Magnum: FeLV, haemoplasmosis, and feline Corona virus

[BarbR]

Magnum, neutered male, 5.5 years old, 8.5 lbs, DSH. Tuxedo. Cheerful, timid with cats, not people. He's the "low man" in a multi-cat household (11 housemates). Typically energetic and happy, but noticeably less so over the past few weeks. He eats raw and lighltly cooked, mostly non-poultry (beef, pork, rabbit, venison) (Darwins, Viva Raw, Smalls, Shine). Single rabies vaccination. His coat got patchy in May and he started to lose weight. (peak eight at 10 lbs, which was a little chubby). I increased his food, but he has remained slim. He has been treated homeopathically to date, no drugs -- acute illness only - puncture wound/bite in November 2021, some loose stools and dip in appetite in September 2024 (new cat joined and disturbed the household equilibrium) . At the end of last month he started to be more withdrawn. He became hoarse, and on November 2 he was very still. His temperature went up to 106. I gave him 4 doses of aconitum 30c over a 4 hour period and then gelsenium 30c in the morning. His temp was down to 102.8 by the time he saw a vet that morning. His energy started to improve. His appetite has been good, except for the evening with the high fever. His voice returned, but he is talking a little less than before. Blood work shows FeLV positive, feline Corona virus, and haemoplasmosis -- reports attached. Today I started him on doxyclcline for the haemoplasmosis. I am debating whether to order the FIP treatment. I believe the tests do not absolutely confirm FIP, but the hair and weight loss seem suggestive. Wondering what the holistic vets advise. @Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Jean Hofve, @Dr. Christina, @Dr. Tamara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great to see you here, Barb!

I'm sorry to hear about Magnum.

There's a lot of context we'd need to determine whether to use the antiviral along with the antibiotic. You definitely should discuss with your homeopath.

You may not want to jump on the 1 Coronavirus test. Here's what Idexx says:

exposure to any form of feline coronavirus but does not confirm the presence of FIP nor does it indicate that a healthy cat will develop FIP.

Also, here's a very complete scientific article about one of the "infections" that was confirmed by PCR:

Haemotropic Mycoplasmas: What's Their Real Significance in Cats? - PMC

Practical relevance The feline haemotropic mycoplasmas (‘haemoplasmas’) are a group of bacteria that can induce haemolytic anaemia in cats. Mycoplasma haemofelis is the most pathogenic of the species; ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Hi Barb, sorry to be late to the party... I'm traveling so that may affect email but I didn't get this (or any) notifications in the last several days.

FIP is a pretty worthless test. In my experience about 40% of totally normal cats will test positive. It means they have been exposed but the vast majority will never develop the disease. The rest of his bloodwork is not consistent with FIP either. The treatment is laborious (I think 112 days!). Unless his symptoms are really consistent with FIP, or become much worse, I'd hesitate about that. But I retired before the treatment became available so I have no personal experience with it, others may disagree.

The mycoplasma *could* be a bigger problem, but mycoplasma is notoriously hard to both accurately diagnose and to treat. He's not anemic, although fever, lethargy, and weight loss fit this one better than FeLV or FIP. Or it may be an incidental finding.

Working with a homeopath and other holistic therapies are definitely going to be best.

On the FeLV, the fever etc. could be related to his immune system fighting it off. Re-test in 3 months. He may be able to clear it--most adult cats do.