There is some confusion regarding the difference between human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). These
are entirely different viruses and there has been no indication in the
literature that these strains of virus can cross react. The FIV virus has
been used as a model for studying the human infection and this research has
been published. One example was the recent “Lessons from the cat: feline
immunodeficiency virus as a tool to develop intervention strategies against
human immunodeficiency virus type 1″,  by Elder et. al, AIDS Res Hum
Retroviruses, June 1998. It can be hard for people to accept that such
closely related viruses do not cross species lines but that appears to be
the case based on studies to date.

If dogs have a retroviral infection similar to HIV it has not been
identified. There is some suspicion that they do and a recent paper
“Possible relationships between canine hematopoietic neoplasia, other
malignancies and immune mediated diseases” by G. Theilen, in Leukemia April
1997 suggested that there may be an unidentified retrovirus infecting some
dogs. However, it has not been suggested that this is human
immunodeficiency virus.

Dogs and cats are both being used in studies relating to the control or
cure of HIV but these studies do not involve infection of dogs or cats with
the HIV virus. They relate to things like immunosuppression of T cells with
cyclosporin or similar treatments that are studied in dogs or cats in the
hope that the information will apply to human patients who actually are
infected with HIV.

You can search for information on HIV at the PubMed site:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov