What is the difference between fip and fiv in cats

The virus is usually spread through saliva. Cat fighting with bite wounds is the major cause in the spread of FIV, so spaying or neutering your cats will cut down on the fighting, and keep them closer to home, reducing contact with possible carriers. Kittens can acquire the virus from mom before birth or at nursing. Most cats that are tested are not showing any clinical symptoms at the time, that is why it is very important for you to have a new cat tested BEFORE exposing the animal to your home.

Keep the new cat isolated in a room until you are able to have the cat tested. Feline leukemia is the second common viral disease. The average lifespan of a positive testing cat is about two to three years.

A cat with FELV typically is presented with clinical signs. FELV usually makes the cat much sicker and can be suspected in about any problem or illness. FELV causes significant immune problems in the cat; therefore, cats that are infected have a harder time and take longer to heal than a healthy, uninfected cat.

The FELV virus is present in greater amounts and also in other bodily secretions, as a result it can be transmitted other ways, such as by licking and grooming, shared litterboxes, and from mother to kitten. Fortunately, the virus will survive only a few hours outside the body. FELV can be tested for by drawing a very small blood sample from the cat. Usually the test is run immediately, and it takes 10—15 minutes.

Households that contain multiple cats are the most at-risk of FIP, since these cats commonly share litter trays. Along with multi-cat homes, other locales that are at risk of FIP include shelters, catteries and breeding establishments. The FIP virus will mutate every time it passes through a cat, which makes repeated contact with feces an increased risk. Due to the weakened immune systems of kittens and elderly cats, they are most prone to FIP infection.

Since FIP is caused by the deadly mutated form of the coronavirus, diagnosing it is difficult—there is no way to distinguish between the coronavirus and FIP. However, veterinarians will use evidence from changes in antibody levels to coronavirus, fluid analysis, clinical signs and the presences of specific proteins in order to make a case for—or against—an FIP infection. Since there is no cure for FIP, the best way to keep your cat safe is through proper prevention.

FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus, which is most commonly caused through wounds accrued from biting and fighting. Felines with a higher risk of FIV are unneutered male cats, as they are the most likely to fight. FIV can be difficult to detect since after an infection, a cat may remain healthy for several years.

Other signs may include:. Still, the prevalence of FeLV has decreased over the last 25 years because of vaccines and increased knowledge of the virus. While the other two viruses mentioned have much happier outcomes, historically FIP is much more deadly. Almost all indoor and outdoor cats already have the coronavirus, which is a harmless but extremely contagious virus in cats. FIP is the result of the coronavirus mutating in to a deadly virus with two forms, a wet effusive and dry non-effusive.

The mutation is rare and while most cats have the coronavirus only a very small percentage will ever suffer from FIP. The virus also seems more likely to mutate when the cat is under severe stress environmental changes, surgeries, or severe illness for example. While the current outcome is bleak, there are treatments for FIP that are awaiting FDA approval, including a cure for the coronavirus that completely blocks the virus from replicating and infecting new cells, essentially isolating the virus until it is eliminated entirely by the natural replacement of cells over time.