Feline Aids

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Suzi_S

Suzi_S

Member Since 2015
I'm asking for a friend, does anyone here have experience with a cat with feline aids. The cat is male, not sure of age, he is a stray they adopted. The vet suggested euthanasia. If you need questions answered I can try to get the answers for you. Thank you in advance!!!
 
FIV -Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (or feline aids)- is usually quite treatable and manageable. The biggest drawback is that it is infectious, and may infect any other cats in the household/environment. How did the vet come to this diagnosis?
 
They can potentially live long lives of kept indoors. The only danger is spreading it to other cats.... He will be more prone to infections esp as he ages. It could be years and years before aids really effects his quality of life. I wouldn't put a cat down for it.

I found a home for a stray with both fiv and leukemia.... I couldn't keep him because I had two other cats. He lived at least 10 more years that I know of before I fell out of touch with the people that had him.
 
Thank you for your answers!!!!! I asked her about the diagnosis and I'll get back when she answers me. Also, I believe she has a dog, are they OK together or would it be the same as positive and negative fiv cats?
 
Suzi_S said:
Thank you for your answers!!!!! I asked her about the diagnosis and I'll get back when she answers me. Also, I believe she has a dog, are they OK together or would it be the same as positive and negative fiv cats?
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Sorry - cats on the keyboard, lol. I don't think it would be a problem for the dog, pretty sure he can't get it from the cat. It's most commonly transmitted through a bite; an FIV-positive cat can live all it's life with other cats and not infect them.
 
Hi!
I had 7 rescue cats the I tended to at my grooming shop and 1 was FIV+
They lived in the same space for quite a while and everyone else was negative and all but him and 1 other found great homes. If the FIV cat has low stress and a good diet life expectancy can be very long and good!!
Also I personally would not be vaccinating this kitty .... Another I had did get vaccines and it pushed him toward illness, it was awful....the vet was unaware (a holistic vet) and felt terrible.
I would not euthanize for that reason if it was me. From what I know the transmission mainly comes from a deep bite wound. Normal grooming (I have been told by vets) is not a real risk.
 
Squalliesmom said:
Neither would I. I am kind of surprised the vet recommended it, unless there are other health issues we don't know about.
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Agreed--I thought that was kind of "de bunked" years ago.
I think many vets assume people won't be willing to care for them properly. It still blows my mind that vets suggest euthanasia for FD--even my vet said people won't do what your doing". I think he would be surprised if he gave them the proper tools even if that means sending them to this forum.
 
We took in a stray who tested positive for fiv againt the vet's advice. She wanted us to throw him back to the street. We have 2 other cats then. They live harmoniously together and we added 2 more cats. None of the other cats got infected. He lived a good 11 years with us before his heart stopped last month. The only health condition he had when he was older was slight respiratory problem now and then. I still hear of vets getting all worked up when they see fiv+ cats during consult. Don't understand why.
 
Thank you again for all your input. You guys are amazing! She will ask more questions when she takes him in for his follow up.

I still see people say I should have put Snick down because of the diabetes. She is happy and doing so good. I really need to start posting here again. The only damper with her diabetes is traveling. She simply will not let anyone else but me poke and shoot her.
 
Suzi_S said:
Thank you again for all your input. You guys are amazing! She will ask more questions when she takes him in for his follow up.

I still see people say I should have put Snick down because of the diabetes. She is happy and doing so good. I really need to start posting here again. The only damper with her diabetes is traveling. She simply will not let anyone else but me poke and shoot her.
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I have an FIV+ cat, he lives with 4 other cats. The only way another cat can catch FIV is through a very deep bite wound. My FIV+ cat has lived here for 5 +years and he had FIV when he came here. He had blood work done last week on Monday and his vet said it did not look bad at all. The idea of putting a cat down because they are FIV+ when out the window a long time ago.
 
FIV has different stages unless it has advanced to FAIDS and the kitty already has an extreme secondary infection, I am a little puzzled by the vet's opinion.

Is she sure this kitty was stray all his life? Cats that have been vaccinated will always test positive for FIV - so all my cats would test positive - doesn't mean they are FIV+.
 
Tracey&Jones said:
FIV has different stages unless it has advanced to FAIDS and the kitty already has an extreme secondary infection, I am a little puzzled by the vet's opinion.

Is she sure this kitty was stray all his life? Cats that have been vaccinated will always test positive for FIV - so all my cats would test positive - doesn't mean they are FIV+.
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Wow really I didn't know that
 
Tracey&Jones said:
FIV has different stages unless it has advanced to FAIDS and the kitty already has an extreme secondary infection, I am a little puzzled by the vet's opinion.

Is she sure this kitty was stray all his life? Cats that have been vaccinated will always test positive for FIV - so all my cats would test positive - doesn't mean they are FIV+.
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What vaccination is this? Cos my cats go for the yearly vaccination and they are fiv-.
 
Waheeda said:
What vaccination is this? Cos my cats go for the yearly vaccination and they are fiv-.
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There is a fiv vaccine but as Tracy&jones said, once a cat is inoculated h/she will test + even if not actually fiv+. So, unless that vaccine history is known, the snap test could be detecting either the presence of fiv or the vaccine antibodies. There is a separate confirmatory test that yields more precise info. Information about that confirmatory blood test (how and why that additional info helps) and also the fiv vaccine (its history, data, controversies and drawbacks) is also well-explained in the site and discussed in the group that I mentioned above.
 
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My husband is from the UK and he adopted 2 FIV kitties. They lived good lives. Indoor, active kitties. One was blind (separate illness) but got along like nothing was wrong with him at all. He is still alive living out his life at the ex girlfriends mothers house Mr.Benbumps. Miles the other male became sick with an unknown infection and he went down fast. They can live long happy normal lives.
 
http://www.fivcats.com/FIV/fiv_testing.html

From the link:

Testing direct - for the virus
There are other tests that do actually test for the virus, but these are less frequently used, for different reasons.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
The PCR test actually tests for the DNA of the virus itself, so can be used for kittens as well as adults; it can also be used at an earlier stage after infection, as it does not need to wait for the antibodies to form (which can take several weeks). There are not many labs that do the PCR test, so, depending on where you are, it may be difficult to arrange. The main problem with PCR is that it is known to give a high rate of false negatives; reasons are many and complex, but it does mean that it cannot be relied upon to fully eliminate the chance of infection. A positive result from a PCR is however, considered reliable.

One reason for false negatives is that PCR may not detect certain strains of FIV, so if it is used to check whether kittens actually have the virus, it is advisable, if possible, also to test the mother, to ensure the test can identify that particular strain; this will ascertain if a negative result is more or less likely to be reliable.

Virus Isolation
Virus isolation is the most reliable test of all, but it does involve prolonged laboratory work over several weeks, and consequently is realistically only used in research situations.
 
I've had FIV+ fosters and residents. The only consideration I give them, different than any other cats is would they be classified as a giver or receiver. Givers have to be kept as onlyies until I know they won't share their FIV.

I've been taught that even bites may not cause transmition of the disease. The bite has to be place saliva into moving blood, vein or artery.

The FIV+ kitties don't get anything extra or different from the negative kitties.

I used to take the time to try and educate people about keeping FIV+ kitties with negative kitties. I found it never worked. So, I just tell them straight out what I think. I'll be okay with euthanizing + kitties when we euthanize HIV+ humans. That gets people's brains to stop and then sometimes it's possible to have a conversation. Why it is okay for domestic cats and not okay for humans? We don't round up the game cats that are positive......sometimes it makes a difference and the person sees the + kitty in a different way.
 
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