FELINE LEUKEMIA

 

WHAT IS FELINE LEUKEMIA?

 

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a moderately contagious disease which is present in the saliva of infected cats, and transmission occurs by cat-to-cat contact, and congenitally, meaning they can be born with it. There is NO evidence that this disease is transmissible to man. Frequently, the infected cat undergoes a chronic wasting disease marked by anemia, lethargy, and anorexia.  The virus causes cancers, lymph sarcomas or malignant tumors, of the lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, abdominal cavity and lymph nodes in the chest cavity.  It also causes severe depression of the immune system, making the cat much more susceptible to other diseases.  There is no cure for this disease, only prevention in the form of a vaccine administered by your veterinarian.  We at Animal Services don’t vaccinate the cats in our care for FeLV.   The test is unreliable for kittens under three months of age, and therefore we recommend that you take your kitten to the vet for testing and vaccination when it is older. For more information regarding this disease or any other, please contact your veterinarian. To the best of our knowledge, all the animals adopted from our shelter are healthy.  However, we are not veterinarians and can make no guarantees.  We recommend that you take your new pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible, or within 14 days after adoption.

 

 

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