Should shelters test for FIV?
A shelter or community cat or kitten should only be tested if she is showing signs and symptoms of illness that may be related to a compromised immune system caused by FIV and FeLV. If cats are not ill, we do not recommend testing.
Why are some shelters no longer testing all cats for FeLV and FIV?
False sense of security. Although chances are that a cat testing negative is truly negative (due to low prevalence of the disease), some cats may have been exposed prior to intake and could develop FeLV or FIV after adoption.
Why are some shelters no longer testing all cats for FeLV?
However, increased information about the tests and the diseases has led to the shelter medicine community making recommendations for shelters to discontinue routinely testing all cats for FeLV and FIV. Dr. Schumacher delves into the many reasons behind this change.
What should I do if I bring home a shelter cat?
You won’t want to bring these diseases home to other cats, so testing for them is of high priority. If the cat tests negative, you should discuss having him vaccinated against these diseases. Much will depend on the known history of the cat. If he was an indoor-only cat, he may not need the vaccines.
How many cats have FeLV and how many are false positives?
If you test 1000 cats you will see that 17 out of the 47 cats that test positive do not actually have FeLV. That means that over 36% of positive results are actually false positives. In areas with a prevalence lower than 3% the number of false positives increases.
How can I tell if my cat has FeLV?
Try this exercise: enter a disease prevalence of 3% and use the sensitivity and specificity for the FeLV IDEXX SNAP test from their website (98.6% and 98.2% respectively). If you test 1000 cats you will see that 17 out of the 47 cats that test positive do not actually have FeLV.
However, increased information about the tests and the diseases has led to the shelter medicine community making recommendations for shelters to discontinue routinely testing all cats for FeLV and FIV. Dr. Schumacher delves into the many reasons behind this change.
What do the new guidelines for shelter cats mean?
Today, the American Association of Feline Practitioners released its new Feline Retrovirus Testing and Management Guidelines, launching a new tide of optimism and positive outcomes for shelter cats diagnosed with either of these retroviruses. The Guidelines provide streamlined, shelter-specific algorithms for screening, vaccination, and management.
What happens if my cat’s ELISA test is negative?
If the ELISA test is negative but the cat is very young or has an unknown or feral background, it’s advised to run this test again in a few weeks. There is a chance the cat could have been exposed but is not positive yet on the first test. A second negative ELISA test should reassure you that the cat is truly negative.
What happens if my cat tests positive for FeLV?
There is a chance the cat could have been exposed but is not positive yet on the first test. A second negative ELISA test should reassure you that the cat is truly negative. What If My Cat Tests FeLV-pPositive? If the result is a positive on the ELISA, don’t despair. It is recommended to do a follow-up blood test sent to a lab, either a PCR or IFA.
