Feline leukemia virus vaccine symptoms

Seemingly healthy cats can test positive for the virus. An otherwise healthy cat that tests positive for FeLV does not need to euthanized.

However, it is important that positive cats be housed indoors. If positive, your cat should be kept current on core vaccinations such as rabies, feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, and feline rhinotracheitis.

Take steps to keep your cat parasite-free. Avoid feeding raw food. Seek veterinary care immediately if your FeLV positive cat is not acting right. There is a vaccination available that provides protection against feline leukemia. However, the vaccine is not a core vaccine and is not recommended for all cats. Only those cats whose lifestyle puts them at risk for infection should be vaccinated against FeLV.

Cats that live indoors and are not exposed to other cats are not at risk for infection. Some veterinarians do recommend vaccinating kittens against feline leukemia regardless of lifestyle because of the fact that kittens are more susceptible to infection than mature cats.

However, this is not a universally accepted practice. Home News Views. Feline Leukemia Virus and Your Cat. In these cases, he will be kept under hospital care until his condition stabilizes. Emergency treatment, such as blood transfusions, is sometimes required. You will need to monitor your cat for symptoms of infection and keep in touch with the veterinarian regarding follow-up treatment and testing.

Treating minor signs of illness is especially important in a cat with known feline leukemia virus. Due to the virus, her body may be unable to appropriately respond to minor infections and other illnesses.

Good nutrition is important, as is controlling any secondary bacterial, viral or parasitic infections. Keeping infected cats separated and quarantining them is the only way to percent prevent cat leukemia in healthy cats. There is a vaccine against FeLV; however, it is important to test your cat before initial vaccination, as he may already be infected.

Even if you intend for your new kitten to be strictly indoors, most veterinarians will recommend including the FeLV vaccine in his kitten booster series. Cats can escape from the house and lifestyles change. Home Diseases A-Z. Cat Leukemia Feline Leukemia Virus. Written by: PetMD Editorial. Published: August 01, Such cats include cats living with infected cats or with cats of unknown infection status, cats allowed outdoors unsupervised where they may be bitten by an infected cat, and kittens born to infected mothers.

Kittens are much more susceptible to FeLV infection than are adult cats, and therefore are at the greatest risk of infection if exposed. However, even healthy adult cats can become infected if sufficiently exposed.

Clinical Signs FeLV adversely affects a cat's body in many ways. It is the most common cause of cancer in cats, may cause various blood disorders, and may lead to a state of immune deficiency that hinders a cat's ability to protect itself against other infections.

Because of this, common bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that usually do not affect healthy cats can cause severe illness in FeLV-infected cats.

These secondary infections are responsible for many of the diseases associated with FeLV. During the early stages of infection, it is common for cats to exhibit no signs of disease at all. Signs can include:. One of these tests, called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA , is usually performed first as a screening tool, and can be run in a veterinarian's office. ELISA-type tests detect the presence of free FeLV particles that are commonly found in the bloodstream during both the early and late stages of infection.

The indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay IFA test is usually sent out to a diagnostic laboratory after a positive ELISA test to confirm FeLV infection and determine whether the cat has reached the later stages of infection. IFA tests detect the presence of virus particles within white blood cells, usually an indication of a more advanced infection. 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.