An untreatable cat health care problem, the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is not uncommon because there is not presently a vaccine available, despite the best efforts of researchers and vets. Because this serious cat health care problem is passed from one cat to another in the saliva when they bite each other, it is especially prevalent amongst un-castrated male cats who are more likely to fight.

The virus is similar to HIV in humans, so it works by attacking and killing the white blood cells in the cat.This is dangerous to the cat because the white blood cells are responsible for fighting off infection. This means that cats which have been infected by the virus are significantly more susceptible to picking up infections which will be more likely to bring about complications than in healthier cats.

Because cat health care should be a priority for any cat owner, they should be watching out for FIV symptoms. Amongst the common symptoms of the virus are discharge from the nose and eyes, high temperatures, anaemia, skin infections, loss of appetite, swollen lymph glands and gingivitis, which is a type of gum disease. Because cats can look outwardly healthy for many years whilst infected with the virus, many owners fail to realise the extent of the cat health care problem they’re dealing with.

At present cat health care experts have been unable to find a treatment for the virus, but secondary infections can be managed with antibiotics giving the infected cat a better quality of life.Unfortunately there is not currently a vaccine for the virus, meaning that the only real way of avoiding it is to avoid cats mixing and fighting.Castrated or neutered cats are less inclined to fight, so it is always a good idea to have your pet castrated.

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Filed under: Pets Advice

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