Thursday January 8, 1998 21 Messages ======================================== From: macat@webtv.net (belinda sauro) Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 00:08:48 -0800 To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: Merlin update Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Hi Barb and Merlin, I haven't had a chance to write lately, but I've been reading all of the messages. I was absolutely thrilled to come home and read tonights messages, I will keep praying for little Merlin. Love, Love, Love, it really does make a big difference. Go Merlin you are both in my thoughts! Happiness is being owned by cats... www.angelfire.com/ma/macat5 http://members.tripod.com/~macat5/index5.html ----------------------------------- From: Newtanator Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 08:01:45 EST To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Received this letter. Answered him but wanted to add it to the group so he can get support from all like I have. Barb From: User441249 To: Newtanator@aol.com Subject: Kitty with leukemia Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 23:02:35 EST Hi, I found your name in a website called "Feline Leukemia - Do something!", which is what I am trying to do. Let me tell you my story. I found a big cat very thin and weak last saturday. I took her to the vet and he found, among other less serious things, that she is FeLV positive. Her liver is damaged also and she is very anemic. He gave her fluids, and prescribed an antybiotic, and other things for the diarrea and parasites, besides vitamins. She is better now, her gums are pinkier, though still very pale. I read a book called "The New Natural Cat", with Anitra Frazier, which offers some advice on alternative (mostly nutritional) treatments, and I have been following it in part, but I would like to hear other opinions. The vet proposes to treat her with Imunoregulin, do you know about it? What about the other imuno builders? What would you recommend? I also have a money problem, it looks like each Imunoregulin shot will cost me more than $50 and in the beginning it has to be several times a week. Is there any alternative center in NYC or somebody who could help? I've consulted with the shelters, but ASPCA, CCCA, and Bide-a-wee said they would put her to sleep. Can you offer some help, even if moral support? I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance Anesi ---------------------------------- From: "AZ-HART" To: Subject: Petsmart, Rescue groups, and a place for the positives Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 11:26:57 -0700 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Kathy, I just read your message, and wondered where in the country you're located? We are also a rescue group that does adoptions out of 2 local Petsmarts here in Phoenix, Arizona. What rescue group do you volunteer for? I have also had experiences where I take cats to the vet for spay/neuter or other hospitalization and they come back with respiratory. It is very very frustrating, but I'm not sure it is necessarily something a vet's office or kennel can always prevent, as it is airborn, like a cold. I would imagine that a good extract fan system would help, but is there really any excellent way to prevent upper respiratory from going around in a multi-cat environment, whether it be vet, kennel or shelter? I'm glad to hear of your fortune with the Persian who tested positive then retested negative for FeLV. I was unlucky last August. I already had 2 FeLV+ kitties. I agreed to help out one of the other local rescue groups in taking in one of their rescues who tested positive twice, as that group has no home for FeLV+ cats. I have an FeLV+ kitty room just for them. Earlier in the day that I was to pick up the other rescue group's FeLV+ kitty ("TomTom"), I took a group of kitties I had just taken in, a mama cat and her 3 kittens, to the vet for their tests and first shots. And all 4 of those pretty all-white kitties were FeLV+! Oh man, instead of having 2 FeLV kitties, I suddenly had 7! One of the FeLV+ kittens didn't make it, and died 2 weeks later, despite my efforts with Baby Food, Pedialite, Kaopectate (for diarrhea), chicken broth, and medications. But the mama cat and her remaining 2 kittens, and TomTom, are all still doing well, except for "Topaz" the blue-eyed kitten with irisitis. I just had the mama cat and her babies retested when they were spayed, and there were 2 strong positives and one medium-positive. But everyone's doing well. I wish more people who did rescue or anyone in general could find a place for an FeLV+ kitty, just one nice "spare room" that can be made comfortable and intesting so the FeLV+ cat has a place to live and does not need to be automatically euthanized. I'm glad to read on this mailing list about all the people out there who go out of their way to help FeLV cats. In rescue work, it is encouraging to see this, as so much we see is so sad, especially for kitties. Irene Hart Arizona Homeless Animals Rescue Team (AZ-HART) http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/azhart Email us at: azhart@sprynet.com ---------------------------------- From: "AZ-HART" To: Subject: Re: Merlin update Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 11:33:59 -0700 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Barb, I'm so glad your kitten is showing progress. Sometimes we are given hope and sometimes we actually get a miracle in the midst of all the sadness with the ones who aren't able to survive. My hopes for continued recovery for Merlin. Irene Hart Arizona Homeless Animals Rescue Team (AZ-HART) http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/azhart Email us at: azhart@sprynet.com ------------------------------------- From: "AZ-HART" To: Subject: Upper Respiratory & Lovejoy Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 11:41:37 -0700 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Olivia, Upper respiratory is as easily spread as a cold in a kid's day care or schoolroom. I am not sure what a commercial facility or shelter can do other than have a good ventilation system like extractor fans and filters to help combat airborn illnesses like upper respiratory. It is frustrating. Most cats, even FeLV+ kitties, can survive respiratory if they are older than young kitten age (over 4 months). Younger ones are terribly vulnerable and respiratory is very frightening at that age. I always start them out on Amoxicillin when they have colds, then use meds like CEFA drops, Baytrill, Clavamox and so on, depending what the vet recommends in severe cases. I also use Gentocin Durafilm (RX from the vet) or over-the-counter Children's Neosynefron drops in the nose when their noses are congested. It helps dry up the sinuses. Irene Hart Arizona Homeless Animals Rescue Team (AZ-HART) http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/azhart Email us at: azhart@sprynet.com ---------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 13:47:40 -0600 (CST) From: "Nancy A. Schmall" To: felvtalk@MailingList.net cc: rdc@corax.com, army@geneseo.net Subject: Re: Merlin update Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Barb! Wonderful news about Merlin! You and he are always in my thoughts and I will keep sending them your way! I am very excited! Nancy ------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 14:54:24 -0500 To: felvtalk@MailingList.net From: olivia gostanian Subject: Update on Lovejoy Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net First of all, Barb, I wanted to let you know that you and Merlin are very much in my thoughts. I know that every day can seem like an eternity when your beloved companion is not well and you're wondering whether you're doing the right thing. But, you are a shining example of what loving patience and TLC can do -- in effect, small miracles can and do occur every day because of people like you. Take good care and keep the faith -- one day Merlin WILL walk out of his carrier on his own four paws and amaze us all! Second of all, thanks to everyone with your many kind thoughts and helpful suggestions on Lovejoy's behalf. I am THRILLED to be able to report that, although he has only given me a half-hearted, barely audible purr twice up to this point, it is clear that Lovejoy is doing much better over the past few days. His full appetite is back, he is drinking water and using his litterbox regularly, and the volume and intensity of his sneezles have decreased and his eyes have stopped running. It seems magical! My little baby is even starting to squeak at me once in a while, and I look forward to his resuming his completely charming chronic chatterbox patter. Once he starts grooming himself again and purring like the little locomotor he normally is, then I'll be ecstatic. In the meantime, I am so grateful that he seems to be on the way to full recovery. I would like to make it clear that I do not *blame* the clinic for Lovejoy's URI; rather I was feeling guilty and still do feel bad that I chose to board him vs home care, but hindsight as they say is 20/20 so I have to let that go. I can say that I will not willingly board him ever again simply for vacation purposes -- fortunately, those dark days are behind us now. Throughout this stressful week it was and continues to be tremendously reassuring to have the support of others going through the same highs and lows of being owned by and loving an FeLV+ kitty (or two, or three, or four... :) This list is one of the best that cybertechnology has to offer! Thanks again, Olivia & Lovejoy ------------------------------------ From: "Steve Lackow" To: Subject: Re: Update on Lovejoy Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 12:05:53 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net >rather I was feeling guilty and still do feel bad that I chose to board >him vs home care, but hindsight as they say is 20/20 so I have to let that >go. I can say that I will not willingly board him ever again simply for >vacation purposes -- fortunately, those dark days are behind us now. Don't be hard on yourself, Olivia. Stuff happens. There's no doubt at all how much you care for your Lovejoy. -- Best wishes, and in our thoughts, Steve ------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 14:43:46 -0600 To: felvtalk@MailingList.net From: Cheryl DeSantis Subject: Has anyone else gone through this? Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net I thought I was winning with the fungus on Copley. Many of the scaly patches, etc are gone. His skin is smoothing out and looking better. I was very happy for him. Unfortunately, I noticed last night that he is still loosing hair. The poor thing only has a few clumps of fur left on his cheeks and few on his ears. The hair is still falling out at a rapid rate. I am not sure what to expect with this fungus. Has anyone else gone through this? I was told it is quite common with these kitties, but I know very little about it. What I'm most concerned about is his pride. This seems to really be upsetting him. I thought once the bad patches were gone things would get better. I am not sure if and when his hair will stop falling out and begin to grow back. Or is it possible this has damaged his skin enough to effect hair growth. Any experiences or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. - Cheryl DeSantis Account Executive Bradmark, Inc. 4265 San Felipe Suite 800 Houston, TX 77027 800-621-2808 http://www.bradmark.com -------------------------------------- From: Newtanator Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 17:25:08 EST To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Cc: rdc@corax.com, apricot@erols.com, army@geneseo.net Subject: JOY TO THE WORLD Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net HELLO ALL MERLIN IS WALKING!!!! He took some steps, wobbly, unsteady but HE DID IT! It's just a matter of time now before he will be his old self. Miracles DO happen. Barb -------------------------------------- From: "Carol Gentry" To: Subject: Re: JOY TO THE WORLD Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 15:01:01 -0800 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net cONGRATS bARB BUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH mERLIN? i JUST JOINED SO i DON'T HAVE A CLUE. wRITE BACK AT bitch1@sprynet.com. Carol --------------------------------------- From: Newtanator Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 18:41:59 EST To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: Upper Respiratory & Lovejoy Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Olivia, If you have any interferon, put a drop in each nostril, once a day. That is what finally got rid of Merlins chronic URI. I guess it attacked the virus which is harbored in the sinus cavities. That URI is what finally gave his Felv a chance to raise it's ugly head. But since treating him like that, god knows, everything else has happened to him, but his URI didn't come back! barb ---------------------------------------- From: Newtanator Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 18:38:28 EST To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: JOY TO THE WORLD Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Sorry, forgot new folks wouldn't know what was going on. Merlin is my 8 month old, black kitten. He is FeLV positive and my vet feels he had it when I got him because he has always been sickly. (I have three other positives) You can check out some of my cats at my homepage. http://members.aol.com/newtanator/multicat.html Anyway the day before Christmas, Merlin started acting strange and by that night, he couldn't walk. He couldn't even hold up his head. I felt he would not live the night, but he did. I didn't even take him to or call the vet because I felt there really was nothing he could do at this point. After a week, I did take him in to get his shot of ImmunoRegulin, (he has been on it for several months now.) and have his ears checked. They were infected and I got meds for that. I now feel it is possible that the ear infection may be part of the problem. Well, my vet saw him and said he's dying. I told him he's been like this for a week. He was surprized and said surely the felv had spread to his spinal cord or maybe FIP. He did not give me any hope. A week later I took him back for another shot, he wasn't much better. got more meds for his still infected ears, looks of pity and such from the staff and I'm sure a vet that thought I was crazy not to put him to sleep. (I have already lost 2 to felv and didn't want to lose another) He is alive and starting to walk and I reported each little improvement to the group. He held his head up today, or he tried to bathe himself. every little thing was a big event. Yesterday, he was trying to crawl and today a few wobbley steps. He wore himself out doing it, but he did it. He has now had his supper and is sleeping all tucked in, in a blanket. I will have to sit down and make a list of all the different things I gave him over these last weeks. But I also did physical therapy because he would lay with his front legs stiff as boards. So I would give him a body rub and work with his front legs until they loosened up. His care and feeding took hours each day but what a reward! He is my little special miracle man. My brother always calls him "wizard" or magic man, and I guess he is! Barb --------------------------------------- From: "Steve Lackow" To: Subject: Re: Upper Respiratory & Lovejoy Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 16:22:21 -0800 eply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net After discussing this with someone who is expert on such things, I wanted to share that what I learned is that sinus administration of drugs can be very effective because absorption through sinus tissue is very, very fast. -- Steve ---------------------------------- Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 19:57:51 -0500 From: albobo To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: JOY TO THE WORLD Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net > > Barb, What WONDERFUL news! Yes, I'm shouting here!!!!! Way to go Merlin!!! Keep up the good work and keep us informed! YAY! Kathy G and the 3 Furries in Daytona Beach =^.^= - Rusty =^.^= - Smokey =^.^= - Money See us at: http://cgi.gambitsys.com/homey/webdoc5.htm The Cat: Mother Nature's Masterpiece! ---------------------------------- Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 19:05:29 -0600 (CST) From: "Heather S. Kmitta" To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Merlin and Lovejoy (fwd) Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 19:02:11 -0600 (CST) From: "Heather S. Kmitta" Subject: Merlin and Lovejoy Hi, I am happy to hear Merlin and Lovejoy are on the rebound. I will light my Saint Francis candle for both of them tonight and keep them in my thoughts. I visited Aidan in his new home on Monday. (For those new to the group, I rescued a FELV+ cat in September. My vet helped me to find him a home with another FELV+ cat). He is doing really well. He is a little afraid of his new brother Chance. Chance weighs a hefty sixteen pounds, and Aidan is a bit intimidated by him. He is finally out of my bathroom and now has space to run and play. His new home has a view of Lake Michigan, so he can spend his days watching the lake. I also wanted to thank Nancy who sent me the information on vitamins. I passed the information on to Aidan's new mom. Heather and Aidan -------------------------------------- From: "AZ-HART" To: Subject: Re: Has anyone else gone through this?