Feline leukemia?*Updated* #2 He's gone :(

[Chickerdoodle13]

I have to agree with everyone else here. We have two indoor cats who never go outside and our vet actually stopped vaccinating them for feline leukemia. The only time they go out is to the vet's office, and that is once a year. We used to vaccinate them when I would show my cat in 4-H shows, but even then the risks were relatively low of them contracting the virus.

Anyways, sounds like you do have a URI. Good luck, and I hope kitty comes out ok!

 

[Sonia]

He tested positive. The vet is recomending that we have him put down because he will just keep getting sick. We are going to have our other cat get tested too.

My kids are going to be devastated.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Wow, that is so strange! I wonder how in the world he could have contracted it, unless he was born with it. Anyways, I would do some research before just deciding to put him down. I used to work in a vet's office and I have seen many a positive feline leukemia cat live happy lives. It may be a shorter life, but he still has a very good chance!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I am soo soo sorry.

I would def. get the other cat tested. I would think about putting him down, especially if the other cat tests negative for it. i dont under stand how your cat could have gotten it if it didnt come in contact with another cats saliva, feces, or blood, unless he already had it when you got him. im so sorry for you children.

 

[helmstead]

I am so sorry! What a shock.

 

[Sonia]

They are recommending putting him down because he is so sick. They don't think he'll make it through this illness as it is. Apparently he's been going downhill all day. It is possible that he was born with it. He was only 4 weeks old when i got him but his mom was a barn cat. His siblings and momma were killed by a raccoon except for one sister. She died of a URI at 7 weeks. I wonder if it was a complication of the leukemia maybe?

 

[Guitartists]

I am so sorry to hear that!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
It could have been a complication of the leukemia. I would put him down if he is really bad.

 

[Sonia]

Thanks for all the support. This is so hard especially after having to give my dog away the other day. Two in one week will be really tough on my kids. I'll bring my daughter on here later so she can see what wonderful 'virtual' friends we have.

 

[ruth]

I'm so sorry to hear that. I too think it's really odd that it would be positive. In the event that it was I went ahead and posted my experience with my cat. He was always sick with one URI or another or something else because the leukemia weakens their immune system. I chose the nurse it back to health and try everything option - it died anyway but own it's own. I didn't have it put down. That's a hard decision to make and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes, especially with kids. You can always try nursing it back to health and see if it recovers from the current sickness which if it doesn't at least you won't have to have it put down which might be harder on the kids than "Hey, we'll take her home and pray for the best and do all we can." Our vet said many cats can go on and live with the leukemia but they are always suseptible to infections because of the weakened immune system.

At the time I did not have any other cats to be concerned over spreading the disease - that is an issue because the vaccine is NOT 100% effective and even if the other cat is negative and is always current on the vaccine, living with an infected cat, sharing food and litter boxes, will always put it at risk.

So sorry to hear.