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Feline Leukemia (FeLV) Virus Natural Treatment - Success Story
By
Karen L. Scheel |
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One cool September evening in 2003 a group of boys were walking through Fairmount Park on their way to their friend's house. With approximately a little more than half a mile to go, they noticed a kitten had picked up on their trail and was slowing lagging behind. But they didn't think much about it at that time. Later that evening when the boys exited their friend's home, they saw a kitten lying on the ground and walked over to inspect it. The One boy's Mother came to the scene and after noting the kitten's very depleted condition she offered it some food and water. It was quite late and she didn't know what to do. She had an older cat living with her and would not bring this sick kitten into her home so it was left outside. When the Mother awakened the next morning she saw that the kitten had not moved from where it had been left. She offered it more food with a little antibiotic meant for humans added. (Note: this is not something that should be done and can actually kill an animal.)
Upon my arrival to visit with my friend later that afternoon, I was told about this kitten and how it could not walk and lay dying in the grass. We walked over to the kitten and there in the grass lay some breathing bones covered with fur. It was a very sad sight. I stooped down to greet the little one and stroked the top of its head with my fingertips, as this was the only area that seemed clean and was the only area I would touch. It was quite clear that this kitten was extremely ill. In addition to being starved, it also had a very bad cold and was wheezing, sneezing and coughing. The eyes and nose were caked with dried mucous. One eye was completely closed shut and the other barely open. As we were walking back towards my friend's house we were discussing what should or could be done. In my mind there was no way and I was rapidly talking myself out of even thinking about bringing this kitten home with me because I also had an older cat of 15 plus years and would not jeopardize his health. As I was relaying this fact, I heard my friend say "Oh my God Karen, it's walking". I turned my head to see this little tiny thing coming towards us and remember thinking "uh-oh". My friend slowed her pace a bit but i didn't. This kitten seemed to be on a mission! It completely ignored my friend who had bent down to speak to the kitten when it had reached her side. It trotted right by her and seemed to be coming right for my heels, which my friend so kindly pointed out. My friend commented that she could not believe how this kitten was latching onto me when she had been the one that had fed and given it water etc. I laughed and told her "Nice try but that ploy won't work". Not to mention, I was hoping this wasn't the case! As a way to test my friend's theory, I went out of my way to walk around my vehicle and sure enough this crying little kitten followed me. It was a very determined creature no doubt and even tried to follow me into the house. My friend continued to talk about the kitten and claimed she was not sure what she should or could do. One thing was certain, this kitten clearly needed shelter and I suggested that she could bring it into her very large house and isolate it in one of the many unused rooms so that she could care for it, or she could call a vet or an animal rescue service, which finally ended the discussion. We then went on to have a nice catch up visit and shortly after dusk I was ready to head home. Turns out the kitten sat waiting under my vehicle and as soon as it heard my voice it moved into action. I stood looking down at this little crying baby who stood looking up at me and could almost hear it saying "please take me with you". Needless to say, the kitten left with me and it was a good thing too, because some very strong weather with flooding moved in later and this little one would not have survived had it been left outside for another night.
On the way home I was weighing the options. Due to the late hour it was a given that the kitten would be spending at least one night with me but not in my small house. There were no doors and there was no room that could be used for isolation. Therefore, the kitten would stay in the studio, which is another building located on the property and we would see what the following day brought because I wasn't sure if s/he would even make it through the night. I made a soft bed with towels and a blanket, turned the heat up, provided food with a little colloidal silver (natural antibiotic) added, some water and tucked the kitten in. The next morning I walked over to the studio and was not sure what I would find. As it turned out, this little one was still very much alive. 'She' was still very weak but also seemed a little bit stronger too. I sat with her and began to talk to her about her condition and told her that I would do what I could to help her. Came back to my house and prepared her breakfast with more colloidal silver added. As she was eating, I heard her coughing and then saw mucous begin to pour from her eyes and nose. She was in trouble and I was in over my head and took her to a local animal hospital immediately.
