FeLV and FIV do they need to be tested for before getting shots?

terestrife · Feb 18, 2017

My niece took her outdoor cat to the humane society, she tested for worms, gave her a dewormer, and got all her shots. But she wasnt told to test for FeLV and FIV. Should i be concerned about her cat being around my cats?

Would the shots cure the cat if she had any of those two illnesses? Please let me know, i dont want to risk my cats.

My niece is staying for a week, normally her cat is isolated from the rest of the house (in a bedroom) we had planned to let her socialize with my cats once she had all her shots. But now im worried.

Norachan · Feb 18, 2017

Hi @terestrife

No, the shots won't cure a cat if they already have either of those diseases. The FIV vaccine only protects against one strain of the virus and there is no way of knowing what strain an infected cat has.

If a cat is FIV+ they need to be given the killed vaccine, rather than the modified live vaccine as their compromised immune systems can't cope with the live vaccine.

I don't have any experience with cats that have FeLV, but I guess you would need to take the same precautions there too.

I suggest you keep the cats apart and call the vet who gave the vaccine to ask if they have any advice for you.

If your niece is only staying for a week it's not really long enough to do proper introductions anyway. Safer to keep her cat in a room on her own.

abyeb · Feb 18, 2017

Yes, you should definitely get the cat tested for FeLV and FIV. FeLV is a highly contagious, deadly virus. It is transmitted through saliva (so a cat could get it by a bite or sharing a food/water dish) FIV is similar to HIV, but in cats it is spread through bites and scratches. FIV positive and FIV negative cats *can* live together, although this is usually not reccommended because nasty confrontations can occur unexpectedly. Unfortunately, the shots are simply vaccinations meant to prevent these viruses, and cannot cure them. Even if your cats have been vaccinated against FeLV and FIV, these vaccines are not 100% reliable, unfortunately. I don't mean to alarm you, I just want to emphasize the importance of getting your niece's cat to the vet ASAP to be tested for FIV and FeLV.

cat marcum · Feb 19, 2017

I just had my cat tested yesterday which thankfully was negative. My vet said it is better to test first because if they have feline leukemia and you inject with them, it can cause more problems. She got the shot and did great afterwards. It was expensive $50.00 for the testing but better to know that your cat doesn't have the disease and then getting the shot to prevent it from happening. I take Tipper back in 3 weeks for her booster. She was feral for the first 7 months of her life so she was late in getting all the shots she should have had as a kitten but we are getting them all done and she is doing great so far.

terestrife · Feb 19, 2017

Abyeb said:
Yes, you should definitely get the cat tested for FeLV and FIV. FeLV is a highly contagious, deadly virus. It is transmitted through saliva (so a cat could get it by a bite or sharing a food/water dish) FIV is similar to HIV, but in cats it is spread through bites and scratches. FIV positive and FIV negative cats *can* live together, although this is usually not reccommended because nasty confrontations can occur unexpectedly. Unfortunately, the shots are simply vaccinations meant to prevent these viruses, and cannot cure them. Even if your cats have been vaccinated against FeLV and FIV, these vaccines are not 100% reliable, unfortunately. I don't mean to alarm you, I just want to emphasize the importance of getting your niece's cat to the vet ASAP to be tested for FIV and FeLV.

Thank you! i told my niece this information, she thought the shots were enough.

Cat Marcum said:
I just had my cat tested yesterday which thankfully was negative. My vet said it is better to test first because if they have feline leukemia and you inject with them, it can cause more problems. She got the shot and did great afterwards. It was expensive $50.00 for the testing but better to know that your cat doesn't have the disease and then getting the shot to prevent it from happening. I take Tipper back in 3 weeks for her booster. She was feral for the first 7 months of her life so she was late in getting all the shots she should have had as a kitten but we are getting them all done and she is doing great so far.

Thank you! I will keep them separated. I will also encourage my niece to get her cat tested.

FeLV and FIV do they need to be tested for before getting shots?

terestrife

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