CAV update
Guidelines for the management of feline retroviruses In 2021 Boehringer Ingelheim Australia sponsored the production of a set of guidelines for the management of feline retroviruses. CAV have sought permission to share these guidelines for our members which has been kindly provided by Boehringer Ingelheim New Zealand. These guidelines were put together by the Australian Feline Retrovirus Advisory Panel. The panel was made up of the following members: l l l l l l l
Dr Mark Westman (Panel Chair) Prof. Jacqueline Norris Dr Sally Coggins Dr Moira van Dorsselaer Prof. Richard Malik A/Prof. Richard Squires A/Prof. Mary Thompson
Sean Corcoran Pixabay
We believe these guidelines are a valuable tool for New Zealand practitioners, despite the intended audience being our Australian colleagues. They are packed with tips and tricks and are presented in a visually appealing and easy to read format. The guidelines cover the following (not exhaustive) list of information about feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). l l l
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Prevalence data and pathology of FIV infection in cats. Recommended testing methods including both point-of-care test kits and the PCR test. The use of both blood and saliva samples for point of care testing and some feline friendly tips for taking blood samples (including a lovely method for testing from the foot pad or ear tip) A section on when it is appropriate to test for FIV infection Options for preventing cats from being infected with the FIV virus including considerations of the Five Pillars of Feline Welfare for cats that are kept indoors
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Also included in the “Prevention from FIV” section is a section on FIV Vaccination including discussion on findings of recently published efficacy studies Recommended vaccination procedures for recently bitten cats and “brawler” cats Management of FIV-positive cats considering the following aspects o Making improvements to the cat’s husbandry (with a checklist of recommendations for basic health care and husbandry measures for FIV-infected cats) o Detection of concurrent diseases o Monitoring for immunodeficiency o The use of antiretroviral agents
The full guidelines can be found at https://www.nzva.org.nz/ resource/companion-animal/. A huge thank you to all the panelists involved as well as Boehringer for sponsoring the production of this incredibly useful information.
Contact: cav@vets.org.nz
Puppy socialisation resource CAV, in conjunction with Companion Animals NZ and behaviourist Jess Beer have produced a poster/handout providing guidance on how clients can safely socialise their puppies during their vaccination course. This resource can be downloaded from the Companion Animal Health 10
and Welfare section of Positions and Resources on the NZVA website (see https://www.nzva.org.nz/resource/ companion-animal/) and is reproduced on the following pages. Many thanks also to NZVA’s talented graphic designer, Lydia Bristow.
Companion Quarterly: Official Newsletter of the Companion Animal Veterinarians Branch of the NZVA | Volume 33 No 1 | March 2022
