Services

Canine Training
Preventative medicine
Surgery
Dentistry
Laboratory
Radiology
Boarding (for clients)
Grooming

Other Services

Quarterly newsletters
School Tours
Puppy kindergarten
Gift certificates
Golden Buckeye discounts
Good Samaritan Fund

Feline AIDS Vaccine Available

by Dr. Dawn Bookmyer, DVM

Frankie, a 5 year old black cat, flinched as I cleaned the scratches on his head and face. Frankie had been in a brawl with another cat in the neighborhood the night before, but fortunately his injuries were limited to a few minor scratches.

Frankie’s fight is unlikely to have any long term health consequences - his owner has him vaccinated annually for every disease for which protection is currently available. Frankie will never have to worry about rabies, and his odds of ever getting diseases like feline leukemia or FIP are very slim. Until last year, however, there was one communicable disease that we couldn’t protect cats from: feline immunodeficiency virus, also known as feline AIDS.

Many people are surprised to discover that cats get AIDS. Discovered in 1986, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is strikingly similar to human AIDS. Unlike human AIDS, however, which is transmitted through blood, FIV is transmitted through saliva. Cat bites are the primary means of transmission.

Like human AIDS, FIV attacks the immune system, leaving the cat vulnerable to a wide variety of opportunistic diseases. The FIV infection advances through three stages: acute infection, subclinical infection and finally, full feline AIDS. Cats may not show any clinical symptoms of the disease for months, or even years, until they develop into full blown feline AIDS. Even when it appears healthy, though, an infected cat is still a carrier of the virus and must not be allowed to interact with other cats. FIV cannot be transmitted to humans.

To prevent FIV, follow these tips:

Keep your cat indoors.
Spay or neuter your cat to reduce the urge to roam and the incidence of fighting.
Before bringing a new cat into your home, have it tested for FIV.

In March 2002 the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the first FIV vaccine. Manufactured by Fort Dodge Animal Health, the vaccine is now available through veterinarians.

The vaccine requires an initial series of three injections given three weeks apart, to be boostered annually thereafter. Cats who are already infected with the virus will not benefit from vaccination and veterinarians will likely encourage their clients to have their cats tested for FIV before vaccination.

I encourage cat owners to discuss the FIV vaccine with their veterinarians; for outdoor cats, in particular, this is an exciting new weapon in our fight against communicable diseases.