Need A Quick Answer For An FIV+ Male Who Is Getting Neutered Today

meeyow · Jan 6, 2015

Hello. I have 3 indoor cats and have been feeding an outdoor cat for about 3 weeks. Yesterday I took him to the vet and he tested positive for FIV. He appears to be in good health and is scheduled to be neutered today. Other things are going to be done to him while there and I'm concerned. I don't want to bombard his immune system with too much all at once. My vet isn't holistic, so doesn't think there's anything wrong with doing it all. I do use a holistic vet in another city, but I need my question answered, before she opens in the morning.

He will also be getting: rabies vaccination, medicine for deworming (he does have tape worms), Advantage flea treatment. Should I do it all this morning or should I stagger each treatment by a week or so?

That's my most important question. My next decision is whether to keep him with my 3 FIV- cats or find him another home. I'm going to have to bring him inside once he's neutered. He's not aggressive, but I will watch him closely.

red top rescue · Jan 6, 2015

Rabies, worming and Advantage flea treatment (as long as it isn't Advantage Multi) will not put too much stress on his system. Usually after neutering, cats need to spend some time away from other cats, so you should set up a room just for him, even if it's only a bathroom, with his own food, water, bed and litter and put off introductions to your other cats until he is completely healed from the surgery.

FIV is mainly transmitted by biting that breaks the skin, so you aren't going to pass it to your other cats just by going in and out of his room, but if they were to engage in a serious fight, he could pass it on to them. It's always wise to introduce cats slowly in any case, but even more important if one of them is FIV+ to avoid any fighting. In my experience, the main problem with having a FIV+ cat with other cats is that he can catch things from THEM. There are many great conversations on this site concerning FIV+ cats, most of which lead long healthy lives. If yo scroll up to just beneath the brown bar above, you will see a search box. Enter "FIV" and search and it will bring up many links you can click on to learn more about it. As for tomorrow's neuter, just make sure the vet is aware that his is a FIV+ cat.

meeyow · Jan 6, 2015

Red Top Rescue said:
Rabies, worming and Advantage flea treatment (as long as it isn't Advantage Multi) will not put too much stress on his system. Usually after neutering cats need to spend some time away from other cats, so you should set up a room just for him, even if it's only a bathroom, with his own food, water and litter. FIV is mainly transmitted by biting that breaks the skin, so you aren't going to pass it to your other cats just by going in and out of his room. In my experience, the main problem with having a FIV + cat with other cats is that he can catch things from THEM. There are many great conversations on this site concerning FIV cats, most of which lead long healthy lives. If yo scroll up to just beneath the brown bar above, you will see a search box. Enter "FIV" and search and it will bring up many links you can click on to learn more about it. As for tomorrow's neuter, just make sure the vet is aware that his is a FIV+ cat.

Thank you. I'll call first thing and talk to them about the proper Advantage to use. The vet is aware that he's positive, since he's the one who ran the test. The cat will be spending the night at the vet after surgery and won't come home until tomorrow (I'm going to go visit him later today). I will set up a place in one of the bathrooms for him. He's currently eating Wellness Core (dry) and will also be offered Wellness canned when he moves indoors; I hope that's okay.

My other cats are not vaccinated against FIV and never go outside; they're all seniors (12 and older). I don't know what he could catch from them, but I hope they don't have anything that could hurt him.

I will checkout the other FIV conversations and learn as much as I can to help me make a decision.

Norachan · Jan 6, 2015

Hi Mee Yow.

I took in a feral cat that had FIV a few years ago. None of my other cats were infected, but I didn't bother getting them vaccinated against it as the vaccine only works on one strain of the virus and there is no way of telling which strain the infected cat has.

I got all of his other shots done when I found that he had FIV, just to give him a bit of protection against anything else he might pick up. He needed worming a lot more regularly than my other cats. They all have outdoor access but he seemed to pick up worms much more often than they did. Not sure if that was anything to do with him being FIV or maybe it was because he kept his old feral habits of eating whatever he found.

Make sure you have separate food and water bowls for him and your other cats. Our vet said that there was a small chance that the other cats could become infected by sharing food with him.

Sadly he was quite an old cat with other health issues, so passed away about 18 months ago. All of the other cats are still fine though and never suffered any ill effects from living with him.

pocho · Jan 6, 2015

I took in a FIV feral too. At first I kept him seperate from other kitties but now they all live together. The dynamics are good so the chances of transmitting through a bite are low in my home. I decided to override my vets opinion for rabies vaccination though. I was not told though that it could be transmitted through food or water sharing. Although small risk, that concerns me. It's too late for that here, they share water. It has been over a year now since he has been inside. I might get blood work now to test other cats. I will surely update if any come up positive. But I feel pretty confident they won't.

meeyow · Jan 6, 2015

Norachan said:
Hi Mee Yow.

I took in a feral cat that had FIV a few years ago. None of my other cats were infected, but I didn't bother getting them vaccinated against it as the vaccine only works on one strain of the virus and there is no way of telling which strain the infected cat has.

