FIV+

[Dario the GreyCat]

So, Vincent came back without feline leukemia but, he did test positive for FIV.

I’ve been reading about it. Should I have him retested with another vet? My vet didn’t think it was worth it.

He’s set to be neutered July 1st.

I don’t know what to think.

 

[Willowy]

Here's Cornell's FIV fact sheet:
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

 

[BlackCatOp]

How old is Vincent? FIV is an antibody based test so kittens under 6 months can have false positive results due to maternal antibodies.

 

[Willowy]

Nah he's an older tomcat. FIV is very very common in older toms, all that fighting they do.

 

[Dario the GreyCat]

Here's Cornell's FIV fact sheet:
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Thank you! I was reading that earlier. After my vet told me to change my clothes before going into my house with Dario.

How old is Vincent? FIV is an antibody based test so kittens under 6 months can have false positive results due to maternal antibodies.

He's 6-7 years old the vet thinks, so he is older.

Nah he's an older tomcat. FIV is very very common in older toms, all that fighting they do.

Yeah, the vet noted how scarred his was, he's been in a lot of fights. Not hard to see just looking at him.

 

[jeannem]

What do you give to boost the immune system?
j

 

[BlackCatOp]

So regarding in-house FIV testing. The prevalence of FIV in feral cats in the US is around 5%. The accuracy of in-house testing varies depending on brand (SNAP vs Witness vs VetScan) however, with a 5% disease rate, a positive test result means the cat as between a 83% to 100% chance of actually having the disease.

Given that the cat is an unfixed, free-roaming, male, the prevalence of FIV is probably even higher than 5% and thus a positive test result increases the likelihood of the cat truly having the disease beyond the above values.

Performance of 4 Point‐of‐Care Screening Tests for Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus