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Once agan, a new plan

Posted by Pammers (pammers) on 4/18/2008, 5:16 pm

Actually, this may have been the first plan, I just don't remember anymore.

First, some facts. IF I have everyone tested and find that any of the other cats are positive, I'll be totally at a loss as to what to do with them. Dodger was a special case because he was so difficult to deal with and so hostile to some of the other cats, but I will NOT euthanize any of the others unless they're suffering.

Second the virus has been in the house since January. I feel any cat that is going to get is is probably already infected and not yet showing symptoms. Any cat that hasn't been infected has probably developed immunities naturally. Testing at this stage isn't going to change anything and will still leave me with questions. A negative cat could still be in the incubation period. A positive cat could still throw the disease. *wink at Sandy*

I will have them all vaccinated as added precaution and keep a closer eye on all of them for any signs of illness. I'm going to bring Kitler home and keep him together with all his buds.

I'll have the vet give at least the first vaccination shots and pay close attention. If I think I can handle it, I'll order the shots and give the 2nd myself.

The only question still up in the air is when Kitler can come home.

This is my final answer. I think.

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Why has the virus been in the house since January?

Posted by RoadRunner on 4/18/2008, 10:32 pm, in reply to "Once agan, a new plan"

Is that when you brought Dodger in?

When I went through this last year, I did nothing because Blackjack had been living with my other cats and exposing them to FELV for 17 months by the time he was symptomatic and I got him tested. By then I felt it was just too late to do anything. I did not test or vaccinate anyone else. When I initially rescued Blackjack, he had tested neg/neg.

NOW, next week it will be one year since this all rolled down the pike and some days I am unsure about not vaccinating, but I am not going to start now. One reason I feel unsure is that Blackjack is still here and the other cats still have the exposure. I have been so lucky that he is still going strong because I did not expect he'd still be alive one year later.

I also took in a FELV kitten last November. Dwight just died on 3/29. I have another FELV cat who also is FIV, but he lives separately because he can be aggressive with some cats here and the others are aggressive with him, so why risk it. Honestly, though, if he were more mellow, I'd probably integrate him.

So, whatever you decide is what is best for you and your cat household. If Kitler were my kitty, though, I'd bring him back after the 2 vaccinations, if you do them. Otherwise, I'd bring him back now to be with his family.

One other thing - have you thought about doing the IFA test on Kitler? The IFA tests to see if the virus is in the bone marrow or not. I am presuming his + result is from the ELISA in-house snap test. If he's IFA negative, that would be one more thing to be happy about. If he's positive, then you know he's not getting over feline leukemia ever, but then at least you know.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Glad you are doing better in this nightmare.

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good point about the IFA test

Posted by bendy kitty (Bendy Kitty) on 4/18/2008, 11:16 pm, in reply to "Why has the virus been in the house since January?"

for some reason we completely blanked on it.

benduh
meet the crew here at www.alittletlc.com

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Kilter has a home here if he needs it.

Posted by bendy kitty (Bendy Kitty) on 4/18/2008, 10:10 pm, in reply to "Once agan, a new plan"

all ya gotta do is say so.
we understand if you want to keep him.
we are ok with your decision either way.

*hugs*
bendy
meet the crew here at www.alittletlc.com

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I know it's confusing, and some

Posted by PersianMom on 4/18/2008, 6:12 pm, in reply to "Once agan, a new plan"

people really believe testing and innoculation for everything is the way to go. With the immune response not being 100% from the vaccine, the unanswered question if the vaccine could bring about the disease in an exposed "kitten"...I'd personally not vaccinate everyone in sight...only babies....I've inadvertently mixed positives with negs, and no one else got sick.

New ones who have come in have been tested. There are a couple who've been here almost 2 decades who haven't, who've been exposed, and are fine. It's a wierd disease, listen to Noofs, she has the most sane approach I think.

Years ago I lost a young (formerly stray) cat to FELV who "was" vaccinated, but not tested. I always wondered if the vaccine hastened the onset of his symptoms...I'll never know.

The vet wanted to save me a few bucks and "didn't" test, but I'd asked him to. That is the cat who exposed everyone else.....he and his grooming buddy, a very small kitten who'd gotten off to a very wobbly start, succumbed to the disease...now are you more confused than ever?

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how'd I lose the edit feature? I meant to

Posted by PersianMom on 4/18/2008, 6:31 pm, in reply to "I know it's confusing, and some"

say clearly, I'd only vaccinate a kiten that had already tested negative.....I didn't make that clear, sorry. If my kitten had been tested, he wouldn't have even been vac'd because he was positive.....good luck with this.

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No edit feature here. :(..nm

Posted by Noofies on 4/18/2008, 6:33 pm, in reply to "how'd I lose the edit feature? I meant to"

.
Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
~Mark Twain

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Think again. *grin*.........msg

Posted by Noofies on 4/18/2008, 5:20 pm, in reply to "Once agan, a new plan"

I'd vaccinate any cat under a year of age. One shot. Wait 2 weeks (immune response peaks at 10 days post-vaccination), then bring Kitler home.

I'd only test if I was going to be bringing new cats in.
Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
~Mark Twain

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I think I need to slap you ;)

Posted by Pammers (pammers) on 4/18/2008, 5:27 pm, in reply to "Think again. *grin*.........msg"

LOL.

Let me see if I understand what I just read. An adult cat is 89% immune even if they've never been exposed to the disease? Did I read that the vaccination offers 89% immunity? Is someone trying to pull a fast one?

One shot is as good, or even preferable considering the risks, to two if given to older kittens?

So you're saying do nothing more, wait 10 days, and bring Kitler home?

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Combining the information from those two sources....msg

Posted by Noofies on 4/18/2008, 6:19 pm, in reply to "I think I need to slap you ;)"

(Jeff Kremer used to post on the Acme Cat's Window. We "know" him, and know that gathering the most accurate info about Vaccine-Associated Sarcoma and thus FeLV vaccines is a mission with him. He lost his beautiful Sylvia to vaccine-site sarcoma from the old FeLV vaccine.)

Only 10-15% of adult cats, i.e. cats over about a year of age, receive any additional protection from vaccination beyond their age-related immunity, and 89% of adult cats are immune whether vaccinated or not.

And here's another number for you: the estimated effectiveness of the vaccine is 75-85% (depending on which source you read, and which vaccine is used).

So, vaccine is 75-85% effective. 89% of adults have natural immunity. Only 10-15% of adult cats would get any benefit from vaccination.

As far as one or two vaccines goes.... If you'd feel safer giving the wormies a second shot, do it. If I was making this decision for my cats, I'd just give 'em one and call it good. If I had kittens under 12 weeks in the house, I'd give them two - one at 9-10 weeks, another at 12-13 weeks, just to be sure I caught them at an age where their bodies could produce an immunizing response.
Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.
~Mark Twain

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Oh, honey, your head must be spinning. (msg)

Posted by Andrea on 4/18/2008, 5:40 pm, in reply to "I think I need to slap you ;)"

I'm not offering any words of wisdom here, but just know that whatever you decide, I'm with you. I've only had one FELV kitty who sadly had to be pts after neutering - which we put off and off until he was 19 months old. sigh. Anyway, you and all of your precious darlings are in my heart.

Just wanted to throw that out there - I love you and adore Baby Ashley. And all the rest too!

And I so wish I could help financially. I had to beg for help just to get Candace to TED on Wednesday - I'm just dirt poor these days. But these are free, and you can have all you want...

Huge ((((( hugs )))))

Andrea

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