Mary Allen
When a cat moves in, owners take on a particularly great responsibility towards their animal or animals. However, this does not only apply to a healthy and balanced diet with high-quality feed. Playing and cuddling as well as medical care also play a particularly important role in keeping cats.
However, the medical care of the animals does not only mean vaccinations or regular check-ups. It can also happen from time to time that the animals suffer from an illness. The so-called cat aids is widespread. The disease is also known as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV for short.
And that is exactly what this article is about. What exactly is behind this disease, which special features have to be considered and much more information can be found here with us.
FIV – what kind of disease is it
FIV is an infection. This viral disease is also contagious to other cats and occurs in approximately 1.5 percent of cats worldwide. Unfortunately, it spreads throughout the body and weakens the animals’ immune systems, which of course makes them more vulnerable to other diseases. Because of the symptoms, this disease is often confused with FeLV or FIP. Most often, cat aids are transmitted through a cat bite. Although very similar to human HIV, feline AIDS cannot be transmitted to humans, only from cat to cat. Unfortunately, there is still no vaccine that can protect cats from this disease, which of course means that cats who are outdoors in particular can become infected by others. Unfortunately, once infected, this disease cannot be cured.
The transmission of FIV
Most cats contract this virus through a cat bite. If your own cat is bitten by an infected cat, the virus is transmitted via the saliva and thus penetrates the animal’s organism. Furthermore, kittens can also be infected by the mother, although transmission during sexual intercourse is very rare. The disease is mainly transmitted by tomcats during territorial fights, so that your own cat can be affected, even if it is well cared for and socialized. So it plays a role whether the animal was previously perfectly healthy or not. The bite of the strange cat infects both the healthy cats and animals that already have health problems beforehand.
The course of the disease
As soon as the virus has entered the body through the bite of another cat, it now travels through the blood and the lymphatic system to the lymph nodes. This is where the so-called T-lymphocytes are attacked. The infestation of the lymph nodes and T-lymphocytes now gradually progresses until a few weeks or months after the actual FIV infection the animal reacts with fever. This can occur with or without swelling of the lymph nodes. Now the number of white blood cells decreases. Furthermore, the animal increasingly lacks neutrophilic granulocytes. Due to the lack of white blood cells, different bacterial infections can no longer be fought so well. In combination with the lack of lymphocytes of the T-helper type, the complete defense collapses.
Now the affected animals develop signs of an immune deficiency. This is an immune deficiency, which means in plain language that even simple bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi in the environment of the cat pose a health risk. So it often happens that even the normal flora in the cat’s mouth can become dangerous. The result is inflammation of the gums and the entire oral cavity.
Furthermore, it can be observed that the skin can also become inflamed. Wounds now heal much worse than in a healthy cat. Unfortunately, many animals also suffer from respiratory infections, which can often be heard even while breathing. The urinary tract of the animals is now also affected, so that new infections keep appearing here.
From a purely external point of view, you can now also see that affected cats are not doing particularly well. Increased lacrimation and discharge from the nose are now the order of the day. In addition, affected animals lose weight quickly and often appear emaciated and malnourished to other people. The coat is no longer as shiny as it used to be and is also becoming dull and shaggy.
Cats don’t like to eat as much and don’t touch their favorite food anymore. The various diseases finally come back faster and faster and of course also drain the strength of the sick animals, which leads to physical collapse and ultimately to death.
Good to know:
Cats who have FIV also have an increased risk of developing cancer. Changes in the mental state of the animals are not uncommon, as are nervous disorders. It can be observed that some cats suddenly become very aggressive. Miscarriages and anemia, anaemia, are also among the typical symptoms of cat AIDS.
Symptoms at a glance
- gingivitis;
- Fever;
- Lymph nodes are swollen;
- Inflammation of the throat and oral cavity;
- respiratory diseases;
- discharge from the nose;
- eyes water;
- The fur appears dull and shaggy;
- Cats are rapidly losing weight;
- Wounds no longer heal as well or not at all;
- anemia;
- Affected cats may have nervous disorders or become aggressive;
- Animal behavior changes frequently;
- The risk of tumors increases.
The diagnosis of FIV
The diagnosis is of course made by a veterinarian. This can now detect and diagnose FIV through the respective symptoms and the history of the disease as well as based on the antibodies in the blood. Cats that have tested positive for FIV and carry the feline aids virus cannot be cured. At the same time, this also means that they can transmit FIV to other conspecifics throughout their lives.
Cat owners who need an answer quickly should contact doctors who have the so-called rapid tests. Only very rarely is a positive test wrong, but in case of doubt, if, for example, only the blood was tested but the animal otherwise makes a very healthy impression, another blood test can be carried out.
However, cat owners should always wait at least 8 to 12 weeks for this. It can also happen with kittens that the positive test is wrong. This would be the case if the FIV antibodies were transmitted from the mother. These are then broken down by the kittens, which takes about four months. Experts advise that kitten owners should repeat the test after six to eight months. The antibodies can also be detected in the blood about 8 to 12 weeks after infection.
The therapy
There are therapeutic measures that are used in cats. There are different drugs that are supposed to suppress the multiplication of the virus. Furthermore, there are additional means that make life easier for a cat with this virus. A cure, however, is impossible.
However, cat owners have to reckon with high costs for medication and veterinary care. In addition, it is important to ensure that the animals receive a healthy and balanced diet. In addition, it is important to protect the cat from animals with infections so that the risk of infection can be kept as low as possible.
Of course, an affected cat is best kept away from other cats to avoid spreading the disease. If you have several cats in the house who get along very well with each other, there is usually no risk of infection, since, as already mentioned, this is usually transmitted by the bite of a cat.
Prevention or prophylaxis
Cats cannot be protected against this viral disease. So there are no remedies or vaccinations that protect against cat aids. The safest cats are those that only live indoors and cannot go outside.
Conclusion
Cat owners should go straight to the vet if the condition of the animal changes or if you have the feeling that something is wrong with your darling. If several of the symptoms mentioned apply to the animal, a complete blood count should be arranged, because other diseases can also be detected here. If the animal has really been infected with the FIV virus, owners can only do their best to make life with feline AIDS as comfortable as possible for the velvet paw. A healthy diet, medical care, and caution in the event of contagious diseases are the most important things for affected animals. As the cat’s condition is gradually deteriorating, observers should of course also see when it is time to say goodbye, although cats that have tested positive can still have a long life.