Your Animal's Health

Preventing Feline Leukemia

Feline Leukemia is perhaps the most devastating disease of domestic cats. The devastation is significant because the virus is easily transmitted from an infected feline through most body fluids. Fortunately, not all cats succumb to the invading virus; many can carry the virus their entire lives. Though these felines never become symptomatic, they can become carriers of the virus and are capable of transmitting the virus to other susceptible cats. Because of the carrier factor, many veterinarians recommend euthanizing the affected cats.

The Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is categorized as a retrovirus, the same is true of the AIDS virus (HIV). Non-retroviruses such as the Panleukopenia virus infiltrate body cells to replicate. When the new viruses are formed, the cells die and these new viruses seek other cellular havens to invade and continue to divide and multiply. The Feline Leukemia virus differs greatly from most feline viruses in that it is most diabolical. This fiendish organism invades the cells of the immune system, the white blood cells, the primary components of the cell-mediated immune system. Unlike the non-retroviruses, FeLV does not destroy the cells it inhabits. It negotiates with cell's nucleus (which contains DNA), enabling the virus to control the action of the cells and a home to grow and prosper. This retroviral invasion diminishes the replication of white blood cells, specifically, the T-cells, the brain trust of the immume system, or "quarterback", if you will.

Now that the immune system has been weakened, this is an open invitation for other microorganisms to invade the feline body such as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), panleukopenia, upper respiratory infections, infectious feline anemia, etc. Standard veterinary therapeutic protocols do little to eliminate this devastating virus. In many cases, the cat owner spends hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars for unsuccessful conventional therapies; the owner is then minus a cat and is stuck with a large financial deficit.

In 1977, during a routine blood workup on a 1 1/2 year old female Persian, she was found to be positive for FeLV and no display of clinical symptoms for leukemia. The patient was being treated for an unrelated FeLV condition and was administered by one quarter teaspoonful of Mega C Plus daily in her wet food. To evaluate the patient's progress to the vitamin/mineral protocol, a second blood workup was done nine weeks later, and it was noted the once-positive FeLV was now negative. My conventional training told me this had to be a "spontaneous remission"; the "experts" contend a positive FeLV cat cannot be reversed. After some fifty positive cats became negative, the "experts" were wrong. Positive FeLV felines can become negative! Since 1977, hundreds of FeLV positive cats have become negative world wide. Mardi Jacob, Director of Pet Pride Cats of Oregon, a rescue facility in Portland, has reported over a five year period that she reversed 159 cats. To give credence to this accomplishment, the FeLV testing was performed at the diagnostic laboratory at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.

In 1983, the author published a professional paper "An Orthomolecular Approach To The Prevention and Control Of Feline Leukemia." During the 70's and 80's, there was little information in the scientific literature to support the action and effects of vitamins and minerals on retroviruses. This was the author's first attempt to describe his clinical observations. The 90's, however, have brought scores of scientific papers that have supported his findings. These new clinical observations are presented in a new and exciting text book, Alternative and Complementary Veterinary Medicine, published by Mosby and soon to be available to veterinarians.

Many of the felines were afflicted with secondary FeLV effects such as barren queens, miscarriages, fetal resorption, and upper respiratory diseases. While on the Mega C Plus protocol, these conditions were eliminated. The protocol is designed to optimize immune function through nutritional immunotherapy. It is important to understand and remember those cats that become FeLV positive were immunodeficient, the immune system is unable to fend off this "super bug." There are some felines that are borderline; that is they have sufficient immunity to fend off the virus and will test FeLV negative, but when vaccinated with the leukemia vaccine, they test positive for FeLV. Some of these cats become symptomatic and die. It is the author's contention that some cats' immune systems cannot take the added burden of the leukemia vaccine.

Improving immune function nutritionally is not a "quick fix," it will take time. Young felines up to two years of age can turn around within three months. The older the cat the longer it will take to turn around; a five year old that has been infected most of its life may require as long as three years. Some cats that become negative and are removed from the protocol can become positive to FeLV testing. This can occur because the immune function returns to its previous immunodeficient state and can become susceptible to the virus. This immunodeficiency can be genetic, and/or environmental -- which includes diet.

There is a controversy about the leukemia vaccine. One side is in favor of innoculating; the other side contends the vaccine is ineffectual. The author has not been involved in this controversy, it is similar to auguring politics or religion. Nevertheless, cats should be FeLV negative before vaccinating. For this reason, felines who are FeLV positive and it is the desire or intent of the owner to vaccinate, this nutritional immunotherapy protocol can afford you the opportunity to have your cat vaccinated. One question that's asked frequently is, "Will Mega C Plus reverse a feline that has become FeLV positive after being vaccinated?" The vaccine places an added burden on the immune system, thereby creating immunodeficiency. The extent or degree of this deficiency determines whether the reversal is possible.

There is no one vitamin or mineral that is a panacea -- a "cure all." Each nutrient has a specific physiological and biochemical action on the body. When compounded by a knowledgeable professional, one can expect optimum efficacy for the conditions it is designed to treat, prevent, and control -- ie: specific vitamin/mineral combinations for specific pathological conditions.

Mega C Plus was designed and formulated by the author in 1976 and has been incorporated in his small animal practice for the past twenty years. All FeLV positive cats, in his practice, placed on this nutritional protocol have become negative.

Future articles in Your Animal's Health will discuss other conditions that have been successfully treated, prevented and controlled through therapeutic levels of Mega C Plus. Be sure to visit us here at www.belfield.com every month for the latest news.