FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. FIV is transmitted between cats by either a deep penetrating bite wounds and sexual contact.
FIV cannot be transmitted to humans or dogs
.
What diseases can be transmitted from cats to dogs?
Parasites such as
roundworm, tapeworm, hookworm, or whipworm
can sometimes pass from cat to dog through fleas that are infected. Dogs are notorious for taking snacks from the cat’s litter box if it’s readily available.
Can FIV affect dogs?
No, the virus does not affect any other pets such as dogs
, rabbits, etc. FIV is species specific and only affects felines.
What is the average lifespan of a cat with FIV?
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. There is a FIV vaccination given twice initially, then yearly thereafter for outside cats or cats exposed to outside cats due to the potential of cat bites.
How contagious is FIV?
Dr. 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.
Can FIV be spread through water bowls?
FIV typically does NOT spread through cats grooming each other, sharing food and water bowls
, or sharing a litter box.
Do cats with FIV sleep more?
FIV-infected cats spent 50% more time awake than the sham-inoculated controls and
exhibited many more sleep/waking stage shifts
–i.e., 40% more than controls. In addition, FIV-infected cats showed approximately 30% of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep reduction compared to controls.
Can you have a cat with FIV and one without?
The virus is transmitted mainly through bite wounds such as when cats fight. It is possible, but less common, for an infected mother to pass the virus to her kittens before they are born or while they are nursing.
Cats with the virus can live a lifetime without developing FIV-related conditions
.
Is FIV curable?
Though
there is no cure for FIV
, recent studies suggest that cats with FIV commonly live average life spans, as long as they are not also infected with feline leukemia virus. The primary mode of transmission for FIV is through bite wounds from an infected cat.
Can dogs get chlamydia from cats?
Some people might think because Chlamydia is commonly known as a sexually transmitted disease amongst humans, that dogs would never come into the physical contact required to catch it. However,
dogs absolutely can contract Chlamydia, it just isn’t sexually transmitted
.
Is cat litter toxic to dogs?
Although
cat litter isn’t toxic to dogs
, it can be dangerous if consumed in large quantities. Both clumping and non-clumping cat litter have liquid-absorbing properties that can cause irritation and inflammation as it works its way through your dog’s body.
Can dog get sick from eating cat poop?
While many dogs eat cat poop, and they’re fine,
eating any poop carries the potential for the dog to contract harmful bacteria and parasites
. Some of these bacteria, like salmonella, for example, can be transmitted to humans. Furthermore, dogs can contract several different species of internal parasites from cat poop.
Is it expensive to have a cat with FIV?
Treatment for the feline immunodeficiency virus is quite expensive. According to estimates, the cost range from
$150 to $2,000 per treatment
.
Can I take my FIV cat on walks?
However, they are carriers of the virus and so could potentially infect other cats. The best situation for an FIV cat is to come into a stable home, with no other cats, where it lives mainly or completely indoors, but
maybe has access to an outside exercise pen, or walks outside on a harness and lead
.
How do you care for a cat with FIV?
- Neutering all FIV-infected cats to reduce the risk of fighting and spreading infection.
- Confining FIV-positive cats indoors where possible, and keeping them away from non-infected cats.
Should cats with FIV be vaccinated?
FIV is most commonly diagnosed in outdoor cats, and once a cat is diagnosed as FIV-positive, they remain infected for life. It seems logical that you would just need to get an FIV vaccine to protect your cat, but
the vaccine is no longer used
.
What are the symptoms of FIV?
- Poor coat condition.
- Fever that keeps coming back.
- Lack of appetite.
- Inflammation in the mouth and gums.
- Chronic or recurrent infections in the eyes, skin, upper respiratory tract, or bladder.
- Constant diarrhea.
What are the stages of FIV?
Cats infected with FIV often experience three stages of infection:
acute, subclinical and chronic
. In the early or acute stage, lasting 3 to 6 months, the virus is carried by the lymphatic pathways, where it spreads to other lymph nodes throughout the body, resulting in the enlargement of the lymph nodes.
Can fleas transmit FIV?
Dr. Levy finds
little evidence to support the notion that FIV can be transmitted by fleas
and other such blood-sucking parasites.
Can cats clear FIV?
Absolutely not
! Although HIV belongs to the same family of viruses as FIV, the two viruses infect different species. HIV infects only humans and FIV infects only cats. The viruses are very specific for their species and there is no risk of cross-infection between the immunodeficiency viruses of cats and people.
Does FIV spread easily?
FIVis
not easily passed between cats
and cannot be spread casually. It is not passed by sharing of food or water dishes, grooming each other, litter boxes, mock fighting, scratches, no even sneezes.
Is FIV a big deal?
First,
FIV is no big deal
, it’s simply a virus. Most FIV cats live long, healthy, happy lives when given loving homes. FIV cats will live as long as other cats and die of the same old-age diseases. It is primarily spread by deep, penetrating bite wounds, not though play bites or saliva.
How common is FIV in stray cats?
Most feral cats enjoy excellent health and are no more likely to be infected with disease than house cats. In fact, house cats and feral cats contract FeLV and FIV at an equally low rate (
about 4%)
.
Can a FIV-positive cat live with FIV-negative cats?
A FIV-positive cat can live with a FIV-negative cat as long as neither cat is a fighter, or the FIV-positive cat has no teeth
. (FIV-positive cats commonly have severe dental disease, which often means it is necessary to remove all their teeth.)
