Fort Dodge released the Feline Immunodeficieny Virus (FIV) vaccine in July 2002.

The vaccine can be given at 8 weeks of age and is a series of three vaccines spaced three weeks apart. Cats receiving the vaccine must be tested for FIV before receiving the vaccine (see below).

Information on FIV

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) was first identified in 1986. It is often called "Feline AIDS" because it causes an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats that is similar to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes in humans.

The FIV virus is transmitted in cats mainly by biting. This makes male cats who are not neutered and are outdoors much more likely to get the virus since they tend to fight and bite. It is possible for a nursing kitten to obtain the virus from its mother's milk however this is not common (usually occurs when the mother becomes infected during pregnancy and has a high level of the virus in her body).

Symptoms of FIV infection vary from none (latent stage) to fever, abscesses, bite wounds, gingivitis/stomatitis (infection of gums/mouth), weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and poor hair coat. Since cats with FIV are more susceptible to becoming infected with other diseases, symptoms of other diseases must also be considered.

Questions you may have about FIV and vaccination:

How do I tell if my cat is infected with FIV?

There is a simple, quick test that can be done in our office. The IDDEX FeLV/FIV snap test uses a small amount of blood and only takes 10 minutes to run. Check out this link FIVTEST.COM for more information.

Which cats should be tested for FIV?
The American Association of Feline Practitioners has a yearly report and list of recommendations on which cats should be tested for FIV. They recommend testing:

     1) Any new cat to a household.
     2) Any cat in which the FIV infection status is unknown.
     3) Whenever a cat is sick (even if previously tested negative).
     4) Before vaccination with the FIV vaccine.


Which cats should be vaccinated for FIV?

Our practice will be vaccinating only cats determined to be at high risk for infection. This would be male outdoor cats that have a history of fighting/abscesses and cats that live with cats that are known to be positive for the FIV virus.

Once vaccinated for FIV, a cat will have a positive result on the FIV test since this test is checking for FIV antibodies. There is no way (yet!) to distinguish between cats that are infected with FIV and cats that have been vaccinated against FIV since they will both have antibodies to FIV. Because of this, we do require that a cat be tested for FIV BEFORE vaccination.

It would be a good idea to identify vaccinated cats perhaps by microchipping them and listing the fact that they have been vaccinated in their microchip history. This might prevent these vaccinated cats from being euthanized if they were picked up by a humane society or as a stray and tested positive for FIV.