Goldilocks and the three Fs
wild environment and are more susceptible to bites, which are the main method of transmission.
Ian was keen to get Merlin sorted out, so we admitted Merlin and collected a blood sample from him after he was given a little reversible sedative. We use sedation almost routinely at the hospital, because we want the whole experience and procedures to be pleasant for the pets and we never want to forcibly restrain any of our patients. Smooth and relaxed is the key.
It is important to test for both FIV and another virus called FELV (Feline Leukaemia Virus), because they are often present together. Two of the three Fs.
Merlin, unfortunately, tested positive for FIV. But that doesn’t mean the end, by any means. Other than his gum disease, Merlin is healthy, so after discussing everything with Ian we all decided that Merlin would be quite happy living inside his huge home for the future until any other complications arise.
It is a moral decision as it is important to consider the health of all the other cats in the area that may become infected as a result of a bite from Merlin – not that he would, I’m sure. So Merlin is home again and his gum disease is controlled with medication. Ian will keep a close check on him over the coming months in case any other problems, such as high temperatures or respiratory diseases, occur.
There is a vaccine made for FIV, but there is a lot of debate about its effectiveness in New Zealand.
FELV is the second of the two Fs and causes a few different scenarios, including a variety of tumours. Thankfully, there is a vaccine for this virus, but again there is a lot of debate about its use and complete effectiveness.
There are several tests to check for both these first two Fs.
The third F is a particularly nasty virus called FIP, which is a complicated, poorly understood virus that can cause anything from a sneeze to a fatal illness. Unfortunately, the test for this one is not so good and often the disease is only positively diagnosed by postmortem samples after the patient has passed away, which obviously isn’t too helpful.
So that’s the 3 Fs, which, unfortunately, aren’t that pleasant or treatable and are becoming more common.