Diseases Triggered by Feline Leukemia

August 12, 2009  

Statistics say that one out of ten cats is a Feline Leukemia carrier. Feline Leukemia is a virus that is dreaded by every cat owner around and this is understandable since it is said to be one of the prime causes of cancer in cats.

It is also labeled as a top cat killer, apart from being hit by fast-running automobiles. The death of an infected cat is more of a death out of complications developing through this disease because of the weakened immune system. Some infected cats are dying fast due to rampant infections or colds, rather than the virus contracted via the feline leukemia. Like the human AIDS, this disease can show off symptoms only after years of acquiring the virus and are therefore hard to counter because of retrograde signs.

This kind of disease is spread through sharing of litter boxes, sexual act, and bite wounds. Once a cat is infected with this disease, it kills the cat’s ability to battle diseases and becomes instantly prone to picking up viruses of sorts, parasites and bacteria. Apart from various types of cancer surfacing because of feline leukemia, it can also result to blood disorders like anemia. The same is especially true among kittens.

Feline Leukemia involves the weakening of the cat’s immune system. If this happens, other secondary illnesses or infections are likely to occur. The health of the cat becomes compromised once the immune system weakens. This is especially true as the cat becomes vulnerable to contracting other diseases like bacterial infections. Recall that a weak immune system is like an open hole, inviting illnesses to enter and penetrate the body of the cat.

Once the first few signs or symptoms of Feline Leukemia becomes evident, make it a point to give immediate attention to your cat. Aggressive treatment should come handy because this kind of disease may develop into other health risks. Worse yet, a cancerous tumor called neoplasia may strike your sick cat and might require even more rigorous treatments. A developing tumor is another threat to your cat’s health and a case like this might need radiation treatments or chemotherapy.

An infected cat is not only susceptible to one or two infections but to a lot, bladder infections included. There are also cases that physical incapacity becomes thoroughly evident in their behavioral changes. An example to this is a toilet-trained kitten who all of a sudden feels too weak to make it to a litter box that may be located to the second level of the house or to higher sides.

Another danger triggered through feline leukemia is that this virus can also come across the placenta of pregnant cats infected with the disease. This means that unborn kittens can possibly be sorry victims of the virus. Infected queens can also infect their kittens because sharing their milk are also means of spreading the virus. The threat of contagion does not end once the plague starts with any of the cats in your neighborhood. It is best to work on isolation and keep your cats indoor to screen exposure from infected cats.

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