If you are the owner of a small cat, you will know very well how adorable and faithful they can be, because they are your pet and a member of your family, you will want to take care of them. However, one of the first things you should know when caring for your pet is all the diseases that it could face and in this way, prevent them as much as possible. If you want to learn more about the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or feline AIDS, don't think about leaving for a moment without first reading this great article.
Feline AIDS
Feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline AIDS, together with feline leukemia, are two of the diseases that most affect all members of the cat population. However, despite the fact that feline AIDS does not currently have a vaccine, the truth is that it can be treated with very good results. Find out very well, give all your support and your love to your cat and above all let your trusted veterinarian start treating it properly.
FIV – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Feline immunodeficiency virus, or also known by its acronym FIV, is a lentivirus that only affects cats. Also, despite the fact that this is the same disease that we can see in humans, the reality is that the virus that causes it is completely different, for this reason, feline AIDS is totally impossible for a human to contract.
The feline immunodeficiency virus directly attacks the entire immune system, gradually destroying the T-lymphocytes, the main consequence of which is that the cat is much more vulnerable to suffering from different infections or less serious diseases. however, in addition to feline AIDS, any disease or infection could lead to death in your cat. This virus is a chronic disease and just at the moment that it affects the cells of the immune system, it begins to damage and destroy them, which over time, causes the progressive deterioration of the entire immune function of the cat.
If feline AIDS is detected at a time when the disease has not advanced much, this can be a completely controllable disease, and as long as good treatment is followed, your little cat will be able to enjoy a very long life and above all, healthy.
Transmission and Contagion of AIDS in Cats
For our cat to be infected with this unfortunate disease, it will only have to have had some contact with the blood, or with the saliva of another infected cat. In the first place, to date there is scientific evidence that feline AIDS is spread through the bite of infected cats, which is why stray cats are the most likely to carry this disease.
Unlike the known disease in the case of humans, to date, it has not been possible to scientifically prove that in the case of felines, AIDS can be spread through sexual intercourse, even if these small cats share the same drinker or feeder. Now, cats that have been infected by the feline immunodeficiency virus can very easily transmit this disease to their offspring during lactation or during pregnancy. Currently there is no exact knowledge of whether hematophagous parasites such as ticks or fleas, can become a means of contagion of this disease.
In the event that your cat has always been in the home, you have nothing to worry about, however, if your cat is not neutered and usually goes out at night, it is best to have him tested for blood to fully corroborate that your cat's health is in order. Always keep in mind that cats are quite territorial felines, therefore, it is very common for them to be in different fights that lead to bites.
Symptoms of Feline AIDS
In the same way that happens in humans, cats can have the immunodeficiency virus for several years without presenting any very characteristic symptoms or until they can detect the disease well. However, despite this characteristic, once the destruction of the T-lymphocytes begins to increasingly weaken the immune capacity of each feline, any type of bacteria or virus that our pets face in their day every day without any kind of problem, they will begin to affect it more and more and cause different disastrous conditions for the health of our feline, and that is when the first symptoms will appear.
The most common and characteristic symptoms of feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV for short, can begin to manifest many months after infection occurs. Among these symptoms we can find some such as:
- Gingivitis
- Mental impairment
- Inflammation of the connective tissue
- progressive weight loss
- Fever
- Stomatitis
- Loss of appetite
- Abortions and fertility problems
- Recurrent infections
- Dull coat
- Diarrhea
In general, the main symptom that manifests itself in this virus is the highly recurrent appearance of different minor illnesses. Therefore, it is very important that you keep a close watch on your cat, and have a good control of the times that he gets sick; In turn, also keep a close watch if your cat gets sick suddenly and has a hard time getting out of that condition, or if it relapses several times over time.
Diagnosis of AIDS in Cats
To have an accurate diagnosis, your trusted veterinarian must take into account each and every one of the symptoms that your cat is showing and all the characteristic symptoms of the feline immunodeficiency virus. However, veterinarians will mainly apply different tests to identify the presence of any of the specific antibodies against feline AIDS.
All these tests can be carried out without any inconvenience in any veterinary clinic, however, on many occasions the results are not 100% accurate, for this reason, it is advisable and quite common that the tests be repeated, or that they be executed much more complete tests in specialized laboratories, as well as using different techniques to isolate the virus.
Treatment for Cats with the Immunodeficiency Virus
The best cure for this horrible virus is prevention; However, despite the fact that the feline immunodeficiency virus does not have any type of vaccine, the reality is that an infected cat can lead a very full and happy life, as long as it is administered the appropriate treatment and on time.
