What are common symptoms of Feline luekemia?

Question

i was wondering of anyone had a cat with this before?

here is the whole story. my cat threw up about 4-5 time one day about a week and a half ago. Then he stopped eating for a day. Then he started eating again and drinking. hes been using the bathroom fine, i just got fluids put in him today after him being dehyrated for a while. the vet also put him on an antibiotic. I couldnt afford the blood work yet but i am trying to narrow some things down. I dont know whats wrong with him.

Answer 1

That is the problem with the disease. Sometimes there are no signs or symptoms, other times there are vague symptoms like bad coat, or a little lethargic. Then there can be very obvious signs, like not eating,diarrhea,trouble breathing. Sometimes there may only be inflamed gums.

There are no sure fire signs that you can look at and say the cat has FeLV. That is why you get the cat tested.

I am a ver tech at a cat shelter and we see a lot of cats that test positive that look great. You would never expect them to have it. Then there are the cats that look like c**p and have tons of signs and test negative!!!! It is a difficult disease. Some cats test positive and live quite a long life. I have one that was tested positive in kittenhood and is now 14. She can spread it ot other cats and may die from it, but has not been sick at all yet. But she could infect another cat and that cat could die rather quickly.

Some adult cats will have immunity to it and will not contract it even if there is prolonged exposure.

If you think your cat may have it, get the cat tested!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The three forms of feline leukemia are chest, abdominal, and multicentric. The signs that the cat shows depend on the lymph nodes and organs involved.

Chest symptoms include enlarged chest lymph nodes, compressed windpipe and esophagus, fluid accumulation in the chest, breathing difficulties, coughing, and gagging.

In abdominal leukemia, malignant cells may be present in the intestine, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, or kidney. There may be a decrease in appetite, depression, weight loss, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, anemia, and jaundice.

Multicentric leukemia causes greatly enlarged lymph nodes under the skin and tumor formation in many organs. The cat may or may not have a fever.

Feline leukemia begins with infection of the mouth tissues. It spreads from the mouth by blood cells and infects the lymph glands. At this stage, most cats are able to block the infection. If it invades the bone marrow, the cat is infected for life. It then spreads through the blood through the circulation. Tissues such as the tear glands, salivary glands, and urinary bladder become infected. The cat is now shedding the virus, and becomes infectious to other cats.

FeLV-RELATED CONDITIONS:

Other conditions that may be caused by FeLV include: blood in the stool, decreased stamina, immune suppression, bleeding disorders, excessive drinking and urination, abortion, infertility, "infant mortality complex" (the unexplained deaths of newborn kittens), arthritis, ulcers at body openings (i.e., mouth, a**s, v****a, and eyes), immune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, cystitis, cloudy eyes, and neurologic abnormalities.

There is presently no cure for feline leukemia; it can only be controlled.

Answer 3

swelling

Answer 4

I have had 2 with this problem in both cases they stopped breathing.

Answer 5

it doesnt sound like FeLV. i've had several experiences with the acute form. the first symptoms are usually fever, lethargy (sluggishness), anemia (can be checked by looking at gum color), panting (like a dog.... this is NEVER a good sign in cats), and decreased appetite that does not return. within a few days the cat will stop drinking water and become listless and confused, with a blank expression.  depending on which form a cat has (acute vs. chronic) treatment may extend life or quality of life, but the acute form is usually pretty fatal within a short amount of time and these cats usually need to be put to sleep. cats can live with chronic forms for years and may even lead a normal life with proper treatment and follow ups with a vet

Answer 6

How did you get your cat?  How old is he?  Has he ever been tested for leukemia before?  Has he been tested for FIV?  Go to veterinarypartner.com and search feline leukemia.  I can't fit your whole answer in here, especially without knowing any more details.  The good news is that the test for leukemia and aids runs about $50. Do your research and talk to your vet.