Cat Information

FIP is chronic, wasting disease that results in poor appetite, fever and weight loss over several weeks before it is fatal.  Various organs may be affected (i.e., liver, kidneys, brain, the eye, etc.) that will influence the clinical signs.  Blindness may occur in one cat, seizures in another, jaundice in another.  In the “wet” form of FIP a clear, straw-colored fluid often fills the abdominal or chest cavities.

Diagnosis of FIP may be difficult and frustrating.  The coronavirus antibody may be present in some cats that have been exposed to a more benign coronavirus called feline enteric coronavirus.  It is impossible to distinguish between the enteric and the FIP forms of the virus.  There are no specific tests, except organ biopsy, that are reliable in all cases.  Although organ biopsy is reliable, it usually requires major surgery, which is often not advisable in a cat that is ill.  New evidence indicates that even cats not exposed to FIP carriers can still suffer from the disease when the enteric form of the coronavirus converts to the FIP form!

The prognosis of FIP is always very poor.  It is fatal in all but a few exceptional cases.  It is also a contagious disease to other cats.  For further information:

http://web.vet.cornell.edu/public/fhc/fip.html

FELINE LEUKEMIA-Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is usually transmitted by other cats through bodily secretions such as urine, saliva and fecal material.  Cats can also contract the disease from their mother through the placenta.  This disease affects a cat by suppressing it immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections, such as pneumonia.   FeLV can also cause cancer in a small proportion of cats.  Some cats can acquire the virus and actually keep it contained to the bloodstream until their immune system fights it off.  In others, the virus passes from the bloodstream to the bone marrow where it will permanently affect the cat.

We have a test in our clinic to diagnose this disease and it requires only a few drops of blood.  The test checks for pieces of the virus in the bloodstream.  Sometimes the test will be positive for the virus and later the animal’s immune system will fight it off.  For this reason, we will retest in two (2) months and if it is still positive we will send off and IFA blood test that checks for the presence of the virus in the bone marrow.  In other cases, your cat might be infected, but there is not enough virus in the bloodstream to show on a test.  We may choose to retest 8 to 12 weeks later if there is any suspicion for the disease. 

There are many immune-boosting treatments we can offer if your cat tests positive.  They may help to prolong life for a matter of months, but death eventually occurs.  If your cat has the feline leukemia virus, it is advisable to keep him indoors since this will decrease the chance he will contract a disease he will be unable to fight off.  It will also keep him from spreading the disease.  Dogs cannot contract the disease.

Feline leukemia vaccination is now a common part of cat preventive health programs.  At our clinic, we advise the vaccine for outdoor cats only as there has been a correlation, although rare, with vaccine-associated sarcomas.   Two initial doses are given three weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster.  Vaccines will not cause a positive FeLV test result.  Since no vaccines are 100% effective, the best prevention is to keep your cat indoors and to test and quarantine all cats introduced to your household.  Check out more information at:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/public/fhc/cor.html

FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is also called the Feline AIDS Virus.  It is likened to the AIDS virus that affects humans because once infected, both the human and feline AIDS serve to immunosupress the individual.  You cannot catch FIV from your cat.

FIV is almost always contracted from the bite of an infected cat.  It is rare for a kitten to contract the disease from its mother, but a kitten can receive antibodies for the disease while nursing from its mother.  Usually these antibodies disappear after several months.  We usually see the disease in outdoor male cats that fight.  It can take up to 2-3 months for antibodies to show up on a test after your cat has been bitten.

The presence of the FIV can be detected by a simple blood test.  Unlike the feline leukemia disease, a cat that contracts FIV usually cannot fight off the disease.  Therefore, a positive test result means the cat is infected with the virus and likely will be infected fro the remainder of its life.  Since this is an antibody test, and does not test for pieces of the virus, if a kitten tests positive, we will wait until he is at least seven (7) months of age to retest.  A negative result may mean the cat is not infected, or it is too early to build up antibodies, or rarely that the cat is so immunosuppressed the he is not making enough antibodies to test positive.

There is a new vaccine for FIV.  Unfortunately, it does not affect the strain we usually see here in Florida and vaccination will cause tests to be positive even though your cat does not have the disease.  For this reason, we do not vaccinate for FIV at Plantation Animal Hospital.

If you have a cat that tests FIV positive but is not ill, it is not necessary to immediately euthanatize it.  As long as it does not fight with your other cats, transmission is not likely to occur.   Many cats live for years with this disease.   If you cat is use to living outdoors the responsible thing to do to help prevent the spread of this disease is to keep the cat indoors.  More information is available from the following:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/public/fhc/fiv.html

FELINE PANLEKOPENIA-It is also known as distemper and is highly contagious, easily transmitted and can be fatal especially among kittens.  It is almost impossible to prevent exposure; so all cats should be vaccinated.  Symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.  Even older cats that recover from Panleukopenia my never totally regain their health.

FELINE RESPIRATORY DISEASES- (Rhinotracheitis, Calici, Chlamydia) These are highly contagious and widespread diseases.  Respiratory disease is easily spread from one cat to another by droplet in the air from coughing or sneezing.  Even a cat that seems healthy can infect your pet. Vaccination is your cat’s only protection.

RABIES-All warm-blooded animals can become infected with rabies virus.  It is one of the world’s most publicized and feared diseases and is almost always fatal.  Rabies virus attacks the brain and central nervous system, and is transmitted to humans chiefly through the bite of an infected animal.  Since feline rabies has increased since 1981, it is recommended that all cats be vaccinated for rabies.