In cats what is F.I.V? Can they die of it and what are symptoms?

Question

im thinking of getting a rescue cat that has FIV i need to know more before i decide

The cat has only one eye, also he was beaten or kicked and his bladder ruptured but they have repaired it. Despite that they say hes very friendly and good with kids. He look so cute. i have no other cats i just wouldnt want him to get ill and die young

Answer 1

What is FIV and how does it cause disease?
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

FIV affects the cells of the immune system (white blood cells) killing or damaging them. This causes a gradual decline in the cat's immune function. Early stages of infection may not cause outward signs. The immune system is very important in fighting infections and monitoring the body for cancerous cells and thus FIV–infected cats are at a far greater risk of disease and infection with other viruses, bacteria and other organisms such as Toxoplasma gondii or Haemobartonella felis (a blood borne parasite which causes anaemia).
Long-term management of the FIV-infected cat
Cats infected with FIV should be confined indoors to prevent spread of the virus to other cats in the neighbourhood and to minimise exposure of affected cats to infectious agents carried by other animals. Good nutrition and husbandry are essential to maintain good health in infected cats. These cats should be fed a nutritionally balanced and complete feline diet. Raw meat, eggs and unpasteurised milk should be avoided, because the risk of food-borne bacterial and parasitic infections is greater in immunosuppressed individuals. A programme for routine control of parasites (fleas, ticks, worms) together with a routine vaccination programme should also be maintained. In FIV infection or in other cases where immunosuppression is suspected or proven, there is a potential risk with the use of live vaccines and potentially a risk that these vaccines may on occasion result in the development of clinical disease. While this is likely to be more of a theoretical than a practical risk, nevertheless, where a choice is available, it may be safer to use a killed/sub-unit vaccine rather than a traditional live vaccine.



Cats infected with FIV should receive wellness visits at least semi-annually to promptly detect changes in their health status. Your vet will perform a thorough examination of your cat and concentrate particularly on the mouth, skin, lymph nodes and eyes and record your cat's weight. A blood sample should also be performed yearly to check your cat's blood count. If any illness is detected either by the owner or the veterinary surgeon then supportive therapy should be instituted immediately.

Intact male and female cats should be neutered to reduce the stress associated with mating behaviours and seasons. Neutered animals are less likely to roam outside the house or interact aggressively with their housemates.

Treatment options
To date there is no treatment that has been shown to reverse an established FIV infection.

The main aim of treatment for an FIV-infected cat is to stabilise the patient and maintain a good quality of life. Although not licensed for use in cats, some antiviral medications used in patients with HIV infection (such as azidothymidine, AZT), have provided some improvements in a proportion of FIV-infected cats.

Interferon, a compound that interferes with virus replication, has received a lot of attention recently in the treatment of many viral infections. Recombinant Feline Omega Interferon is the first veterinary interferon available on the European market and has antiviral and immunomodulatory (adjusts the immune response) properties. To date there are no completed scientific studies as to the effectiveness of this product but anecdotally there have been some positive reports of its usefulness in treatment of FIV-infected cats.

Evening primrose oil (550 mg once daily) in mildly affected FIV-positive or asymptomatic cats may produce some improvements such as increases in bodyweight and blood cell counts.

Prompt and effective management of secondary infections is essential in the sick FIV-positive cat. As these cats are immunosuppressed, a much longer course of antibiotics is often required.





Prevention and control

A vaccine for FIV has been licensed in the USA but there is limited data on its efficacy. As the vaccine's function is to produce of antibodies to the virus, the use of FIV vaccination in this country would invalidate most in-house testing kits available to your veterinary surgeon.

If one cat in a household is confirmed to be FIV positive then ideally the FIV infected cat should be isolated or rehomed. However, as the risk of transmission by social contact such as sharing food bowls and mutual grooming is very low, many owners elect to keep the household as it is. It may be helpful to feed cats using separate food bowls as large amounts of virus are present in saliva. Litter trays and food bowls should be disinfected after use to kill the virus. Once outside of the cat's body the virus dies within a few minutes, so infection is not easily carried on clothing or other objects.

Read more at Feline Advisory Board

Answer 2

Whiskercreek copied and pasted beautifully. The only thing I had to add is to have the cat retested in 6 months, then again in a year. False positives do happen, and vaccinated cats can look positive for awhile also. Ask what the numbers were on the FIV test. A vaccinated cat will show a positive result on average of 1:400. If it's only positive on a smaller dilution, then it might not really be positive at all. That's why the retest. I've seen false positives of 1:1000 in vaccinated cats at the vet clinic where I work. We retest at 6 months, and every year afterwards. Most of these cats never have another positive result until we re-vaccinate them for FIV. If you do take this cat, don't get another cat after this one dies until after you have seriously disinfected the house. It's really sad when an animal dies, but to transfer the disease to a healthy animal later because you didn't clean your house, well, thats even rougher.

Answer 3

That poor little guy! How wonderful of you to take him!

