After Chiana’s repeated SNAP tests came back positive, my husband M----, a software engineer and avid researcher, began a quest to find a treatment for FeLV. Since Chiana wasn’t showing any secondary infections, it seemed almost impossible to believe she had this illness.
We were determined to fight the illness, though at that time, we didn’t know what that would look like. At that point, he identified three options:
- Do nothing.
- Wait 6 months and retest.
- Try something.
By this time, we had fallen in love with this little girl and were determined to give her the best life possible. We didn’t consider the first two options for long. M---- has often said that had we done nothing, she probably wouldn’t be here today.
During those first few weeks, I cried a lot. I couldn’t talk about Chiana because I didn’t know what the future held. It all seemed so bleak and, at times, hopeless. FeLV felt like a certain early death sentence for the kitten I loved so much. Eventually, I stopped crying and found a new calling: helping her live.
--Please note that the following information is now hindsight, and it’s difficult to recall all the details.--
Early on, M---- thought Virbagen® was the best treatment option. He discovered this drug through a Google search and by reviewing PubMed studies on FeLV. It’s a treatment option in the EU with a success rate of 20-30%. At the time, M---- believed it was better than nothing.
The drug requires a vet’s prescription and is administered in a series of shots. In his effort to find a way to get the drug in the United States, M---- came across the website Bud's FIV Therapy (http://www.fivtherapy.com/index.htm) and contacted the owner. The owner responded quickly and provided M---- with the pharmacy website, which is only accessible to vets. Please note that this vet supply business is located in the UK: https://abbeyvet-export.co.uk/
The process would work as follows:
- Our vet would obtain a quote from Abbeyvet for the drug.
- Once the quote was approved, the drug would be shipped (keeping it cold) via USPS from the UK to the vet in the USA.
- The drug would be given to the cat via a series of injections, possibly as a one-time treatment.
--Please note, we have more emails and details about this process available upon request.--
Would it work for Chiana? We didn’t know. At that time, our vet was willing to go through the process of obtaining the drug and had even registered with the drug company. We were ready to try this treatment. We had considered other options, including Retromad1, but deemed the studies unreliable.
While my husband turned to Google for help, I turned to Facebook for support. As a self-admitted addict, I tend to immerse myself in groups related to causes I care about. My search for help led me to the Owners of FeLV+ / FIV+ Cats group. I immediately joined that group and a few others with similar titles. I searched the group files for studies on the illness and downloaded many for my husband to review. Somehow, in the Owners of FeLV+ / FIV+ Cats group, I found P----’s detailed story. The owner shared her experience using raltegravir to treat the illness. In her story, she mentioned they hadn’t tested P---- before starting the drug. She admitted wishing she had. This turned out to be an important detail I remembered later on.
At that point, M---- hadn’t heard of raltegravir but quickly started researching it. He found one study and one paper on the drug, which intrigued him. We were also able to contact P----’s owner, and she responded when she could about dosage questions.
Raltegravir, also known as Isentress®, is a human HIV drug available in chewable pediatric and adult versions. It was the first of its kind on the market, and although not authorized for animal use, it isn’t forbidden either. Obtaining the drug requires a vet-written prescription, which can be filled at a regular pharmacy. As of early 2024, no generic version of this drug is available. It tends to be expensive in the USA, though it may be more affordable in Canada.
Fortunately, our vet, though unfamiliar with FeLV cases like ours, respected my husband’s research and was willing to help. He quickly adapted and followed up on how to obtain raltegravir for Chiana. After extensive research, we decided that raltegravir was the best option to treat the illness.
By this time, we decided to have a FeLV Quant RealPCR Test done before starting treatment to assess her FeLV levels. We had no idea what to expect. We had her blood drawn and sent to the lab. Later that same day, we started Chiana on 25 mg of the pediatric version of raltegravir. Why the pediatric version, and why that dose?
The pediatric version, although harder to find and more expensive, came in chewable 100 mg pills, which were easier to split and more palatable for Chiana. Our theory was that it was easier to cut the pill into four pieces, making the 25 mg dose the lowest and easiest to give her. We also considered the cost of the drug. Since we didn’t know her levels, we figured we could start low and increase the dose as needed. Starting with a higher dose left us wondering: Could we have started lower and achieved the same FeLV results? We also didn’t know if there would be any side effects or how she would handle the drug. That’s how we arrived at the dose we chose. My husband decided to give her the drug every morning. Although not a fan of the pill, she takes it pretty well, which makes it easier for all of us.