Fluids for dehydration were administered right away and then various tests were performed. Approximately 3 ½ hours and $350.00 later the results were in. She was between 3-4 months old, weighed right around 3 pounds, had mange, worms, walking pneumonia, herpes, an eye infection, and feline leukemia (FeLV) on top of it all. The bottom line - the kitten was given a few days at most to live. My heart sunk when this news was relayed. I stood looking down at this little one who was staring off into space. I began to think about the amount of energy she had expended and how she could barely see but had willed herself to walk a little more than half a mile and then collapsed on the ground and didn't move again until I showed up late the next afternoon. It almost seemed like she was conserving what little strength she did have for my arrival and then she seemed to beg me to take her with me. I honestly didn't get that an animal would fight that hard or walk that distance if it was not going to live. I decided to give her a chance and would research and try any and everything I could to help her regain her health. The vet gave me the bill with a few bottles of medication and wished me luck. On the way home I spoke with the kitten about her condition and told her that I would do my very best but ultimately it was all up to her. Aside from the leukemia, most of her other conditions would be fairly easy to treat but this little one was already very depleted and the vet's assessment had not offered much hope. The first thing that came through was to give this kitten a name. I knew she needed to have a strong one that would serve to help her. 'Fairmount' was the abbreviation for 'Fair Mountain'. Mountains are strong and rugged and this little one definitely could use some fairness. Additionally, Fairmount Park is where she had lived and it seemed that this Fair Mountain had given her the strength to make one final walk so that she would be in my path. Therefore, this was an appropriate name for her to carry.
Once we were home Fairmount was taken back to her room and I hit the computer to begin researching. I didn't know all that much about FeLV and learned that the big factor with the disease is that it causes severe "immunosuppression", which is a weakened immune system. This information clearly indicated that her immune system needed to be supported and strengthened, which meant all normal drugs including vaccines should be avoided because this would produce the opposite effect and further weaken her system. There were many articles relating to the more traditional therapies employed but not much in the way of a natural treatments. However, I did find one article that relayed the benefits of pureed liver and how cats with FeLV craved the enzymes etc. This article was a light bulb moment for me. Several years earlier I had maintained a small practice as a medicinal cook for a few that had various conditions and well knew the medicinal value of food. Additionally, I also knew of a woman that once had leukemia who was given approximately 6 months to live 25 plus years ago. Therefore, I decided to attack all of Fairmount's symptoms aggressively with food and herbs, along with some energy healing. All of which would have to be scaled down proportionate to her size/weight.
It is important to note that even though I believe organic whole foods are the best way to go and all of my animals have been subjected to my beliefs, I have always used the highest quality pet food I could locate as a base. Another factor for consideration is that meat byproducts of any kind along with added preservatives are not good for healthy animals and definitely should not be given to an animal that is ill. Therefore, my animals were fed food made by "Pet Guard", which is a company that has FDA approval for human consumption. Additionally and for those that tend towards organic foods, the small cans are the ones to purchase.
The following is the first phase of Fairmount's treatment and the photograph reflects approximately one month of treatment.
In addition to constantly asking the spiritual realms and Fairmount for help, I relied heavily on trusting my intuition (what came through me in the way of thought/feeling) when it came to how to proceed, what to feed and how much to administer on any given day. What follows are the approximate dosage ranges employed.
Foods
* Pet Guard - 1/2 can 2 x per day.
* Fresh Daikon Root - 1/3 teaspoon grated to dispel excessive mucous. 1 serving per day.
* Aduki Beans and Juice - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of mashed beans with 1 tablespoon of juice. 3-4 x per week to support and strengthen the kidneys/bladder during toxin release.
* Short Grain Brown Rice - 2 to 3 tablespoons to stabilize system, and also treat constipation and/or diarrhea.
* Fresh Kale - small amount slightly blanched and finely chopped. 1 serving per day.
* Carrots - small amount either grated raw or cooked and then finely chopped. If juiced - 1 tablespoon juice with 1-2 teaspoons of pulp. 1 serving per day.
* Pureed liver - 1-2 tablespoons mixed into food or a small bowl between meals with as much as she would eat. High source of protein and enzymes.
* Raw egg yolk - High source of protein. 2x per week.
* Organic Whole Chicken Boiled - Meat with marrow extracted from bones. 2-3x per week.
Herbs
*Fresh Ginger - 2 to 3 drops to rev up circulation. 1x per day.
*Fresh Garlic - 1/4 to 1/2 clove finely minced for parasites. 1x per day
*Flax Seeds - 1/3 teaspoon for skin and coat. 1x per day.
Natural Antibiotic to replace traditional antibiotic
*Colloidal Silver - 1/2 teaspoon internally 2-3x per day. 1/4 teaspoon 2x per day after improvement. 1/8 teaspoon 1x per day thereafter. Also used as an eye wash to treat eye infection.
*Powdered Calcium Ascorbate Vitamin C - 1000 to 1500 mg per day to start. 500 mg per day after improvement. 250 mg per day thereafter.
Herb Tinctures
*Burdock Root - 2 to 4 drops to purify blood system. 3-4x per week.
*Echinacea Golden Seal - 2 to 3 drops to strengthen immune system. 2-3x per week.
Fairmount was given a few days to rest and gain some strength before she was given her first bath with some of my own personal organic shampoo to clean her up. Thereafter, she underwent 4 additional baths for 4 days in a row with one gallon of boiled lemon water added to treat the mange. The bathtub was filled with just enough water to cover her feet and no more than half of her legs. After the initial 4 baths, she received daily lemon water sponge baths in my lap until the mange and itching was under control (approximately 10 days).
