FIV.....need info from others with experience

Hi guys......I've been away from this site for, well, years actually.  It's not that my love for cats has waned, it's just that life happens.

Anyway, I recently found out (about 3 weeks) ago, that a cat of mine has FIV.   My question to anyone with experience is what to expect really?  The vet said he probably contracted it about 1 year ago.  He said they usually don't last very long after they are diagnosed.  I took him in because he obviously had some issues going on in his mouth.  His fur was always wet around his mouth and his breath was awful.  It was during this visit that the FIV was detected.  He received a steroid shot over a week ago for his red, inflamed gums, but that doesn't seem to be doing any good.  Also, something new is that he how has a discharge from one of his eyes.  I wiped this from his eye and it smelled horrible.  Is he nearing the end?

I'm not looking to have anyone attack me because I "allowed" him to contract this disease.....just some advice.  This cat showed up at a house I own, but do not live in (in another city) over 12 years ago.  He was already an adult cat when he showed up, so I have no idea of his age.  I could not take him indoors where I do live, so I had him neutered, put advantage on him, and fed him.

Sophie

Keep your kitty in the house.  My Step-daughter had a cat afflicted with that virus, and he lived to a ripe old age of 16 or so.  Just love him and baby him.

Hrm, it really varies. FIV isn't a direct death sentence, and sometimes things just happen where they end up contracting it. My boyfriend's cat was indoor/outdoor briefly when he lived with his parents in a farmy kind of area, neutered, and he wound up with an abscess likely from a cat fight outside. Our vet suspects, though we haven't definitively tested for FIV due to the fact that he did end up with that injury while being allowed outdoors, and his current health.

If FIV is far progressed, things like infections can become more frequent as their immune system gets weaker. Did the vet prescribe anything to help with the discharge, or did that occur after the vet appointment? It's tough to say what "nearing the end" is - just because he may have some sort of eye infection and inflamed gums, it doesn't mean he's on death's door. If this was paired with loss of appetite/weight loss, lethargy, and the plethora of other potential problems that can arise from a weakened immune system, then I would say maybe he's not doing too well.

There are ways to manage the secondary conditions resulting from FIV, which is essentially just being immunocompromised. I don't agree with your vet that FIV cats don't last long after they're diagnosed though. That's a fairly big blanket statement. Some cat owners provide l lysine for their FIV+ cats with good results. If you haven't seen it already, @LDG made a journal for her FIV+ cat:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/224483/chumleys-fiv-health-journal

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/259351/how-i-am-treating-chumleys-fiv

Well for starters, I can't keep him in the house where I live as I have other cats he's never met (not to mention a male with behavior issues)..... it just can't happen.  Right now, I have him at my mom & dad's place because they have an enclosed patio.  I am scrambling right now to finish up building an outdoor 10 x 12 enclosure that he will be put in.  There will be a small opening cut into the back of my plant shed where he can go inside that if he wants to.  The plant shed is off the back of my garage and I'll keep the door between the two open.  So he'll have the garage, plant shed, and outdoor enclosure.

As I stated in my original post, he has always been an outdoor cat.  He showed up in 2002 (I think) at a house I own but don't live in.  I still do not currently live in this house and don't know when I will.  He was friendly, I fed him and he stayed.  He has been in countless fights defending "his yard".  

The eye discharge started after the vet visit and it's only in one eye.  I called them Saturday morning and asked for a return call from the vet....it never happened.  He also still has the drooling which the vet said it's because his gums are hurting him.  I do know that the steroid shot he received for the swollen red gums didn't do anything for him.  The vet said if the redness doesn't go away, it is no use to keep giving him steroid shots.  When he grooms himself, this stinky drool gets all over his fur and then it turns black.  I don't know if that is just dust attracting to the wet areas on him  or if it is something more.  I should probably start weighing him to see if he's losing weight.  I know that when I pet him I can feel his spine where I never used to before.  However, my almost 16 year old male cat has the same thing and he's healthy.  I think he's just losing muscle mass as he gets older.  I don't know if this is the same thing with Foster since I know he's at least 13 years old and could be older.....I just don't know.

I will contact LDG and see what kind of advice/support she can offer me.

Cats with FIV are prone to gum disease/stomatitis. It is very important to have his teeth cleaned and any bad teeth removed.

I will also note that this kitty likely has the herpes virus. Giving a cat with herpes steroids often leads to "flare-ups." Thus why he started having the goopy eye after the injection. Some Terramycin ointment and Idoxuridine drops should be of great help.

Like others have said, FIV itself is certainly not a death sentence. The important thing is to keep the cat in a clean environment, keep him on a high quality diet, and treat any illness AS SOON as you notice symptoms.

CatPack said:

Cats with FIV are prone to gum disease/stomatitis. It is very important to have his teeth cleaned and any bad teeth removed.

