Each vet will treat a FeLV-positive cat individually, depending on the signs they develop. Sadly, the outlook is likely to be poor. Keep infected cats inside and ensure they are fully vaccinated to protect them against other infectious diseases.
Unfortunately, many affected cats have to be euthanased because they have a poor quality of life. If you're having to make the sad decision to euthanase your cat, you can find out more in our guide on when to let go. Vaccinations - Topic. Common cat illnesses - Topic. Feline Leukaemia Virus. What is Feline Leukaemia Virus? This means that feline leukemia can be an underlying condition that the owner may be unaware of for a long period of time.
Besides getting some tests done to ensure the cat does not have FeLV, there are a few preventative steps that owners can take to reduce the likelihood of their cat getting the virus. Two of the best ways to protect felines from contracting FeLV are to get the cat vaccinated against the virus and to keep the cat indoors as much as possible.
If the cat ever gets sick, feline leukemia should be tested for each time. This is simply to rule out the possibility of the virus causing the sickness. These are only some of the many symptoms that are known to afflict felines with leukemia. These symptoms can be brought to fruition in a matter of weeks, months, or even years after contraction of the FeLV virus.
If any of these symptoms are being seen frequently in a cat, the feline should be immediately seen by a board-certified veterinarian. Many different medical conditions can reflect symptoms such as these, so it is important for the vet to pinpoint and verify the underlying cause of the symptoms.
Is Feline Leukemia Contagious? Feline leukemia is highly contagious—but only to other cats. FeLV cannot be transmitted to humans or other animals of different species. However, in terms of feline-to-feline contact, feline leukemia is extremely contagious. Cat owners should be aware that, even if a feline is vaccinated against feline leukemia, there remains a slight chance of the cat contracting FeLV.
In addition, FeLV-positive felines should be kept away from other cats as much as possible, especially those that are unvaccinated. A cat with feline leukemia should not be put down! It is a common misconception that a feline leukemia diagnosis immediately leads to certain death. This is untrue. The majority of cats that test positive by IFA remain infected for life. In some cases, isolating the whole virus or detecting DNA of the virus using a test called a polymerase chain reaction PCR may be recommended to determine whether FeLV has infected the bone marrow.
Always consult with your veterinarian to determine which tests are appropriate for your cat. Treatment and Prevention Although there are some therapies that have been shown to decrease the amount of FeLV in the bloodstream of affected cats, these therapies may have significant side effects and may not be effective in all cases.
Unfortunately, there is currently no definitive cure for FeLV. Veterinarians treating and managing FeLV-positive cats showing signs of disease usually treat specific problems like prescribing antibiotics for bacterial infections, or performing blood transfusions for severe anemia. Keeping cats indoors, away from potentially infected cats is recommended. If outdoor access is allowed, provide supervision or place cats in a secure enclosure to prevent wandering and fighting.
All cats should be tested for FeLV prior to introducing them into a home, and infection-free cats should be housed separately from infected cats.
Food and water bowls and litter boxes should not be shared between FeLV-infected cats and non-infected cats. Unfortunately, many FeLV-infected cats are not diagnosed until after they have lived with other cats.
In such cases, all other cats in the household should be tested for FeLV. Ideally, infected and non-infected cats should then be separated to eliminate the potential for FeLV transmission. Owners contemplating FeLV vaccination for their uninfected cats should consider the cats' risk of exposure to FeLV-infected cats and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of vaccination with a veterinarian.
Since not all vaccinated cats will be protected by vaccination, preventing exposure remains important even for vaccinated pets.
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