Feline Symptom

Feline Symptom

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus - Everything You Need to Know

As its name suggests, the feline immunodeficiency virus attacks your cat's immune system. It eventually disables the immune system's ability to battle cancers and infections. The feline immunodeficiency virus is usually targets roaming cats. It can also affect larger felines such as tigers, lions and leopards.

Transmission

The feline immunodeficiency virus is shed in saliva. Therefore, it can easily be transmitted to your cat if he is bitten by an infected cat. The virus is rarely transmitted through the mother's milk. However, transmission can occur if the mother is infected with the virus during lactation or gestation.

Symptoms

The feline immunodeficiency virus causes a variety of early symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, and weight loss. Many cats also suffer from chronic oral infections. The feline immunodeficiency virus can also cause upper respiratory problems in the form of nasal discharge and sneezing.

Diagnosis

The feline immunodeficiency virus can be detected by testing for antibodies against the disease. The test may take up to 12 weeks before it is able to detect these antibodies. The results are available quickly, usually taking no more than 20 minutes. However, the main test to detect the feline immunodeficiency virus can sometimes render false positives. Therefore, if there is a positive result, it's usually best to confirm the diagnosis with a Western blot assay.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for the feline immunodeficiency virus. The main cause of death for cats affected with this virus is from secondary infections. Therefore, you will need to eliminate stress and exposure to other animals so that your cat doesn't get sick. Antibiotics can also be used for the secondary infections. You should also make sure your cat has plenty of fluids and follows a good diet.

Prognosis

The amount of time a cat affected by the feline immunodeficiency virus has left varies widely. Most cats can live for many more years after diagnosis without showing any symptoms. However, a cat diagnosed in an advanced stage of the disease will usually have less than a year remaining.

About the Author

As a cat owner, you want to keep your special friend as healthy as possible. To learn more about various Cat Illnesses such as the feline herpes virus, stop by cat-illnesses.com. Your cat will thank you for it.

what are some symptoms of feline aids?

My daughter's cat has had FIV for several years, over six. He still runs around. We keep him away from other cats so that the FIV will not be spread.

Check out the website below for more information.

Symptoms
During the first few weeks after the initial infection, cats may have the following symptoms:

Blood cytopenias (deficiency of any of the various cellular elements normally present in the blood)
General malaise
Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)
Mild fever

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Symptoms depend on the type of virus and the stage of disease. Common general symptoms include:

Anemia
Blood in the stool
Chronic, recurring infections (FeLV-infected cats are susceptible to bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and other viral infections.)
Decreased appetite
Decreased stamina
Depression
Diarrhea or constipation
Excessive drinking and urination
Infertility
Jaundice (a yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes, mucous membranes, and body fluids)
Low-grade fever
Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)
Neuropathies, which can cause anisocoria and hind limb paralysis
Weight loss
Symptoms in FeLV-infected pregnant cats include:

Fading kittens that often develop symptoms that can lead to death within the first few weeks of life:
Increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial and viral infections
Lack of appetite
Lethargy
Stunted growth
Thymic atrophy (wasting of the thymus gland)
Wasting (loss of body mass)
Fetal resorption (biochemical disintegration of fetuses)
Spontaneous abortion
About 30% of FeLV-infected cats develop lymphoid or myeloid tumors (e.g., lymphoma, lymphoid leukemia, erythremic myelosis); lymphoma is the most common. Symptoms of FeLV-infected cats that have cancer include the following:

Constipation
Cloudy eyes
Intestinal inflammation and diarrhea
Liver or kidney disease
Neurological abnormalities
Respiratory distress
Vomiting

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