ABSTRACT
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus, akin to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency viruses. These viruses have in common the ability to infect and destroy cells of the immune system, causing acquired immunodeficiency. This chapter presents the case of Scotty. Scotty is a ten-year-old indoor/outdoor castrated male domestic short-haired cat who has lived with a family in a rural neighborhood for his whole life. Physical examination revealed a severely cachexic, slightly dehydrated, and depressed cat, showing alopecia predominantly localized to the head and neck, along with crusty lesions, erythema, and mild pyoderma. Scotty's hair coat in general was scurfy and flaky, indicating that he was not grooming himself. In order to ascertain Scotty's FIV status, blood was drawn and examined by a quick assay, namely the SNAP® FIV/feline leukemia virus (FeLV) test, to determine the presence of antibodies to FIV. The test was positive for FIV and negative for FeLV.
