Just remember: if you don't know if they were vaccinated for FIV, you won't know if the test is valid or not. Sorry if I'm being repetitive, just driving a point home.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Corona Virus Positive Testing
- Thread starter mytoys2u
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #22
Not a problem ... I think it's a very good point to make and it was in my thoughts also. Since my Mom was the only owner since the kitten was found at 8 weeks old by my sister on a country road (it's sibling was on the road and had been killed by a car), I checked with her vet (it's a very small town vet) and he said he doesn't vaccinate for FIV so it looks like the positive was not from a vaccine. The cat is 6 years old (approximately).
From another post today on the board about FELV+ and the ELISA testing, it is making me concerned that some vets are not communicating the limitations of the ELISA test. That sometimes that test can be wrong (with FIV, FELV).
I had to make the effort to research and ask for the more expensive test (Western Blot). I mean, what is another $150 when I've just spent $1800 on four new cats (check up, blood test, vaccines, and boarding) plus my annual exam and boosters for one of my existing cats?
This vet knows my husband and myself and how wiling we are to spend money ... We've even boarded a stray dog with him until I was able to find a home for the dog.
Also, he knows how much money we spent with my last cat Jessica who died. She was adopted when she was 6 years old from shelter. She was with us approximately 6 additional years. She was so depressed from being abandoned, I think, that when we got her she just wouldn't eat.
She ended up being at this particular vet's office for a month with a feeding tube. Then, her medical problems continued but she always pulled through (until she had her stroke). On a number of occasions my vet thought that we would need to put her down ... liver problems galore, cancer, etc., but each time she bounced back. We called her "the million dollar cat"
I never wanted to add up our vet bills over the 6 years but I would guess we were at around $20,000 at least. But she was the best pet that I ever had and never regretted spending any of that money.
I think its because most vets don't KNOW the limitations of the Elisa test. It's sad, but if you think about it, a lot of vets, particularly country vets are the general practioners of the animal world. They don't always keep up with the latest findings, particularly if they have been practicing for many years.
The best information I received about FeLV was from a cat specialist, who by chance worked with a vetrinary university to keep up on current research. They are few and far between.
I know the advise on this board is always to ask your vet. But I'm also an advocate of doing some digging on your own, particularly if you don't have a vet that specializes in what you are facing. Vets are human too!!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #24
I definitely agree ... I think be it an animal or your own health, being informed is always good but to seek the advice of an expert too. I just wonder how many cats tested false positive under and ELISA test that were really negative and were put down based on an incorrect test result.
Not that all results are false positives, but even if a few lives could be saved from doing a better test to confirm the positive, it would be great ... I think a lot of people would be willing to spend the extra money on the better test to be sure before putting an animal down.
My vet asked me what I wanted to do about the positive based on the ELISA test ... basically, he wanted to know if I wanted to put her down. He didn't even offer up the Western Blot to confirm (initially). That makes me very sad about how many people wouldn't know that there was still a chance that the cat wasn't positive. For a baby that you love, that chance, if true, could save your baby's life and horrific pain for the owner.
If the ELISA test is what we call our 'in house' test (I do forget names), then in the UK, studies have shown 42% of FeLV positives to be incorrect, and 7% of FIV positives to be incorrect. And this was on the website of the place that does accurate tests in teh UK
Why do I have to have my cat's FIV test confirmed?
In a recent, as yet unpublished, survey, 5.5% of FIV infected cats were missed by the tests used in the practice and 7% of practice FIV positive results were false positives, that is, the test had wrongly labelled a healthy cat as infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.
Why do I have to have my cat's FIV test confirmed?
In a recent, as yet unpublished, survey, 5.5% of FIV infected cats were missed by the tests used in the practice and 7% of practice FIV positive results were false positives, that is, the test had wrongly labelled a healthy cat as infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.
Condolences on the loss of your Mom.
I lost a kitty to FIP 2 years ago, and did lots of research. The two kittens she was with, one a sibling, are now almost 3 years old, and doing fine. Her sister was intimately exposed to her, as she was cleaning the ill kitty. When I asked the vet about testing the two remaining kittens for coronovirus, he refused. He said of course they will be coronavirus positive, but the test will tell us nothing about their risk of FIP.
I hope you are feeling better about bringing the kitties home. I have fostered multiple cats since Mattie died of FIP. So long as they have been vaccinated, they are allowed out in the house with my cats. edited to add: meaning routine vaccinations...not the FIP vaccine!(Pregnant queens and litters of kittens remain quarentined, but not due to fears of FIP.) I have never had trouble with FIP in another kitty in my house.
I have 2 suggestions for you. One is bring those kitties home, even if you decide to keep them in a separate bedroom. Second, print up some concise info about FIP, the vaccine, and coronavirus, and give it to that vet. He is giving outdated, misinformed information to people! To say a cat that tests positive for coronavirus is grim news is insane. Virtually all cats from multicat households will test positive!
You are a good person to take over the care of these cats. Maybe you can call a local rescue and let them know you have the younger cats available for adoption. Sometimes my rescue turns people down because we don't alllow them to declaw, so the option of telling them about someone with already declawed cats available is handy.
