Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infects a cat when the blood of an uninfected cat comes into contact with bodily fluids from an infected cat (most commonly through saliva, but the virus is also potentially transmitted through semen or blood). FIV weakens the cat's immune system, making it difficult for her body to fight off various infectious diseases and is likely to end in death, unless a cat that is positive for FIV gets the right treatment. A cat with FIV can live a normal and happy life for many years if you take good care of it. The keys to maintaining the health of an FIV-infected cat include providing a healthy diet and environment, providing regular preventive health care, and taking him to the doctor as soon as he notices symptoms of deteriorating health.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Feeding an FIV-Infected Cat
Step 1. Provide nutritious food for cats with FIV
Giving your cat good food is very important to keep it as healthy as possible even if the cat has been infected with FIV. Ask your veterinarian for good and quality cat food brands.
Step 2. Give your cat dry food
Dry food is the best food for your cat because wet food tends to easily build up on the teeth, causing tartar build-up which can lead to infection. Your main goal should be to do your best to keep your sweetheart free of infection as FIV makes them more susceptible to infection.
Step 3. Give your cat age-appropriate food
Veterinarians often recommend life-appropriate cat food from Hills, Purina, and Royal Canin brands. These foods provide special nutritional needs for young (under 12 months), adults (1-7 years old), and elderly (over 7 years old) animals. Adapting food to a specific life stage with the cat's age can extend its lifespan.
Method 2 of 5: Getting Health Care for Prevention
Step 1. Vaccinate your cat regularly
FIV causes your cat's immune system to weaken and this means that the cat is very susceptible to other illnesses such as cat flu. Therefore giving vaccinations against various diseases every year is an important step.
Talk to your veterinarian about what vaccines you need to give your cat, as some diseases are more common in certain areas than others. The vet will most likely recommend that the cat be vaccinated against feline distemper and other feline viruses
Step 2. Keep the cat's body free of parasites
The body of a cat that is positive for FIV is less likely to handle the infection well. Cats with FIV also need all the nutrients they can get and therefore many parasites will rob them of these nutrients from the cat's body. You have to treat the sweet to be free from internal and external parasites.
- Get rid of worms with milbemax (which contains milbemycin). Deworming is effective in eradicating all types of worms. Domestic cats should be dewormed every three to four months. Cats that are allowed to play outside, especially those that prey on mice, should be dewormed once a month.
- External parasites such as fleas and mites can also harm your cat's health. The veterinarians recommend the Revolution flea medication. This drug kills all external parasites in the same way as milbemax kills all internal parasites.
Step 3. Boost your cat's immune system with vitamins it can consume
Boosting your sweetheart's immune system with vitamins is a great step. You can give your cat vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, selenium and zinc.
Talk to your veterinarian about the right dose of vitamins specifically for your cat. Most likely the doctor will advise you to give your cat about 3-5ml of LC-vit or Nutri-Plus Gel every day
Step 4. Talk to your vet about giving your cat vitamins by injection
If the cat is very weak and has a hard time eating, you should consider giving her vitamins by injection to improve her health. Again, it is very important to consult a veterinarian first before giving your cat any supplements or medications.
The supplement by injection that is often recommended by veterinarians is Coforta, which is a supplement that is injected at a dose of 0.5-2, 5ml for one cat, once per day given for five days in one treatment period
Step 5. Give your cat a lysine supplement
Lysine is a supplement that can help prevent flare-ups of infection that are common in FIV-positive cats. Lysine aids in protein synthesis and is involved in tissue repair and maintenance. The recommended dose is usually 500 grams per day and taken with food.
Consult your veterinarian before giving your cat any supplements
Step 6. Consider treatment with interferon for cats with FIV
In interferon therapy, the cat will be given interferon by intravenous injection. Interferons are substances that are part of the immune system and help fight viral and bacterial infections. By increasing the amount of interferon in his body, your cat will become more resistant to infection which means giving him the opportunity to live a happy and long life.
Interferon is a special treatment given by veterinarians. This treatment is expensive, but studies have shown that the side effects in cats are very small
Step 7. Get your vet's help if your cat shows signs of being sick
FIV positive cats have a much harder time fighting off infections and other illnesses. Therefore, it is better to take him to the doctor as soon as he notices that the cat is sick, rather than waiting for his condition to improve on its own. In general, your cat will only need antibiotics to help her body fight off the infection. You should always watch for signs that your cat is unwell, which include:
- Cough.
- Sneeze.
- Runny nose or eyes.
- Decreased appetite.
- Increased thirst.
- Vomiting or diarrhea.
Method 3 of 5: Controlling Stress Levels in FIV Positive Cats
Step 1. Minimize the stress level your cat is feeling
Stress can have a physical effect on cats because their immune systems are already weak. When an animal is under stress, its body secretes the natural steroid cortisol to help it deal with the stress. Long-term exposure to cortisol will suppress the immune system, and in cats whose immune systems are already weakened will further reduce their limited ability to fight infection:
Step 2. Maintain your cat's daily routine
Change can be very stressful for a cat, from having a new pet around to moving into a new home. Do your best to keep the environment around your cat as normal as possible.