Homeopathic Remedies
*Sulphur 30 C - for skin, mange and herpes. 10-14 day treatment. 3-4 pellets 3x per day for approximately 5 days. 1x per day thereafter.
*Sulphur 6x (animal strength) 3 pellets 1x per day. Administered as a precaution for approximately 6 additional days once mange was under control.
She received daily healing sessions 2x per day - first thing in the morning and last thing at night. The initial sessions lasted as long as they did for an adult. This was not the norm because animals usually require much less healing energy. However, Fairmount was at death's door so I was willing to work for as long as the energy continued to flow through me. Approximately one week after our healing work began and during one healing session, her body began to shake uncontrollably. I thought for sure she was dying in my lap and began to pray. Within a few minutes she began sneezing and I became very concerned and placed her on the floor to watch her. After the sneezing she stretched, walked over to her food and began to eat. I sat watching her and after she was finished eating I asked, "Are you OK?" She walked over to me to receive some stroking and then walked over and curled up on her bed. I went to her and stroked and spoke with her before leaving her there for the night. Needless to say, the healing session played out over and over in my mind and I didn't sleep well that night. After tossing and turning for a few hours I got out of bed, bundled myself up and walked over to the studio to check on her. I was very happy to see that she was still alive. The next morning I prepared her breakfast and the lemon water for her bath and walked over to the studio. Much to my surprise she was at the door waiting for me and seemed to have much more energy. During our healing session that morning I noticed that the wheezing heard and felt in her chest was greatly reduced. I began to realize that the trembling she had gone through the night before was very similar to what some of my human clients go through when we get into deep release work. The term I use to describe this in relation to humans is "the healing shivers' and this must have been what Fairmount went through as well. This session the night before had been our turning point and the walking pneumonia's hold had been broken. At this point I felt much more confidant and knew we were in fact on the road to recovery.
Around week 6 of treatment, the last of my 3 animal companions of 15 plus years suddenly became ill. My cat Asher was dying and he required my undivided attention for 4 days so my visits with Fairmount were cut very short. I pretty much delivered her food and left. After Asher's death, I really didn't want to be around any animals but could not ignore Fairmount. She was given the essentials but my time along with the hands on healing work decreased. While mourning the loss of my last animal companion who had a heart condition and was fated to go years earlier but had outlived them all, it began to occur to me that he may have opted to depart so that I could move Fairmount into our home. It was cold outside and going back and forth to the studio was taking a toll. However, I had no plans of keeping this kitten. My only intention was to help her regain her health and if successful then my plan was to locate a good home for her - ha! The thought of one that I greatly loved possibly opting to leave early so this new one could move into his home kind of pissed me off and I remember thinking "No way is she ever moving in here!" Fairmount moved in 3 days later and within a relatively short amount of time our relationship began to blossom. She definitely eased my loss with her very great personality. It was like she had always been living here and knew what the routine with the others had been. She absolutely loved to give me baths and I remember the first time she discovered my eyebrows. I awakened to a sandpaper tongue that hurts after about the third pass and opened my eyes to see her face right there within half an inch of mine. Seeing her face that up close and personal first thing in the morning definitely made me jump!
As time progressed she became stronger and I began to cut back on some of the supplements and eliminated others when she stopped eating the pureed liver, which indicated that she no longer needed everything that had been coming into her. Due to her depleted state initially and after an approximate age was determined and if she lived, I had believed that she probably would not come into season around the usual 6 months of age and thought this may have been delayed. Wrong! Contrary to what I thought and wanted, she did not wait. Her first season hit in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve and she screamed the house down. I did not realize she was in heat and thought she was in pain. It wasn't until the next day that I realized she was very fine. I had also mistakenly believed that cats came into season every 6 months so this would be the first and last time I would have to go through this. Wrong again! In January she came into her second season and it was then that I learned that cats come into season every month. Needless to say, there was absolutely no way I would live with several days of monthly screaming sessions until the spring. Our local vet was contacted but unfortunately he would not spay her without giving her a rabies, and distemper shot. I tried to appeal to his better nature and explained that these cats had special needs and giving her these shots could cause a set back and/or kill her. He understood this but his position was firm and we were locked in a stalemate. As per his suggestion, I contacted the initial hospital where she had been taken because they had not required any shots to work with her. Much to my surprise and even with recent testing results on file, they expressed concern about the possibility of rabies, distemper or some other infectious disease. I reminded them of the fact that they didn't seem to have a problem in collecting a large amount of money when I initially brought what was a stray into their office. I also pointed out that contrary to their death sentence this stray was still very much alive and getting stronger every day. Nor had this stray set one foot on the ground outside or come in contact with any other animals. My words fell on deaf ears and they refused to spay her without shooting her up with their drugs first.
