Cancer

Feline Leukemia Treatment

Feline Leukemia Treatment – Treating Leukemia in Cats

Avoiding contact with feline leukemia virus by housing cats indoors is the best form of prevention. Potential fomites such as water bowls and litter pans should not be shared between seropositive and seronegative cats. Testing and removal of seropositive cats can result in virus-free catteries and multiple-cats househoulds.

A number of antiviral agents have been proposed for the treatment of feline leukemia virus; the reverse transcriptase inhibitor, 3′-azido-3′-deoxythimidine (AZT) has been studied the most. Unfortunately, administration of AZT to presistently viremic cats does not appear to clear feline leukemia virus in most cats, and it had minimal benefits for clinically ill cats in a recent study. Immunotherapy with drugs such as a-interferon, Staphyloccocus protein A, Propionibacterium acnes, or acemannan improves clinical signs of disease in some cats.

Chemotherapy should be administered to cats with feline leukemia virus associated with neoplasia. Opportunistic agents should be managed as indicated; the upper dose range and duration od antibiotic therapy are generally required. Administration of supportive therapies such as hematinic agents, vitamin B12, folic acid, anabolic steroids, and erythropoietin generally has been successful in the management of nonregenerative anemia. Cats with autoagglutinating hemolytic anemia require immunosuppressive therapy, but this may activate virus replication. The prognosis of persistently viremic cats is guarded; the majority die within 2 to 3 years.

Feline Leukemia – Leukemia in Cats

Feline Leukemia – Symptoms of Feline Leukemia

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a single-strand RNA virus in the family Retroviridae, subfamily Oncovirinae. The principal route of infection by feline leukemia virus is prolonged contact with infected cat saliva and nasal secretions; grooming or sharing of common water or food sources effectively results in infection. Because the organism does not survive in the environment, feces, or urine, fomite and aerosol transmissions are unlikely. Transplacental, lactational, and veneral transmission are less important than casual contact. Feline leukemia virus has worldwide distribution; the seroprevalence of infection varies geographically and by the population of cats tested. Infection is most common in outdoor male cats between 1 and 6 years of age.

The feline leukemia virus replicates first in the oropharynx, followed by dissemination through the body to the bone marrow. If persistent bone marrow infection occurs, infected white blood cells and platelets leave the bone marrow with ultimate infection of epithelial structures, including salivary and lacrimal glands. Approximately 30% of exposed cats become persistently viremic; self-limiting infections occur in the remaining cats. Cats with persistent feline leukemia usually die of a FeLV-related illness within 2 to 3 years. Approximately 30% of exposed cats are transiently viremic, develop neutralizing antibodies, and clear the infection within 4 to 6 weeks. Latent and sequestered infections can be activated by the administration of glucocorticoids or other immuno-suppressive drugs.

Owners generally present cats infected with feline leukemia virus for evaluation of non specific signs such as anorexia, weight loss, and depression or for evaluation of abnormalities associated with specific organ systems. Of the feline leukemia virus infected cats evaluated at necropsy, 23% had evidence of neoplasia (96% lymphoma/leukemia) and the remainder died due to numerous other nonneoplastic diseases. Clinical syndrome can result from specific effects of the virus or from opportunistic infections secondary to immunosuppression.

Bacterial or calicivirus-induced stomatitis occurs in some FeLV-infected cats due to immunosuppression. Feline leukemia virus infection can result in vomiting or diarrhea from a form of enteritis clinically resembling panleukopenia, from alimentary lymphoma, or from secondary infections due to immunosuppression. Clinical signs of rhinitis or pneumonia occur in some FeLV-infected cats from secondary infections. Dyspnea from mediastinal lymphoma occurs in some cats. These cats are generally less than 3 years of age and may have decreased cranial chest compliance on palpation, as well as muffled heart and lung sounds if pleural effusion is present.

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Cancer in Cats

Cancer in Cats

It’s always tough for owners to see their cat suffer. A cancer has a cause and many studies are being conducted these days to find out what are the causes of cancer in cats. The most suspected causes at the moment are mostly diet, vaccine related and environmental. Also, drugs used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases are suspected to cause cancer in cats as well because these drugs are metabolized in the liver into cancerous pathogens agents.

Three conventional treatments are mostly used to fight cancer in cats: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Radiation and chemotherapy are usually effective, but have nasty side effects. Surgery isn’t an option for all cases, especially if the cancer is diagnosed late – in this case, using surgery is useless.

Alternative approaches and natural medicine tend to say that traditional drugs are only treating symptoms while they don’t really assess the principal cause of cancer in cats: an immune system that has been weakened. Alternative medicine promotes the idea that better healing comes from within. Not only these holistic approaches treat the actual cancer, they also treat the cat completely by stimulating internal healing and recharging the animal.

We now know that the no.1 killer of cats is cancer. The need to understand the environmental pathogens and internal agents that cause cancer in cats has to continue. Measures need to be taken by cat owners to make their environment non-favorable to carcinogens and it all starts with the cat’s diet. Homeopathic cancer treatments in cats and alternative approaches insist on natural diets.

One of the most important substance to prevent cancer in cats is Omega3 fatty acids. They stimulate the immune system and are known to help fighting the growth of tumors. The amino acid Arginine is also essential for cats – they absolutely need to get it from what they eat. The cat’s immune system is greatly enhanced by arginine intake because it stimulates T-cells and also help inhibe tumor growth.