Feline leukemia virus is a retrovirus (named this way because of the way it reacts with cells).  It is similar to HIV in humans because it produces an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, which permits the virus to insert copies of its own DNA into that of the cells it has infected.  Feline leukemia virus (Felv) is found worldwide but the incidence or prevalence of infection depends on the cat’s age, health, lifestyle and enviroment that it is living in.

A cat that is at the greatest risk of being infected is one that may be exposed to another cat that already has the disease or through bite wounds.  So cats that go outside, or cats living in the same household as a sick cat or a kitten born to a mother with the disease have an increased risk of contracting the virus.  Kittens and young adult cats are much more susceptible to the disease as sometimes with maturity also comes resistance but this doesn’t mean that adult cats cannot become infected.

Felv can affect a cat in many ways.  It is the most common cause of cancer in cats, can cause blood disorders, and like AIDS in humans can cause a state of immune deficiency that renders the cat unable to protect itself from other infections.  In the beginning states of the disease cats may show no signs of being ill.  Eventually a cat’s health will decrease or can have intermittent "sick" times.  Some of the signs include the following:

• Loss of appetite

• Slow wasting of weight

• Poor coat

• Enlarged lymph nodes

• Persistent fever

• Pale gums and other mucus membranes

• Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis)

• Infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract

• Chronic or intermittent diarrhea

• Seizures, behavior changes, and other neurological disorders

• Eye problems like constant weeping, redness, inflammation

To determine if your cat has Felv your veterinarian will want to run blood work.  There are 2 types of blood tests that can be run.  An ELISA test can be run at the clinic and an IFA test is usually sent out to a laboratory.  As with many tests false negatives are always a possibility so your vet may want to repeat a test or do both.

Protecting your cat is trying to prevent exposure to Felv infected cats.  Keeping your cat indoors, away from other cats and potential bite wounds is one way.  Another way is to test your cats and then test any new cat that you may introduce to your cats that you already own.  Felv vaccinations are also available at your veterinarian but again vaccines are not 100% so you may want to talk this over with your veterinary staff.  Unfortunately, many Felv-infected cats are not diagnosed until after they have lived with other cats. In such cases, all other cats in the household should be tested for Felv and then you may need to separate your infected cat from the other cats.

If your cat has been diagnosed as being a Felv infected cat then as a responsible pet owner you must keep your pet indoors.  It is also very important to spay or neuter that cat, feed it well, avoid RAW diets (increased chance of food-borne bacterial and parasite infections), closely monitor your pet’s health and behavior and bring any changes to your veterinarian’s attention.  While it is impossible to predict the life expectancy of an infected cat but with appropriate care and support a cat could live 2-3 years.  If your cat unfortunately passes away getting another cat and bringing it into the household poses some clean up solutions.  Usually the virus will not survive outside of the cat for longer than a few hours but clean the house with a 10% bleach solution, throw away any old toys, litter pans etc and make sure that your new cat is vaccinated against the disease.

Laboratory studies have not proven that Felv is zoonotic but Felv infected cats may carry other diseases.  Immunosuppressed people, such as those with AIDS, undergoing immune suppresion medications, elderly or the very young can have issues with the other diseases that these cats may carry.

Tags: cat, kitten, diseases, pet health

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I work at a vet clinic in Victoria, BC and this past week we have seen a 6 month old kitten diagnosed with feline panleukopenia.  This poor kitten had sudden onset of anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy.  He came in Monday morning with those signs plus he was dehydrated.  We put him on IV fluids right away and later that nite he was vomiting and passing blood in his stool.  He was taken to the emergency clinic, where they performed an exploratory surgery thinking that maybe he had something stuck in his intestines.  There was nothing there but they took samples of his intestinal tract and said that his rbc count was low and that his pancreas enzymes were high, possible pancreatitis?  He was then leaking albumin and they couldn’t find the reason for it.  He passed away Wednesday morning.  We received his biopsy results today and it confirmed panleukopenia.  The bill for the owner from the emergency clinic……$2900.00 cdn.  Today we have 2 more kittens with similar signs in clinic…..is it an outbreak?  Who knows…..I know last year in Alberta there was an outbreak…….can we do something to prevent the spread of this disease?  Hell yeah c’mon people vaccinate your cats even your indoor ones and help prevent this from happening to your pet.

