{"id":3690,"date":"2022-05-10T08:59:38","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T03:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/?p=3690"},"modified":"2022-05-11T11:01:05","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T05:31:05","slug":"feline-leukemia-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/feline-leukemia-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) \u2013 Symptoms, Treatment &#038; More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vetsupply.com.au\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=seo&amp;utm_campaign=feline-leukemia-virus\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"335\" src=\"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Feline-Leukemia-Virus.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3693\" srcset=\"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Feline-Leukemia-Virus.jpg 700w, http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Feline-Leukemia-Virus-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a cancer-causing\nretrovirus belonging to the Oncovirinae subfamily. This virus weakens a cat&#8217;s\nimmune system and makes them more susceptible to illnesses. It is a life-threatening\ncondition for cats because it can lead to cancer and death in the majority of\ncases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FeLV is one of the most common infectious\nfeline diseases, as it can be easily transmitted from one cat to another.\nNonetheless, the only good part about FeLV is that it is one of the few cancers\nthat can be prevented with vaccination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>How is Feline Leukemia Virus transmitted? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>FeLV is spread through saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces, and milk from other infected cats that are &#8220;shedding&#8221; the virus, which means the virus is reproducing in the body and being discharged into the environment. This means that cat-to-cat transmission can happen during grooming, biting, wounds, and even sharing feeding dishes and litter boxes. It can also be passed down from mother cats to their kittens while they are still in the womb or nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>Clinical Signs\nand Symptoms of Feline Leukemia Virus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>FeLV has a variety of negative effects on a\ncat&#8217;s body. It is the most prevalent cause of cancer in cats, and it can cause\nblood diseases as well as immune insufficiency, which makes it difficult for a\ncat to defend itself against other infections. As a result, common bacteria,\nviruses, protozoa, and fungus that do not normally harm healthy cats can cause\nserious illness in FeLV-positive cats. Many of the disorders associated with\nFeLV are caused by secondary infections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cats infected with Feline Leukemia Virus may suffer\nfrom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Loss of appetite<\/li><li>Weight loss&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/li><li>Pale gums<\/li><li>Fever<\/li><li>Diarrhea<\/li><li>Difficulty in breathing<\/li><li>Weakness and lethargy<\/li><li>Behavioural and neurological disorders<\/li><li>Poor coat condition<\/li><li>Yellowish mouth and eyes<\/li><li>Eye infections<\/li><li>Bladder, skin, and respiratory infections<\/li><li>Reproductive problems <\/li><li>Reproductive failures and sterility<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>Diagnosis of\nFeline Leukemia Virus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Feline Leukemia Virus can be diagnosed by\nconducting a simple blood test called ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent\nAssay). &nbsp;ELISA is a highly sensitive test\nthat confirms the disease by identifying FeLV proteins in the blood. It may\ntake up to 30 days for an infected cat to test positive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a cat tests positive for FeLV, your\nveterinarian may recommend more in-depth tests like PCR (Polymerase Chain\nReaction) and IFA (Immunofluorescence Assay) to determine the further spread of\nthe virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>Treatment and\nPrevention of Feline Leukemia Virus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, currently, there is no known treatment for FeLV. However, supportive care can help cats with the virus enhance their quality of life, health, and lifespan. A vet will most likely treat specific symptoms displayed by an infected cat. You can minimize your cat\u2019s stress with products like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vetsupply.com.au\/feliway-spray-pack.aspx?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=seo&amp;utm_campaign=feline-leukemia-virus\"><strong>Feliway<\/strong><\/a> that mimic a cat\u2019s natural calming pheromones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only comprehensive way to protect your cat\nfrom FeLV is to prevent it. Here are some sure-fire ways to prevent FeLV\ninfections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Vaccinating the\ncats that are at a high risk of contracting FeLV<\/li><li>Testing cats for\nFeLV before introducing them to your home<\/li><li>Keeping cats\naway from potentially infected cats<\/li><li>Isolating\ninfected cats from healthy cats<\/li><li>Readily taking\nthe cat to the veterinarian when they appear sick<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sorrowfully, 85% of cats infected with FeLV die within three years of infection. But a little more care and vigilance on your part can save your feline from this dreadful infection. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-very-dark-gray-color has-background has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vetsupply.com.au\/cat-supplies\/t2.aspx?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=seo&amp;utm_campaign=feline-leukemia-virus\"><strong>Browse Cat Care Supplies on VetSupply<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FeLV is one of the most common infectious feline diseases, as it can be easily transmitted from one cat to another. Nonetheless, the only good part about FeLV is that it is one of the few cancers that can be prevented with vaccination. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,2],"tags":[439,1087,1086,1084,1085,1082,1083,448,166,1088,1089],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3690"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3699,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3690\/revisions\/3699"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vetsupply.thepethost.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}