The end result had me taking Fairmount to a holistic vet located almost 2 hours away where she would receive the kind of care she required but it was not at all cheap. After the appointment for February was arranged and the approximate cost given, I hung the phone up and sat there basically in shock thinking about the amount of money I would be spending. I thought about the previous bill and how this little stray kitty was costing me more in medical bills than all of my animals and me combined in the last 25 years. I turned to see Fairmount in the middle of giving herself a bath. She was informed right then and there that she better not have any plans of checking out on that table and she better give me my investment back and live for very many years to come!
The morning had come and Fairmount was driven to the vet where she remained for 48 hours. I was a bit nervous about leaving her and more so about the procedure itself. Coming into season at her normal time was a good sign and reflected that she was healthy but I would have preferred waiting before having her undergo such and invasive procedure. I was assured that her system would be very supported from administering a mild does of anesthesia to receiving an acupuncture session directly after regaining consciousness. She would also be retested for leukemia and all of the other conditions. It was hard leaving her and I remained in constant mental communication with her letting her know I would be returning for her and that she had to stay strong. The vet provided constant updates and called me directly after the procedure to let me know all had gone well and then again after Fairmount regained consciousness. What was becoming very clear with each new call is that the vet was falling in love with Fairmount, which had me feeling relieved. I went to pick her up and she was as happy to see me as I was to see her. I noted the way she and the vet interacted and could see that she liked her vet very much. The vet reached for her chart and began to go over the test results. Fairmount was symptom free but still tested positive for leukemia. However, all other conditions had healed, which was good news and meant that it was now time to focus exclusively on the leukemia.
The second phase of healing
In addition to maintaining the following foods, additional supplements suggested by her vet were included. Her feeding was reduced to 1 time per day with 1-2 days of fasting each week. Fasting gives the system a break and stimulates the immune system. Fairmount would also see her vet once every 2 weeks for a form of healing therapy known as the "JMT Technique", which she seemed to like very much. My plan was to have her retested for the leukemia in a few months and compare the actual numbers in the blood work so that I could monitor her progress.
Foods
*Pet Guard - 1/2 can 1 x per day
*Aduki Beans and Juice - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of beans with 1 tablespoon of juice to support and strengthen the kidneys/bladder during toxin release.
*Short Grain Brown Rice - 2 to 3 tablespoons to stabilize system, and also treat constipation and/or diarrhea.
*Fresh Kale - small amount slightly blanched and finely chopped. 1 serving per day.
*Carrots - small amount either grated raw or cooked and then finely chopped. If juiced - 1 tablespoon juice with 1-2 teaspoons of pulp. 1 serving per day.
*Fresh Meat - when it comes through to give this to her.
2x per week
*Acidophilus Yogurt - 1 tablespoon.
*Egg Yolk
Vitamin Supplements - 1x per day
*Liquid Vitamins with high vitamin A content.
*Co-Q 10 - 1/3 of 30 mg capsule.
*Acetylator - 1/2 capsule.
*ProZyme Natural Enzyme -1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day.
Immune system
*Scan - small pinch added to food. 1x per day.
* Powdered Calcium Ascorbate Vitamin C - 250 mg 2x per week. More if needed.
Fairmount made it to her vet for 3 healing sessions before she changed things with her own plan. She developed an aversion to riding in the car and became extremely stressed on our way to the vet for her fourth session. I had initially thought she would mellow out as we drove but we were half way there and she was still screaming. I could see no benefit in taking her in for a healing session when nothing other than reducing her level of stress would be accomplished and even this would probably be canceled out on the way home. Not to mention, stress is a major trigger for this disease and I was not willing to risk her health. I turned the car around and brought her home. To this day, I have no clue whether the leukemia is still active or if it is in remission and/or how long she will live. What I do know from my research is that if a kitten with leukemia survives beyond 2 years then there is a very good chance they will go on to live a full and long life. Fairmount has been with me for almost 5 years now and she knows that she has to give me my investment back, which means I want and am actually expecting to get at least 12 years if not more! However, this choice is entirely up to her.
Author's Bio
Karen L. Scheel, CST, CMT, RMT resides in the Philadelphia area where she works as a spiritual healing channel and teacher. She is the founder of Universal Healing Systems (UHS) and provides training programs in energy healing, meditation and stress management, along with maintaining a small healing practice for adults, children and animals. Karen just recently introduced her first online training program "A Guide to Stress Management & Spiritual Development", which is an excerpt from her UHS Shamanic Healing & Energy Medicine apprenticeship program. For additional information, please visit www.universalhealingsystems.com
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