Felines Profiles positive for IVF and/or FeLV in a veterinary hospital in the central region of the Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

This study aimed to classify the clinical profile of cats affected by feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and/or by feline leukemia virus (FeLV) at the Veterinary University Hospital of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (HVU-UFSM) and to emphasize the importance of FIV and FeLV tests for the clinic and the prognoses of patients. The clinical histories, determined by the patients’ medical records, of the animals seen at the hospital from January 2017 to May 2019 were reviewed. During this period, 325 animals were tested for the presence of FIV and FeLV. Positive patients were classified according to breed, gender, age, and vaccination status, then further separated according to the clinical signs the presence of concomitant diseases, and bodily systems involved: digestive, neuromuscular, multisystemic, hematopoietic, respiratory, lymphatic, ophthalmic, urinary and cutaneous. This study explored the association between the categories listed above and the affected systems and clinic signs presented. The prevalence of disease was 4,3% (14/325) for FIV only, 16,0% (52/325) for FeLV and 4,9% (16/325) both. Both viruses showed higher prevalence in mixed breed and males, although FeLV did not present a marked difference between gender. FIV affected adult animals (1-9 years old) more, while FeLV affected younger adults (1-4 years old). Overall both viruses affected animals ages 1-9 years old the most. The study concluded that all clinical profiles were led by the digestive system, with prevalent signs of anorexia, diarrhea, polydipsia and apathy for FIV, vomit and apathy for FeLV and FIV positive animals.