Conference misery::feline_v1

1781.0. "Advice for leukemia??" by ICEBOX::FEASE (Andrea Midtmoen Fease) Thu Sep 22 1988 09:20

         Has anyone had any experience with cats that have had leukemia
    (not the feline type, but regular)?
    
         My mother's Abyssinian cat, 1-1/2 years old, seems to have
    a form of leukemia.  The vet has explained that his white blood
    cells are eating up his red blood cells, so his spleen and other
    organs are bloated and his red blood count is down.  This is the
    second or third recurrence of this.
    
         He is currently being treated with cortisone, which works for
    a while, increasing his appetite, but eventually his appetite falls
    off again and he refuses to take the medication.
    
         Options are 1) removal of the spleen (why?), 2) oral chemotherapy
    and 3) euthanasia.  Has anyone had any experience with the oral
    chemotherapy (reactions, benefits, non-benefits, etc.)?  How about
    spleen removal?
    
         Thanks in advance for your help.
    
                                        - Andrea

    Just talked with Andrea off line as we have had experience with
    the oral chemo.
    
    I would highly recommend it if it comes to that. Hair loss is almost
    none and nausea may consist of a few gags.
    
    This medicine came out of Ohio State University's school of vet
    medicine, and has been used on animals for years but the FDA
    will not accept it for people. Too bad.
    
    Barbara

re: spleen removal

If I remember my biology rightly, the spleen is involved in the immune 
system, and in your case, is probably where a good bit of the red cell 
destruction is occuring.  Removal of the spleen would probably help more 
than it hurted.  There are many people walking around with no spleens, and 
they don't notice the loss.

Ray

    My father had his spleen removed after a car accident and, as far
    as I know, never missed it.  Can anyone tell us more about the disease
    your cat has?