I will also note that this kitty likely has the herpes virus. Giving a cat with herpes steroids often leads to "flare-ups." Thus why he started having the goopy eye after the injection. Some Terramycin ointment and Idoxuridine drops should be of great help.

Like others have said, FIV itself is certainly not a death sentence. The important thing is to keep the cat in a clean environment, keep him on a high quality diet, and treat any illness AS SOON as you notice symptoms.

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Exactly that. Steroids are contraindicated in cats with FIV because steroids suppress the immune system, and FIV cats have compromised immune systems. Most cats have been exposed to the herpes virus, and things like vaccinations and steroids will cause a flare-up. A combination of lysine and bovine lactoferrin (which is a supplement recommended for FIV anyway) should clear it up.

Feed him the highest quality diet you can (either a high protein, low carb canned food or a balanced raw diet if possible. If cost is an issue, Friskies pate foods and Fancy Feast are good canned food options), and mix in 500mg of lysine both morning and night (500mg 2x a day) until the flare is over, then give him 250mg twice a day for maintenance. Buy the Jarrow 250mg lactoferrin, and give him 1/2 a capsule AM and PM (just sprinkle on or mix into wet food). That should be given on a long term basis.

If you can afford to give him probiotics, Nexabiotic is the best option, because it has lactobaccillus (including acidophilus and rhamnosus), bifidobacterium, AND S boulardii. It is the only supplement I am aware of in the US that has all three.

As CatPack says, FIV cats are prone to dental problems. I'm sure he needs a dental, and he likely needs several teeth removed. FIV cats should have at least annual dentals, and don't be surprised if one or more teeth need to be pulled each year.

Another supplement you can consider, and it may help with the gingivitis and inflammation in his mouth, is a curcumin extract. I use Doctor's Best C3 complex. The capsules I buy are 500mg, and the dose is 1/8th of a capsule twice a day. I should update my journal - I just started giving this to Chumley. I've been using it for Flowerbelle's asthma.

Chumley and Billy are best buddies. Chumley grooms Billy hours a day, including his ears. This has been for.... four years now, and Bill is still FIV-.

You might want to find a more FIV literate vet. His information that cats don't live long after being diagnosed is just wrong. Most, with proper care, live to be ripe old ages. They die of the same problems as any other kitties. It is very, very, very rare that FIV progresses to the AIDS stage. If they develop an illness, it may need to be treated more aggressively and for a longer period of time. But if they exhibit signs of illness, do NOT ascribe it to the FIV and think there's nothing that can be done. Get them the same vet care you would a pet without FIV, and most live well into their teens. :heart2:

To learn more, there is no better site than http://www.fivtherapy.com And there is a Yahoo group started by the author of that site. It is a great group, very helpful. You can search its files, the emails, and ask any questions and get support from a knowledgeable group. It is FIV-healthscience. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/fiv-healthscience/info

OK, I appreciate all the info but it's almost like information overload. 

First off, he went in for a dental to begin with and they suggested the tests because he is an outdoor cat.  I remember them telling me that they didn't take the scraping as far as they normally would have because he had so much bleeding.  They did tell me that none of his teeth were loose, so no teeth were pulled.  That was a little bit of good news.

My confusion comes with everything that was suggested to give Foster by CatPack and LDG.  Do I give everything that was suggested or is it an either/or situation?  Do I need prescriptions from the vet for all this stuff?  CatPack mentioned terramycin ointment and ldoxuridine drops.  I'm assuming this is for the eyes, but I'm not certain.

LDG mentioned lysine and bovine lactoferrin.  Don't know what this is or what it is for?  Again, do I need prescriptions or is this over the counter?  I had switched to feeding Foster canned Fancy Feast because I thought he was having trouble eating dry food with whatever was going on in his mouth.  He gobbled it up in the beginning.  Now, he's starting to leave most of it.    I had a few cans of canned C/D food and I tried it on him.....a couple spoonfuls when he was done with the other food.  He seems to like it.  I also tried some of the dry C/D and he likes that as well.  Don't know if I should continue a gradual switch or switch him all at once in order to get more food in him and deal with the possible diarrhea? 

The following were mentioned.....

terramycin ointment

ldoxuridine drops

lysine

bovine lactoferrin

nexabiotic

curcumin extract

I just don't understand if it is being suggested that all of the above be given to Foster...........and also, do I need to consult my vet before administering all these things?

LDG, you recommended finding a more FIV literate vet......how does one go about that?......do you just call different ones and ask what their experience is with treating FIV cats?  I doubt I'll be able to speak to the doctor with just a phone call.

Again, I appreciate all the feedback, it's just overwhelming to me.

By the way.....here's an older thread about Foster....

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/113135/i-think-im-about-to-make-another-enemy-out-of-my-other-neighbor

Terramycin and Idoxuridine are eye medications available by prescription. . .actually, Terramycin does not require a prescription but the only place I've been able to find it is from the vet.

The others are supplements, not prescription meds. You can find them at vitamin shops, online or locally.