How long can a cat live with FIV?

How long can a cat live 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.

What happens if a cat goes untreated with FIV?

What Can Happen if FIV Goes Untreated? Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Although the virus is slow-acting, a cat’s immune system is severely weakened once the disease takes hold. This makes the cat susceptible to various secondary infections.

How long does it take a cat to show symptoms of FIV?

In this Article. Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Although the virus is slow-acting, a cat’s immune system is severely weakened once the disease takes hold. This makes the cat susceptible to various secondary infections.

What should I do if my cat has an ear infection?

Gently massage the base of the ear to help the medicine work its way into the ear canal. If your cat has chronic ear infections, the vet may prescribe a medication to help reduce the swelling of tissue in the ear canal. Sometimes, surgery is needed to remove swollen tissue that has narrowed or closed the ear canal.

How does FIV get from mother to Kitten?

Another, less common mode of transmission is from an FIV-infected mother cat to her kitten. FIV does not seem to be commonly spread through sharing food bowls and litter boxes, social grooming, sneezing and other casual modes of contact. Which Cats Are Most Prone to FIV?

What does it mean if your cat is FIV positive?

If your cat is FIV positive, it means they have tested positive for the feline immunodeficiency virus. It is one of the many parallels between FIV and HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). both are retroviruses which suppress the immune system. This as lead to many referring to the condition as feline AIDS.

What Can Happen if FIV Goes Untreated? Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Although the virus is slow-acting, a cat’s immune system is severely weakened once the disease takes hold. This makes the cat susceptible to various secondary infections.

Can a feline with FIV transmit to a human?

FIV is a feline-only virus that cannot be transmitted to humans. Cats who test positive for FIV can live for many years without serious symptoms. A positive FIV test result SHOULD NOT be a death sentence.

Is it possible to euthanize a cat with FIV?

In general, if a cat is too weak and has a seriously diminished quality of life, euthanasia may be considered as a possibility. However, as we can still provide a happy life for the cat, it will not usually be recommended. This is unless a secondary disease is threatening them.