The most advisable thing to do to prevent your cat from becoming infected with the feline AIDS virus is to control all the outlets it has fairly well, and above all, avoid any fight or confrontation with a stray cat at all costs. Also, it is very good that you do different tests at least once a year, especially if you see that he has an injury, cut, or bite when he returns home. In the event that this has not been enough, and your cat has been infected, you should take it to the vet immediately, where they will work thoroughly to strengthen its immune system and also all its defenses.
In turn, there are different microbial drugs on the market that can help a lot to control all the infections or bacteria that are attacking your pet. It is important to always consider that these treatments must be administered on a regular basis, otherwise your pet could have a new relapse with different infections. In turn, there are also anti-inflammatories that will help you a lot to reduce different symptoms of AIDS such as gingivitis or stomatitis.
Although the main treatment is based on different drugs, the diet of cats infected with AIDS plays a crucial role and they must be fed in a very specific way. The most advisable thing for all veterinarians is that they be given a diet with a high caloric content, likewise, cans and all wet food for cats will be your main ally, and also one of the main factors that will help fight with the progressive deterioration of your pet.
You must bear in mind that unfortunately, no treatment acts directly on the feline immunodeficiency virus itself, if your cat is infected, the only thing you can do is help him with different treatments to live a much calmer and more dignified life. Remember that the main objective of the treatment against feline AIDS is to keep at bay all those minor and opportunistic diseases that can be used to attack your cat when its entire immune system is weak.
Life expectancy
The life expectancy of a cat with AIDS is probably one of the main questions of all those owners of infected cats, however, the reality is that predicting the life expectancy of a cat infected with feline immunodeficiency virus is quite complicated, it all depends entirely on how your immune system reacts to all those infections or opportunistic diseases.
When talking about a decent life, it is that a cat infected with feline AIDS can have a life like any other cat, as long as a series of fairly easy care is followed. In turn, even though it may seem that your cat's health is returning to normal, you should always be very alert to different physical aspects, such as weight and body temperature.
One of my cats has AIDS but the others do not
In the event that you have several cats and one of them is infected with feline AIDS, you must bear in mind that if there is no type of physical confrontation, there is really no chance that any of your cats could be infected, always have Keep in mind that feline immunodeficiency virus is only spread through bites. However, the reality is that it is very difficult to control that your cats do not fight each other, for this reason, it is best to completely isolate the cat that is infected, in the same way that you would do if it were any infectious disease. .
My cat has died of AIDS, is it safe to bring a new one?
Without a carrier, really the feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline AIDS, is quite unstable. Therefore, the virus will die in just a few hours; not to mention that you must remember that this virus is only transmitted through the saliva or blood of an infected cat, for this reason, since there is a total absence of a cat with the virus, contagion to a new cat is very little probable. Similarly, as if it were an infectious disease, below you can see a list of recommendations to take different preventive measures:
- First of all, vaccinate your new pet against all the most common infectious diseases.
- Disinfect, or replace all those belongings of the cat that unfortunately died of feline AIDS.
- Thoroughly disinfect all rugs, rugs, or cloth places where your infected cat has been.
Can a cat with AIDS infect me?
No, the feline immunodeficiency virus or feline AIDS is not a zoonotic disease, that is, it cannot be spread to humans under any circumstances, therefore, an infected cat could never infect you even if it bite you Although conceptually it is the same disease that attacks humans, feline AIDS is not the same virus as HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus.
Cat Care with AIDS
If it turns out that your cat is infected with this unfortunate disease, you can take different measures to try that your cat can live a long life, and quite decent. Among all these recommendations we find some such as:
- Submit your pet to deworming with some frequency, both externally and internally.
- Continue with the entire vaccination program previously stipulated.
- Always offer optimal quality food, appetizing, and above all, very nutritious.
- Keep it as long as possible inside your home to prevent it from catching other types of infections.
- Provide a homeopathy for cats as a preventive option against different secondary or minor infections.
Although it is entirely possible that your cat infected with AIDS can live a very long and dignified life, like that of any other feline, the truth is that preventing this disease can be even more difficult than trying to treat it, so to make sure that our cat does not have AIDS, you must completely prohibit him from going out or any contact with the outside.
If you want to learn much more about all the animals throughout the world, do not think for a single moment to leave this page without first having read these three wonderful articles:
How to take care of a 2 month old cat?