Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My cat has been vaccinated every year for the past 8 years of his life for Feline Leukemia, but today I was
advised he has tested positive for it. How can this be?

Hi,

There are several reasons why this can happen.

First of all, if your cat was not tested for Feline Leukemia before the first vaccination was given, he may have been positive all his life. For this reason many vets will not vaccinate a cat against FeLV unless they first test negative for the virus.

Second, a cat can be exposed to the virus, but not test positive unless the virus is in the blood at the time of testing. This can cause a cat to test negative when they are really positive. Occasionally you may see a "weak positive" which means that the cat should be retested in 3 months. It's possible that these cats can actually throw off the virus.

Another thing to consider is the fact that no vaccine is 100% effective. This means that a vaccinated cat if exposed to an infected cat can still get the virus. This would have to be more than a quick, casual, meeting, and is most likely to happen when cats are sharing bowls and litterboxes. A negative cat getting into a fight with a positive cat can also result in the virus being passed on, since it is in the saliva.

Basically, 3 things can happen when a cat is exposed to the Feline Leukemia virus. They may not get sick at all, they can become positive and become ill, or they can be positive and remain healthy. These cats are called healthy carriers and even though they are healthy, they are positive for the virus and can pass it on to other cats.

Occasionally human error can result in a false positive or false negative test result also. This can happen when test kits are not stored properly or there is a mistake made by the person running the test.

I hope all of this information isn't confusing to you. I realize it is a lot, so if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thank you for the information. I really thought he (Maine Coon
Cat) would be safe all of his life. He is 8 years old & vaccinated
every year since he was 3 months old. Even had him tested 2 years
ago just to be safe.
He has lost weight, but has a great appetite. He just doesn't
get around as good as he use to. I understand there are several
treatments, ImmunoRegulin, Acemannan, Interferon Alpha, etc..
Any view on any of these?
-----
Donnalee

Hi There,

I do have some experience with giving IR and Interferon to FeLV positive cats, and it seems to help some of them. If this were one of my cats, I think I would go for it.

Does your cat have any complications of FeLV, such as anemia or poor appetite? If so, there might be other things that may help him, such as a blood transfusion or appetite stimulent. Has he had a blood panel done lately? If not, it might be a good idea. There could be another reason for the weight loss.

Take care, and please keep us updated.

Regards,
PHKitkat

His appetite is still very good. I still tie him
out on the patio and he climbs his little hill out
back and guards the holes where the ground squirrels
live. Other than the lose of weight and the inability
to jump up on my husbands desk, you'd never know he
was infected. His eyes are as bright as ever and his
hearing just as acute.
-----
Donnalee

Our Veterinarian said that the ImmunoRegulin would be over
$3000., but Interferon is only around $30. a shot. He
explained the Interferon regimen to us and we are going to
give it a try. Taking our precious Maine Coon cat in tomorrow
for another check up hopefully his first injection.

Hope we receive lots of prayers and lots of luck. Our
"T-Meister" means so much to us.
-----
Donnalee

Hi Again

It's great to hear that your special boy is eating well and is still active.

I'll be sending prayers and the best of wishes for the vet visit to go well!

Regards,
PHKitkat

Taz had his first Interferon injection last Thursday. The Doctor
gave us the rest of the serum so we can give him the rest of the
injections.

I am very concerned about his weight loss. Is there anything
special we can feed him to possibly add some weight?
Photo of our bot Taz (aka Teeter)

-----
Donnalee

Taz is such a handsome boy........thanks for posting his picture!

I have a few things in mind that might help Taz put on some weight. If it's ok with your vet, you might start feeding him some kitten food. He may benefit from the additional nutrients and calories. Another thing you can do is add Hill's A/D to his diet. This food is often used when sick cats aren't eating well and it is high in calories. You might also try a high-calorie suppliment, Nutri Cal, which comes in a tube.

Thanks for the update........Taz has been in my thoughts and prayers!

Regards,
PHKitkat

We have Taz on canned kitten food and I do believe that the
Interferon is working! He is much more active now and he
even tried to "Get Close" to our Burmese, Miss Muffers. It
is very hard to keep him isolated now that he feels more
like himself.
It's really quite funny, as he and Miss Muffers are both
"fixed"!
We do make sure they do not share food bowls or a litter box.
She has been vaccinated, but then again, so was he.....
Miss Muffers

-----
Donnalee

Hi,

This is great news about Taz! Thanks so much for the update

Regards,
PHKitkat