Feline Leukemia Virus Symptoms

Feline leukemia virus, otherwise known as FeLV, is one of the most serious and relatively common disease found in cats. Generally, it predisposes your cat to a greater number of infections and other medical conditions than your cat would normally acquire. Furthermore, it may lead to some types of cancer as well.

The disease is passed as a virus from cat to cat and cannot survive in the environment for more than a couple of minutes. It cannot be spread to humans, so there's no need to worry about your own health if your cat has this condition. In order to best recognize feline leukemia virus in your cat, learn about the symptoms so that you'll be able to treat it quickly.

Infections and Leukemia

Feline leukemia virus weakens your pet's immune system in a number of different ways. This leaves your pet unable to fight off bacteria and diseases that he would otherwise be able to deal with much more easily. As a result, you may find that your cat seems to contract more infections than he normally would. Keep an eye out for an increase in overall infections of your pet's skin, eyes, ears and other parts of his body as well.

Anemia and Feline Leukemia

The feline leukemia virus also causes your pet to have difficulty producing sufficient blood cells to support himself. Anemia is the result of this problem, and it in turn is characterized by extreme malaise, weakness, difficulty eating and more. If you suspect that your cat has feline leukemia virus, have him examined by a vet and be sure to ask your vet to take a blood sample for testing to determine if your pet suffers from anemia as well.

Loss of Appetite and Weight

Whether your pet loses his interest in food or finds that his feline leukemia virus causes him to be unable to eat food as well as he normally would, it's not uncommon to see your pet's food bowl remain full when he's suffering from this condition. The result is that, over a longer period of time, your pet will lose weight. This can pose very serious health problems and must be addressed quickly in order to ensure that your cat remains healthy and able to fend off other conditions.

Slow Healing Time

When your pet is weakened from the feline leukemia virus, any injuries or wounds that he sustains will take much longer to heal up than they would if he were healthy. The same is true for surgeries as well. Consult with your vet about what a standard healing time would be for any particular injury or surgery, and keep careful track of your pet's health to determine if his body is taking longer than it should to repair itself.

If you suspect that your pet may be suffering from feline leukemia virus, take him in to the vet immediately. Prompt treatment is necessary to preserve his health.

 

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