Feline AIDs is a potentially fatal disease that is caused by the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and can interfere with the immune system of your cat.
Help! My cat has AIDs, Teneriffe Vet.
It is reported that between 14% to 29% of Australian cats carry this disease. Infected cats often remain healthy for a number of years and show no sign of the disease until later on in life. Eventually your cat may die from infections because the immune system is unable to fight them off.
FIV is spread from cat to cat mainly through bite wounds. Hence Outdoor cats carry higher risk of contracting the disease through fights. It is unlikely that your cat can be infected through sharing water bowls or mutual grooming with a FIV positive cat even though the virus is shed in high levels through saliva.
These are the symptoms that may suggest that your cat is FIV positive:
Fever, eye lesions, oral lesions, loss of appetite or weight loss, chronic diarrhoea, chronic respiratory disease, lethargy, enlarged lymph nodes, poor quality of fur, chronic infections and cancers.
So what can you do to prevent feline AIDS?
Change the way you manage your cat. Keep your cat indoors only. If your cat has gotten into a fight with another, get it tested. Consider FIV testing a newly adopted cat that is joinging your household to ensure it is FIV infection free. Talk to your veterinarian about vaccinating your cat against this virus.
