Hi, my 6 year old cat had just been diagnosed with FIV just this evening.
He's still healthy. Weights 3.78 kg this afternoon. He still eats but he tends to run away and hides these days.
His organs are still okay, but his mouth can be smelly, we've had dental cleanups on him since there was a plaque build up because he likes eating wet food a lot.
His blood levels, HCT and Hematocrit was lower than usual during latest blood test and his A/G ratio was 0.3, hence why my vet wanted to test for FIP/FIV.
We regularly give him vitamins (nutri pets gel) and B complex+B12 once every two days to strengthen his immune system.
I've lost two cats to FIV, and my cat now who is FiV positive still lives with my multi household house. There's no room to isolate him from the other cats.
Right now, I'm honestly panicking and anxious beyond belief. But I still want to give the best for my cats.
Should I get him tested next month? See if it's a false positive?
He hadn't have his yearly vaccination, should I vaccinate him immediately?
What should I do to maintain his quality of life up?
What should I do for my other cats? Should I get each of them tested for FIV?
Hi Jambi,
I’m sorry to hear your kitty is FIV positive. Fortunately, many FIV positive cats can live very normal and full lives. However, they can be more susceptible to infections and if an injury occurs, it may be harder for them to recover because their immune system is not as robust.
The best way to keep them healthy is to not let even a small sign of illness go unchecked lest it get worse quickly. Getting lab work done twice a year can help screen for some illnesses that may not be clear from a cat’s behavior at home. I have seen some odd things occur to FIV positive cats, like otherwise unexplainable fevers, anemia, or platelet disorders. You can’t prevent those, you just have to be aware and willing to get them a quick check-up so that an early intervention can be made before it becomes too serious.
FIV is unfortunately easy to spread among cats in close contact especially if there is fighting that occurs where saliva is exchanged (such as in a bite wound). This can be a concern in a multi cat household.
Most of the time testing is fairly accurate. False positives usually only occur with kittens who are tested very early in life where they have antibodies to FIV circulating from their mom’s passive immunity she gave them from nursing. I always recommend retesting the ELISA for any kittens that tested positive at say, 8 weeks for this reason.
But you can double check the testing through a different method. For example, if the FIV test performed was an ELISA test checking for antibodies (the most common), you can double check with a PCR test that instead checks for viral DNA.
I would consider testing any other cats in the home. If they do test negative, but you must keep the cats together, you can consider having the FIV negative cats vaccinated for FIV. While this will protect them from FIV, the catch is that they will forever show up positive for FIV on testing (because of the antibodies). PCR would be negative, but antibody testing is most common. You would need to keep careful documentation of the cats that are true positives and the ones who are vaccinated. Any true FIV positive cats should remain indoors so that they cannot spread it further through fighting with other cats outdoors.
Hi Jambi, the tooth resorption and advanced gingivitis is not uncommon, especially in young cats with either FIV or FeLV (leukemia virus). My own cats had genetic predisposition to tooth resorption that required them to have multiple tooth removals each before they were 5-6 years old. But I remember when I was in vet school, and they were being seen by the community practice department there, they were very concerned about my young cats having FIV or FeLV because of their teeth and gum inflammation and insisted on testing them multiple times. Fortunately they were negative, and thus I suspect a genetic predisposition. But the tooth removal is important for relief of discomfort. My cats have done well for many years without a majority of their teeth. As for your other questions, I just don't believe there is any data to support use of any immune supplements to reduce the risk of any health impacts from FIV. Fortunately, liver concerns tend to be uncommon in cats, but checking lab work twice a year as I mentioned would be the best way to screen. Any elevation in ALT or bilirubin would be a concern for any cat.
First of all, thank you very much Dr. Chris for the fast and detailed response.
Just to update my cat situation.
After my veteranian checked my FIV positive cat condition, she found that he has teeth resorbtion and would need operation to take out his resorbed teeth.
There was even bleeding when she checked the gums.
I'm already planning to X ray and proceed with the teeth operation with my vet.
But are there any suggestions on medication? Perhaps for the liver? Just in case?
Thank you in advance.