Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
When your cat is sick, he cannot tell you that he feels unwell, so as a pet owner you should be responsive to any unusual physical or behavioural symptoms and have him checked over by a veterinary surgeon if you have any concerns regarding his wellbeing, regardless of how trivial they may seem.
The Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) is an immunosuppressive virus which was discovered more than thirty years ago as being present in a group of cats which were diagnosed with cancer of the white blood cells. It is a fatal illness which causes a massive increase in the production of white blood cells of leukocytes.
In contrast to the human form of leukaemia FeLV is extremely infectious and can be transmitted from one cat to another very quickly. The infection can be frequently passed between cats via contact with urine, faeces or saliva, although there is no suggestion that it can be transmitted to humans.
Whilst symptoms of the disease may differ somewhat from cat to cat, the most common indicators incorporate distended nymph nodes (which will cause pain and make eating and drinking distressing for a cat), anaemia, tiredness, weight loss, diarrhoea, and sneezing, coughing and cancerous tumours
FeLV will ultimately cause loss of life usually from pneumonia or from cancer as a consequence of the loss of cat’s capacity to fight off infection.
Fortunately vets are able to quite easily diagnose FeLV with a simple blood test.
However the limited treatments available to prolong the life of infected cats are usually only effective during the primary period of the disease. They are able to offer immunisation against the FeLV and recommend that any cat that will be allowed outdoors be protected against the disease.