Feline Leukemia Treatment

If your cat has been diagnosed with FeLV, you are probably wondering exactly what feline leukemia treatment entails. Receiving this diagnosis can be frightening as well as heartbreaking for cat owners. Not only is your FeLV diagnosed cat in danger of serious health problems, any other cats in your household may contract the virus as well.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for feline leukemia. However, there are many things your veterinarian can do to make your cat more comfortable and extend his lifespan. How your cat responds to these treatments will vary, depending upon how advanced the disease is and his overall age and health in general.

Since a healthy, high quality diet can improve the health of any feline, it becomes vital for a sick cat to take in the most wholesome foods available. You'll want to look into high protein foods with very little processing and fillers. Although this food will cost more money, your cat's health should improve because of the dietary changes. A healthier system will help your cat fight off sickness easier.

Not only will your pet be more susceptible to other diseases because of his compromised immune system, this disease is easily passed on to other cats. Any cats living in the same household should be kept separated and should never share a litter box, water or food bowl with the infected cat. If your FeLV cat is not already sterilized, you should do so immediately. Any kittens born to a leukemia infected mother will have the disease as well.

There are a few drugs that veterinarians use to treat this virus.

• ImmunoRegulin: This product helps a cat's immune system become stronger so the body will defend itself against illness. This is usually administered early in the disease rather than later. If lymphosarcoma has developed, this drug is not typically used.

• Acemannan: This drug may kill some cancer cells. It's not available except through the vet's office in either oral doses or through injection. This drug can be highly toxic, so your vet will carefully monitor the dosages, frequency of medication and your cat's vital functions.

• Interferon Alpha: This drug can improve clinical analysis. It does not cure the disease since there is no cure, but it may improve overall health. Typically there are no side effects.

• Lymphocyte T-Cell Immune Modulator: This medicine is a single chain polypeptide. It has low toxicity, and can help regulate the thymus gland. It can also increase lymphocyte levels.

• Staph Protein A: This treatment has been known to put FeLV into remission. Of course, the virus never completely leaves the body, but sending it into remission can significantly extend your cat's life.

Some cats seem to be helped with blood transfusions. Since this disease can cause severe anemia, a transfusion may become necessary at some point.

When traditional medicine fails, many cat owners turn to holistic and natural remedies to help ease their cat's symptoms. Since cats are very sensitive to toxic substances and amounts vary by the cat's weight, it is best to only administer these products under the direct supervision of a holistic vet.

The prognosis for cats with FeLV is not very promising. Due to this, owners need to weigh costs against success rates for feline leukemia treatment. You know your budget and your cat better than anyone else. Euthanasia is sometimes the best option if the feline is suffering. Use all of this information to decide when or if the time is right to put your cat down, or whether you should continue with both traditional and alternative treatments.

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