Visitor weblog By Dr. Linda Jacobson, President, Ontario Shelter Drugs Affiliation
FIV stands for “feline immunodeficiency virus.” This can be a virus in the identical group as HIV, however it’s particular to the cat household and might’t cross over into individuals or different animals.
There are various misconceptions about FIV, essentially the most excessive one being that each cat with FIV is sick and/or extremely contagious and needs to be euthanized. This isn’t supported by the details, and happily this sort of considering is never encountered today.
Let’s begin with what an preliminary optimistic FIV take a look at means, as a result of this will trigger a whole lot of confusion. The most typical take a look at is a point-of-care speedy take a look at, conceptually much like the COVID speedy antigen take a look at. In contrast to the COVID antigen take a look at, although, it detects antibody, 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 underneath 6 months of age, a optimistic antibody take a look at signifies that the kitten nearly actually obtained these antibodies by consuming milk from its (FIV-positive) mom. These kittens are practically at all times actually FIV-negative, as a result of it’s nearly unparalleled for this specific virus to cross immediately from the mother to the kitten.
If a cat has a optimistic antibody take a look at after 6 months of age, typically they actually do have FIV an infection. FIV is often unfold by means of deep chunk wounds, and is overwhelmingly a illness of grownup cats, particularly sexually energetic males.
One of many first questions adopters ask is, 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, often inside minutes. Simply dwelling with one other cat with FIV, in a traditional dwelling surroundings, doesn’t lead to unfold.1 Even when cats don’t like one another, it’s extraordinarily unlikely that their dislike will outcome within the sort of deep chunk wounds that FIV requires to contaminate one other cat. (That is, after all, assuming that the cats are spayed or neutered. If they’re intact and breeding, that’s one other matter altogether.)
One other query that’s steadily requested is, what does this prognosis imply for me and my cat? Does having FIV imply my cat is sick, or will certainly get sick sooner or later?
There’s excellent news right here, too, however first the dangerous information. Cats with FIV do have the potential to develop immune deficiency, and this will result in continual or uncommon infections. The excellent news is that many cats with FIV won’t ever develop medical immune deficiency.2 In my expertise with shelter cats in Toronto, when cats with FIV do have medical indicators of an infection, it’s sometimes a gentle intermittent chilly, or typically an an infection after a “soiled” surgical procedure like dental extractions. We now have simply not seen the identical sort of illness development that do typically see with feline leukemia virus (a completely totally different virus with some comparable options). And when our FIV-positive cats do get sick with common cat illnesses, they reply effectively to plain remedies.
Do FIV-positive cats make good companions? Nicely, they’re all totally 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 an enormous tom, with massive cheeks, a can-do perspective, and a group of scars from his life open air. Those that are comfy round persons are prone to be cats who have been socialized when younger, and have been later misplaced or deserted. They’ve massive hearts and massive personalities and make great and loving members of the family.
Ought to cats with FIV be managed in a different way from different cats? Probably not. What we wish for all cats is common veterinary visits, to be updated on vaccinations and deworming, and to obtain a high-quality, balanced weight-reduction plan. Good major well being care is especially vital for cats which may have immune deficiency. We additionally advocate that these cats mustn’t have entry to the outside, to restrict their publicity to infectious ailments. Nevertheless, the AAFP (American Affiliation of Feline Practitioners) tips level out that, for cats that shall be extremely careworn with an indoor-only life-style, being allowed open air, together with a working cat placement, will be thought of. This doesn’t pose a danger to different cats they could 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 and die. That is unlikely, as these cats sometimes have a traditional lifespan. In the event that they do develop indicators of FIV immune suppression, it’s as much as every household to determine how they need to proceed. There are just a few drugs which may assist suppress the virus, however the advantages for cats haven’t been confirmed as they’ve been in individuals. We counsel adopters to concentrate on sustaining high quality of life for his or her FIV-positive cats, and that heroics are usually not required, although some households would possibly select to pursue intensive and costly remedies. There needs to be no guilt concerned in saying goodbye after you’ve given an animal an exquisite second likelihood – high quality of life in a loving dwelling.