Thank you! Truly appreciate it!
And a clarification: she is about a year old. She has only been confined about a week.
There are not any published guidelines that address this and many would disagree with me, but here goes with my thoughts: 1. Is that the better... -posted to the "Animal Welfare Professionals" community/group
Re: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15 | | | There are not any published guidelines that address this and many would disagree with me, but here goes with my thoughts:
1. Is that the better course of action; to remove her from the sanctuary and release her back into the neighborhood? Yes, she is semi-feral and confined, that is very stressful for unsocialized cats (and often for all cats) 2. Is it okay to release a positive cat into the neighborhood or am I putting other cats at risk? Positive cats are already out there. They exist in every community. Spaying and neutering is much more effective at reducing the spread of these viruses than test/removal. If she is not a big fighter, the chances of close contact with other cats necessary for transmission is remote. Since she has been confined for a year, her relocation should be carried out slowly as would be done for a barn cat relocation. 3. I have cats in my household that go outside but only with my supervision. Should vaccinate them if it is known to be in the neighborhood? And does the vaccine pose health risks? I always recommend FeLV vaccination for cats that may have close contact with positive cats. Since she will be lingering around your home, there is increased chance of contact with your cats.
------------------------------ Julie Levy Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida Maddie's Million Pet Challenge https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu ------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 09-13-2022 09:30 PM | | Reply to Discussion Reply to Discussion via Email Reply Privately to Author Reply Privately to Author via Email View Thread Like Forward Flag as Inappropriate |
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Original Message:
Sent: 9/14/2022 12:24:00 PM
From: Julie Levy
Subject: RE: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
There are not any published guidelines that address this and many would disagree with me, but here goes with my thoughts:
1. Is that the better course of action; to remove her from the sanctuary and release her back into the neighborhood? Yes, she is semi-feral and confined, that is very stressful for unsocialized cats (and often for all cats)2. Is it okay to release a positive cat into the neighborhood or am I putting other cats at risk? Positive cats are already out there. They exist in every community. Spaying and neutering is much more effective at reducing the spread of these viruses than test/removal. If she is not a big fighter, the chances of close contact with other cats necessary for transmission is remote. Since she has been confined for a year, her relocation should be carried out slowly as would be done for a barn cat relocation.3. I have cats in my household that go outside but only with my supervision. Should vaccinate them if it is known to be in the neighborhood? And does the vaccine pose health risks? I always recommend FeLV vaccination for cats that may have close contact with positive cats. Since she will be lingering around your home, there is increased chance of contact with your cats.------------------------------
Julie Levy
Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
Maddie's Million Pet Challenge
https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 09-13-2022 09:30 PM
From: Michaela Moore
Subject: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
Hello there. Thank you for this great seminar. I have recently trapped a female kitty that I had spayed and fully vetted. She has tested positive for both
FeLV and FIV but seems healthy otherwise. She was placed with a small sanctuary and the hope was that she could be adopted out, but she is a year old and it turns out, pretty feral. This sanctuary is not really set up for feral cats and I am concerned that she will not be as contained as she needs to be to keep her from breaking out of the house and also to keep her from having contact with the other non-positive cats. My thought, after watching the seminar and after reading this comment is that perhaps she has a better survival chance if released back into the neighborhood due to lower stress (there is shelter and food/water that I have and can continue to provide). I would do my best to monitor and trap her for vet care if needed (though I cannot guarantee she would go back into a trap.) So my questions are:
1. Is that the better course of action; to remove her from the sanctuary and release her back into the neighborhood?
2. Is it okay to release a positive cat into the neighborhood or am I putting other cats at risk?
3. I have cats in my household that go outside but only with my supervision. Should vaccinate them if it is known to be in the neighborhood? And does the vaccine pose health risks?
Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. ------------------------------
Michaela Moore
Unsure How To Answer This
Unsure How To Answer This
Original Message:
Sent: 12-19-2021 11:48 AM
From: Julie Levy
Subject: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
Congratulations on your new position Alana!
You have a great opportunity to create protocols that elevate the outcomes for all kinds of cats. Many TNR programs do not even offer routine testing of TNR cats, but still have capacity to test sick cats and cats headed to adoption. Removing a few positive cats from the environment will not change the prevalence in the neighborhood, but spaying more community cats will. That's why so many TNR programs invest all their resources in upscaling their efforts to focus on high-intensity TNR. That reduces both kittens and FeLV the fastest.
Cheers,
-Julie
------------------------------
Julie Levy
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
Million Cat Challenge
https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/Original Message:
Sent: 12-15-2021 03:55 PM
From: Alana Canupp
Subject: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
Just leaving El Paso AS- would test all (mostly kittens) going to the adoption center at the ELP Zoo and suspect cats remaining at the shelter only. Unsure how they will proceed now. New job: Spay Neuter Network, O's/caregivers can request a test. This morning had one trapper wanting their appearing healthy TNR feral euthanized if cat was retrovirus positive. I informed them we would not do that based on a test.
------------------------------
Alana Canupp
Spay Neuter Network
Original Message:
Sent: 11-23-2021 12:05 PM
From: Julie Levy
Subject: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
I'm looking forward to sharing this new information! Guess this: How many cats with FeLV pass through animal shelters in a year? (Hint: shelters take in about 2 million cats in a year)------------------------------
Julie Levy
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida
Original Message:
Sent: 11-22-2021 03:28 PM
From: alison gibson
Subject: Webcast: Feline Leukemia Testing: One and Done for Everyone - December 15
In 2020, the AAFP released new retrovirus testing guidelines that recommend one quality point of care test then moving forward with a live-outcome pathway. In accordance, Austin Pets Alive!, home of the most robust FeLV adoption program in the world, changed its FeLV testing protocols. No more serum testing. No more "confirmation" testing. What does this mean in practice, how do we pathway plan for cats with different diagnoses, and why is this the new recommendation? Join Monica Frenden-Tarant and Dr. Julie Levy as they break down the latest guidelines and tell you everything you need to know about testing for feline leukemia.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 12n Pacific / 3pm Eastern
Register here
This webinar will be recorded and has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.
#CommunityCatManagement#EducationandTraining#Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization------------------------------
alison gibson
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