What should I feed my FIV positive cat?

They should be fed nutritionally complete and balanced diets, and uncooked food, such as raw meat and eggs, and unpasteurized dairy products should be avoided to minimize the risk of food-borne bacterial and parasitic infections. Wellness visits for FIV-infected cats should be scheduled at least every six months.

Do FIV cats need special food?

Since FIV-positive cats’ immune systems are compromised, pet parents should be extra vigilant. Avoid feeding an FIV-positive cat raw food because of the risk of salmonella (or the veterinary term for salmonella in cats: salmonellosis).

Do cats with FIV need special care?

As with people living with HIV, cats infected with FIV require extra medical care and extra attention to their diet and health. And as with people living with HIV, cats infected with FIV can live long, healthy lives. FIV is not easily transmitted between cats.

Is it hard to care for a cat with FIV?

Receiving the news that your cat is FIV positive can be difficult. Although FIV can be life-threatening, proper care and management can lead to a long, healthy life — allowing you and your cat to have many years of joy and memories together.

How much does it cost to take care of a cat with FIV?

Average Cost of Treatment

Treatment for the feline immunodeficiency virus is quite expensive. According to estimates, the cost range from $150 to $2,000 per treatment.

Can FIV be spread through water bowls?

FIV is spread primarily through cats’ saliva, particularly when a cat bites deep into another cat. FIV typically does NOT spread through cats grooming each other, sharing food and water bowls, or sharing a litter box.

How long can a cat with FIV live?

Cats infected with FIV may live for months or years. On average, life expectancy is 5 years from the time of diagnosis depending on how active the infection is.

Can I board my FIV cat?

Boarding catteries should have no problems in accepting and FIV cat as the virus is easily killed by disinfectant and cannot be passed to other cats via feed bowls etc. You should, however, make the cattery aware of your cats condition. Good care and lots of love can help your FIV+ cat enjoy a long life.

Can humans get sick from cats with FIV?

Can humans catch FIV? While FIV is related to HIV in humans, there’s no way that the cat virus can cross between species and infect people. FIV only affects cats, cannot be transmitted to non-felines.

Is FIV a big deal?

Kitties who test positive for FIV CAN have reduced immune function, and MIGHT be at greater risk for respiratory infections and dental issues; but those conditions are easily treated. With normal veterinary care, cats with FIV live long and healthy lives.

What are the stages of FIV in cats?

Cats infected with FIV often experience three stages of infection: acute, subclinical and chronic.

Can a cat with FIV go outside?

FIV- and FeLV-positive community cats, like Miracle, can live healthy lives outdoors as part of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs. It’s important to note that community cats and owned cats have equally low rates of disease. Community cats can live full, healthy lives in their outdoor homes.

How contagious is FIV?

FIV is absolutely and unequivocally not contagious among humans! 3. The feline viral infection is, however, contagious among cats. The most common form of transmission is via bites and, less commonly, through sexual contact.

Which is worse feline leukemia or FIV?

FIV has highly variable clinical signs that are similar to FeLV and include fever, anemia, weight loss, and diarrhea along with a high risk for secondary infections. FIV tends to be clinically less aggressive than FeLV. “FIV is classically seen as a disease of male aggression from cats biting each other,” Dr.

Can FIV be transmitted through sharing food?

Woyma explains, “Unlike HIV, it [FIV] is not typically spread through sexual contact and also very rarely transmitted from a mother cat to her kittens.” FIV is also rarely transmitted through casual contact, like sharing food bowls and litter boxes, social grooming, and sneezing.

Should a cat with feline leukemia be put down?

“Most vets agree it is better to humanely euthanize a leukemia positive cat and not to have it die of the illness,” said Ryan Epple, owner of Harmony Animal Hospital. Epple said cats diagnosed with feline leukemia are euthanized instead of being released back into the community due to the risk of infecting other cats.

What if my cat tested positive for feline leukemia?

FeLV is a feline-only virus that cannot be transmitted to humans. Cats who test positive for FeLV can live for many years without serious symptoms. A positive FeLV test result SHOULD NOT be a death sentence. A vaccination for FeLV exists, but it is not 100 percent effective.

Is there a vaccine for feline FIV?

As most cats become infected from bite wounds during fighting, the risk of FIV infection can be minimized by making sure your cat is neutered and, where possible, kept indoors. There is no vaccine currently available.