Newly fiv diagnosed

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Laura14
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Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Laura14 »

Hey all, I have a beautiful 9 month old kitten. Sadly he has never been well, firstly with a cornea ulcer which the vet put down to cat flu. He has had periods where he eye is ok but it I obviously damaged with a permenant film over the eye. Then he developed gingivitis which I pretty bad. So vet did 'mot' bloods which pointed to fiv. He has since run two types of bloods which confirm this diagnosis. My poor lil lad has spent more time on antibiotics and anti inflammatories than not and I'm very aware that this isn't good for his immune system which is now very precious. I have read online about giving him various vitamins and minerals to help bolster his immune system but I wanted some advice on if anyone does this, what you give and how much?
I'm so scared for my little milo and I just want to do the very bed for him to hopefully get him to a ripe old age. Does the fact that he got fiv so young change anything?
Thanks for reading
Laura
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bobbys girl
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by bobbys girl »

Hi Laura,

I'm sorry you are having problems with little Milo. Sorry too that I have little experience of ulcers or gingivitis. I know there are folks on here that can help you with those.

But I do have a FIV+ boy, Bobby. He was born with a nerve-damaged leg, but was fine until he injured it. The wound refused to heal and, like with Milo, the vet did a blood test and that's when we found out about his FIV status. he was just 1 year old when we found out. We had to have his leg amputated. That wound was slow to heal too. But it did heal and almost a year on he is blooming.

Yes, I do worry about him more than the others and am very quick to jump on any minor problems. He is always first in the queue for vacinations, frontline etc.

Food wise he gets the same as all the others, good quality, low/no cereal wet and dry food. With the occasional chicken fillet or tinned tuna or sardines (no brine). I have recently started giving them Butcher's tinned food. It's good stuff and cheap too!

I do know how you feel. I love all my cats, but Bob is very special in so many ways.

I really think if you can get his current problems sorted that he can lead a perfectly normal life.

BTW I also have a cat with sight in only one eye. She lost sight in the other and broke her jaw when, as a kitten, she got into a terrible fight with a feral cat. Her injuries haven't slowed her down one bit.

There is always hope and he has you in his corner. Best wishes and please let us know how you go on.

Fusses to Milo.

Sue
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HRHFluffy
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by HRHFluffy »

Hi Laura,

So sorry to hear that little Milo is having a rough time of it. Here's a website that I found invaluable when I first came across FIV
http://www.v63.net/catsanctuary/fiv_reassurance.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This sanctuary is run by Bob and Barbara and they have a wealth of experience in looking after FIV cats.

You're absolutely right to look into building up Milo's immune system. There are supplements that can help but I don't really know enough about them. Some FIV owners give their cats L-Lysine but I haven't personally looked into that. Maybe Bob and Barbara could help. You could email them and tell them about Milo and ask what they suggest. They are a wonderful couple.

Keep in touch and let us know how he's doing.

Carol
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bobbys girl
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

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Yes, I second that. They have been really helpfull and are lovely people. I remember it was you, Carol, that told me about them.
Laura14
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Laura14 »

Hey both

Thanks so much for your advice and support. I have made contact with Barbara and bob.

Little milo is such a lovely chap I'm willing to do whatever it takes

Xxx
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HRHFluffy
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by HRHFluffy »

That's great news Laura. I'm sure you'll get all the info you need to do your best for little Milo. He's got you to love him and take care of him so he couldn't be in better hands. Keep us updated Xxx
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Crewella »

He's a lucky boy to have ended up with you to take good care of him. :)

I'm afraid I have no experience of FIV cats, but I'm another fan of Butcher's Classic food. It's not just cereal free, it's also free from additives (that can irritate) and I've often seen it recommended for cats with gingivitis and similar mouth problems.
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Cussypat1974 »

I have FIV cats and am a student vet nurse. STUDENT...... So anything I say comes with that disclaimer!
Immunodeficiency can be caused by MANY things. FIV is just one of them. Using antibiotics will not harm the animals immune system.
Antibiotic resistance is a thing built up by the bacteria, NOT the patient. But if you have no immunity you are basically flipped.
Farmers pump antibiotics into animals, and it causes resistance. And that resistance might well cause my demise, even though I do not eat meat!
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bobbys girl
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by bobbys girl »