/Fur Loss & Scaley Patches Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 18:15:59 -0700 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Cheryl, >From the loss of hair you describe and the fact that his scaly patches are subsiding, it sounds to me like ringworm, which is not a worm, but a fungus. Ringworm is a nasty, hard to get rid of thing, especially if you have more than one cat. But there are some excellent remedies, if you act fast and be consistent. You can usually determine if it is really ringworm by taking the cat to the vet, and asking him to check. The vet will turn off the lights and use a special kind of black light that will illuminate the affected area if it is ringworm. Ringworm glows under this special black light. I was fooled once because a kitten had bare areas over her eyes, not scaly patches. But when I took her in to get spayed, the vet checked it out and lo and behold, ringworm. EFFECTIVE RINGWORM (FUNGUS) TREATMENT: SHAMPOO AND LEAVE-ON CONDITIONER: 1) Thoroughly shampoo the kitty with DERMAZOLE shampoo. If you do this right away, the fungus begins to subside almost right away and the fur will start to grow back sooner. My vet told me that you can shampoo every day, but I don't like to, as it's a bit harsh to shampoo any animal that often. A few times a week would be good. Rinse well and dry well. 2) Follow each medicated Dermazone Shampoo with a RESIZOLE Leave-On Conditioner. Rub it all over down into the skin. Don't rinse this out, it is meant to be left in. LOTION: 3) On the days you don't shampoo, apply a good coating of CONOFITE drops to each affected area, once a day until there are no scaley patches or until the fur begins to grow back thickly. If the fur is still spotty and thin or the skin area is bare, keep applying a drop of CONOFITE to each area, and rub around to cover. The products I use are: DERMAZOLE (Miconazole 2% Shampoo) by Allerderm RESIZOLE (Miconazole 2% Leave-On Conditioner) by Virbac Inc. CONOFITE (lotion 1% miconazole nitrate) by Pitman-Moore Irene Hart Arizona Homeless Animals Rescue Team (AZ-HART) http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/azhart Email us at: azhart@sprynet.com ------------------------------------ From: macat@webtv.net (belinda sauro) Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 17:30:32 -0800 To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: JOY TO THE WORLD Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net I was so happy to see this message, my eyes teared up, I'd say things are definatley starting to look up. Hurray Merlin keep fighting I'll keep praying for you both. Belinda Happiness is being owned by cats... www.angelfire.com/ma/macat5 http://members.tripod.com/~macat5/index5.html ---------------------------------- From: "Carol Gentry" To: Subject: Web Site Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 19:36:29 -0800 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Barb- I just went to your web site. That was wonderful. My Sasha looks just like the picture of the Tabby including the little hair on the ears. The only difference is she is like a little rag a muffin. Her tail is twice as long as any of my other cats, she has real long legs and her wiskers are all crinkled. She does love to eat or she did before getting sick. You have given me some hope eventhough I know in my heart what the outcome will probably be. Thanks again, Carol ---------------------------------------- From: "Carol Gentry" To: Subject: Drugs Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 19:41:42 -0800 Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Thanks Steve for getting back to me. Barb also said that drugs through the nose works faster. The problem is I can't get the vet to give me any for poor Sasha. She says because it's gone into the bones already, there would be no point so I have been using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and raw liver and lamb from the Health Food Store. So far she's holding her own but I just checked her a little while ago and her gums are all white. All the info says this is not good. But I have to keep trying. Thanks for all the support. You don't know what it means to me. Carol -------------------------------------- From: Newtanator Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 23:20:04 EST To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Re: Drugs Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Carol, Where are you? I have some interferon in my freezer. I'm in Michigan, just across the line from Toledo, Ohio. If I can get some to you, I would be glad to. Barb ------------------------------------ From: macat@webtv.net (belinda sauro) Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 20:44:17 -0800 To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Subject: Need info Reply-To: felvtalk@MailingList.net Hi, my husband and I were just talking our Bailey is FeLV+, he has been with us for almost 3 yrs. We have 5 kitties all negative except Bailey. Two of our kitties have been around FeLV for 5 yrs. that we know of, may have been longer, one was always negative one was a weak positive and went negative when retested (she has been negative for 5 yrs now). Bailey was also a weak +, he was retested and as of early last year was still +. Our ktties are due for vaccinations in February, I want to have Bailey retested (hes been on immnoregilin treatment in the last year, we discontinued because it was so stressful to take him to the Vets.) but my husband says its not necessary. Does anyone know if its possible he could have turned negative after being + for over 2 yrs.? Happiness is being owned by cats... www.angelfire.com/ma/macat5 http://members.tripod.com/~macat5/index5.html --------------------------------------- END