Feline leukemia virus is a retrovirus that infects cats and can cause them to develop potentially fatal diseases like cancer or serious conditions like blood disorders or immune deficiency disorders. Cats are commonly vaccinated against FeLV, usually at a young age. This is because kittens are at the greatest risk for feline leukemia due to their underdeveloped immune systems.

Cat owners can be on the lookout for feline leukemia virus symptoms, and these symptoms include:

   
• Progressive weight loss
   
• Poor coat condition
   
• Loss of appetite
   
• Lymph node enlargement
   
• Persistent fever
   
• Persistent diarrhea
   
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis) and stomach inflammation (stomatitis)
   
• Degenerative eye conditions
 

Feline Leukemia Virus Stages

FeLV can be in one of three stages depending on how recently the cat has contracted the virus and how much success the infection is having in establishing itself. The first of the feline leukemia virus stages is abortive infection, and if you are a cat with FeLV, this will be your best-case scenario because it means the animal’s immune system has overcome the virus and it won’t have been able to establish itself.

The next possibility is a regressive state FeLV infection. In these instances, the animal will continue to have the virus, but it is not contagious and it will not be possible for the cat to spread feline leukemia virus to other cats. It is important to understand that with regressive infections, it is still possible that the virus may reactivate and start replicating again. The last possible stage is a progressive FeLV infection, and in this stage, the cat’s bone marrow is infected with the virus and viral replication will be occurring at a high rate.

Feline Leukemia Virus Lifespan

It will be beneficial for cat owners to be aware that having a cat contract FeLV does not mean that they are certain to die early because of it. There are feline leukemia virus treatment approaches that veterinarians can take to increase the chance that it becomes a regressive infection, and there is also an FeLV vaccination that cat owners can get for their pet to make it so that an infection is unlikely.

As for a feline leukemia virus lifespan, the median survival time for a cat after an FeLV diagnosis is 2.5 years. Hearing that can be distressing, but this timeframe can be increased considerably if the cat can have the infection made to become regressive. Presently there is no cure for an FeLV infection.

Feline Leukemia Virus Treatment

The only possibility for feline leukemia virus treatment is to have the cat receive regular veterinary checkups and follow the preventative health protocols that the vet will recommend in hopes of putting the infection into the regressive stage. Secondary infections can be treated as they appear, and if FeLV becomes cancer then a cat can receive chemotherapy treatment.