My cat has FIV

Maryd.

Hi,

My cat was diagnosed with FIV about 3 months ago. He started having dental problems back in September and he has had teeth removed twice since then. He still gets gum inflammation, ear infections and a recurring infection in his left eye.

He gets a Convenia antibiotic injection every two weeks, but it is not doing much for him, he is still getting infections. I have to bring him to the vet nearly every week because of one problem or another.

I brought him in last week because he wasn't eating much and he was scratching his ears a lot. The vet said his gums looked sore so he gave him a steroid injection and ear drops. The steroids really helped him to feel better. He had a lot more energy and was eating more. It was the best week he has had in a long time. He even gained some weight.

On Saturday, I brought him in for his Convenia injection and I thought he would get another steroid shot because it only lasts in his system for a week. The vet i met this time didn't want to give him steroids because he has FIV. She said it would further suppress his immune system.

Yesterday he was OK, but today the eye infection is back again, he wont eat anything and just looks miserable. He is just sleeping in front of the stove all day and cant even open his left eye. I just don't know what to do with him anymore. The vet said he would have good days and bad days but it's so upsetting to see him suffering.

I was wondering has anyone had a cat with FIV or any advice about my situation.

Riverireland

I really sympathise as I have been in the same situation with a cat and a similar situation with another cat. My advice would be to have the cat euthanised. I will probably be blasted for that advice but there is no cure for this illness and you are only prolonging the inevitable and the pain for both of you. Sorry for the harsh advice and the best of luck.

Maryd.

Riverireland wrote: »

I really sympathise as I have been in the same situation with a cat and a similar situation with another cat. My advice would be to have the cat euthanised. I will probably be blasted for that advice but there is no cure for this illness and you are only prolonging the inevitable and the pain for both of you. Sorry for the harsh advice and the best of luck.

Hi, thanks for your reply. Sorry to hear about your cats. It's a horrible disease. It's heartbreaking, but i know euthanasia may be the only option.

Rips

Shocked at the advice here how old is this cat?
The OP is clearly prepared to treat these problems and it may not be a lost cause at all, especially if it has just been diagnosed due to the first symptoms appearing. Its just frustrating to not be able to resolve the infections he has. There is no help for the teeth unfortunately, but many cats who are FIV- will suffer from the same problems and worse.

My cat does not have FIV (we had to test him twice! :rolleyes:) but he has a problem with his immune system which means he suffers from all of the problems listed above. He would be a lot worse then he is if he was an outdoor cat.

He might have a month where he is 'off form' and needs medication/treatment/careful management, but then he could be clear for 6-8months. He is very happy and healthy, and aside from regular dentals, relatively inexpensive, vet wise. He will soon have the last of his molars removed and he is only 5.

Cats with FIV can live long lives and can go through long periods where they are not symptomatic.

Keeping him indoors would help, and if he's used to being outside, building him a cat run might be a solution.

Are you happy with your vets management of the condition?

I'm not trying to give you veterinary advice, but just for example, I'm not sure if convenia is an effective antibiotic for the problems you have mentioned. Lots of vets use it because of the convenience of it (1x monthly shot, saves stress in cats who can't take oral meds) but it may not be targeting the cause of the infections your cat has.

My cat used to get it, but the vets discontinued its use after we had biopsy and bacterial culture results returned. Finding out what worked in the initial phase was expensive, and took about 3 months from the time he was diagnosed. He was miserable, he did lose weight, and it seemed like it would never end ... but once we got him right, and now we know what works and what triggers his problems, he has never come close to being that sick again.

Perhaps there is an alternative antibiotic you can get in oral form to give daily in food? Vitamin injections, oral vitamin supplements and really good quality palatable food. Cleaning his eyes and nose frequently with a little salt in water. Occasional use of antibiotics to combat his infections. There are lots of resources online about people managing their FIV cats.

Maryd.

Thanks Rips for your reply.

