Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
By Dr.Pongpao Hosathitam. DVM
In the past decade, a cat’s disease called “Feline Leukemia”(a deadly disease of young adult cats) seemed to be the disease that never ever been known to Chiang Mai’s cat lovers, though it may actually exists here in Chiang Mai before long. Of course, this viral disease was recognized originally as the cause of lymphosarcoma or tumour in lymphatic tissue and haemopoietic tumours in the western world in 1960’s but nowadays it is clear that it is also associated with many non-malignant conditions that may be more common than cases of neoplasia.
Feline Leukemia Virus
Thanks to the availability and affordable price of a reliable test kit for testing this Feline Leukemia disease, we now can make a diagnosis by simply drawing a small amount of blood sample from a suspected cat and then drop a specific amount of that sample onto the test kit and get test result within 10 minutes.
Last week on Sunday July 29th, we at Chiang Mai Chotana Animal Hospital admitted a one year old, male young adult cat named “Ngiew” with symptoms of high fever (106.5 degree Fahrenheit), depress, anorexia for the last 3 days (owner thought he was hit by car) and we treated him symptomatically with a drip and antibiotic for 4 days. He obviously reponded to the treatment provided the next day, fever coming down to normal range (100.6 degree Fahrenheit) and resumption of appetite. We sent him home with oral medicine and food supplement in August 2nd.
However, three days later owner brought him back with more severe symptoms of high fever (105.1 degree Fahrenheit), jaundice, pale mucous membrane and very soft mucoid stool.
We knew that something serious surely happened to”Ngiew”, blood sample was collected and sent to the laboratory with a returned result of anemia and significant low white blood count (1,800 vs normal reference of 5,000-14,100), a typical parameters of Feline Leukemia Virus disease and low platelet count.
Actually, he was tested negative for Feline Immundeficiency Virus but positive for Feline Leukemia virus on a previous visit in January 4, 2014 with a healthy condition and slightly pale mucous mebrane. As known in a vet community that this disease is a death sentence for any positive cat, nothing can be done to treat this disease. Some authority in USA even recommends to put a postive cat down.
Enthusiastically, we again treated “Ngiew” symptomatically at the owner will, during the episode he suffered from mucoid diarrhea and throwing up even though medication for controlling those symptoms has been administered. After a four days battle with the disease, “Ngiew” passed away peacefully.
Lesson to be learned! Vaccination is the only tool we can use to protect our beloved cats. This can be done at any veterinary practice in addition to our practice start at the age of 8 weeks and booster again a month later and again a month later. Unfortunately, “Ngiew” has never been vaccinated against this disease before as told by his owner.
Vaccination, Vaccination and Vaccination is a must for your beloved cat. Please don’t forget to remember!
This post is also available in: Thai
