No owner wants to find out that their cat has tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and/or Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). Today we’re going to discuss FIV.
While this virus is contagious, it does not live long outside of the hosts body and is typically transmitted through deep bite wounds. It is important to realize that the transmission rate is low in multicat households as long as there is no fighting (bite wounds).
It is important for owners to realize that having FIV is not an immediate death sentence for your cat. However, you do have to be very proactive about their healthcare as you would with any immune-compromised individual.
Having a cat-only practice we have numerous long-time patients who are FIV positive and are enjoying or have enjoyed, long healthy lives. Some have passed on due to other old-age related diseases in their mid-teens. Others have gone on to develop cancers in their adult or early senior years. If very ill at the time of diagnosis, being aware of the impact this disease can have on treatment and prognosis is important in making any treatment decisions.
Below you will find links to the American Association of Feline Practitioner’s webite
You will need to copy and paste these links into your browser:
you will find more information specifically targeted towards retroviruses (the kind of virus FIV and FeLV are) and their management.
A summary:
http://www.catvets.com/public/PDFs/PracticeGuidelines/RetrovirusGLS-Summ…
and their full guidelines:
http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/retrovirus-managem…
Visit our Facebook page for a link to another article regarding FIV cats:
https://www.facebook.com/Atlantic-Cat-Hospital-520776717950363/
