Here is the info I received back from our sponsor at PawsWatch when I notified her of Bobby's test results.
YES, it's good to know if your cats tests positive, which would mean that the cat had been EXPOSED to FIV (different from symptomatic, "has" FIV). You want to know this information, because you would want to provide the cat with enhanced supportive care if cat ever has a problem such as a secondary infection, because cat's immune system may need more assistance.
About contagiousness: OK -- I'm going to go on record with some equally important research results, from extensive work done in the last several years. Both Tufts Veterinary and Angel Memorial have endorsed this. Extensive testing was done to determine the likelihood of lateral transmission of FIV among adult cats - that means from one adult to another. Cats were put in constant contact of all types with each other, and did not transmit the disease. Then, to test the likelihood of contagion via bodily fluids, healthy cats were actually INJECTED WITH contaminated fluids -- and they still did not contract FIV. Both Angel and Tufts recommend that FIV positive cats can live with the rest of a household.
However, just as the nation is always in a total panic about the chances (about 1 in 7 million) of contracting rabies from a cat, vets and shelters largely jumped to taking the quick way out, which has become something of a witch hunt, in which anything that tests positive for FIV is isolated or killed.
So it would be worth your while to look into this further before deciding to isolate or kill your cats. Perhaps you should speak to one of our volunteers, xxxxx. When xxxxx adopted an FIV positive cat, she herself did extensive research on the subject. I have cc'd her here, in case anyone would like to talk to her.
Sandie, about Bobby specifically:
Since the caretaker said that Bobby was FINE until, at age 8 weeks or so, all of the kittens got a semi-diagnosed URI, and all were blanket treated together -- AFTER WHICH Bobby developed his equilibrium problem, this contraindicates the head tilt coming from neurological damage. It also points instead to a different diagnosis of inner ear infection damage. Did the vet know that when he gave his diagnosis?
Yes, I did. the vet only said this could be another expalnation, not that this would be conclusive.
Finally, about the test.
$50. for the test? That's very high. We buy them for about $8. EIGHT DOLLARS! Please can Bobby have his recheck through your group?
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