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Feline Leukemia Virus (FIV)
The Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus (same class as the FIV virus) that causes a disease somewhat similat to FIV, but much more common! FeLV is NOT contagious to humans or dogs.Testing by your Veterinarian is extremely important in the control of this disease. Always get your new kittens or new adult cats tested!
While many Veterinarians will tell you that FeLV cannot be treated, this is not necessarily true. Yes, many cats do die from this terrible disease. But there have been treatment protocols developed that many times can put your cat's illness into dormancy. I'm not saying that we can cure FeLV, only that many cats can live long, happy, and productive lives after being diagnosed with FeLV. But while FeLV is not necessarily a death sentence for your pet, it is important to remember that he/she will remain contagious.
The incidence of FeLV in the United States can be quite common depending on location, and whether cats are indoors, or free and roaming. Infection is spread through both bite wounds and casual contact such as grooming.
Early signs can appear minor: poor appetite, mild weight loss, poor hair coat, hiding, and just not feeling well. Early treatment at this stage can many times (but not always) result in remission for a short time up to many years. Later signs are quite serious, and include severe weight loss, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lymph node enlargement, and cancerous tumors. At this more advanced stage, treatment is not often successful.
Early treatment involves using medications that stimulate the body's immune system, and good nutrition! Be sure to discuss these possibilities with your Veterinarian.
Prevention is obviously our goal. We recently began using a new FeLV vaccine that is given transdermally (no needles!). While this vaccine looks very good, keeping your kitties tested and indoors is the method of choice! Never bring a new cat into the household without having it tested first by your Veterinarian!
While a vaccine exists, the results are not always 100%. So while vaccinating an outdoor cat is important, keeping it indoors is MUCH better! There are many other threats to an outdoor cat - a recent study predicted a 3-year life span for an outdoor cat, but a 13-year life span for an indoor cat!
For more information, check out the following sites:
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