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CATS AND FIV: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES,

AND TREATMENTS
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O HEALTHY PETS
 O HEALTHY CATS

O REFERENCE

CAT FIV (FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY

VIRUS)
WEBMD VETERINARY REFERENCE FROM THE

ASPCA

IN THIS ARTICLE

O WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FIV?

O HOW IS FIV TRANSMITTED?
O WHICH CATS ARE MOST PRONE TO FIV?
O CAN A PERSON CATCH FIV FROM A CAT?
O WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CAT HAS FIV?
O HOW IS FIV DIAGNOSED?
O HOW IS FIV TREATED?
O HOW DO I CARE FOR MY FIV-INFECTED CAT?
O HOW CAN FIV BE PREVENTED?

O WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF FIV GOES UNTREATED?

CATS WHO ARE INFECTED WITH FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS
(FIV) MAY NOT SHOW SYMPTOMS UNTIL YEARS AFTER THE INITIAL
INFECTION OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH THE VIRUS IS SLOW-ACTING, A
CAT’S IMMUNE SYSTEM IS SEVERELY WEAKENED ONCE THE DISEASE
TAKES HOLD. THIS MAKES THE CAT SUSCEPTIBLE TO VARIOUS
SECONDARY INFECTIONS. INFECTED CATS WHO RECEIVE SUPPORTIVE
MEDICAL CARE AND ARE KEPT IN A STRESS-FREE, INDOOR
ENVIRONMENT CAN LIVE RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE LIVES FOR MONTHS
TO YEARS BEFORE THE DISEASE REACHES ITS CHRONIC STAGES.
MANY PEOPLE CONFUSE FIV WITH FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS (FELV).
ALTHOUGH THESE DISEASES ARE IN THE SAME RETROVIRUS FAMILY
AND CAUSE MANY SIMILAR SECONDARY CONDITIONS FELV AND FIV ARE
DIFFERENT DISEASES.
 WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FIV?
AN FIV-INFECTED CAT MAY NOT SHOW ANY SYMPTOMS FOR YEARS.
ONCE SYMPTOMS DO DEVELOP, HOWEVER, THEY MAY CONTINUALLY
PROGRESS -OR A CAT MAY SHOW SIGNS OF SICKNESS INTERSPERSED
WITH HEALTH FOR YEARS. IF YOUR CAT IS DEMONSTRATING ANY OF
THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS, PLEASE HAVE EXAMINED BY YOUR
VETERINARIAN:

ENLARGED LYMPH NODES

 FEVER
 ANEMIA
 WEIGHT LOSS
 DISHEVELED COAT
 POOR APPETITE
 DIARRHEA
 ABNORMAL APPEARANCE OR INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE
(CONJUNCTIVITIS)
 INFLAMMATION OF THE GUMS (GINGIVITIS)
 INFLAMMATION OF THE MOUTH (STOMATITIS)
 DENTAL DISEASE
 SKIN REDNESS OR HAIR LOSS
 WOUNDS THAT DON’T HEAL
 SNEEZING
 DISCHARGE FROM EYES OR NOSE
 FREQUENT URINATION, STRAINING TO URINATE OR URINATING
OUTSIDE OF LITTER BOX
 BEHAVIOR CHANGE

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 HOW IS FIV TRANSMITTED?
FIV IS MAINLY PASSED FROM CAT TO CAT THROUGH DEEP BITE
WOUNDS, THE KIND THAT USUALLY OCCUR OUTDOORS DURING
AGGRESSIVE FIGHTS AND TERRITORIAL DISPUTES-THE PERFECT
REASON TO KEEP YOUR CAT INSIDE.
ANOTHER, LESS COMMON MODE OF TRANSMISSION IS FROM AN FIV-
INFECTED MOTHER CAT TO HER KITTEN. FIV DOES NOT SEEM TO BE
COMMONLY SPREAD THROUGH SHARING FOOD BOWLS AND LITTER
BOXES, SOCIAL GROOMING, SNEEZING AND OTHER CASUAL MODES OF
CONTACT.

WHICH CATS ARE MOST PRONE TO FIV?

ALTHOUGH ANY FELINE IS SUSCEPTIBLE, FREE-ROAMING, OUTDOOR
INTACT MALE CATS WHO FIGHT MOST FREQUENTLY CONTRACT THE
DISEASE. CATS WHO LIVE INDOORS ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE
INFECTED.

CAN A PERSON CATCH FIV FROM A CAT?

NO. FIV CANNOT BE TRANSMITTED FROM CAT TO HUMAN, ONLY FROM
CAT TO CAT.

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