Hi Erica,
I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I think I'm about 48 hours late!
There are some
information sheets on FIV on the Feline Advisory Bureau website (they are based in the UK):
http://www.fabcats.o...s/fiv/index.php
There is a very
good paper by Danielle Gunn-Moore, (Feline Specialist at Edinburgh University)
Management Options for Cats with Retroviral Diseases
Danielle Gunn-Moore, BSc, BVM&S, PhD, FHEA, MACVSc, MRCVS, RCVS Specialist
in Feline Medicine
http://www.vin.com/p...23983&O=Generic
The following
guidelines have been adopted by the AAFP (American Association of
Feline Practitioners) and here in Europe by:
ABCD (The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases). I think there is a copy in the files section of this group.
http://www.abcd-vets.org
(hit the link for guidelines)
There is also
Joel's website which might answer many of your questions. He has a lot of information on supplements, FIV testing, general advice (from the literature) on monitoring and management:
http://www.fivtherap...timetherapy.htm
There is
some information on causal contact and likely transmission on:
http://pets.groups.y...26%20Infection/ > fiv_casualtransmission.htm
(you may need to cut and paste the link into the browser if it has broken)
I have no explanation for what unfortunately happened in your case.Did either of the cats ever go out? If the breeder is a friend then it is unlikely she is going to be trying to hide the fact that the mother was FIV? It isn't yet known if it is impossible for the virus to be transmitted through mutual use of water bowls, but it is thought that the risk is very low but even that wouldn't provide any answers in your own case. Did you get both cats at the same time? Did you get them when they were kittens? Do they have any unknown history at all? I can't remember, but have they been Western Blot tested? Could it be coincidence that they both tested positive, perhaps a poorly stored set of slides for the SNAP test and that perhaps Vincent died from something other than FIV? I'm just trying to think outside of the box!!
If you haven't had Mini tested with the Western Blot, it might be worth considering.
If he definitely is FIV, then one of the things that is recommended, even for asymptomatic cats, is to have biochemistry, CBC and urinalysis performed on a six monthly basis, if this is affordable. Also a six monthly physical check-up.
Again, I know thee are some people on the FIV-healthscience list (I'm not sure about this list) who have got cats who were FIV negative, lived exclusively indoors (usually with an FIV cat) who have become infected, despite the fact that the cats have not fought. So you might get some answers there.
I'm really sorry that you lost Vincent and not understanding how he could possibly have contracted the Virus must leave you with a sense of uncertainty about Mini's future.
Aine