Cat lovers need not feel down in the mouth about protecting their pets from serious disease. In fact, their cat’s mouth is a good place to start. A recent study shows that cats with common forms of oral disease have a higher rate of testing positive for more serious diseases.
The good news is that with early detection and proper veterinary care, cats with serious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), the feline version of HIV, and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) can live long and healthy lives. Having cats tested is a key factor in slowing the spread of these diseases.
An estimated 31 million cats in the U.S. are at risk for FIV and FeLV. These diseases are spread from cat to cat (they cannot be spread to people) and are highly contagious. Since cats with FIV and FeLV often have no visible symptoms and many cat owners are not aware their cat has been exposed, it’s vitally important to have cats tested. Treatment usually consists of a nutritional diet, closer monitoring and more frequent visits to the vet.
The study, conducted by veterinary clinics around the country, found one in every eight cats that had some type of oral disease...