Feline Immunodefficiency Virus by Skye Patterson - Revised 1-Jun-15 Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Although the virus is slow-acting, a cat s immune system is severely weakened once the disease takes hold. This makes the cat susceptible to various secondary infections. Infected cats who receive supportive medical care and are kept in a stress-free, indoor environment can live relatively comfortable lives for months to years before the disease reaches its chronic stages. Many people confuse FIV with feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Although these diseases are in the same retrovirus family and cause many similar secondary conditions FeLV and FIV are different diseases. What Are the Symptoms of FIV? An FIV-infected cat may not show any symptoms for years. Once symptoms do develop, however, they may continually progress or a cat may show signs of sickness interspersed with health for years. If your cat is demonstrating any of the following symptoms, please have examined by your veterinarian: Enlarged lymph nodes Fever Anemia Weight loss Disheveled coat Poor appetite Diarrhea Abnormal appearance or inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis) Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) Inflammation of the mouth (stomatitis) Dental disease Skin redness or hair loss Wounds that don t heal Sneezing Discharge from eyes or nose Frequent urination, straining to urinate or urinating outside of litter box Behavior change
How Is FIV Transmitted? FIV is mainly passed from cat to cat through deep bite wounds, the kind that usually occur outdoors during aggressive fights and territorial disputes the perfect reason to keep your cat inside. Another, less common mode of transmission is from an FIV-infected mother cat to her kitten. FIV does not seem to be commonly spread through sharing food bowls and litter boxes, social grooming, sneezing and other casual modes of contact. Which Cats Are Most Prone to FIV? Although any feline is susceptible, free-roaming, outdoor intact male cats who fight most frequently contract the disease. Cats who live indoors are the least likely to be infected. How Is FIV Diagnosed? FIV infection is routinely diagnosed by blood testing. The FIV status of every cat should be known. The most common type of test looks for the presence of antibodies to the virus in the blood. No test is 100-percent accurate all of the time, and your veterinarian will interpret the test result and determine whether further testing is needed to confirm either a positive or negative test result. Once a cat is determined to be FIV-positive, that cat is capable of transmitting the disease to other cats. Since it is possible for an infected mother cat to transfer FIV antibodies to her kittens, these kittens may test positive from their mother s antibodies until they have cleared them from their systems, which happens by six months of age. Therefore, kittens who test positive for FIV antibodies when they re younger than six months should undergo antibody tests again at a later date to see if they are infected. What Can Happen If FIV Goes Untreated? Without proper treatment, the secondary infections that can occur as a consequence of FIV can progress to lifethreatening conditions. Additionally, cats with FIV can develop various forms of cancer, blood diseases or kidney failure, which will ultimately claim the cat s life. How Is FIV Treated? Unfortunately, there is no specific antiviral treatment for FIV. Cats can carry the virus for a long time before symptoms appear. Therefore, treatment focuses mainly on extending the asymptomatic period or, if symptoms have set in, on easing the secondary effects of the virus. Medication for secondary infections Healthy, palatable diet to encourage good nutrition Fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy Anti-inflammatory drugs Immune-enhancing drugs Parasite control Ref: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv
Suggestions of Essential Oils/Supplements/Diet to Support Cats Dealing with FIV by Skye Patterson - Revised 1-Jun-15 Note that an infection can be the result of a variety of strains of bacteria, virus, etc. and that different oils may be more potent than others against a particular strain. That is the advantage of some of the blends of oils such as the Digestive Blend and the Protective Blend, which can be used to help cats. These blends are made up of some of the most potent oils hence the blend when used will cover a much wider variety of potential strains. It is important to support the body in dealing with this virus and our oils can do that on the cellular level, as they can get through the cell membrane and reach the virus which resides inside cells where they reproduce out of control, burst the cell and spread to other cells. Antibiotics do not have the ability to break through cell membranes to reach viruses and thus