My cat has a red ring around his pupil. Could he have feline AIDS?

The doctor saw the ring when she shined a light in his eyes. It's not visible otherwise. He is 15 and stays strictly indoors as do our other 2 cats. One time 15 years ago as a kitten he got in a fight with a neighbor's cat. It was brief and he didn't get bitten.

She thinks he could have AIDS. She said there were other diseases that could cause the red ring, but she couldn't remember off hand what they were. What other diseases cause a red ring around the pupil? The tech in the office said if he had had AIDS for 15 years he would be dead by now.

The test is $30, and I don't want to subject him to having blood drawn if there is something else that can cause the red ring.

Please tell me how you know your answer. Thank you!

Any doctor who tells you your cat has AIDS when there are other possibilities should be fired for needlessly scaring their patients. The fact that she doesn't know/remember any other diseases that cause red eye makes me question her competence even more. The tech is right, feline AIDS should have killed her by now, but there are other very very light possibilities she has come in contact with the virus since (for example if you brought something into the house from outside a stray cat peed on). You should definitely get your cat tested and if this vet doesn't know any other possible causes, take her to a vet who will!

BTW, I often find that vet techs are a better source of advice in situations like this. They do not get paid off of every test/surgery and often choose their line of work because they are big time animal lovers.

First thing I would do is take the cat to another vet for a second opinion. I don't know about a red ring as a specific symptom, but cats eyes are so reflective that I would want to get a second opinion so as to make sure whatever is being seen is abnormal or not.

The vet that saw it should know the difference, but she could also just be after the $30 for the test. Can you see the ring?

Ive just never heard of that, so I would get a second opinion if it was me and my cat.

I've never heard of a cat getting AIDS. I know it came from monkeys so if your cat has been having sex with any monkeys lately then there is def. a chance. But i agree that you should get another vet.'s opinion.

Do you mean the pupil, the black part, and the redness was seen in behind the pupil, or do you mean a red ring showing around the colored part of the eye?

Keratoconjunctivitis is inflammation of the cornea, which occurs with feline herpes, but it would be a general redness and not a ring.

The eyes may become irritated and red with a number of illnesses including Feline Herpes. More serious diseases such as the dry form of FIP, will often show ocular signs that can be observed at the back of the eye.

It would be very difficult for your cat to get FIV indoors after all this time. This is normally spready by bites and direct contact. However, it is possible for a cat that is FIV positive, to live for many years, just as it is possible for a human to be HIV positive but not die of AIDS.

I would have the test done for your own peace of mind. It can identify FIV or Feline Leukemia, a related retro virus, but if they are testing for FIP, the titer level in the blood is pretty much useless, since all they are measuring is the level of Feline Corona virus and virtually all cats have some level. It is not the presence of it that causes FIP, but a mutation that can't be detected.

Good luck! Take him for the test, and see if it tells you anything.

It could possibly be Pink Eye or a broken blood vessel.

We saw a cat recently who had blood inside of her pupil and the doctor suspected it might be viral. Feline Aids is a viral disease that is only transmittable from one cat to another. Most of the time cats that are Felv positive tend to not live very long but it is possible to have one that is asymptomatic that may lead a normal life for a while. It would be worth it to run the Felv/FIV test which is what I suspect your doctor is reccomending. You could always call around and see if any other clinics offer it cheaper or call your local shelter and see if they have any referals for you.

There is a condition called Feline Uveitis which is the case we saw at the clinic I work at. We're suspecting it may be viral but are waiting on the bloodwork to come back to rule that out. It's important to know the cause of the problem in order to figure out how to treat it. Good luck with your kitty. I'm sorry you're going through this.