Feline Leukemia Symptoms – What To Watch Out For?

 

According to estimates, up to 2% of cats who seem healthy actually carry the virus responsible for causing feline leukemia symptoms. This disease is one of the most dangerous for cats and can cause a large number of health problems, including anemia, upper respiratory diseases, and reproduction problems.

Taking Action

Unfortunately, if your cat begins to show feline leukemia symptoms then he has already been infected. The disease cannot be cured. The symptoms can include weight loss, fever, pale or inflamed gums, lymph node enlargement, skin infections, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, ongoing diarrhea, and eye problems.

If your cat begins to show any of these signs, you need to take him to a vet immediately. The vet can run tests to see if your cat has been infected with the virus. Be sure to quarantine the infected cat from your other cats to minimize the risk that the feline leukemia virus will spread.

Getting Help

Although not curable, feline leukemia symptoms can be treated. In later stages, chemotherapy can be used to help the cat. You can also try a number of different medications, including AZT which is also used to treat humans who have been infected with HIV. Both the feline virus and the virus responsible for HIV come from the same family of viruses which is why the medication works on both of them. Unfortunately, AZT can cause dangerous side effects for your cat so the benefits must be weighed against the risks.

Feline Leukemia Prevention

Although Feline Leukemia symptoms can be a concern for owners, the best way to deal with the problem is the feline leukemia vaccine available to cats through your vet’s office. Because feline leukemia contagious level is high, you want to get this vaccine as soon as possible to prevent infection.

You don’t have to worry about feline leukemia symptoms if you take preventative action and protect your cat against this dangerous and deadly disease.