Small or Companion Animal Medicine Commons^™

Animal Shelter Management Of Feline Leukemia Virus And Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infections In Cats, Julie Levy, Cynda Crawford, Keegan Spera, E. Susan Amirian, Paola Dezubiria

Diseases and Health

Approximately 5% of cats in animal shelters in the United States test positive for either feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which translates to more than 100,000 positive cats managed by shelters each year. Little is known about the current status of retroviral management in animal shelters, particularly in regions burdened by chronic pet overpopulation and high shelter admissions, such as the southern United States. The purpose of this study was to describe feline retroviral management in Florida shelters. Shelters were surveyed on practices including selection of cats for testing, diagnostic techniques, and outcome options for cats …