Simple, accurate health tests for the home and the workplace.
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What is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus?
The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection is a complex retrovirus that causes immunodeficiency disease in domestic cats.
Whilst most infected cats do not show symptoms, they are prone to developing other infections and certain types of cancer.
FIV is similar to HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus) and causes a feline disease that is similar to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). However, FIV is a highly species-specific virus that infects only felines. There is currently no evidence that FIV can infect humans.
What are the symptoms of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus?
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.
Common symptoms of FIV include:
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Fever
• Anaemia
• Weight loss
• Dishevelled coat
• Poor appetite
• Diarrhoea
• 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
• Behaviour change
How do cats contract the infection?
FIV is mainly passed from cat to cat through deep bite wounds, the kind that usually occur outdoors during aggressive fights and territorial disputes.
On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. FIV does not seem to be commonly spread through sharing food bowls and litter boxes, social grooming, sneezing or sexual contact.
What is Feline Leukaemia Virus?
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a disease that impairs the cat’s immune system and causes certain types of cancer. This virus infection is second only to trauma as the leading cause of death in cats, killing 85% of persistently infected felines within three years of diagnosis. The virus commonly causes anaemia or lymphoma, but because it suppresses the immune system, it can also predispose cats to deadly infections. It affects all breeds, with males more likely to contract the infection than females, and it is usually seen between the ages of one to six years old.
What are the symptoms of Feline Leukaemia Virus?
Cats infected with FeLV may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:
• Pale gums
• Yellow colour in the mouth and whites of eyes
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Bladder, skin, or upper respiratory infections
• Weight loss and/or loss of appetite
• Poor coat condition
• Progressive weakness and lethargy
• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Breathing difficulty
• Reproductive problems like sterility in unspayed female cats
• Stomatitis – Oral disease that includes ulceration of gingiva
How do cats contract the infection?
FeLV is usually contracted from cat-to-cat transmission (e.g. bites, close contact, grooming, and sharing dishes or litter pans). It can also be transmitted to a kitten at birth or through the mother’s milk. Kittens are much more susceptible to the virus, as are males and cats that have outdoor access.
Why do I need this Test?
Many people confuse FIV with FeLV. Although these diseases are in the same retrovirus family and cause many similar secondary conditions FeLV and FIV are different diseases, so it is important to determine which virus (if any) your cat has.
Unfortunately, there is no specific cure for either virus. However, the prognosis and life expectancy is significantly enhanced by regular Vet check-ups and careful health management of infected cats, so early diagnosis is vital.
It is recommended to keep infected cats indoors as much as possible, because they will be more vulnerable to contracting other infections due to their weakened immune systems. And by bringing your cat indoors, you’re also protecting the uninfected cats in your community.
In addition, it is important to diagnose infected female cats because it is possible for an infected mother cat to transfer the virus to her kittens.
How do I perform the Test?
It is very simple – just obtain a blood sample and apply 1 drop of blood to the test cassette and then add 2-3 drops of the test solution. You will then be able to read the results after 10 minutes. A positive or negative result is indicated by 2 or only 1 line in the test window respectively.
The best time to test is during the shedding phase and/or when the symptoms appear. If tested outside this time period, you may get a false negative result.
What should I do if I get a positive result?
You must see your Vet immediately so that he/she can start treatment ASAP.
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