At Dr. Jean Hovfe's website she has an article, "Living with FIV" and I am sure you will find that very helpful and reassuring. The web address is: www.littlebigcat.com.

It is not a death sentence for a cat though their lives may be somewhat shortened. Definitely should be indoor cats. Will that be a problem for you with young children?

They should have the best possible nutrition to keep their immune systems healthy. That of course is a raw meat diet which you might hesitate to take on with so many family responsibilities. Dr. Hovfe may have other suggestons on the feeding however, so definitely read her article.

I see you've gotten two opposite opinions from other posters, so read Dr. Hovfe's article. She is, after all, a veterinarian.

Answer 4

It's not cat AIDS, but it does act a lot like AIDS. By that I mean that the subject can have it for a long time and show no symptoms. When it striked, they fail to thrive, sort of waste away. Kittens can get it from their mothers, so even if an animals has been vaccinated for it, it may already be too late. It's very nice of you to adopt a FIV cat, but make sure you have any other cats in the house vaccinated. Call any nearby vets office and they'll be able to answer your questions.

Answer 5

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, basically cat HIV, they have weakened immune systems and will eventually pass on due to complications due to FIV. But if the cat is well cared for, it can live a very happy life for many years.

BUT, FIV can be contagious to other cats! Even if they have been vaccinated! If you already have cats, then no you cannot adopt a cat with FIV. But if you do consider going through with the adoption, you can always adopt more than one cat with FIV.

Answer 6

FIV is the Feline Immunodeficiency virus. It has no outward signs or symptoms. It is highly contagious to other cats, but cannot be transmitted to dogs, humans or any other species.

FIV positive cats, can live long, happy, healthy lives if taken care of properly. In order for that to happen: semi-annual wellness visits to the vet; a balanced, nutritional diet; watching for signs of other illnesses; spaying/neutering; and maintaining your cat's vaccination program.

Answer 7

This poor cat needs a lot of love and care; hope the sick bastard who injured him has a really horrible accident involving 6" nails and his personal bits. The best thing to do is to visit a vet for advice. I believe that once they have the virus, they continue to carry it and pass it to other cats, so he would have to be a 100% indoors cat for the rest of his life, but as he will be spayed, theres no reason you cant just love him rotten!!!, but you need to know what happens if youre visited by another cat owner, so I would ask all the ins and outs; vets are the experts. Very good luck to you both.

Answer 8

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes an infectious disease in domestic cats and cheetahs similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection) in humans. It attacks and weakens the body’s immune system, making the animal susceptible to infections and diseases that don't affect healthy cats. There is neither a cure nor a vaccine for FIV. Though eventually fatal, an FIV-positive cat can live for many years without any signs of illness.
FIV is a lentivirus, a virus that causes slowly developing disease.

Prevalence
FIV occurs worldwide and its prevalence varies geographically. About 1.5% to 3% of cats in the United States are infected with FIV. About 5% of FIV-positive cats also have feline leukemia virus (FeLV).

Risk Factors

Risk factors for FIV include

age,
gender,
illness, and
time spent outdoors.
Older cats are more likely to be infected. The average age of cats with FIV is 5 years at the time of diagnosis.
Aggressive male cats that roam and fight with other cats are more likely to be infected than females and nonaggressive males.

Sick cats are much more likely to have FIV. In the United States, about 15% of all cats that show clinical signs of another disease are also infected with FIV.

Free-roaming cats are more likely to be infected than indoor cats.

Transmission

FIV is transmitted primarily through deep, penetrating bite wounds. A mother cat may transmit the virus to her newborn kittens during gestation, passage through the birth canal, or nursing. FIV can also be transmitted through the transfusion of contaminated blood.

FIV affects only felines. Some of the pathogens (i.e., bacteria, parasites) that cause opportunistic infections in FIV-positive cats may be transmitted from animals to humans and could cause illness in people with compromised immune systems

Answer 9

It is not VERY contagous to other cats. It is transmitted through a deep bite wound. It is not like FeLV, which is extremely contagous.
Like human AIDS, the cats die from infections and conditions from the AIDS. They can live a long time and be pretty problem free. They need to see a vet at least yearly to maintain their health.

Answer 10

some not in any respect coach the indicators till eventually contained ultimately stages. without the blood try it should be demanding to inform. If it became FIV, maximum cats stay lengthy lives with that and also you get a lot of caution beforehand at the same time as the end level comes on. yet FeLV is different, it ought to happen plenty swifter.

Answer 11

it is like our aids virus, symptoms are cold like things, coughing, sneezing and they become very lathargic.

i had a kitten who was born with it, obviously from her mum. i spent a fortune trying to save her but she died at 16 weeks. she was just too weak. the owner of the mother cat didn't tell anyone who bought the kittens they were ill.

the cat your thinking of adopting may lead a normal long life but you must be prepared for vet bills and heartache because it could become very ill at anytime.

good luck , your a star not many people would even consider it. you may be giving this cat his only chance of a life.x