I am not sure of his age, he was a stray. He was an adult cat when he arrived at our house 6 years ago. I started feeding him so he decided to stay. We moved house 2 and a half years ago. He has been an indoor cat since then because we live near a busy road.

The vets know he is still getting infections but they didn't suggest any other antibiotics. I will ring them in the morning to find out about the oral antibiotics.

The symptoms started suddenly last September, dental problems and the infections. He also has anemia. The vet said there is no treatment for anemia. Convenia doesn't seem to be doing any good for the infections.

I tried giving him calo-pet supplement but he hates it. I put it through his food but he wouldn't eat it. I then started using a syringe to feed it to him but it was upsetting him so i stopped. The vet suggested hills prescription i/d pouches but he wouldn't eat them. He only likes whiskas pouches, chicken and tins of sardines.

He ate a small plate of chicken this evening. That's all he has eaten today.

Irish Stones

I'm really sorry for your cat

Cats with FIV and no symptoms can live many years.
My former neighbour had a cat with FIV from birth, the cat is now 9 years old, they don't live here anymore but I knowthat he's still alive and in good health.
The situation is different when some symptoms appear.
I had a cat with FIV. Like yours he arrived from who knows where, he was a stray, he was looking for food, I fed him and he stayed.
Unfortunately his FIV opened the door to FeLV. He got vaccinated against it, but probably it was too late. FeLV is much worse than FIV. There's no cure for either of them, but FeLV leads to more severe diseases and leaves much less time to live. My cat venetually developed FIP and died from it.
I could advice you to run a test for FeLV too and see what his condition is at the moment.
For his eye you could ask the vet if it's the case to use a topical antibiotic rather than a wide spectrum antibiotic. My cat was subject to eye infections too (his right eye) and we successfully treated him with a combination of topical antibiotics (cream and drops) and eyedrops, four kinds of medicines four times a day for three weeks.
We also gave him a complementary powder in his wet food for one month

Herpless

It's an Italian product, but I hope it can be found everywhere.

Hope this helps.

Maryd.

Hi, thanks for your advice. He tested negative for FeLV 3 months ago. I will ask about other treatments for his eye. I get the impression the vet thinks he is a lost cause because when he gave the FIV diagnosis the vet also talked about euthanasia.

He is such an amazing cat and i'm so attached to him. I am willing to try anything to give him a good quality of life for the time he has left. It's just so hard seeing him sick and depressed. He could be ok for a few days and then the infections will suddenly come back. He is maintaining his weight fairly good considering all he's been through.

He doesn't enjoy life much anymore though. He sleeps most of the time. He used to love playing with my two jack russels now he doesn't even get up when they come in. He only had some energy last week when he got steroids.

Maryd.

He looks a bit better today. He ate his breakfast. His eye is fully open but looks a bit red.

Irish Stones

I think that it's too early for an euthanasia. This last step must be done very carefully, there's no turning back, so my opinion is that as long as the pet has still something to do and is not suffering, we must try everything.
Ask the vet for a combination of medicines for the eye.
If you like, I can PM you with the name of the medicines I gave to my cat. Should the complementary food be impossible to find in Ireland and no similar product is available, I could send a pack of it from here.
Let me know.

Maryd.

Thanks, I would like you to PM the names of the medicines.

Irish Stones

Maryd. wrote: »

Thanks, I would like you to PM the names of the medicines.

Alright, just give me the time to go back home from work.
I'll PM you around 7 pm.

Maryd.

That's fine. Thanks

Jimmy Bottlehead

My ex-girlfriend lost at least 3, if not 4 cats to FIV. I have no advice to offer, but you and your cat have my sympathies

Maryd.

I brought my cat back in to the vet this evening to look at his eye. He doesn't think the infection is bacterial so that's why the Convenia is not helping much. He said he will continue to get flare ups of the infections because of the virus in his body. His gums still look sore so he gave him another steroid injection.

Irish Stones, I showed him the medicines you suggested but he didn't think they would help if the infection is not bacterial. He gave me the Exocin eye drops to give to him 3 times a day for a week and he has to order the other eye drops.