My FIV+ cat has chorioretinitis. Is FIV the only cause, or are there others?

Yes if he's FIV positive he may have inflammation in the eye causing the pupil dilation. Smokey may have gotten infected just before you did the first test that is why it didn't show up. Many cats live normal lives with FIV. The important thing is to get immediate treatment if he gets a cold or infection, stops eating or otherwise seems sick. With supportive care these infected cats usually recover. Since his immune system is compromised with FIV he is more likely to get an infection and also some blood disorders and tumors. Hopefully he isn't infected. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Hello, sorry to hear about Greg. GI signs in cats can be caused by infections, ingestion of foreign material and less likely by a dietary indiscretion (cats don't often eat other types of food they should not). Other common causes in middle or older cats include inflammatory bowel disease IBD or even GI lymphoma in older cats. With Greg having FIV, he is even at more risk of developing infections or other diseases such as IBD. He would require further diagnostics (in addition to blood and urine tests) to confirm these. It may include stool samples and an abdominal ultrasound. Even more, GI biopsies may be recommended if your veterinarian suspects that Greg may have IBD or GI lymphoma. You may try however, offering Greg a bland diet in case this is consistent with a dietary indiscretion. The bland diet could consist of plain white rice, skinless and boneless boiled chicken, and/or low fat cottage cheese. If these help then perhaps Greg may have a dietary indiscretion and will be ok within a few days. However, if he does not improve, has persistent diarrhea, develops a decreased appetite, lethargy, or vomiting then he should be seen by his veterinarian sooner. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello. Unfortunately, yes, cryptococcosis can cause this condition in cats, along with blastomycosis & histoplasmosis. Other infections including viruses & protozoal etiologies can cause this as well as trauma & neoplasia. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Cats shouldn't catch any human viruses, it's probably just coincidence that everybody starting getting ill at the same time - or it could be related to allergens in the air. Cats with FIV have a harder time in general with any infection - if your positive cat is having a rough time, he may need to be hospitalized for oxygen, fluids, medications, or antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections.

This seems unusual - FIV is a viral disease and vaccines would not be considered a trigger. It’s difficult to know whether or not these symptoms are related to FIV without knowing the results of the confirmatory test or the other lab work. If she does have FIV it’s possible that she could live a normal life span although she will be predisposed to infections in the future. Your vet may want to run more tests to look for infections.

This may be an allergy or a skin infection that is causing these symptoms. Any cat with FiV has a compromised immune system so it is harder to keep basic infections under control. Your vet can check his liver and kidney values a thyroid tobser if those are contributing factors and see what medicine will be needed to clear the problem

I agree, those symptoms are concerning for intestinal, oral, or kidney disease. Unless the test was falsely positive, cats don't outgrow FIV. There is also no cure for the virus, though not all cats that have it will develop disease. I would recommend that Tiger get checked out by the vet. After a thorough physical exam and review of his symptoms, the vet may recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, or x-rays to see what is going on. Here is more information on FIV in cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv-in-cats/