Don't forget to keep playing with your cat. Give your sweetie a toy and spend time with him as usual. While you shouldn't exhaust your FIV-affected cat, you should continue to enjoy spending time with your pet
Step 3. Use an electric pheromone diffuser
You can buy a cat pheromone diffuser that will keep your sweetie calm. Veterinarians recommend using the Feliway brand, which contains a synthetic version of the feline hormone secreted by comfortable cats.
Feliway cannot be smelled by humans, but sends a soothing sensation to the cats reassuring that all is well
Method 4 of 5: Controlling Interactions with Other Cats
Step 1. Understand how FIV is transmitted
It is important for you to know how FIV is transmitted so that you can keep FIV-free cats healthy, and ensure that cats who have been infected with positive FIV can still lead happy lives. FIV is most commonly transmitted through saliva, although the virus can also be spread through blood and semen. The most common mode of transmission of FIV is through the bite of an FIV-positive cat.
Be aware that FIV is a relatively fragile virus and cannot survive for more than a few seconds in a free environment. Outside the cat's body, FIV breaks down rapidly due to dryness, ultraviolet light, heat, light and basic disinfectants, and is no longer a risk to other cats. This virus must be transferred directly from the saliva of the infected cat into the bloodstream of a healthy cat
Step 2. Consider keeping an FIV positive cat separately from a FIV negative cat
Research has shown that you shouldn't keep a healthy cat away from your FIV-positive pet if the two get along. However, if your cats fight easily, it's a good idea to keep them separately.
In a study conducted by the University of Glasgow, it was found that when FIV-free cats and FIV-positive cats were in close proximity to each other, the transmission rate of the virus was 1-2%. It is up to you to decide whether the 1-2% transmission rate is too risky or not
Step 3. Spay or neuter cats with positive FIV
Once the cat has been neutered, its aggressiveness decreases, so the chances of the cat getting into a fight are also greatly reduced. If you want to keep a cat with FIV outside your home, it's a good idea to neuter the cat so it's less likely to bite other cats during fights.
Step 4. Keep a male cat indoors as male cats are more likely to get into fights with other cats
As a responsible owner, it should be your priority to keep your cat with FIV healthy and ensure that your cat doesn't infect other cats. Male cats usually like to walk around, sometimes more than a few km away and are more likely to run into other cats along the way. If your cat is likely to attack these cats, it's a good idea to keep them indoors.
Keeping a territorial cat indoors may not be ideal, especially if the cat is used to exploring the outdoors. However, this may be the only way to prevent the cat from transmitting FIV to other cats in your neighborhood
Step 5. Talk to your vet about the health of the cat population in your area, especially if you live in a city
Ask your local vet about the level of FIV sufferers in the area. If there is a very high population of stray cats with FIV in the area, it's a good idea to keep an FIV-free cat indoors, but that's fine if you want to let an FIV-positive cat play outside. If FIV is rare in an environment with a large number of cats, as a responsible owner you should keep FIV positive cats indoors.
If you live in an area where the cat population is low, such as in a remote village, the risk of the cat meeting and fighting with other cats is very low, so you can let a cat with FIV play outside
Method 5 of 5: Understanding FIV. Development
Step 1. Take your cat to the vet to check if your sweetie has been bitten by another cat
Check your cat for bite marks regularly. You should take your cat to the doctor if you notice any bite marks at the same time as the cat's fever. FIV causes a severe fever that will last for 3 to 7 days. When you take your cat to the vet's office, the vet will check:
- Swollen lymph nodes. When a cat is sick, its lymph nodes will swell. The vet will check to see if this has happened to your cat.
- White blood cell count. FIV causes a decrease in the white blood cell count. The vet will take a blood sample to find out if your sweetheart's white blood cell count is low.
Step 2. Know that your cat can be a carrier of this virus, but is not showing any symptoms
Most cats recover from the first stage of the disease (i.e. fever and low white blood cell count). When they recover, these cats will stop showing symptoms of illness but will continue to carry the disease. This 'healthy' period can last from several months to several years.
Taking all of the steps above will help prolong your cat's life and extend the 'healthy' period when the sweet is simply a carrier of disease
Step 3. Watch for signs of terminal illness often associated with FIV
FIV causes a decrease in the immune system that can make your cat suffer from other diseases. You should watch for signs of illness in your cat, which include:
- Chronic respiratory infections caused by bacteria and viruses.
- Gastroenteritis and digestive tract infections.
- Wounds on the skin.
- Mouth sores.
- Neurological symptoms such as psychomotor problems (eg difficulty walking), psychological problems, dementia, and seizures.
- Weak body.
- The body becomes thin.
- Fur that is dull or in poor condition.
- Chronic urinary tract infection.
Tips
- Care and love your cat the best you can. Positive support can greatly boost your cat's health.
- Your cat may still have some ability to fight infection through a humoral immune response. However, cute cats are still more susceptible to infection than other healthy cats.
Warning
- If you suspect that your cat may have been infected with FIV, take your sweetie to the vet as soon as possible so he can get well soon and stay healthy as long as possible.
- Take your FIV positive cat immediately to the vet as soon as you notice the early symptoms of the disease.
