FIV stands for “feline immunodeficiency virus.” It is a virus in the identical group as HIV, however it’s particular to the cat household and may’t cross over into folks or different animals.
There are a lot of misconceptions about FIV, essentially the most excessive one being that each cat with FIV is sick and/or extremely contagious and ought to be euthanized. This isn’t supported by details.
What does a FIV-positive check imply?
Let’s begin with what an preliminary constructive FIV check means, as a result of this may trigger quite a lot of confusion. The most typical check is a point-of-care speedy check, conceptually just like the COVID speedy antigen check. In contrast to the COVID antigen check, although, it detects antibodies, a footprint of the immune response to the virus, and never traces of the virus itself. That is vital as a result of, in a kitten below 6 months of age, a constructive antibody check implies that the kitten virtually actually obtained these antibodies by consuming milk from its (FIV-positive) mom. These kittens are practically all the time actually FIV-negative as a result of it’s virtually unprecedented for this explicit virus to cross instantly from the mother to the kitten. A check at 6 months of age or older may help affirm this.
If a cat has a constructive antibody check after 6 months of age, typically they actually do have FIV an infection. FIV is normally unfold by means of deep chew wounds, and is a illness discovered principally in grownup cats, particularly sexually lively males.
Will this cat give FIV to my different cat(s)?
The reply is not any. FIV can’t unfold simply. The virus dies in a short time outdoors the cat’s physique, normally inside minutes. Simply dwelling with one other cat with FIV, in a standard residence setting, doesn’t lead to unfold. Even when cats don’t like one another, it’s extraordinarily unlikely that their dislike will consequence within the sort of deep chew wounds that FIV requires to contaminate one other cat. (That is, in fact, assuming that the cats are spayed or neutered. If they’re intact and breeding, that’s one other matter altogether.)
What does this analysis imply for me and my cat? Does having FIV imply my cat is sick, or will certainly get sick in some unspecified time in the future?
Cats with FIV do have the potential to develop immune deficiency, and this may result in persistent or uncommon infections. The excellent news is that many cats with FIV won’t ever develop scientific immune deficiency. In my expertise with shelter cats in Toronto, when cats with FIV do have scientific indicators of an infection, it’s usually a light intermittent chilly, or generally a light an infection after a “soiled” surgical procedure like dental extractions. We have now simply not seen the identical sort of illness development that we generally see with feline leukemia virus (a completely completely different virus with some related options). And when our FIV-positive cats do get sick with common cat illnesses, they reply effectively to plain therapies.
Do FIV-positive cats make good companions?
Effectively, they’re all completely different, so there’s nobody reply. That mentioned, there actually is a “sort” that we within the sheltering world all know and love. The “typical” FIV-positive cat is a giant tom, with large cheeks, a can-do angle, and a group of scars from his life outdoor. Those that are comfy round individuals are more likely to be cats who had been socialized when younger and had been later misplaced or deserted. They’ve large hearts and large personalities and make fantastic, loving members of the family.
Ought to cats with FIV be managed in a different way from different cats?
Not likely. What we would like for all cats is common veterinary visits, to be updated on vaccinations and deworming, and to obtain a high-quality, balanced food regimen. Uncooked meals diets are extremely discouraged for FIV cats as a consequence of their greater pathogen load. Good major well being care is especially vital for cats that may have immune deficiency. We additionally advocate that these cats shouldn’t have entry to the outside to restrict their publicity to infectious illnesses. Nevertheless, the AAFP (American Affiliation of Feline Practitioners) pointers level out that, for cats that will probably be extremely burdened with an indoor-only life-style, being allowed outdoor, together with a working cat placement, could be thought of. This doesn’t pose a danger to different cats they might encounter – once more assuming they’re first spayed or neutered to stop high-risk behaviours.
Adopters might fear {that a} FIV-positive cat will quickly get sick. That is unlikely, as these cats usually have a standard lifespan. In the event that they do develop indicators of FIV immune suppression, it’s as much as every household to resolve how they need to proceed. There are a couple of drugs that may assist suppress the virus, however the advantages for cats haven’t been confirmed as they’ve been in folks. We counsel adopters to concentrate on sustaining a great high quality of life for his or her FIV-positive cats. All cats, even these with a FIV-positive analysis, deserve a second probability in a loving residence.
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