by Jessica Fayth

Created on: February 08, 2009   Last Updated: August 10, 2010

What is Feline AIDS?

Feline immunodeficiency virus, also known as FIV, causes feline AIDS. FIV is similar to the human immunodeficiency virus, also known as, HIV. As they both attack the immune system. However, humans cannot become infected with FIV and cats cannot become infected with HIV. Feline AIDS is the final stage of FIV. An infected cat will begin to show feline AIDS symptoms during this stage. Cat AIDS is much like Human AIDS. The cat will suffer from chronic infections due to it's vulnerability to disease.

How is FIV contracted?

A cat may transmit FIV to another cat through biting. This is due to the infected cat's saliva entering the other cat's bloodstream. Also, an infected mother cat may transmit the virus to her litter. It is possible that some kittens from the same litter will become infected while others will not.

Signs and Symptoms

There are three stages of the disease. The first and the second stages are caused by FIV. The final stage is considered Feline AIDS. The First Stage, (the acute stage), occurs between one and two months after the virus has been contracted. The cat will experience fevers, depression, infections and inflammation of the lymph nodes. The Second Stage, (the subclinical stage), can last from several months to even several years. It is during this dormant period that the FIV symptoms will significantly decrease. The final stage is the fatal stage and is also known as the chronic infection stage. It is during this stage that the cat will suffer from re-curring infections such as pneumonia, conjuctivitis, and periodontitis to name a few.

Testing and Diagnosis

In order for a veterinarian to properly diagnosis a cat suffering from FIV, they will review the cat's medical history, perform a thorough physical examination, and administer a blood test to determine if FIV antibodies are present. If FIV antibodies are present, it may or may not mean the cat has FIV. A cat that has been given the FIV vaccine will always test positive for FIV antibodies. Also, kittens being nursed by an infected mother will test positive for FIV antibodies due to the mother's antibodies present in the milk. This may or may not mean that the kittens have become infected too. The kittens will then have to be re-tested after they are six months old and have developed their own antibodies. Since false positives are possible, veterinarians do not rely solely on the blood test to diagnosis FIV. There are other tests that can be done to further investigate

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