Taxi was diagnosed today with FeLV. The Feline Leukemia Virus.
Its a simple enough test, but they sedated him slightly to draw blood so he spent last night at the vet's.
Its very serious and very dangerous...
In all likelihood, he got it at birth from his mother and has been a carrier. He has only now started showing symptoms though, and it looks like we have caught it really early.
It makes a huge difference in Taxi's favour that I know him so well and that I so quickly picked up there was something amiss...
Taxi was listless and not really eating a couple of weeks ago, and he felt a bit warm, so I took him to the vet. Everything looked and sounded fine, his gums were nice and pink and his eyes were bright and not at all weepy or anything. His heart and organs felt and sounded like they're supposed to so she was a little puzzled. She gave him a general antibiotic to cover anything that might be starting up and said I should keep an eye on him.
And then he was fine again.
Then on Monday, he was listless again. He spent the whole day in my bedroom and then when I went to bed he didn't come to sleep with me like he always does. Then at about 1am I went looking for him. I was not sleeping anyway. I spent a good hour searching my flat for him, eventually convinced he'd gotten out somehow, but the next day he was back, asleep on my bed!
He just hadn't wanted to be found!
Yesterday I dropped him at the vet, again he had a fever that was putting him off his food but otherwise he was fine. She suggested testing for FIV and FeLV so I said to go ahead.
Greebo is now being tested for the virus as they can pass it through grooming and sharing water bowls mainly. And fighting, but since neither Greebo or Taxi go outside they're "safe" in that respect.
If Greebo is negative though... I have to try and keep them apart and I don't know how I'll do that.
Wish us luck.
He could live for years with minor changes and the occasional fever putting him off his food, or he could suddenly get sick and I'll lose him in a couple of months!
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