Content
- FIV - The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
- Feline AIDS transmission and contagion
- Feline AIDS Symptoms
- Treatment for cats with immunodeficiency
- What else should I know about feline AIDS?
If you have a cat, you know that these pets are very special. As pets, felines are faithful companions and it is necessary to know the diseases they may suffer from in order to prevent and treat them, protecting your cat and yourself.
THE cats aids, also known as Feline Immunodeficiency, is one that most affects the cat population, as well as feline leukemia. However, although there is no vaccine, the disease can be effectively treated. Take care and pamper your animal, don't be scared and know the details of this disease, the ways of contagion, symptoms and treatment for feline AIDS in this article by PeritoAnimal.
FIV - The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Known by the acronym FIV, the feline immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that only attacks cats. Although it is the same disease that affects humans, it is produced by a different virus. feline AIDS cannot be transmitted to people.
IVF directly attacks the immune system, destroying the T-lymphocytes, which leaves the animal vulnerable to other diseases or infections that are less important but, with this disease, can be deadly.
Detected early, feline AIDS is a disease that can be controlled. An infected cat who says the proper treatment can have a long and dignified life.
Feline AIDS transmission and contagion
For your pet to be infected, it is necessary to come in contact with saliva or blood from another infected cat. THE Feline AIDS is mainly transmitted through bites from an infected cat to a healthy one. Thus, stray cats have a greater predisposition to carry the virus.
Unlike the disease in humans, there is no evidence that feline ais is transmitted sexually, during the gestation of an infected mother or even in the sharing of drinking fountains and feeders between pets.
If your cat is always at home, there is nothing to worry about. However, if you are not neutered and go out at night, it is best to have a blood test to check that everything is fine. Don't forget that cats are territorial animals, which can cause some biting lures.
Feline AIDS Symptoms
As with humans, a cat infected with the AIDS virus can live for years without showing characteristic symptoms or until the disease is detected,
However, when the destruction of T-lymphocytes begins to impair the ability of the feline immune system, small bacteria and viruses that our animals face daily without problems can begin to harm the pet's health. That's when the first symptoms appear.
Symptoms of AIDS in Cats most common and that may appear months after infection include:
- Fever
- loss of appetite
- Dull coat
- Gingivitis
- Stomatitis
- recurrent infections
- Diarrhea
- Connective tissue inflammation
- progressive weight loss
- Miscarriages and Fertility Problems
- mental deterioration
In general, the main symptom of a cat with AIDS is the appearance of recurrent illnesses. Therefore, it is important to watch the sudden onset of common diseases that are slow to disappear or if the cat has constant relapses into health problems that seem unimportant.
Treatment for cats with immunodeficiency
The best cure is prevention. However, although there is no vaccine for immunodeficiency disease in cats, an infected pet can have a happy life with proper care.
To prevent your cat from becoming infected with the AIDS virus, try to control your outings and fights with stray cats, as well as having a monthly checkup once a year (or more, if you come home with any kind of bite or wound). If this is not enough and your cat is infected, you should work on the strengthening of defenses and the immune system.
There are antimicrobial drugs that can help control infections or bacteria that attack the animal. It is important to keep in mind that these treatments must be done constantly, otherwise your feline friend may gain new infections. There are also anti-inflammatory drugs that help control infections like gingivitis and stomatitis.
In addition to medication, feeding cats with AIDS must be special. It is recommended that the diet has a high caloric content, and cans and wet food are the perfect ally to fight the debilitation of the infected animal.
No treatment acts directly on IVF itself. What you can do to help your pet and give him a decent life is to ward off all the opportunistic diseases that can attack him while his immune system is weakened.
What else should I know about feline AIDS?
Hope of life: It is important to bear in mind that the average life expectancy of a cat with feline AIDS is not easy to predict. It all depends on how your immune system responds to the onslaught of opportunistic diseases. When we talk about a dignified life, we are talking about a pet with feline AIDS that can live with dignity with a series of minimal care. Even if your health seems to be good, the tutor should be very attentive to aspects such as the cat's weight and fever.
One of my cats has AIDS but the others don't: If cats don't fight each other, there is no chance of contagion. Feline AIDS is only transmitted through bites. However, as this is a difficult aspect to control, we recommend that you isolate the infected cat, as if it were any infectious disease.
My cat died of AIDS. Is it safe to adopt another?: Without the carrier, FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) is very unstable and does not survive for more than a few hours. Furthermore, feline AIDS is only transmitted through saliva and blood. Therefore, without an infected cat that bites, contagion from a new pet is highly unlikely.
Anyway, like any other infectious disease, we recommend some prevention measures:
- Disinfect or replace all belongings of the cat that died
- Disinfect rugs and carpets
- Vaccinate the new pet against the most common infectious diseases
Can a cat with AIDS infect me?: No, the feline is not transmissible to humans. A cat infected with AIDS can never infect a person, even if it bites them. Although it is the same disease, FIV is not the same virus that infects humans. In this case, we are talking about HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.