I lost a kitty to FIP 2 years ago, and did lots of research. The two kittens she was with, one a sibling, are now almost 3 years old, and doing fine. Her sister was intimately exposed to her, as she was cleaning the ill kitty. When I asked the vet about testing the two remaining kittens for coronovirus, he refused. He said of course they will be coronavirus positive, but the test will tell us nothing about their risk of FIP.
I hope you are feeling better about bringing the kitties home. I have fostered multiple cats since Mattie died of FIP. So long as they have been vaccinated, they are allowed out in the house with my cats. edited to add: meaning routine vaccinations...not the FIP vaccine!(Pregnant queens and litters of kittens remain quarentined, but not due to fears of FIP.) I have never had trouble with FIP in another kitty in my house.
I have 2 suggestions for you. One is bring those kitties home, even if you decide to keep them in a separate bedroom. Second, print up some concise info about FIP, the vaccine, and coronavirus, and give it to that vet. He is giving outdated, misinformed information to people! To say a cat that tests positive for coronavirus is grim news is insane. Virtually all cats from multicat households will test positive!
You are a good person to take over the care of these cats. Maybe you can call a local rescue and let them know you have the younger cats available for adoption. Sometimes my rescue turns people down because we don't alllow them to declaw, so the option of telling them about someone with already declawed cats available is handy.
I am reading all of these posts with great interest. On Saturday, my vet ran the FIP test on my kitten Oliver. I posted this information in The Cat Lounge. Today I should hear from my vet regarding Oliver's results. My poor little guy has been sick almost from the day I brought him home. In the four months that I have had him, he has never gone longer than 3 wks, without a visit to the vets. In Nov. I changed vets because I just wasn't comfortable with their (seemingly) lack of concern over his health. I know that there is something wrong with him and needed to find someone else to work with. The vet that I am working with now has been trying to narrow down the possible problems - we were hoping that it was herpes and that lysine would help, but when I took him in on Sat, he had lost 1/2lb and was still running a fever. That is when my vet raised the subject of FIP. she did draw blood and I should get some answers today. But now I am confused - is the test not accurate? And if the test comes back positive, what questions should I be asking my vet? She said there were 2 types of FIP - wet and dry - she felt because Oliver's heart and lungs were clear, that he might have the dry type.
I have been trying to do research and found the very good 2 part article on this forum, but I guess I don't know what my next step should be. Other than not to worry that my two other cats may catch this virus from Oliver. Can anyone advise? Thanks, Ellyn
I have been trying to do research and found the very good 2 part article on this forum, but I guess I don't know what my next step should be. Other than not to worry that my two other cats may catch this virus from Oliver. Can anyone advise? Thanks, Ellyn
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #28
There is not a test to show whether or not it is FIP --- the blood test only shows whether the cats are coronavirus positive. This could be any one of the many coronaviruses ... Plus the test doesn't even show if the coronavirus is active or if the cat just had one of the many coronavirus SOMETIME in their life.
I've read statistics that say up to 85% of all shelter cats have been exposed to a coronavirus. Overall, I've read that if you test all cats in the US, then about 25% would come back with positive readings.
Plus, in the end stage, the test may come back negative EVEN THOUGH they have full blown FIP.
I just have a hard time with this disease because it's so random and there is no way to tell which cat is going to mutate the one coronavirus that causes FIP.
The cat specialist I started going to said that the test is "worthless" because so many cats come back positive.
With your kitten, I think clinical symptoms may give more clues. Hopefully, others here can give you more information ...
I've read statistics that say up to 85% of all shelter cats have been exposed to a coronavirus. Overall, I've read that if you test all cats in the US, then about 25% would come back with positive readings.
Plus, in the end stage, the test may come back negative EVEN THOUGH they have full blown FIP.
I just have a hard time with this disease because it's so random and there is no way to tell which cat is going to mutate the one coronavirus that causes FIP.
The cat specialist I started going to said that the test is "worthless" because so many cats come back positive.
With your kitten, I think clinical symptoms may give more clues. Hopefully, others here can give you more information ...
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #29
For the four cats, we've fostered one out (the 11 month old) to one of my best friends. All of her other friends think it's going to be hers forever and there is no "temporary" here are all. One of her other friends showed up for her Christmas Eve party with a bag of "kitty goodies" ... since the kitten's new nickname is "Sweetie Pie" by my friend ... I think chances are high that she'll keep him.
The next youngest cat is 2 years old and one of my other friends stopped by to see him. He was definitely on his "game" and was rolling around and purring and even butted her in the head. There is a good chance that he may have a good home too
He'll have his own bedroom for awhile and then will integrate him into the household.
The other two also have their own bedroom but one wants out REALLY badly. We'll wait about 6 weeks and then integrate them too ... Looks like we'll have a 4 - 6 cat household at least
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2014
- Messages
- 2
- Purraise
- 1
What about the PCR or ELISA?
My Spooky Dandylion just tested pos. for corona virus and is symptomatic for his chronic herpes and now my vet is testing for FIP. So I am confused. Pls explain why you say there is "no test for FIP".
My Spooky Dandylion just tested pos. for corona virus and is symptomatic for his chronic herpes and now my vet is testing for FIP. So I am confused. Pls explain why you say there is "no test for FIP".
