Feline AIDS :(

[LuckyNumber7]

Ratchet, that is very encouraging, thank you so much for the info. I'm trying not to get my hopes up TOO much that it's a false positive, but it sound slike it really might be. He's only 4 months old, and from what I've read, and from what Freedom said, after 6 months is supposed to be fairly accurate, so we'll retest then and hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

We just went and got some Wellness cat food at the store that had immune system building ingredients, and also got some Wellness "Welltabs" that have all kinds of great vitamins and acids in them. Hopefully they will help!

Freedom, how awful that you're going through the same thing too. I don't see the point in segregating my 2 cats from each other - they do wrestle, but they are not vicious and do not bite each other, so I don't see the issue. I so hope that your test in a month comes back negative as well

It was REALLY expensive to have the test done at my vet as well - $60 I think. Crazy! Maybe I can find a place to have him tested that I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for!

It seems there is a lot of misinformation out there about FIV, how it is spread, and what to do if you find out your cat is FIV positive. It's crazy how many places will just put a cat down, or advise that you do so if the diagnosis is made. I would never do that. If he has it, he has it, and we'll deal with it the best that we can, and hope that he lives a long, happy life with us.

Freedom ((HUGS)) - I'm so sorry you're dealing with this as well. Please keep us posted as to Bobby's next test.

[cassiesmom]

MORE prayers that little Max will be negative at the time of his retest! Do FIV tests use a Western blot to verify a positive ELISA, like human immunodeficiency virus tests do?

[LuckyNumber7]

Yes, they can do a blot test, and I'm going to request that they do one if the next test that they do also comes back positive. From what I've read, it's entirely possible to get a false positive OR a false negative with these tests, as they are not 100% reliable.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I just wanted to say that I hope that Maximus's results were just a false positive and that he'll eventually test negative. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way. He sure has a wonderful home and I know that you'll love him no matter what.

[smokey the elder]

We had some FIV+ kittens last year, and the volunteer who had them paid for the Western blot test (more expensive, but more specific). They were negative.

[ratchet22]

EXACTLY! Negitive is very commen, you just have to give it time. Id bet my dollar he is NEG. Just hang in there. I hate testing. I have had Feline Leukemia POS test, but if you do the IFA test, they are NEG, meaning your cat was exposed, but not truly POS. So I have had ALOT of learning on testing. I am in it over $10000.00 in testing. So I am first hand at testing, even my vets office has learned alot about testing and how it ALL works.
AGAIN FIV kittens are RARE and will typically test NEG at 6 months, sometimes even 8 months. I have not Seen 1 yet that came back testing POS later........Im sure he is NEG

[LuckyNumber7]

I hope you're all right and that he is negative.

Yesterday I was talking to my next door neighbor and I told her that he had tested positive, and I couldn't believe it - she said "How old is he?" I told her 4 months. She said "Well why don't you just put him to sleep and try again with another one?" I almost fell over! I wanted to yell at her and tell her that was the meanest thing I've heard in a while, but I bit my tongue and simply said that we're going to do the absolute best that we can for him, and would never put him, or any of our other animals for that matter, to sleep unless they were suffering needlessly.

Some people

[jennielynn1970]

Yes, they can do a blot test, and I'm going to request that they do one if the next test that they do also comes back positive. From what I've read, it's entirely possible to get a false positive OR a false negative with these tests, as they are not 100% reliable.

See if you can get into one of the shelter clinics and say you want him tested for FIV/FeLV. MUCH cheaper!!!!