried this method, but I got my boy to take them by poking a pin in one end of the softgel capsule and squeezing the liquid over a favorite food of his. I don't have to mix it in, but you could try that as well.

That powder you mentioned may work as well

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

So what have we overlooked? Any ideas?

cheeser - I'll presume that you've read and discussed the Hartmann / Wooding / Bergman Study with your veterinarian, but if not:

Efficacy of Antiviral Drugs against Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
.

 

[cheeser]

Hi! An omega-3 such as Sundown Naturals fish oil capsules, --it's a human supplement, purified to eliminate mercury, pcbs and dioxins according to the bottle label.

I don't know if you've tried this method, but I got my boy to take them by poking a pin in one end of the softgel capsule and squeezing the liquid over a favorite food of his. I don't have to mix it in, but you could try that as well.

That powder you mentioned may work as well

Oh, gosh, I wish that would work for Buddy! I can't sneak omega-3 oils into any of his food or treats no matter how hard I try. Grr! And I can't administer it via a syringe because of the risk of him aspirating the oil.

The vet offered some suggestions, and for a couple of days, mixing the omega-3 oil with a dab of baby food and smearing a tiny bit at a time on his his lips for him to lick off seemed to work. Unfortunately, Buddy started getting hairballs again, like when I've put coconut oil or evening primrose oil on his feet when they get chapped. Oops.

We briefly had some success with freeze-dried green lipped mussel. But we can't tell for sure if Buddy has developed an allergy to shellfish or not. Drat it. At least I could sneak that in with his syringe meds and supplements. So maybe another kind of powdered supplement may be worth a try. Fingers crossed.

 

[cheeser]

cheeser - I'll presume that you've read and discussed the Hartmann / Wooding / Bergman Study with your veterinarian, but if not:

Efficacy of Antiviral Drugs against Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
.

No, I haven't. Thanks much for the link.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

No, I haven't. Thanks much for the link.

cheeser - You're quite welcome. The overview of all clinical trials by themselves is not terribly promising, but section 9.2 on recombinant feline interferon omega seems to be the direction that current research is taking - in combination with protease inhibitors and integrase inhibitors.

Having now found not one by two successful channels against FIP, "combination therapies" are being developed between Recombinant feline interferon ω and various inhibitors to solve the riddle of the Feline Immunodeficiency's virus' ability to replicate. It's being used currently simply as a suppressant, but with an eye toward developing a protease inhibitor like GC376 acts against FIP, rendering the virus irreplicable.

Your veterinarian might consider exploring some of the current options, slowing down the immuniresponses while research forges ahead. Here's Dr. Alan Radford's boiled down tl / dr of the above study:

Antiviral Therapy in Cats--What Works and What Doesn't - WSAVA2006 - VIN
.

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi again cheeser !

I'd recommend you put this question to the specialized online community for FIV caregivers (where you'll also be able to get thoughts/feedback on antiviral therapies). There are a couple of these groups, this one seemingly a little more 'sophisticated': fivtherapy.com -healthforum These folks also have a website, here: fivtherapy.com

ldg - member profile (Laurie), a prolific poster and a member here from (I think) near the time of Creation, raved about those folks....I've also heard from someone else that they can be a little overwhelming - in any case, if anyone is going to have answers, you'll find them there.

Hoping that may help !
.

 

[cheeser]

cheeser - You're quite welcome. The overview of all clinical trials by themselves is not terribly promising, but section 9.2 on recombinant feline interferon omega seems to be the direction that current research is taking - in combination with protease inhibitors and integrase inhibitors.

Having now found not one by two successful channels against FIP, "combination therapies" are being developed between Recombinant feline interferon ω and various inhibitors to solve the riddle of the Feline Immunodeficiency's virus' ability to replicate. It's being used currently simply as a suppressant, but with an eye toward developing a protease inhibitor like GC376 acts against FIP, rendering the virus irreplicable.

Your veterinarian might consider exploring some of the current options, slowing down the immuniresponses while research forges ahead. Here's Dr. Alan Radford's boiled down tl / dr of the above study:

Antiviral Therapy in Cats--What Works and What Doesn't - WSAVA2006 - VIN
.

Thanks! I greatly appreciate it.

I'm going to need to look up a bunch of terms so I can try to wrap my warped little noggin around this info, but hopefully it will all make perfect sense to the vet.

 

[cheeser]

.
Hi again cheeser !

I'd recommend you put this question to the specialized online community for FIV caregivers (where you'll also be able to get thoughts/feedback on antiviral therapies). There are a couple of these groups, this one seemingly a little more 'sophisticated': fivtherapy.com -healthforum These folks also have a website, here: fivtherapy.com

ldg - member profile (Laurie), a prolific poster and a member here from (I think) near the time of Creation, raved about those folks....I've also heard from someone else that they can be a little overwhelming - in any case, if anyone is going to have answers, you'll find them there.

Hoping that may help !
.

Cool. Thanks muchly!

The vet said part of Buddy's problem is that he's picking up on my stress about some stuff that's going on at the moment, which makes him more stressed out, which stresses out his immune system and makes it go all screwy. Maybe we'll both need to take up yoga or something, although Buddy is far more flexible than I am.

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried running Feliway diffusers in your home to help keep his stress level down? They help my gang with anything from nervousness to less aggression to less sneezing. We use Welactin Omega 3 for our group. My boy loves to lick the lid!

 

[1 bruce 1]

With our cat with inflammatory problems (asthma, IBD, etc.) we've been using a whole host of therapies and now have added colostrum powder, and so far he's been pooping like a champ.

