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- Jul 11, 2016
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So hopefully this is all just me blowing things out of proportion, but I'm super worried that my cat has FIV.
This Saturday, my 3-year-old kitty, Robin Hood, is scheduled to be tested for FIV by the vet. I was shocked to hear that he had never been tested. He's definitely had tons of bloodwork over the two years that I've had him, and although I didn't know much about it till now, I always thought FIV was part of routine testing. In the meantime, I'm incredibly worried about the long-term prognosis for cats with FIV. This cat is my baby, and the thought of anything bad happening to him is devastating. I know there's no diagnosis, so I could be freaking out over nothing, but does anyone have experience with an FIV-positive cat?
I also am anxious about whether his condition could put humans at risk, namely small children (I don't have human kids yet, but am at the point in my life where it's a possibility within the next handful of years). I know FIV is not contagious in itself, but, being immunocompromised, would my kitty be more likely to pick up illnesses that could be dangerous to a little kid?
For a little background... Ever since I adopted him, Robin Hood has constantly been sick at one point or another, although, thank goodness, he's always bounced back. Here are the medical issues that have led up to this point. The worry is that FIV is the overarching cause of everything:
-- Persistent dental issues at a young age. He has gingivitis (despite my vain attempts to brush his teeth) and last March, during his first ever dental cleaning, the vet discovered that all of his molars were resorbing and had to be pulled. Now the vet believes that other teeth are developing resorptive lesions, which sadly means more dental work in the future.
-- Tentative herpes diagnosis a couple years ago by his previous vet, due to his occasional upper-respiratory infections that come out of nowhere. He'll suddenly develop cold-like symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, occasional eye discharge). Once, he was unable to open his eye for a full day, which was terrifying. However, the trouble always has seemed to resolve on its own within a few days.
-- Feline hyperesthesia diagnosis by previous vet, due to this weird twitch he occasionally gets along his back. It used to be accompanied by not-so-fun symptoms, like becoming upset with his tail and running around the house, but since having his molars removed, it thankfully has become more of an occasional twitch.
-- Transient stomach issues. He'll randomly have diarrhea or loose stools for no apparent reason, occasionally with blood included. I recently rushed him to the vet after finding a significant amount of blood in his litter box, but the physical exams and urinalysis came back normal. (He also acted completely normal, and appeared deeply insulted that I brought him to the vet!) His stomach growls a lot, and he often has gas.
Any advice or insight would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, you guys!
This Saturday, my 3-year-old kitty, Robin Hood, is scheduled to be tested for FIV by the vet. I was shocked to hear that he had never been tested. He's definitely had tons of bloodwork over the two years that I've had him, and although I didn't know much about it till now, I always thought FIV was part of routine testing. In the meantime, I'm incredibly worried about the long-term prognosis for cats with FIV. This cat is my baby, and the thought of anything bad happening to him is devastating. I know there's no diagnosis, so I could be freaking out over nothing, but does anyone have experience with an FIV-positive cat?
I also am anxious about whether his condition could put humans at risk, namely small children (I don't have human kids yet, but am at the point in my life where it's a possibility within the next handful of years). I know FIV is not contagious in itself, but, being immunocompromised, would my kitty be more likely to pick up illnesses that could be dangerous to a little kid?
For a little background... Ever since I adopted him, Robin Hood has constantly been sick at one point or another, although, thank goodness, he's always bounced back. Here are the medical issues that have led up to this point. The worry is that FIV is the overarching cause of everything:
-- Persistent dental issues at a young age. He has gingivitis (despite my vain attempts to brush his teeth) and last March, during his first ever dental cleaning, the vet discovered that all of his molars were resorbing and had to be pulled. Now the vet believes that other teeth are developing resorptive lesions, which sadly means more dental work in the future.
-- Tentative herpes diagnosis a couple years ago by his previous vet, due to his occasional upper-respiratory infections that come out of nowhere. He'll suddenly develop cold-like symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, occasional eye discharge). Once, he was unable to open his eye for a full day, which was terrifying. However, the trouble always has seemed to resolve on its own within a few days.
-- Feline hyperesthesia diagnosis by previous vet, due to this weird twitch he occasionally gets along his back. It used to be accompanied by not-so-fun symptoms, like becoming upset with his tail and running around the house, but since having his molars removed, it thankfully has become more of an occasional twitch.
-- Transient stomach issues. He'll randomly have diarrhea or loose stools for no apparent reason, occasionally with blood included. I recently rushed him to the vet after finding a significant amount of blood in his litter box, but the physical exams and urinalysis came back normal. (He also acted completely normal, and appeared deeply insulted that I brought him to the vet!) His stomach growls a lot, and he often has gas.
Any advice or insight would be greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, you guys!
