Pet Care Tips from Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital

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Breaking Medical News:

Research shows that up to 15% of cats with gingivitis and stomatitis are also retro-viral infected!

A recent study found that cats with common forms of oral disease have a higher rate of testing positive for retroviruses.

Initial findings in a study of 1,167 cats, conducted by veterinary clinics and underwritten by IDEXX laboratories, indicated that:

• 13.4% of cats (one in every eight cats) that had some type of oral disease, also tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus(FIV), feline leukemia virus (FELV) or both diseases.
• Given a national prevalence of retroviruses of approximately 3%, this means that cats with oral diseases are four times more likely to have FIV and/or FELV.

Diagnosing these disease early is critical, because a pet can be treated with any current signs and the pet's progress can be tracked to help maintain the best possible health.

Remember that illnesses in cats infected with FIV and/or FELV are often secondary diseases due to immunosuppression.  Understanding the retroviral status will influence patient management decisions and affect the patient prognosis.

Additionally, knowing the retroviral status can help owners better care for their pets and help them understand their pets' increased risk of infection due to their retroviral status.  Advances in medicine and nutrition allow retroviral-positive cats to potentially live for many years.

Cats infected with FIV and/or FELV respond will to treatment strategies for secondary illnesses, although a longer or more aggressive course of treatment and post-treatment rechecks may be needed.

For more information:

• On feline dental health, visit www.petdental.com
• Regarding retrovirus screening, visit www.fivtest.com

The Greenbrier Veterinary Hospital is an accredited hospital member of the American Animal Hospital Association, an international association of more than 16,000 veterinarians who treat companion animals. AAHA hospital members are regularly inspected to ensure they meet AAHA's high standards of pet care.