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Small Animal Newsletter
August 2016
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FIV is a viral disease not dissimilar to human AIDS (HIV). The virus alters the cats’ immune system, so the disease can present itself in many forms.
Symptoms:
Some of the common symptoms are listed below:
1. Gingivitis /stomatitis (inflammation of the gums / mouth)
2. Weight loss
3. Poor appetite
4. Fever
5. Inflammation of the membrane around the eyes (conjunctivitis)
6. Swollen lymph glands
7. Vomiting and diarrhoea
Transmission:
It is thought FIV is transmitted primarily by biting, cats which are known fighters particularly those with a history of cat bite abscesses have a higher risk of being FIV positive. Kittens can also be infected at birth probably through virus that is present in the queen's milk. Around a quarter to a third of kittens born to an infected queen are likely to be infected themselves. Normal social interactions such as grooming, have a very low risk of transmitting FIV.
Diagnosis:
FIV is diagnosed on a blood test by looking for an immune response (antibodies) to the virus. This test can be done while you wait in the clinic. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. If this test is positive it is likely that your cat is infected by the virus. False positive and negative results do occur for a variety of reasons e.g. antibodies to the virus present in the bloodstream of an infected queen will pass via the milk into her kittens giving a positive test results in the kittens which may not be infected. Kittens under 4 months of age that test positive should therefore be retested when they are six months old.
Being FIV positive is not the same as having feline AIDS. AIDS describes the terminal stages of disease which may not occur for many years or at all! FIV positive means that your cat has been infected by the virus.
Multiple cat households:
If you have a cat that tests positive and have a multiple cat household; other cats in your household may already be infected. Generally, however, spread between cats through social contact is extremely unlikely so the majority of your cats may well be FIV negative. Risks to other cats in the household are low unless the cat that is infected is a fighter. The virus does not survive long in the environment so disinfection is not of great value. It is advisable that the positive cat is fed from a separate food bowl as saliva can have large amounts of virus in it.
There are two options if you have one of your cats tests positive:
1. Re-home the FIV positive cat to a house with no other cats.
2. As the risk of infection spreading to your other cats by social contact is low, many people choose to keep the FIV positive cat. In this case, the positive cat should have a separate feeding bowl from the other cats and food should not be left down for all cats to share.
Although the virus is very similar to the human AIDS virus, there is no risk of cross infection from cats to humans.
Prognosis:
As far as we know, once a cat is infected with the virus it will remain infected for the rest of its life, though it is not clear if all infected cats will become ill.
Secondary infections can be effectively treated with antibiotics etc. but no specific treatment for the virus is available. Some cats have been treated with human anti-HIV drugs such as AZT with limited success.
If the cat is FIV positive but showing no clinical signs, people often ask if the cat should be euthanased. Certainly not on the basis of being FIV positive! Like HIV, cats with FIV have a long period where they appear healthy and show no clinical signs. This period can last for very many years during which your cat can have a normal, happy life.
If your cat is diagnosed FIV positive you can help your cat by ensuring it has a healthy life style and good quality food together with regular worming and yearly booster vaccinations. Any infections should be treated promptly and aggressively. The healthier a cat is the longer the asymptomatic period tends to be. Keeping your cat indoors is also a good idea as it reduces the likelihood of your cat picking up infections from other cats as well as reducing the spreading of the virus from your cat to other cats.
Prevention:
As most cats become infected from bite wounds during fighting, the risk of infection can be minimised by making sure your cat is neutered and, where possible, kept in at night as this is the most common time for cat fights.
There is a vaccine available in New Zealand. Our advice is to vaccinate cats which regularly fight and cats living in a household where other cats are FIV positive.
For more information have a talk to us at the clinic.
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Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
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Feline lower urinary tract disease is actually a group of conditions that can affect the bladder and/or the urethra of a cat.
Typical signs in cats with FLUTD are those of inflammation and irritation of the lower urinary tract. The common signs are therefore:-
• Increased frequency and urgency of urination.
• Difficulty in urinating (spending a long time straining on the litter tray while passing only small quantities of urine).
• The presence of blood in the urine or blood spots in the litter tray.
• Occasionally complete obstruction to the passage of urine (straining persistently without producing any urine).
With the latter sign particularly (straining without the passage of any urine), it is important to seek urgent veterinary attention as complete blockage to the flow of urine can be a life-threatening complication if left untreated.
There are a vast number of potential causes of FLUTD, but in many cats there may be severe inflammation of the bladder and/or urethra without an identifiable underlying cause (so called ‘idiopathic' FLUTD). These idiopathic cases have to be differentiated from other potential causes of the clinical signs though so that appropriate treatment can be given. Some of the potential causes of FLUTD are listed below:
• Idiopathic (inflammation for no known cause) but possibly caused by unrecognised viruses or bacteria, or even stress
• Urinary calculi (‘bladder stones’)
• Bacterial infections
• Neoplasia (tumour)
• Anatomical abnormalities
• Urethral plugs (blockage of urethra with a mixture of crystals or small calculi/stones, mucus and inflammatory material) (see below)
The condition is treated obviously depending on its cause, which may just be antibiotics, maybe surgery or even “antidepressants”.
We do see one form of this condition in male cats that is acutely life threatening. This is when the penis becomes blocked causing the bladder to become very enlarged and tight. (urethral plugs)
Below is a diagram of a normal and a blocked bladder.
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Not only is this condition extremely painful (these poor cats are literally screaming in pain), it is also doing damage to the bladder wall, and possibly the build up of pressure in the bladder can cause severe kidney damage.
This condition is an emergency, and immediate treatment is absolutely essential to save the cat.
The treatment involves anaesthetizing the cat and removing the plug with a catheter. The bladder is then flushed to remove any more debris that may be in the bladder.
The blockage is usually formed around crystals that are produced in the urine as a waste product of the diet the cat is on.
Once the cat is unblocked and everything else checks out OK we will usually put the cat on a special diet that in the first instance will dissolve any crystals left in the bladder. After a month or so we will put he cat on a special diet that stops the crystals from returning.
It is impossible to completely prevent this condition occurring, but we do see it more frequently in cats that have a low water consumption, are obese or inactive. It has been suggested that cats on a dry diet should be fed at least some wet food.
We will often see this condition in cats that are in a boarding facility. When you consider the risk factors mentioned above (Inactivity and decreased water consumption) you can see why.
A funny quirk of this condition is that it is seen most frequently in autumn and spring. I have never heard a good explanation for this but I am sure there is one!
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Hayleys' Hints
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Sometimes getting medication into your dog is not easy! In the past we have recommended wrapping tablets in cheese or hiding them in a meal, but unfortunately often this doesn't work!
Could this be the answer??
Zoe Pill Pops are flavoured treats that can easily disguise the medication. Available in both chicken and peanut butter flavours, what dog wouldn't want to eat them!!
The feedback on them so far has been all positive.
They also make great healthy treats for your dog.
Next time your dog is prescribed tablets, why not give them a try?
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A Dilemma for the Adventurous
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You are on a horse, galloping at a constant speed. On your right side is a sharp drop off, and on your left side is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you. Directly in front of you is another galloping horse but your horse is unable to overtake it. Behind you is a lion running at the same speed as you and the horse in front of you. What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?
Stop drinking and get off the merry-go-round!
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