Feline Leukemia (FeLV) is a retrovirus that affects cats in many different ways. Similar to FIV and the human HIV virus, this virus causes an immune dificient state in the cat, limiting their ability to fight off common infections. FeLV is also the most common cause of cancer and blood disorders in felines.
How it’s spread:
- Saliva
- Nasal Discharge
- Urine and Feces
- Milk
- Occasionally spread from food and water dishes, and litter boxes
- Mainly spread by bite wounds, mutual grooming, and infected mothers to kittens (as a fetus or through mother’s milk)
Who’s most at risk?
- Cats living with a positive FeLV housemate
- Outdoor cats
- Kittens with infected mother
Symptoms:
- In early stages of disease cats may show no symptoms
- Loss of appetite
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Fever
- Persistent infections (respiratory, bladder, skin, eye)
- Seizures
- Behavior changes
There are two stages of Feline Leukemia:
Primary Viremia (FeLV present in the blood): In the early stages of infection, some cats are able to build up an immune system response and stall the progression of the second stage of the disease.
This first stage along with the second, can be tested for on our In House FelV/FIV blood test.
Secondary Viremia: The later stage of infection is usually revealed in the form of recurrent infection of bone marrow and other tissue. At this stage supportive care is the main options, and the cat will likely be infected or show symptoms for the remainder of its life.
This stage can be tested for on our in house test, but it needs to be differentiated from the first stage by sending out blood work (IFA-Indirect Imunofluorescent Antibody Assay) to a laboratory.
Treatment:
The best form of treatment is prevention:
- Keeping cats indoors is an effective method in eliminating outside risk.
- If cats are allowed outdoors, make sure they are supervised (create a safe confined environment to play).
- If unable to supervise your cat, we recommend cats be tested, and after receiving a negative result, vaccinate them against Feline Leukemia.
- If cats are living with FeLV positive housemates, do your best to protect non-infected cats by FeLV vaccinating them and annual testing.
- Test all new feline friends before exposing them to your other cats
Some cats with Feline Leukemia remain healthy for most of their life and require no supportive care. Others who have symptoms of the virus require supportive care:
- Most are given medications that treat the infections cause by FeLV (i.e. respiratory, eye, bladder, skin infections) not the actual Feline Leukemia virus.
- There are some antiviral drugs and immune-modulating drugs available, but no treatment is curative.