 

[cheeser]

Have you tried running Feliway diffusers in your home to help keep his stress level down? They help my gang with anything from nervousness to less aggression to less sneezing. We use Welactin Omega 3 for our group. My boy loves to lick the lid!

Doggone it, I wish Buddy had that kind of enthusiasm for Welactin! He didn't like it any better than the other omega-3 oils we've tried. Argh!

Got the Feliway diffusers covered, and we alternate between Zylkene and L-Theanine supplements for stress management. Maybe I'll try the massage thingy again for him, and brew a nice big cup of chamomile tea for myself.

 

[Jem]

You mentioned no sneaking oil into food and no syringing due to possible aspiration, but, will your cat take pills/capsules? Is it safe for your cat to be given something in "pill form"? I wonder if there is an omega 3 capsule that is an appropriate size to give a cat that you can get at a health food store?

Something else you can ask your vet, if a ready made capsule is not appropriate, is if compounding would be OK. Our cat needs to take 6 different pills, but I can't administer them one after the other without a fight and several chase downs in between , so I have started compounding his medications.
I buy empty capsules from the pharmacy (they come in different sizes), grind all his pills, and put all of it into a capsule. Sometimes I need to give him two (his nighttime dose is more than will fit in one), but it is so much easier to give his meds now that it's only one or two and not six.
The other good thing is, having it in a capsule makes it so he does not taste the bitterness, so he does not start drooling and foaming and smacking his mouth to try and get it out.
If the vet says it is safe for you to administer your cat a capsule, and your cat will let you give him one, you could fill them with the oil, and your cat won't taste it. You could ask your vet how much oil he should be getting, if you could get a concentrated form of it in liquid form, and if it's possible to fit it in a capsule for him. You could use a measurement syringe to fill it without making a mess. Just a thought.

 

[cheeser]

With our cat with inflammatory problems (asthma, IBD, etc.) we've been using a whole host of therapies and now have added colostrum powder, and so far he's been pooping like a champ.

What brand of colostrum powder do you use?

I vaguely remember that we considered colostrum as a possible alternative to lactoferrin at one point. But my memory is kinda like an Etch-A-Sketch these days.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Feline Colostrum for Cats, 3 oz powder
Living Stream Health Cat Colostrum
(Search for it on amazon. Won't let post a link for some reason!)
Also
Wholistic Feline Colostrum™

 

[Furballsmom]

cheeser , I personally think you are doing one heck of a bang-up job taking care of everything, and all of Buddy-baby's things and issues, and everything plus Buddy, and everything

 

[1 bruce 1]

cheeser , I personally think you are doing one heck of a bang-up job taking care of everything, and all of Buddy-baby's things and issues, and everything plus Buddy, and everything

I'll drink to that!

 

[cheeser]

You mentioned no sneaking oil into food and no syringing due to possible aspiration, but, will your cat take pills/capsules? Is it safe for your cat to be given something in "pill form"? I wonder if there is an omega 3 capsule that is an appropriate size to give a cat that you can get at a health food store?

Something else you can ask your vet, if a ready made capsule is not appropriate, is if compounding would be OK. Our cat needs to take 6 different pills, but I can't administer them one after the other without a fight and several chase downs in between , so I have started compounding his medications.
I buy empty capsules from the pharmacy (they come in different sizes), grind all his pills, and put all of it into a capsule. Sometimes I need to give him two (his nighttime dose is more than will fit in one), but it is so much easier to give his meds now that it's only one or two and not six.
The other good thing is, having it in a capsule makes it so he does not taste the bitterness, so he does not start drooling and foaming and smacking his mouth to try and get it out.
If the vet says it is safe for you to administer your cat a capsule, and your cat will let you give him one, you could fill them with the oil, and your cat won't taste it. You could ask your vet how much oil he should be getting, if you could get a concentrated form of it in liquid form, and if it's possible to fit it in a capsule for him. You could use a measurement syringe to fill it without making a mess. Just a thought.

The vet offered some suggestions to get Buddy to consume the omega 3 oil willingly, and some of them had possibilities if maybe we had worked at it a little bit more. Unfortunately, the oil was like a magnet for the fur that he ingests from grooming, so we abandoned the idea after that last unpleasant hairball situation a couple of nights ago. But we were advised against pilling or any other methods against Buddy's will, where there's a chance that something could go horribly awry.

But I totally agree that combining stuff into capsules can work great when it's safe to do so. It's sure a heck of a lot easier to have to just deal with getting one capsule down the hatch!

Now if I could just figure out a way to get the olive leaf extract down Buddy. Apparently it still tastes pretty vile even in capsule form and coated with butter.

 

[1 bruce 1]

The vet offered some suggestions to get Buddy to consume the omega 3 oil willingly, and some of them had possibilities if maybe we had worked at it a little bit more. Unfortunately, the oil was like a magnet for the fur that he ingests from grooming, so we abandoned the idea after that last unpleasant hairball situation a couple of nights ago. But we were advised against pilling or any other methods against Buddy's will, where there's a chance that something could go horribly awry.

But I totally agree that combining stuff into capsules can work great when it's safe to do so. It's sure a heck of a lot easier to have to just deal with getting one capsule down the hatch!

Now if I could just figure out a way to get the olive leaf extract down Buddy. Apparently it still tastes pretty vile even in capsule form and coated with butter.

I've tasted olive leaf powder. It's not terrible, but it is kind of potent and I can see why a cat would say "nope".

 

[cheeser]

Feline Colostrum for Cats, 3 oz powder
Living Stream Health Cat Colostrum
(Search for it on amazon. Won't let post a link for some reason!)
Also
Wholistic Feline Colostrum™

Awesome! Thanks.

Those are sure a heck of a lot less expensive than the Sovereign Laboratories brand that we were considering awhile back.