Feline immunodeficiency virus: what you need to know as a cat guardian

When we have or own something we love, we usually would want to protect it.
Our beloved felines are no exception, one way of protecting our pets is by the prevention of disease we know is out there, not to worry ourselves, but to be informed, and do what we can as pet guardians. 

Outdoor and free-roaming cats are mostly at greater risk of contracting FIV, with male cats being up to three times more likely to contract FIV than females as they can have more territorial aggression than females. The average age at time of diagnosis is between 6 to 8 years, although kittens can become infected while nursing if their mothers are in the acute phase of the disease.
 

FIV can be divided into three stages:
 
1) Acute infection/stage (3-6 months):Usually very mild symptoms of recurrent fever, anorexia, lethargy and lymphadenopathy.

2) Subclinical infection/stage (months to years):Usually no clinical signs shown in infected cats, but the disease is progressing.

3) Chronic clinical infection/stage (months to years):
The clinical signs and symptoms are;
 

• Neurological sings: altered behavior, paresis, and weakness.
• Chronic wasting syndrome: cats can lose up to 30% of body weight in a few weeks.
• Chronic stomatitis (inflamed and sore mouth) and weight loss.
• Chronic enteritis (inflammation of small intestine).
• Recurrent upper respiratory tract infection.
• Ocular disease
• Tumors

The best way to prevent this disease is by avoiding having your cat come into contact with wild and feral cats, and sufficiently making sure your cat’s immune system is in tip top shape.
 
Some ways to get your cat’s immune system functioning sufficiently (and by keeping it that way) are;
 

• Feeding a fresh whole food diet (raw if possible- very important for felines)

Boosting nutrition content in the food via supplementation. A personal favorite of mine which my cats love is phytoplankton. I call it ‘fast nutrition’ because it goes straight to the cells while not having to go through the regular digestive processes- Plus cats love the marine taste!

• Supplementing your cat’s diet with immune modulating supplements such as; feline friendly probiotics, colostrum, medicinal mushrooms, cod liver oil, etc.
• The right homeopathy/botanical protocol for systemic drainage. 

This is a progressive disease, and the average (so far recorded) lifespan from diagnosis to death is about 5 years. As mentioned, the best preventive it to limit or avoid contact with wild feral and free-roaming cats, and to test all new additions to the cat’s household. FIV has not been found to grow in human cells, so it is not contagious or infectious to humans.
 
Always consult your vet prior to starting any new diet/supplement regimen, especially if your cat is on medications.