Feline leukemia is a serious disease affecting many cats and kittens from many backgrounds. The disease is caused by a virus which suppresses the cat's immune system and bone marrow, lowering its resistance to many other diseases. It acts much like the human AIDS virus.

Transmission of Feline Leukemia
Feline leukemia is spread by close contact, primarily via saliva, blood and urine. Infection can also occur from an infected nursing mother to her kittens. Humans cannot be infected with this virus. The virus can be destroyed in the environment by most disinfectants and soaps and by heating and drying.

The disease course
A variety of outcomes can occur after a cat or kitten becomes exposed to the virus. Some cats are able to eliminate the infection, while others can harbor the infection in their bone marrow. The virus can later reactivate to cause clinical illness. The majority of infected cats will die within 3 years from feline leukemia related diseases.

These outcomes depend on the amount of virus that the cat was exposed to, the ability of the cat to fight infections, and the age of the cat at the time of exposure. Younger cats are more likely to become infected when exposed to the virus.

Feline Leukemia symptoms
Clinical signs of the disease include anemia, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficultly breathing or swallowing, tumors or growths, intestinal obstructions, and diarrhea.

Cats that are persistently infected have a much higher risk of developing lymphosarcoma, leukemia and other disorders of the immune systems.

Feline Leukemia Prevention
Prevention of feline leukemia involves avoiding contact with other cats and annual vaccination. We recommend testing all new kittens or cats to detect the virus before it can be spread to other cats in the household. this test involves taking a blood sample and testing it for the presence of the virus. A safe effective vaccine is available for those cats and kittens that have a negative test. The first vaccination is followed by a booster in 3-4 weeks and yearly thereafter. The vaccine will not help a cat that is already infected, so testing prior to vaccination is recommended. Feline leukemia is a devastating disease that can be avoided in most cats by testing and vaccinating.