Cat with FIV

I can't wait to get that cat bag! Thanks for the tips.I am worried about Remy today. After he got the Buprenorphine SR shot on Friday he got under a table and just stayed there from about 10 am until about 8pm last night. He was very spacey. I had been warned that was a possible reaction. At least he did eat while under there. He came walking out of the room last night interested in what the others were doing.He climbed into the little condo on the cat tree but it is 4pm Sunday and he is still there. I had to hold a plate of food to feed him. Remy never misses food. I also feel badly that since Thursday after the surgery he is nervous when I approach him. I understand that , Thursday  night was very traumatic. I wish he had been given the injection in the first place.He doesn't have a fever but seems to feel  badly. If he is still like this tomorrow  I will take him in.By the way.my brother and his wife have 5 cats. My other brother and his wife have 3 cats. I a giving both of them the cat bag for Christmas.I can towel most cats but Remy is an exception and I am sure at some point I will have another cat like him so the cat bag will be a big help.

I expect it's the pain meds making him feel that way. Of course, getting so many teeth pulled is also traumatic. A side-effect of pain meds can be loss of appetite. :nod: It's good that he's eating if you bring the food to him. :rub: I'd call the vet to discuss the situation before putting him through bringing him in again. So long as he's using the litter box and eating (even though you have to bring it to him), I suspect he just needs a little time. :heart2:

....but it's always best to chat with the vet.

Thanks, I wouldn't be so worried except that last night he was pretty perky. I also read the potential side effects of Convenia. I would never have okayed Convenia but for the fact that I knew I would never get a syringe of Clavamox in his mouth twice a day. I am really worried. I have fed him 3 times today in the tree but he hasn't got down to use the litter box.I hope he is alright. I just for some reason have kind of a bad feeling. If he isn't better tomorrow I will call the vet.. I remember before my Ziggy was extremely ill I had a "feeling" my husband would say I was imagining things but of course I wasn't. I wish I hadn't kept pushing that feeling aside. Maybe Ziggy would still be alive. Thanks so much for responding to me. I know you have been through a lot with your cats. It is nice to have people to talk to when your cat isn't feeling so great.

:heart2: Yes, it really does help. So how long has it been since he used the box?

I understand why you're worried now, if he was perkt last night. :rub:

Convenia was used on a number of my cats before I knew the risk. But the bad reactions are rare. :heart2: And if he was perky last night, I'm pretty sure it's not the convenia.

I do agree, trust your instincts. Maybe it's just the pain med wearing off... :cross:

I do know your boy is in good hands. :rub: :heart2:

More vibes headed his way!

Thanks- Late last night Remy got up and was very happy. He used the box and solicited everyone for pets. He was just overjoyed and rolling around the floor. Every time we looked at him he would drop and roll around! He spent the night running around with our 10 month old Kitten. I guess all is well . What a relief! I have noticed since the very first day of surgery, he is starving! I had not realized that he may have been restraining his appetite before surgery. This morning he wanted his food and Leo and Desmond's food!

Oh that is wonderful! Now you'll have to make sure he doesn't turn into a beachball. :lol3:

Lol, he was a bigger eater before. Now I really have to watch him.

Just an update: Remy was ok for a couple of weeks. After that he remained lethargic and wanted to do nothing but hide. I thought it was because my new young cat was overwhelming him but had to take him back to the vet. Sure enough his mouth is just a mess and he has an infection. They gave him some medicine and we will be going back next Monday. The medicine hasn't done much and I am  sure we will schedule the rest of his extractions. I hope that helps.He had been pretty healthy at the time of his surgery but he has a look in his eyes  worries me. His coat looks awful despite all the good food he eats. I wanted to switch to raw food but am going to wait until he is healthy again. My vet isn't overly thrilled about that but I have been reading about it and I have switched the others to raw .Please keep a good thought for Remy. He hasn't been with us very long but he is such a sweet guy and I would like to see him have some happiness in what has been a hard life.

Hi

So sorry you have had such a hard time with Remy. I can imagine how hard it has been for all of you and how painful it is to see an animal we care so much about suffer.

I just wanted to add my two cents about feeding raw. I too have done a lot of research into it. One of my cats has FeLV, so therefore possibly a compromised immune system. From what I have read, raw isn't ideal for cats that don't have normal immune systems because uncooked food has a lot of bacteria, things like salmonella and e-coli (or whatever the proper spelling is etc.). So I made the decision not to feed raw because of that.

