Feline Leukemia Medications

Please note: The information on our site is for everyone to read.
Please use it as often as you like.
However, Ask Dr Mike is available only to subscribers of our Vetinfo Digest.
Please do not send questions if you are not a subscriber.
Please use the search engine or one of the indexes to see if the information
you need is already online. Please see Subscriber info for details.
Subscriber Info
The income from the subscriptions helps defray the cost of maintaining the site and allows us to keep the large amount of information on www.vetinfo.com free to our readers.

Feline Leukemia Medication and Supplements

N-acetylcysteine
Feline leukemia medication

also see Feline leukemia
also see Feline Leukemia Test
also see Feline Leukemia Treatments
also see Living Arrangement Problems
also see FIP - Feline Infectious Peritonitis
also see FIV - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
also see Infectious Disease
also see Vaccine related Problems
also see Zoonotic Disease

N-acetylcysteine
Question: I am interested in giving NAC as a supplement to a FeLV cat. My vet is
uncertain about the amount to give and is concerned that an inappropriate dosage might prove too toxic. Can you recommend an amount to give? Many thanks.
Sincerely,
E. T-J.

Answer: E.-
I am assuming that you are referring to N-acetylcysteine, which has shown
some promise in studies in rats for reducing viral replication in feline
immunodeficiency virus infections ( Mortola, Okuda, et al, 1998). In the
same study it was noted to reduce apoptosis (cell death) which might not be
a good thing when used for feline leukemia virus infection rather than
feline immunodeficiency virus infection. In the case of FeLV, the virus may
lead to cancer and apoptosis is a good thing when it affects cancer cells.
That is just my own thinking -- not something I have seen about this use in
the literature.
I couldn't find a dose for use for FIV cats, but there is a dosage for use
of N-Acetylcysteine at 140 mg/kg initially, followed by 70 mg/kg every 4
hrs, given orally or intravenously for acetaminophen toxicity that has been
published. Usually this is given for a few days (3 to 5) until the cat
recovers, so I don't know if it would have to be adjusted further for long
term use.
Mike Richards, DVM
12/10/99

Feline leukemia - Medication
Q: hi,
I'm wondering if i should be putting my 7 year old FeLV male cat on
any of the new drugs prescribed for FeLV? My cat tested positive twice
four years ago when we took him in as a stray. We spoil our fat cat
(approx. 15lbs) and love him to death...Outwardly he appears
symptomless,however, he has had blood work that showed he has persistant
viremia (not sure if spelled correctly)..very low white blood cells.
Our cat doesn't take well to any medications especially antibiotics,
we've tried numerous ones and they make him depressed and he'll stop
eating etcc.. it's weird.
Anyhow any info. you could provide would be helpfull..thank You!
karen
A: Karen-
I am not aware of a new highly effective medication for feline leukemia. If
you know the medication name I will be glad to research it.
Mike Richards, DVM

Last edited 04/20/04

The entire content of the www.vetinfo4cats.com website is and has been provided by
Dr Michael Richards who is a veterinarian.

We have discontinued the ask Dr Mike question and answer section
of our website at this time.

Comments or information about our website, feedback, art info, broken links,
spelling errors or help finding things on the site or anything else-

e-mail
Michal Justis

E-mail for www. vetinfo.com is answered by Michal Justis, who is not a veterinarian
(but is a Lady).

Please remember that if you want a reply, make sure your e-mail return address is correct
and if you have e-mail blocking, that you have set it to receive e-mail from vetinfo.
Please do not send e-mail attachments. We are unable to open them do to security risks.