Cat - Feline Leukemia

The Feline Leukemia is a Cancerous disease caused by a retrovirus belonging to the same family as of feline immune deficiency (FIV) and human (HIV), the latter caused by aids. Feline leukemia virus is found in great amounts in the saliva of infected animals and in less quantities on tears, urine and in the feces, so the most common way of transmission is when cats share eating and drinking areas. Being sick or healthy animals, the virus can also be transmitted through milk and the mother's placenta in the uterus.

Symptoms: Feline leukemia can cause immune deficiency, anemia, cancer and neurological, reproductive and gastrointestinal problems. The immune deficiency syndrome characterizes itself by a first watery phase, with fever that lasts several days, leucopenia and lymphatic ganglion inflammation. As disease progresses, there is gum inflammation, stomachitis, chronic diarrhea, sinusitis, pneumonia, and more. As the virus usually affects cells on the bones medulla, most infected cats suffer from non-regenerative anaemia. It is calculated that approximately 30% of feline tumor are produced by this virus, responsible of lymph sarcomas, lymphomas, sarcomas, fibro sarcomas, melanoma sarcomas, etc.

The most frequent neurological problems that cause leukaemia, manifest themselves with blindness, paralysis, change of conduct and loss of balance of the body. When pregnant cats are infested, the virus can be transmitted to the foetus through the placenta or to the new born through milk. Diarrhoea, anorexia, vomit, loss of weight, etc, are some of the gastrointestinal disturbances that are provoked by the virus.

Prevention: By ways of a triple vaccine at the ages of 2 ½ and 3 ½ months and an annual vaccine. Before new cats are brought in, they must each be evaluated to discard diseases. if one detects infected animals, they must be taken away from breeding grounds. One must have two test taken with an interval of 90 days.

Treatment: Palliative treatment or of support, according to the type of symptoms that cats present. It is recommended the use of antibiotics to treat the related diseases. The use of some products, such as the human interferon alpha, have given a variable response.