Here’s some simple information regarding the disease that I found on the web.

What is feline panleukopenia?

Feline panleukopenia (FP), also known as feline distemper, is a highly contagious viral disease that occurs wherever there are cats. Cats at any age may be stricken. Young kittens, sick cats, and cats that have not been adequately immunized are most susceptible; older cats are more likely to have acquired an immunity and, therefore, are infected less frequently.

Urban areas are most likely to see outbreaks of feline panleukopenia during the warmer months. The virus has appeared in all parts of the United States and most countries of the world.

Kennels, pet shops, humane shelters, and other areas where groups of cats are quartered appear to be the main reservoirs of feline panleukopenia today.

Dogs are not susceptible to feline panleukopenia. Canine distemper is a different disease caused by another virus. Neither disease is transmissible to humans.

What does it do to an animal?

The feline panleukopenia virus is passed from cat to cat by direct contact. The source of infection is most commonly fecal waste from infected cats, but the virus may be present in other body secretions.

A healthy cat can also become infected without coming in direct contact with an infected cat. Bedding, cages, food dishes, and the hands or clothing of handlers that contact infected secretions may harbor and transmit the virus.

The feline panleukopenia virus is very stable. It is resistant to many chemicals and may remain infectious at room temperature for as long as one year. Short of raising a cat in total isolation, it is nearly impossible to prevent exposure.

Feline panleukopenia is a complex disease. It can vary in severity from very mild to extreme. The many signs are not always typical and many owners may even believe that their cat has been poisoned or has swallowed a foreign object. Because of this fact, treatment may be delayed or neglected.

After exposure to the virus, many of the cat’s cells are destroyed. This cell loss makes the cat more susceptible to other complications and bacterial infections.

Clinical Signs?

The first signs a owner might notice are generalized depression, loss of appetite, high fever, lethargy, vomiting, dehydration, and hanging over the water dish. The course of the disease may be short and explosive. Advanced cases, when discovered, may cause death within hours. Normally, the sickness may go on for three or four days after the first elevation of body temperature.

Fever will fluctuate during the illness and abruptly fall to subnormal levels shortly before death. Other signs in later stages may be diarrhea, anemia, and persistent vomiting.

Feline panleukopenia virus is so prevalent and the signs of disease are so varied that any sick cat should be taken to a veterinarian for a definite diagnosis.

Treatment?

The prognosis for very young kittens is poor. Older cats have greater chance of survival if adequate treatment is provided early in the course of the disease. Treatment is limited to supportive therapy to help the patient gain and retain sufficient strength to combat the virus with its own immune system. There are no antibiotics that can kill the virus.

The veterinarian will attempt to combat extreme dehydration, provide nutrients, and prevent secondary infection with antibiotics. Pregnant females that contract the disease, even in its mildest form, may give birth to kittens with severe brain damage.

Strict isolation is essential. The area where the cat is kept should be warm, free of drafts and very clean. Plenty of "tender loving care" even after hospital discharge is very important. Cats may lose the will to live; so frequent petting, hand feeding, the cautious use of heating pads, and good nursing care by the owner is essential.

Other cats that may have been in close association with the infected animal should be carefully examined.

Feline panleukopenia is controlled in several ways. Cats that survive a natural infection usually develop sufficient, active immunity to protect them for the rest of their lives. Mild cases may go unnoticed and also produce immunity.

It is also possible for kittens to receive immunity from their mother through the transfer of antibody. This passive immunity from the mother is temporary and its effectiveness varies in proportion to the level of antibody in the mother’s body.

Vaccines offer the safest protection. They stimulate the cat’s body to produce protective antibodies against the virus to prevent infection by natural, disease causing viruses. The vaccines are very effective but are preventive, not curative. They must be administered before the cat is exposed and infected to be effective.

Specific vaccination schedules vary dependent on many factors, such as the disease incidence in the area, and age and health of the cat.

The pet owner should consult a veterinarian for advice on the correct schedule for each cat.

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