HOW IS FELV DIAGNOSED AND TREATED?
Diagnosis
Your vet will test your cat’s blood for markers of FeLV. The presence of those markers confirms that your cat is FeLV positive. The cat will remain FeLV positive for its lifetime and can pass the virus on to other cats.
Treatment
Currently, therapies such as vaccines may help reduce viral replication and spread, improving the condition of infected cats. Like any treatment, there may be side effects to look for, but your vet can tell you what to expect with a vaccine and how to manage potential side effects.
Additionally, studies are underway to look for experimental drugs, such as those that fight against viruses in the same class as FeLV and immune-boosting therapies. Since FeLV suppresses the immune system, your cat may have difficulty fighting off other infections. Therefore, vets managing FeLV-positive cats usually treat diseases that arise due to a weak immune system, such as bacterial infections.
Although there is currently no therapy for FeLV, your cat can have a good quality of life for years after diagnosis. Reports suggest that FeLV-infected cats that are well-cared for and treated for symptoms of the virus are likely to have an improved and extended life.
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Last Updated: August 3, 2022
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The following sources were referenced to write the content on this page:
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Greggs, WM 3rd, Clouser, CL, Patterson, SE & Mansky LM 2011. ‘Broadening the use of antiretroviral therapy: the case for feline leukemia virus’, Ther Clin Risk Manag, vol. 7, pp. 115-22.
Hartmann, K 2012 ‘Clinical aspects of feline retroviruses: a review’, Viruses, vol. 4. No. 11, pp. 2684-2710.
Hofmann-Lehmann, R, Tandon, R, Boretti, FS, Meli, ML, Willi, B, Cattori, V, Gomes-Keller, MA, Ossent, P, Golder, MC, Flynn, JN & Lutz H 2006, ‘Reassessment of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) vaccines with novel sensitive molecular assays, Vaccine, vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 1087-94.
Stuetzer, B, Brunner, K, Lutz, H & Hartmann, K 2013, ‘A trial with 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine and human interferon-α in cats naturally infected with feline leukaemia virus’, J Feline Med Surg, vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 667-671.
The Pet Cancer Foundation’s medical resource for pet owners is protected by copyright.
For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.