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Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a retrovirus closely related to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). FIV is not transmissible to humans. FIV is endemic in domestic cat populations worldwide. The virus doesn’t survive long in the environment and loses its infectivity quickly once outside the host and is susceptible to all disinfectants.

The virus is transmitted through the blood and saliva of infected cats. The most common way for FIV infection to occur is via a bite wound sustained during a cat fight. This allows the saliva of an infected cat to enter the bloodstream of an uninfected cat. The risk of your cat becoming infected can be reduced by decreasing its chance of fighting with other cats. Methods to help reduce fighting include making sure your cat is sterilised and kept indoors at night, or, ideally only allowed outside access into a fully enclosed “cat run”.

The risk of transmission is very low in households with socially well-adapted cats. FIV cannot be spread through sharing feed or water bowls, litter trays or bedding with other cats in the house. Transmission from mother to kittens may occur, especially if the queen is undergoing a recently acquired infection. Infection with FIV is life-long as there is no known cure.

Symptoms

Many infected cats remain generally free of clinical signs for up to several years, and some cats never develop disease. Most clinical signs are due to development of an immune system deficiency and subsequent secondary infection.

Cats that are infected with FIV can have many different clinical signs. Typical manifestations of immune disease include severe gum and dental disease, runny discharges from the nose and eyes, enlarged lymph nodes, weight loss, kidney disease, neurological signs, eye diseases and/or a fever.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is by a specific blood test for antibodies to the FIV virus. This test can be performed at our hospital while you wait. If positive, we will confirm the test at an external laboratory.

Treatment and management

There is currently no known cure for FIV, and therefore treatment is targeted at treating the secondary diseases that arise as a result of the viral infection. Because the immune system of a cat with FIV is suppressed it is important that as soon as he/she shows signs of any illness they are promptly examined by a veterinarian.

Cats should never be euthanased solely on the basis of an FIV-positive test result. Cats infected with FIV may live as long as uninfected cats, with appropriate management. Asymptomatic FIV-infected cats should be neutered to avoid fighting and virus transmission.

Infected cats should receive regular veterinary health checks. We recommend as a minimum twice yearly health checks with one of our vets, in addition to sceening blood tests to detect underlying illness early. FIV positive cats can be housed in the same ward as other patients, but should be kept in individual cages.

Premium diets are recommended to ensure optimum nutrition and it is very important to ensure to maintain excellent preventative health such as regular worming, vaccination and flea control.

It is strongly recommended that you ensure to always keep your FIV positive cat strictly indoors. This prevents exposing your cat to any infectious diseases from other cats, but will also prevent your cat transmitting the FIV virus to your neighbour’s cats. Also, if your cat was a hunter you will be saving your local wildlife.

The most common disease syndrome seen in FIV cats is gingivitis and stomatitis; which means inflammation of the gums and mouth. Excellent dental health care is very important in these patients to prevent pain and a decline in appetite.

Other less common FIV-related diseases include persistent and recurrent upper respiratory infections, neurological disease and certain types of cancers and tumours.

Anti-viral medications: There are a number of anti-viral medications used to treat humans with HIV. There have been some recent reports of success with their use in FIV cats, although there is a risk of some severe side effects including bone marrow suppression, and these drugs are fairly costly to use long term. Before considering anti-viral drugs, we will often perform a blood test to determine the CD+/CD8+ ratio of lymphocytes in the blood.

Prevention

Vaccination is an option that is suitable for some owners to try and prevent their cat becoming infected with FIV. The initial vaccination course involves administering three injections at two weekly intervals (6 weeks in total).  Unfortunately the vaccination only covers for two strains of FIV and offers approximately 82% protection at best. We generally only recommend the FIV vaccination for high risk cats, such as cats that fight despite their owners’ best efforts.

Prognosis

Cats that are diagnosed with FIV early in the course of the disease can often live a relatively full & healthy life; in fact some studies have suggested that cats with FIV are more likely to die from a car accident than from the effects of FIV!

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