Hello again everyone.
I've been thinking quite a bit about ADV. I've heard someone mention the
disease's similarity to hepatitis C. With my background in cats, I see a
big similarity between ADV and feline leukemia. For the record, feline
leukemia is not a cancer but a virus. (Anyone in the know, please correct
me if I'm wrong.) There is a vaccine for feline leukemia as well as a ten
minute test for the disease. Like ADV, FeLeuk is (highly) communicable via
bodily fluids and feces. For a long time, FeLeuk was the big bad boogey
monster of cat ownership. One "no-kill" pet shelter that I know will
reportedly put down any cat that tests FeLeuk positive because of it's
communicability and incurability. There are wonderful people who run
FeLeuk positive houses like Yvonne of Fuzztek North is now doing for ADV
ferrets. Like ADV, a cat can be FeLeuk positive and never show any signs.
The cat can live out it's normal life and never become clinically active.
It can, however, pass the disease to other cats who can then become
clinical or carriers like itself. Like ADV (apparently), it is not the
FeLeuk itself that kills the cat but instead the cat dies of other problems
that might normally have been treatable or survivable. It kind of works
like an immune deficiency disease; the body just can't fight hard enough.
This is not to say it is an AIDS disease; that would be FIV, a whole other
problem.
Why do I bring this comparison up? Well, people have questioned whether to
test their ferrets, or whether widespread testing is really so important.
I have owned cats since I was 8 years old. My first cat died very early
from what was posthumously diagnosed as FeLeuk (The disease was just being
identified at that time.). I watched Seb take months to die. I was
instructed not to bring any cats into my home for 2 years(!) after his
death. I can protect my other cats, and I now have 8, from this kind of
death by testing new animals for the disease and keeping my cats from
exposure to possible carriers.
Do I test my cats every year for the disease? No. They've all been tested
before coming home with me. They all received the vaccine yearly until 2
years after I stopped showing. Only 2 cats went to shows with me and those
two have been retested.
Do I test all cats that come into my house? Yes. Unequivocally, yes.
Even the 2 strays I've picked up and had spayed and placed. The cats are
taken to the vet immediately before I ever bring them in or they have been
tested prior to my getting them.
Have I tested my ferrets? As soon as the test kit arrives from United
Vaccine ((Call them at 800-283-6465 for the supplies to do it yourself at
home- $6.00 plus shipping get you 200 tubes, stopping clay and one mailer.
I'll post testing prices once I get them.)), all 12 ferrets will be tested.
Will I test every ferret that comes into my home in the future? Yes.
Before any ferret is introduced, they will be kept well quarantined until
test results come back. It's easier for FeLeuk because the test takes 10
minutes at the vet, but, hey, that's why we want to do the ADV research.
Should any of my guys test positive (Heaven forbid!), will I close my
doors? Yes, except to ADV positive ferrets that need a home. No, I would
not accept ferrets from people who 'only have this one, no one else has
got it'. We don't know enough to be able rule out cross infection at this
time. If one has it, that's enough for me to close the house.
Am I on a tirade? Yes, and I should probably get off my soap box and get
back to work. I'm just getting upset by posts that seem to miss the point.
I haven't seen anyone point any fingers at anyone else. Not on the FML.
I've seen alot of people taking offense anyway. To repeat what others
have said, let's can the politics and personal attacks and get back to the
important part of sharing information.
Please address any comments or flames or whatever to my home email address:
[log in to unmask] Thank you.
Anastasia Kidd
[Posted in FML issue 2955]
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