Dr. Niels Pederson and his group from the University of California Davis in 1986 discovered Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV). There are five major subtypes of FIV, and more are emerging. There is a tremendous amount of virus variability within an individual and between individuals. Up to 15% of sick cats are positive for FIV or Feline Leukemia Virus. Male cats are most often infected. Bite wounds are considered to the primary mode of transmission. Vertical transmission (transmission from mother to kitten) may also occur. The American Association of Feline Practitioners 2001 Guidelines recommend knowing the FeLV/FIV status of all cats. There is no cure for this disease, but proper management will allow most cats to live with the disease for years. Life style changes include providing a stress-free environment, keeping the cat indoors to decrease the risk of secondary disease and to prevent the spread of the virus, proper nutrition, and regular check ups. Prevention of infection can only be accomplished by preventing exposure to infected cats. Annual FIV testing of at-risk cats (indoor/outdoor) throughout their lifetimes will help prevent the spread of the virus. All new additions to a household should be tested prior to coming in contact with resident cats. Below are three real cases that demonstrate the many faces of FIV.
Sammy is a 6 year old male castrated DSH cat. He exhibits the most common clinical manifestation of FIV: severe dental disease. He presented for pawing at the inside of his mouth. Routine dental care is a must for all FIV positive cats.
Emma was a precious DSH kitten adopted at about 6 weeks of age. She tested positive for FIV antibodies at this time. It is known that maternal antibodies (antibodies received from the infected mother) may persist in the kitten up to 6 months. Therefore, it is impossible to determine if the kitten herself is infected. She tested positive on 2 subsequent tests. Early on, Emma had intermittent diarrhea. Eventually, the diarrhea resolved and Emma thrived. At 15 months of age, she became listless, anemic and was running a high fever. She had a mass under the tongue. Despite aggressive treatment, her condition continued to deteriorate. A rapidly growing mass behind her eye was suspected. Three weeks later, she lost the battle to survive the virus. Even though her life was short, she deeply touched the lives of her family and is dearly missed. Emma demonstrated the uncommon vertical transmission of the virus. One other littermate was also infected.
Con was a stray orange adult male DSH that "conned" his way into the lives of a feline naive couple. They brought him in to see me. They knew nothing about cats, but Con was a great teacher. Unfortunately, I had to inform them that Con was FIV positive. The virus had just been identified 6 years previously. The veterinary profession still had a lot to learn and understand about this virus. The couple decided that Con deserved a chance. For the next 8 years, he thrived. He was examined every 6 months and received routine dental care. Most importantly, he became an indoor cat. Con was a once in a lifetime cat. I had to keep reminding his people that he was very special and was spoiling them. Finally, Con began to slow down and was slowly losing weight. He also developed chronic ear problems. We had no idea how old he was, and we hoped he was just showing his age. He may have been suffering from the recently described wasting syndrome seen in some cats that have been infected at least 10 years. Eventually, he developed tumors in his chest. Con was a favorite at Kingstowne Cat Clinic. He boarded with us on a regular basis and came in monthly for nail trims. He turned his family on to the joys of being owned by a cat. We all thought he would live forever. He is missed by all who knew him. I'm sure he is in Kitty Heaven purring and making "happy feet".
The lesson to be learned is that this is a preventable disease! By routinely testing and confining positive cats to the indoors, we can slow the spread of this virus and possibly send it into extinction.
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