There are many websites that have nutritious cat food recipes that are cooked. This might be worth considering. There are a lot of holistic medicines out there to help cats that you can add to the food.

Personally, I'm too afraid of cooking for my cats. I know a lot of people have had success and that what is available in stores isn't actually ideal for our pets. But at least I know that the food has been tested and that it has all the necessary vitamins they need to survive.

I'm quite surprised, that vets don't have an FIV or FeLV diet. I mean, they have every food A-Z to cover all illnesses, but not those?

I'm so sorry for the distressing news. I expect his mouth is really affecting him - teeth and gum health affect EVERYTHING. And FIV kitties, as you know, are prone to the problems.

I don't remember - are you giving him bovine lactoferrin? This has shown to not only help kitties with stomatitis (when used topically on the gums - at least that's how it was used in the study, but most use it orally), but it slows down the progression of the FIV virus. It's safe to use long term. The one most on the Yahoo group FIV-healthscience use is the Jarrow brand (it is bovine). It's 250mg, and the dose is 1/2 a capsule in the morning and 1/2 in the evening. It basically has no taste, and for most kitties it can just be sprinkled on their food. Even if he has the full extraction, it can provide additional immune regulation support.

http://www.fivtherapy.com/lactoferrin.htm

Thank you Sara and LDG. I am not going to cook food. I am doing a lot of research into raw and have begun to switch my other 2 cats to raw. I began with Natures Variety Instinct Duck Kibble and Primal Freeze Dried Turkey.I just picked up some pouches of Stella Chewy's and will try that , I have given them chicken gizzards as treats. Those 2 cats have loved this change in food! The vet did say that right now while Remy is running fevers I should not consider raw. LDG I had not tried bovine interferron. I will try the Jarrow brand as Remy cannot be dosed by mouth. He is the sweetest of cats until you try to put anything in his mouth.I do put L-Lysine powder on his food and a probiotic as well as Omega three fatty acid.As soon as his fever is gone we are going to schedule all his remaining teeth to be removed. I am determined that he is going to one day feel better and know what life is like with a home and love. I have only had him since May and he has only felt really well for a total of maybe a month. He spent 3 years in a rescue shelter , apparently with no treatment. I think the fact that he is so quiet ( cannot meow) and easy going resulted in him being overlooked in a crowded shelter.I have been doing nothing but research and have finally found a vet who seems to understand nutrition . She wants me to forward her articles that I find interesting, just in case there are treatments/foods that she hasn't heard of. What a relief, I have been through a couple vets whose answer to everything was Science diet prescription food. They also wanted me to isolate Remy from the other cats. At least now I have a cat vet I can work with. Any advice is welcome. LDG I have read your Chumley chronicles and I appreciate all the info.Funny, I almost changed Remy's name to Chumley when I brought him home. But he was 6 and knew his name so I kept it. I just love the name Chumley.Sara, god bless you for taking care of your Felv cat. So many people just have them euthanized.

Sara457 said:

 
Hi

So sorry you have had such a hard time with Remy. I can imagine how hard it has been for all of you and how painful it is to see an animal we care so much about suffer.

I just wanted to add my two cents about feeding raw. I too have done a lot of research into it. One of my cats has FeLV, so therefore possibly a compromised immune system. From what I have read, raw isn't ideal for cats that don't have normal immune systems because uncooked food has a lot of bacteria, things like salmonella and e-coli (or whatever the proper spelling is etc.). So I made the decision not to feed raw because of that.

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I have a chihuahua who has an extremely poor immune system and had a lot of chronic disease prior to me putting her on the raw diet.  IMO it really helped boost her immune system.  In 3 years she has not had one episode of illness such as salmonella or ecoli.  Now my kibble/canned food cat has ecoli in her bladder right now.  Prior to raw, Zoey was on 7 different medications for her chronic illnesses.  Now she is on one for her hydrocephalus.  It worked miracles for my girl. 

cprcheetah- I believe you. The more I know about the cat food industry the more I believe raw is the way to go.I have little faith in even the so called 'good' canned food.I know I have health problems and since I have switched to a really good diet I feel 10 years younger. I tend to believe Remy would do fine with at the very least Natures Variety Instinct Raw and Primal.I will listen to what my vet says but I am leaning toward switching him.

