Tuesday, February 16, 2021
www.the-papers.com
Serving Elkhart County and parts of Noble, LaGrange & Marshall Counties Know Your Neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2➤ Speak Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Good Neighbor. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Vol. 48 No. 45
Goshen (574) 534-2591
134 S. Main, Goshen, Indiana 46526
:$17,1* 72 (;3/25( ³ Carl, another FIV positive cat at the Humane Society of Elkhart County, would rather be exploring his surroundings. Instead he allows Dr. Kari Kryder, staff veterinarian, to listen to his heart. While FIV is similar to HIV in humans, cats with the virus are able to live normal lives with proper nutrition, vaccinations and wellness visits. Photo provided.
08**,1* )25 7+( &$0(5$ ³ Marvin mugs for the camera as he enjoys some snuggle time from Dr. Kari Kryder at the Humane Society of Elkhart County. Marvin is one of several FIV positive cats available for adoption. Photo provided.
Potential adopters shouldn’t fear adopting an FIV positive cat %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 $VVRFLDWH (GLWRU Anyone who has ever looked on a Humane Society or a pet rescue’s website may see FIV+ next to a cat’s description. But what does that mean for a potential adopter who has fallen in love with an FIV + cat? FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus. According to Dr. Kari Kryder, on staff veterinarian for the Humane Society of Elkhart County, FIV “is similar to HIV in people with the exception that we don’t have a way of knowing if the cat actually develops an immune deficiency syndrome like AIDS in humans,” she said in an email. Humane Society of Elkhart County has about 50 FIV positive cats come through its doors every year looking for new homes. FIV tends to come from deep bites
from a cat who has the virus, most often from intact animals that are fighting or breeding. Because it suppresses the immune system, clinical signs can be any illness with the most commonly noted being gingivitis. “Back about 15 yeas ago, when I was in private practice, we thought it was a much more life threatening condition,” Kryder said. “I had a client who had a cat he had to rehome because he was needing to go into assisted living. He found someone to take his cat as long as he was negative for FIV and feline leukemia. “Unfortunately, Petey, his cat was positive for FIV and the owner cried and cried as he told me that he guessed he would have to have Petey euthanized. I just couldn’t do that, so I took Petey home with me. He lived until the age of 18 with my other cats and never transmitted the virus to them. I was very happy to find recent studies that say my experience
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was common and there is indeed no reason to euthanize asymptomatic FIV positive cats.” Just like HIV in humans, there is no cure for FIV in cats, however Kryder said keeping the cat healthy with proper nutrition, vaccinations and regular wellness check-ups can minimize the risk of other diseases that an FIV positive cat is more prone to. With no specific treatment or cure, just the importance of routine care, the expense of caring for an FIV positive cat is often the same as an FIV negative cat. And cat owners who have a FIV positive cat can also expect their feline friend to have a normal life span unless they are also infected with feline leukemia virus. “As with adopting any cat, the adopter should realize that they are committing to lifelong care of the cat which includes regular veterinary care,” Kryder said.
For those who adopt an FIV+ cat, “It is recommended that FIV positive cats remain indoors so they cannot transmit the virus to another cat,” Kryder said. “Recent studies have also found that an FIV positive cat is extremely unlikely to transmit the virus to another cat in the household if both cats are spayed or neutered and they have an appropriate introduction which will reduce the likelihood of fighting.” Kryder went on to say she didn’t think FIV status should be a consideration when adopting a cat. “I recommend adopting a cat who fits your lifestyle and if it happens to be FIV positive, then the adopter can feel proud knowing that they are giving a home to a cat that others might not want to,” she said.