I got all of his other shots done when I found that he had FIV, just to give him a bit of protection against anything else he might pick up. He needed worming a lot more regularly than my other cats. They all have outdoor access but he seemed to pick up worms much more often than they did. Not sure if that was anything to do with him being FIV or maybe it was because he kept his old feral habits of eating whatever he found.

Make sure you have separate food and water bowls for him and your other cats. Our vet said that there was a small chance that the other cats could become infected by sharing food with him.

Sadly he was quite an old cat with other health issues, so passed away about 18 months ago. All of the other cats are still fine though and never suffered any ill effects from living with him.

I'd heard from my holistic vet back in 2001 that the vaccine wasn't effective, but wondered if that had changed; I see it hasn't. I'm so sorry for your loss. I recently lost my cat to (pancreatic) cancer in May. The vet said this new cat looks healthy, but then again he isn't the most in-depth when it comes to testing; I plan to take him to my holistic vet who will run more tests and probably prescribe things for him.

pocho said:
I took in a FIV feral too. At first I kept him seperate from other kitties but now they all live together. The dynamics are good so the chances of transmitting through a bite are low in my home. I decided to override my vets opinion for rabies vaccination though. I was not told though that it could be transmitted through food or water sharing. Although small risk, that concerns me. It's too late for that here, they share water. It has been over a year now since he has been inside. I might get blood work now to test other cats. I will surely update if any come up positive. But I feel pretty confident they won't.

I was unsure about the rabies vaccine, but went with it. That will be his only rabies vaccine for life.

reikitty · Jan 6, 2015

meeyow · Jan 6, 2015

ReiKitty said:

reikitty · Jan 6, 2015

Revolution is a little bit different the other topical solutions I don't recall exactly why or how. But that's why its the only one that treats fleas, most worms, and ear mites. Where others don't treat ear mites or only worms or only fleas.

All topical carry a risk seizures or bad reactions but they are few and far between. If you holistic vet is against Revolution they should also be against Advantage...

StefanZ · Jan 6, 2015

Its probably already done, but spontaneously I would recommend to take it in a couple different portions, if its possible. Its quite a massive stress on him at once, and he dont need stress having this sleeping FIV. Holding him unstressed, psychically and fysically, is one of the keys to have the FIV sleeping on, not bursting out...

And thus, he can have many many years of good life, with any luck and some wise planning...

Good luck!

momto3cats · Jan 7, 2015

Personally I would not do all that once to any cat, let alone one with FIV, unless it was a feral with only one chance to go to the vet. At the very least, I would try to have the vaccine done a few weeks before or after the neuter. Those are both pretty serious stresses to the immune system.

pocho · Jan 8, 2015

Btw, I wanted to update...I recently had to take one of my non FIV cats to the vet. I got him tested for Fiv and it came back negative if that eases your mind. This cat drinks from same water bowl as FIV cat. And on occasion I have been too slow to pick up bowls and he has eaten Fiv cats crumbs of left over food. I will not let this continue but it is reassuring news.

Willowy · Jan 8, 2015

FeLV is more contagious than FIV. . .I don't think there's ever been a case of FIV being transmitted through sharing food, water, and/or litterboxes, it's just deep bites and mating. There is a chance that FeLV can be transmitted more casually but not FIV. I wouldn't hesitate to have a FIV+ cat living with the other cats.

hexiesfriend · Jan 8, 2015

I agree with willowy. Unfortunately all the strays I rescued all ended up being FIV+ except one. She never contracted it from any of the other cats in the 11 years she lived with them and shared food and water bowls. she just passed away at the age of 18. Though this condition sounds serious it is manageable. You just need to take them into the vet sooner rather than later. In all the years I have had them I haven't really noticed any difference in recovery from infection. The only thing I have noticed is a shortened life span due to development of cancers and tumors. By that I mean them living to 12 or 13 instead of 18. Vets will tell you they don't live that long because of this conditon but that's not really true.

red top rescue · Jan 10, 2015

You are correct @MeeYow, Revolution IS similar to Advantage Multi in that in addition to the flea preventative, both contain drugs in the avermectin family (moxidedctin in Advantage Multi and Selamectin in Revolution) to prevent heartworm and that kill intestinal worms. There are some cats (and dogs) in which this family of drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological symptoms such as ataxia, convulsions, etc. [which is why the holistic vet said it should never be given to an animal who has had convulsions]. I have had one cat with this sensitivity. There is a whole group of dogs (in the herding group) who have this sensitivity. There is a test that dogs can be given to see if they have it or not, but there is no test for cats yet. It is also just not necessary to use for inside cats. Advantage (imadocloprid) and Advantage II (imadacloprid plus pyriproxifen) are not prescription drugs and you can easily get them on eBay. (Advantage Multi IS prescription only, and that may be why your vet only carries the Advantage Multi now.) Also, Advantage and Advantage II are the same product for cats and dogs -- the only thing different is the packaging -- the amounts given are by weight, i.e. a 10 lb. dog and a 10 lb. cat get the same dose and even though the labels on the dog product say do not use on cats, and the labels on the cat product say do not use on dogs, that is for marketing purposes only. However, that is NOT true of Advantage Multi. The concentration of the moxidectin in Advantage Multi is much higher in the dog formula than in the cat formula, although the amount of imadocloprid is the same. The Advantage Multi does not have the insect growth regulator that stops the larvae from becoming adult fleas either, so Advantage II is really better for inside cats. Most of us in rescue buy the Extra Large Dog Advantage or Advantage II and then use a syringe to measure the individual doses for our animals. Most places charge roughly the same for a 6-pack of Advantage II whether it is for cats, small dogs or large dogs. One vial of the Extra Large Dog size has enough in it to medicate 10 cats under 10 lbs or 5 cats over 10 lbs or 20 kittens. It costs me $1 to $2 a month per cat to use Advantage this way, buying it on eBay. Since I'm usually treating 20 cats or so, this is the only way we can do it. Individual doses would cost too much.

