My cat has feline leukemia. Can it be cured & what's their lifespan?

There is no cure or treatment for the virus. They will always have it and it is contagious to other cats only. It is spread through respiratory secretions and grooming. There is no medicine to give regularly. They can actually live a long full life with it as long they are kept indoors. Because they infected with a virus their immune system is weaker so if they catch a normal bug it may be harder for their system to overcome it. This scenario may require hospitalization if severe enough.

I'm very sorry Felix has leukemia! It is a very hard decision to make if you want to euthanized him or not. It really depends on how he is doing at the moment, what symptoms he is showing, and how much you want to invest in treatment. Eighty-five percent of cats who are diagnosed with FeLV die within three years of diagnosis. But regular vet care and good preventative health can help keep cats with this feeling well and can prevent secondary infections. Secondary infections from FeLV can be treated, and cats who develop can cancer receive chemotherapy. If you chose to treat him, you should do twice yearly vet visits with lab testing and parasite control to prevent complications and identify problems quickly. Felix should be kept indoors at all times now. Cats who has bone marrow compromise or widespread lymphoma do have a very poor prognosis. I wish I could give you an easy answer as to what to do, but depending on his current symptoms, Felix does have the possibility of living another couple of years with good vet care and treatment of any secondary infections. It's really up to you how much you want to invest in his treatment. I would be happy to consult with your further on this if you'd like. Simply select the "consult online" button under my answer to talk more.

I'm so sorry that Cuddles has been diagnosed with FeLV. I presume that you are talking about T-Cyte for treatment. http://tcyte.com/cat-felv-fiv-treatment This treatment is relatively new, so I have not had the opportunity to use it yet. The hope is that this product will increase a cat's immune system and make the disease manageable, but will not cure the infection. Kittens with FeLV generally have a poorer prognosis than adult cats, so I would definitely recommend trying it since it is really the only possible treatment option for Cuddles. Good luck! I hope Cuddles does well with the treatment! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Cats have a likelihood of rejecting blood if not matched and blood typed appropriately. There are precautions that need to happen before any transfusion. Each consecutive transfusion comes with a greater risk of rejection. But, it's likely that if your cat needs a transfusion due to feline leukemia it will need transfusions again and again. Feline leukemia is unfortunately non-curable so it is likely the cat will just continue to get sicker and sicker.

The best thing you could do for the other cats is to isolate them until they. An be tested and vaccinated for the FeLV virus. The virus is spread through direct contact with saliva, blood, and urine. Routine veterinary care is the best way to make sure the FeLV cat stays as healthy as possible - periodic blood work and exams can catch problems more quickly.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sounds like Norbert has a great home. One question I always have is, was only one test performed? There can be false positive tests and some cats can get exposed to the virus and fight it off, thus becoming negative over time. A repeat test is advised 30-60 days after the first positive test to assess the leukemia status again. If that one comes back positive, a confirmatory test is usually advised. I would just keep him as happy and as healthy as possible. Follow your vets advise on preventive health care although, I would not be a fan of yearly vaccinations for a cat with feline leukemia. I would get him on a 3 yr vaccine schedule as soon as you can. The initial vaccines are usually good for one year but then you have an option to go to a 3-year protocol. I would keep him dewormed regularly to make sure he doesn't develop problems with intestinal parasites. If appropriate, make sure that he has an effective flea product on also. You want to keep him as healthy as possible. One other thing, when you notice any problems with him, get him seen right away due to his leukemia status. Early intervention will help him battle things that may come up like respiratory infections, urinary problems, etc. Good luck with Norbert

Furbu is an adorable cat! I’m sorry if you are potentially dealing with a diagnosis of lymphoma. Intestinal lymphoma generally cannot be cured. BUT, it can be a disease that can be managed in some cases very effectively. There are multiple subtypes of lymphoma (for example small cell lymphoma vs. large cell lymphoma ). Some respond much more reliably to oral medications for long periods whereas other forms behave much more aggressively and require more intense chemotherapy to manage. Good luck with Furbu and please don’t hesitate to post if you have more specific questions !