Paws & Claws Online Magazine!

Cats Need Condoms!

There is a silent killer amongst Gold Coast pets. Recent studies have found that up to 28% of cats in Queensland have Feline Aids, a fatal and incurable disease caused by the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV. Sadly just like human AIDS there is no cure, and so prevention is the only option. Whilst it can be sexually transmitted, FIV is most commonly spread by bites between cats, especially when fighting, so cats would need to wear condoms on their teeth and claws! Not very likely! But fortunately, unlike the situation with HIV, there is now a very safe and effective vaccine available to completely protect cats against FIV.

FIV causes very vague symptoms and infected cats can carry the virus for up to 10 years without being sick. FIV causes a failure of the cat’s immune system, and so a host of symptoms can be seen including fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss and

gum disease. Eventually the immune system becomes too weak to fight off other infections or diseases and as a result, the cat will eventually die a protracted death from one of these secondary infections.

November was Feline Aids Awareness Month and Dr Kevin Cruickshank at Gold Coast Vet Surgery is encouraging all cat owners to get their cats tested for FIV. If you are fortunate and your cat is not already infected, vaccination is highly recommended to provide them with the protection they need. It is a simple step that can save much heartbreak for you, and suffering for your cat, in

to come. And as part of the testing and vaccination your cat will also have a thorough veterinary health exam.

Other measures that Dr Cruickshank recommends is to prevent your cat getting into fights – keeping them 100% indoors is the best, but if that is not practical, at least keep them in after dark since most cat fights happen at night. Desexing both males and females is highly recommended since it significantly reduces the incidence of fighting.

Always be careful when introducing a new cat to your household, and unless it is a young kitten under 6 months of age, it would be sensible to have a simple blood test to check for FIV before introducing it to your home. Even if your cat is a completely indoor cat you should still consider FIV vaccination. After all, if they do accidentally get out (or another cat gets in) it only takes ONE bite or scratch to transmit FIV, a disease that cannot be cured.

Given the high density of housing in most Gold Coast

suburbs, frequently several cat’s territories overlap in a neighborhood and it is inevitable that virtually all cats with outdoor access will be involved in a fight, or attacked by another cat, a few times a year and are therefore at risk of contracting FIV. We are, however, very fortunate that there is a safe and effective FIV vaccine available since vaccination is really the only practical means of protecting your cat, and a blood test, prior to vaccination, is the only way to know if they are already infected.

For further information you can call Gold Coast Vet Surgery on 5538 5909 or visit: www.goldcoastvet.com.au/fiv