meeyow · Jan 10, 2015

Red Top Rescue said:
You are correct @MeeYow, Revolution IS similar to Advantage Multi in that in addition to the flea preventative, both contain drugs in the avermectin family (moxidedctin in Advantage Multi and Selamectin in Revolution) to prevent heartworm and that kill intestinal worms. There are some cats (and dogs) in which this family of drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological symptoms such as ataxia, convulsions, etc. [which is why the holistic vet said it should never be given to an animal who has had convulsions]. I have had one cat with this sensitivity. There is a whole group of dogs (in the herding group) who have this sensitivity. There is a test that dogs can be given to see if they have it or not, but there is no test for cats yet. It is also just not necessary to use for inside cats. Advantage (imadocloprid) and Advantage II (imadacloprid plus pyriproxifen) are not prescription drugs and you can easily get them on eBay. (Advantage Multi IS prescription only, and that may be why your vet only carries the Advantage Multi now.) Also, Advantage and Advantage II are the same product for cats and dogs -- the only thing different is the packaging -- the amounts given are by weight, i.e. a 10 lb. dog and a 10 lb. cat get the same dose and even though the labels on the dog product say do not use on cats, and the labels on the cat product say do not use on dogs, that is for marketing purposes only. However, that is NOT true of Advantage Multi. The concentration of the moxidectin in Advantage Multi is much higher in the dog formula than in the cat formula, although the amount of imadocloprid is the same. The Advantage Multi does not have the insect growth regulator that stops the larvae from becoming adult fleas either, so Advantage II is really better for inside cats. Most of us in rescue buy the Extra Large Dog Advantage or Advantage II and then use a syringe to measure the individual doses for our animals. Most places charge roughly the same for a 6-pack of Advantage II whether it is for cats, small dogs or large dogs. One vial of the Extra Large Dog size has enough in it to medicate 10 cats under 10 lbs or 5 cats over 10 lbs or 20 kittens. It costs me $1 to $2 a month per cat to use Advantage this way, buying it on eBay. Since I'm usually treating 20 cats or so, this is the only way we can do it. Individual doses would cost too much.

Thanks for the great information. I found a total of 3 fleas on him (with a flea comb) while I waited on the arrival of the Advantage 2 that I ordered. I generally do not have fleas, so I don't treat unless there's a problem. In 13 years I've had only two infestations: once in 2007 and once in 2014. Both were a result of people with fleas in their houses coming to my house. Most vets (not my holistic) are shocked when I say I don't use flea prevention and usually comb through my cats looking to prove me wrong.

The cat is doing so well with my others; he's the most submissive cat I've ever had and is oblivious to their displeasure of his presence. They're they're getting used to him and we've had zero fights - just a little hissing from the others, but never from him. He's enjoying spending most of his day upstairs, away from the others. He's getting braver and is coming downstairs more often. He's such a scared, lap cat that I don't know how he survived outside on his own for as long as he did. He was scared of me when we met, but by the end of the first week I was already able to pet him. He's shown no interest in going outside, which is great and was a concern of mine.

pocho · Jan 11, 2015

That is exactly how my feral with FIV acted, especially the oblivious part. He was a tough feral who had rank outside. I saw first-hand...I think he on some level knew he was compromised and needed help. Mine ex feral is now the lap cat I also dreamed of. He is laying on my chest now as I try to write this. This thread has been incredibly informative and I am saving the info on flea meds. I can't believe my boy made it through all the inappropriate toxic stuff they through at him all at once.

meeyow · Jan 11, 2015

pocho said:
That is exactly how my feral with FIV acted, especially the oblivious part. He was a tough feral who had rank outside. I saw first-hand...I think he on some level knew he was compromised and needed help. Mine ex feral is now the lap cat I also dreamed of. He is laying on my chest now as I try to write this. This thread has been incredibly informative and I am saving the info on flea meds. I can't believe my boy made it through all the inappropriate toxic stuff they through at him all at once.

Awww that's wonderful to hear about your boy. Mine wasn't feral and outside I also noticed this submissiveness when another male tried to fight with him. Twice I heard the other male making noise, so I ran outside to see about him and both times he came running to me as the other male ran away. I was surprised that he didn't take off after the other male.

pocho · Jan 11, 2015

There might be something to the thought that your pets choose you not you choose your pets! He's your buddy for sure. I love it

Need A Quick Answer For An FIV+ Male Who Is Getting Neutered Today

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