FIV is a feared viral infectious disease of cats. It causes a slow disruption of immune systems, similarly to human virus called HIV. What is the cause and the progress of this malicious disease and what does its terminal stage look like?
The cause of AIDS of cats is a virus called FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). The virus contains a special enzyme which allows it to integrate within the DNA of the infected feline. That’s why the infection is permanent and it slowly penetrates the whole body.
Mainly outdoor cats are at risk of being infected, most commonly by other cat’s bites or during a fight or sexual intercourse. That’s why male cats which are not neutered are at greater risk. It is even enough to have a long-term contact with an infected cat to be infected.
When FIV gets inside the cat, it starts to reproduce in white blood cells that are responsible for the immune system of the organism. Within several weeks and due to fast reproduction, the cat gets into the stage of an acute infection. This period may last several days or even weeks and it does not have specific symptoms, you don’t even have to notice it sometimes. Sometimes, temperature, apathy, diarrhoeas, swollen lymph nodes or gingivitis occur.
Then, there is a stage of “carrying the virus”. During this stage, the number of the above-mentioned white blood cells reduces and the cat looks healthy at first glance. The presence of the virus can only be detected by analysing a blood sample. This stage might last months to years, it doesn’t even have to shorten the life of a cat if it is young and healthy and they will die sooner due to other causes. A half of them carry the virus even for 4 to 6 years. With kittens, older or weaker cats, the immune system might collapse within 2 months.
The terminal stage of the disease comes when the impairment of the immune system is so extensive that it cannot work properly. The cat starts to lose weight and appetite, it can suffer from higher temperatures and swollen lymph nodes. Gingivitis, anaemia or chronic rhinitis often occur. The condition usually gets worse and worse until the immune system completely fails, it is a situation similar to AIDS. There are chronic infections of skin, urinary tract and air ways. Due to their paralysed immune systems, the cats are more prone to all infections, tumours and even leukaemia. This gradual deterioration of the medical condition may last even years. In the end, the infection influences more organs, the brain is damaged as well and dementia occurs.
You may recognize FIV in your cat mainly because of chronic gingivitis or upper respiratory tract infection. However, it has to be proven with a test. As it is a chronic and incurable disease, there is no treatment. However, we can make the period without symptoms last longer. And particularly with neutering – it does not only reduce the risk of spreading the disease, it also reduces the load of the organism. We can help the cat very much by keeping it at home, preferably isolated from other cats. Regular deworming and high quality food is also very important. It also helps if you reduce the stress level of the cat.
There is a vaccine against this virus abroad but it is not available in the Czech Republic yet. It also reminds me that if you plan to vaccinate a FIV positive cat against common cat diseases, do not forget to ask for an inactivated vaccine.
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