Is it common for cats with aids to have to have teeth pulled?  OR was this FIV?  AND WHAT is FIV?  Sorry to be so dumb but know nothing about cat diseases.

Mississipp01 said:

 
Is it common for cats with aids to have to have teeth pulled?  OR was this FIV?  AND WHAT is FIV?  Sorry to be so dumb but know nothing about cat diseases.

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Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.  It is a virus that attacks the immune system.  Cats who have it can show no signs for years or they can be very sickly right from the start.  It causes infections in the gums and/or stomatitis in the mouth which is why a lot of cats who have it have to have dental work and extractions done.  It is spread through bite wounds, or from the mother cat to her kittens.  http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/brochure_fiv.cfm  has some good information on it.  There is no cure for it, however you can treat the symptoms and help the kitties live longer.  This website talks about treatment options http://www.fivtherapy.com/ 

Some vets and people unfamiliar with the virus refer to it as Feline AIDS. But AIDS is simply the end-stage of the infection from the virus (FIV) - most cats with FIV never reach the AIDS stage. Referring to FIV as AIDS simply means someone is not familiar with the infection, as the terms really aren't interchangeable.

Although my cat has never appeared to be sick, the vet told me my cat tested positive for AIDS.  He has pulled a lot of his teeth, said they were decayed.  Now I don't really know what to think.  I don't know if he was tested for FIV.  Thank you for the web sites and the info.  I'm trying to learn all I can.

Mississip01- if your vet said your cat has Feline Aids than your cats was tested for FIV.If you are not sure ask the vet. He /she can't diagnosis that without testing for FIV.It is common that these cats get Stomatitis.

TomTom's horizontal fractured jaw has been pinned.  Unable to fix the vertical break but vet says the pin in the horizontal fracture will also help pull the vertical break into line.  He is going to stay in the hospital over the weekend until they get him eating.  He is still getting sub q fluids, antibiotics and is getting cortisone (I believe that's what he said) for the AIDS.  He said he had to have had FIV to have AIDS.  I still don't understand cortisone for the AIDS/anemia but will get into that later.  I sure am learning a lot after working as a human nurse for 30 years. (lol)

Mississipp01 said:

Although my cat has never appeared to be sick,

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Then your cat does not have AIDS. He may be infected with the FIV virus, but he has not progressed to having AIDS.

The FIV/AIDS thing is the same in cats as HIV/AIDS in people. Here is a discussion on the difference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/17131.php

AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a disease caused by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The illness alters the immune system, making people much more vulnerable to infections and diseases. This susceptibility worsens as the disease progresses.

....People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. As a result, some will then develop AIDS.

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Your vet is not "FIV literate" if they tell you your cat, that is not sick, has AIDS. To say your cat has AIDS means they tested your cat, and your cat tested positive for FIV. So your cat is infected with the virus (or MAY be infected with the virus) that can LEAD to AIDS. But most cats infected with FIV never have the virus progress that far.

Yes, cats with FIV typically have problems with teeth and gums. You can help your cat by brushing his teeth, regular dentals, giving him a bovine lactoferrin supplement, and feeding him a raw diet, a home cooked diet, or a canned food diet with a food that has few or no veggies and fruits, no grains, no starches (peas or potatoes) and high protein. EVO, Wellness, Wild Calling, By Nature, Nature's Variety Instinct foods (although they have some veggies and fruits, the amount is very small).

Mississipp01 said:

the vet told me my cat tested positive for AIDS. 

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Your cat tested positive for the FIV virus. Your vet is incorrectly referring to it as "AIDS." From your description of your cat not being sick, your cat does not have the cascade of immune system dysfunction that is the "acquired immune deficiency syndrome." "AIDS" is the final stage of infection with the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and most FIV+ kitties die of more normal causes before they ever get there.

Mississipp01 said:

He has pulled a lot of his teeth, said they were decayed.  Now I don't really know what to think.  I don't know if he was tested for FIV.  Thank you for the web sites and the info.  I'm trying to learn all I can.

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This is quite common among FIV+ kitties. Our Chumley has regular, annual dentals, and he usually has one or two teeth pulled at these. While there are many false positives on the SNAP (ELISA) FIV tests that are done at the vets office, that he has this problem with his teeth would indicate that he probably is infected with FIV. There is a confirmatory test called the Western Blot, but it is very expensive. Here it costs about $170.