shut them down. The Protective Blend is an amazing blend for dealing with viruses, bacterial infections and fungal infections. Yes it does contain, as one of several oils, Wild Orange. Citrus oils are a challenge for cats liver because they do not contain the enzyme necessary to metabolize it and it can create a toxic buildup. However, because this blend is so effective, and we can use the Detoxifying Blend to help support the liver in detoxifying and healthy function, I recommend its use for this health challenge in cats. I suggest to make up a supply in an old 15 ml. essential oil bottle: 80 drops of the Protective Blend, 40 drops Frankincense (for its ability to bump up effectiveness of oils you pair it with and other health benefits) and the remainder of bottle, fill with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Apply 1 drop of mix to each back paw between/on side of toe pads and 1 drop on top of front paw to lick off DAILY. The Detoxification Complex Capsules will help detox the filter organs: liver/kidneys/colon/lungs/skin; and support their health on the cellular level. Do not use the Detoxifying Blend Essential Oil for cats, as it contains Rosemary and Grapefruit both liver challenges to cats. I suggest giving 1/3 capsule sprinkled into wet food 2X/day as a permanent protocol for these cats (in fact I feel it should be given to all pets as a daily protocol to deal with the toxins all are subjected to). The Chewable Multivitamin and Omega-3 Fish Oil are both important supplements to better support healthy cells, immune system which will help with inflammatory response, cellular energy and ability to better deal with infections. 1 tablet of the Chewable Multivitamin crushed and added to wet food 2X/day 6 drops of the Omega-3 Fish Oil added to wet food 2X/day The Digestive Blend - If dealing with Digestive Challenges vomiting, diarrhea/constipation, nausea, lack of appetite: the Digestive Blend is very helpful. After each episode: mix 1 drop of the Digestive Blend in ¼ teaspoon of Fractionated Coconut Oil (you can make up a larger supply for future needs). Apply 2 drops of mix to stomach area, massaged in a circular motion, 1 drop to top of front paw for cat to lick off (I find taking internally in addition to application on stomach is very helpful).
If you are dealing with chronic digestive challenges: 1 drop to top of front paw of the above mix for cat to lick off 15-30 minutes prior to being fed. This will help digestion process by gearing up production of enzymes, stomach acids, etc. to effectively digest food/absorb nutrients. Diet It is very important that you feed a supportive, non-health challenging diet to cats and especially to cats with health challenges such as this. I do not agree with avoidance of a raw diet for preported reasoning that it could contain bacteria/parasites that would be challenging to these cats. Frankly, it is the dry foods that have had the most recalls for bacterial/fungal issues. And the suggestion that parasites would be a problem is not true: GI parasites. Intestinal parasites are also sometimes mentioned as a concern with raw pet food. The good news is parasites such as roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm, and coccidia are primarily found in the GI tracts of prey species. Since we don t feed the guts of prey to pets, there s no risk of contracting GI parasites through eating USDA-inspected, human-grade meat. Trichinosis. Trichinosis is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pig or wild game: wild boar, bear, or fox meat. These meats are not in raw prepared diets for our pets. The important thing to remember about Trichinella is this: if you feed your pet pork, freezing pork for three weeks prior to feeding it, will kill this parasite. Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can infect most mammals. Oocysts are killed by freezing meat for 24 hours To find a healthy, high quality supportive diet: http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/ It is important if you have a cat that has contracted this disease, and you have other cats, that you keep them separated as this is a contagious disease typically transmitted by cat bite to another cat from an infected cat (it is not transmittable to humans/dogs). And as stressed above keeping your cats indoors and not allowing them access to outdoor cats/feral cats that could be carriers of this disease is very important. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. WARNING: Many essential oils on the market contain synthetics which should not be used. Only certified pure natural therapeutic grade essential oils should be used for safe and reliable results. Note: All Blends/Complexes/Supplements: I will use the descriptive names, not the proprietary registered names. : http://www.thedogoiler.com/ by Skye Patterson - Revised 1-Jun-15
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