Hi Laura,

how is Milo at the moment?
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Cussypat1974 »

Just to add, I am also a great fn of Butcher's classic food, both for dogs and cats. Also, if Milo does need to have antibiotics, it is important (just as with any cat, dog or human!) to complete the entire course. If we stop taking the drugs once we feel better, we are basically leaving a small amount of bacteria behind - the strongest ones, who will reproduce, but will have learned resistance to the antibiotic used..... This is a lesson they 'teach' their babies when they reproduce, and hey-presto, the infection comes back with a vengeance, knowing how to beat the antibiotic. They have recently found a strain of e-coli which is resistant to every known antibiotic...... Now THAT is one scary prospect for all of us, furry or not!!!! Scientists are looking into reviving old fashioned ABs from the 1950s to try them on modern resistant bacterial strains.

AB resistance actually terrifies me.... I truly do think we will be wiped out by bacteria in the long run, rare than a nuclear war or global warming......
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

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I'm another fan of Butcher's Cat food, good stuff and cheap - what's not to like?

As for AB resistantce, I'm the last person to be considered a bobble-hatted 'greenie', but I think there is a lot to be said for the old remedies. Like you say, they are returning to the 1950's medications.

Modern pharmaceuticals are missing a trick. They 'purify' the old cures, reducing them to their active ingredients and throwing the rest away.

A basket maker I know, tells me when he gets a headache (or similar) he chews on a piece of willow. Pain goes, no side effects!

Just recently I have read some amazing claims for coconut oil. It has anti fungal and antibiotic properties. Tests are being done into it's anti-viral properties in respect to HIV. That is surely one step away from FIV. A cure - or a good control of these vile diseases may be closer than we think. Roche etc won't like that! A cheap, supermarket cure for something - that will never do!
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by Cussypat1974 »

Lol, I actually AM a bit of a tree-hugger in many respects! But I don't hold much truck with the so-called homeopathic remedies. if chewing on willow helps a headache, then go for it I say. It certainly cannot hurt, and could well have analgesic properties in there.

I do have a very real issue with many of the claims marketed at serIous illnesses (for humans and animals) because the vast majority have absolutely no foundation for those claims, and are a scam to separate desperate people from their hard-earned cash. I would always check the scientific research before parting with my money to be honest. The thing is, once a single, badly designed study has been done on say, the effect of eating frogspawn as a cure for incurable warts/cancer/IBS (or whatever disease is popular at the time) and shows SOME positive effect on even ONE individual, an unscrupulous so-and-so will try to make a buck out of it.....

Turmeric is being seriously investigated now for it's cancer fighting properties, but nothing is conclusive. if I were diagnosed with cancer, I would certainly be stuffing myself with curry as it can't hurt eh? But I wouldn't spend a fortune on 'turmeric essence' or whatever from some snake-oil peddler!

The B resistance is a different matter. Most of us would be dead without ABs - I have had both salmonella and pneumonia, so I DEFINITELY wouldn't be alive without em! Problem isn't that they don't work, it's that bacteria evolve at an alarming rate..... Science is having trouble keeping up with the little feckers!
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bobbys girl
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Re: Newly fiv diagnosed

Post by bobbys girl »

Cussypat1974 wrote:I actually AM a bit of a tree-hugger in many respects!
Tree-hugging is a different matter! :D Many of the world's problems would be resolved if we all planted more trees (and not just in the rain forests)
Cussypat1974 wrote:if chewing on willow helps a headache, then go for it I say. It certainly cannot hurt, and could well have analgesic properties in there.
The Willow family - Salix, gave us salicylic acid, the aspirin!

I agree there are many snake-oil salesmen out there - you only have to watch the ads on TV to know that! :lol: But many very common herbs and spices have medicinal potential - that's why our ancestors used them. I know we've gone slightly off topic. But the point I am making is, wouldn't it be great if we found the cure/control for diseases such as cancer, CKD or HIV/FIV etc was in our food cupboard and not an eyewateringly expensive synthetic drug with nasty side-effects?

Sorry for hijacking your post Laura. How is Milo? Please reclaim your post and let us know how he is doing.
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