What Is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus?
Feline immunodeficiency virus-known
as FIV-represents an eventual death sentence for
infected animals. Similar to HIV, the retrovirus
that causes AIDS in humans, FIV destroys a cat's
ability to fight cancerous cells and invading germs.
As the immune system fails, the infected feline
is prone to many secondary and opportunistic diseases.
At present, there is no cure or vaccine for FIV.
Fortunately, FIV is relatively difficult to pass
on from cat to cat. It is mainly transmitted through
the bite of an infected animal. For this reason,
cats who are allowed to roam outdoors are at high
risk, especially older, unneutered males who fight
over territory. One study suggests that about 1
to 2 percent of free-roaming felines in the United
States are infected with FIV. Unlike feline leukemia,
another fatal retroviral infection, FIV is not spread
through casual contact, such as hissing, sneezing,
and sharing food, water and a litterbox.
Symptoms of FIV
Although cats can act as carriers of the disease
without developing clinical signs, it is not known
how long an animal will remain asymptomatic. One
study reports the waiting period could be as long
as 6 years. Felines with FIV may have enlarged lymph
nodes, fever and anemia. There may be weight loss,
diarrhea and infections throughout the body, especially
in the nose and mouth. As the disease progresses,
some cats develop cancer, eye disease or other complications
of the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
If you think your companion feline may have been
exposed to FIV, have your veterinarian test him
immediately. If your cat tests positive but is not
showing any symptoms, ANIMED recommends that
you have a second test administered to confirm the
infection. Kittens under 6 months cannot be accurately
diagnosed, as the test may detect a transient infection
from the mother that the kitten will eventually
shed Although no drug is available that kills the
virus, some veterinarians prescribe alpha interferon
to temporarily improve an animal's appetite and
help fight infection. There are also various treatments-and
temporary cures-for the secondary complications
that infected cats often get.
What to Do with a Cat with Feline FIV
If your cat has FIV, he should be isolated from
healthy cats and kept indoors, for his own safety
as well as for other animals he could come into
contact with. He'll need high-quality food, and
immediate and aggressive treatment should be given
to any secondary infections; it's important to report
any symptom, no matter how small, to your veterinarian.
You may want to seek the advice of a veterinary
nutritionist or specialist in retroviral diseases.
Good management and medical care, along with a stress-free
environment, can provide an infected cat with a
reasonably good quality of life for quite some time
before the disease becomes full-blown. And as there
is no cure for feline immunodeficiency virus, prevention
remains the best medicine. To provide the best protection
against FIV, all companion cats should be kept indoors.
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