Kitten lethargic, not eating well and biting

[treelet]

@Treelet

This is so sad, but it is the age when FIP (feline coronavirus) strikes in kittens. She has the wet form, which progresses rapidly. It is indeed fatal.

Unfortunately, the kindest thing you can do at this point is to euthanize her so that she is no longer in pain. She is having no quality of life at this point anyway. Again, I'm sorry for you and your kitten.

Please post an update.

I agree. She barely moves and it's hard watching this her suffer like that. My family is against the idea of euthanasia for religious reasons, which is upsetting me very much. 

 

[Sarthur2]

T treelet

If the vet took fluid from her tummy and tested it, then it is FIP.

Your kitten will not get better, and she is suffering. Eventually, she will struggle for breath due to the fluids. It is a very painful death. I'm sorry. [emoji]128533[/emoji]

 

[StefanZ]

 
I agree. She barely moves and it's hard watching this her suffer like that. My family is against the idea of euthanasia for religious reasons, which is upsetting me very much. 

Yes, in some countries they dont euthanize dying animals on principle, either because of religion or old tradtions.

The question is, if the vet though it was FIP, and gave medicine to take a whole week

- did he though it will help - ie wasnt sure it was FIP -

or he was entirely convinced it was FIP and really wanted to recommendt pts asap, but didnt dare to suggest it openly...

 

[Sarthur2]

T treelet

Oh dear!

Perhaps you can convince your family otherwise. If not, you absolutely must get pain medicine from the vet. This is terrible!

 

[StefanZ]

Yes, if you and your vet are sure its FIP, its better to help her  get out of here.  

As said, kittens die of it even with intensive first rate vet help...  I myself dont know the statistics, but the chances must be at best slim.

The only real chance is if isnt FIP...

Could you phone the vet and ask openly, if he is SURE?

 

[treelet]

 
Yes, if you and your vet are sure its FIP, its better to help her  get out of here.  

As said, kittens die of it even with intensive first rate vet help...  I myself dont know the statistics, but the chances must be at best slim.

The only real chance is if isnt FIP...

Could you phone the vet and ask openly, if he is SURE?

He said he was sure it was FIP, but he said there were two types: one is caused by food and one is viral. If it's caused by food, there's a chance of recovery, if it's viral, it's very unlikely she'll make it. He also said that given the symptoms she has, it is most probably viral. According to him, the shots he's giving her are supposed to relieve the symptoms.

When I went home and googled FIP, it said there is wet and dry FIP, but I couldn't find anything that says it could be caused by the wrong diet. :/

 

[Sarthur2]

It's not caused by diet. There is wet (effusive) and dry (non-effusive). Both fatal, but dry presents differently and kills more slowly.

Your kitten has wet. What shots did the vet give?

 

[treelet]

@Treelet

Oh dear!

Perhaps you can convince your family otherwise. If not, you absolutely must get pain medicine from the vet. This is terrible!

The vet said the shots contain painkillers, but she still looks like she's in a lot of pain. It's only day one since being diagnosed, so I can only imagine how she will feel when the symptoms progress.

 

[Sarthur2]

I'm so sorry.

 

[darkhorse321]

In our kitties case it was her liver. She was a pure bred siamese but the runt of her litter. She was 13 when we put her down. It was upon the autopsy they found her liver was shot. She also had a ravenous appetitr, noo fever or diarrhea. Just belly full of fluid we had drained several times. She was also losingvweight rapidly despite her appetite. [emoji]128547[/emoji] i am so sorry you have to go through this. Buperorphine should help ease any pain.

 

[foxxycat]

I am sorry that your family doesn't believe in euth. Can you take her to the vet and do it anyways? you can tell the family she died naturally. She will suffer. Tell your family that death by FIP is torture. She will have fluid filling up and lungs full of fluid, I BEG you don't let her suffer this kind of death. There are two types of death. Good death which is peaceful like euthanasia and then there is the other kind that I fear will haunt you for some time.

I bring this up because we had a cat die at home from breathing difficulties. I didn't know this was serious. For many years I was tortured by my memories of her gasping for air for hours. Please don't allow this to happen to your kitten. I swear if there was something I could do is spare you from the flashbacks of a bad death.

Sometimes we have to do the right thing even if it alienates others. tell the family that the swelling is blood. Tell them whatever. make up some story to make it easier to accept death. I would much rather see a peaceful death than a hard death and I know you don't want to see her suffer. I am sending you many hugs and positive energies to help you through this difficult time.

 

[misty8723]

My Darcy was probably around 8 months or so. We adopted her from a shelter and she was so sweet and loving, active, playful. Then one day she was under the bed and even when she came out looked under the weather. I thought maybe kitty cold and took her to the vet. The first thing they saw was her temperature was around 105. At first they thought and hoped fever of unknown origin and it would go down, but it never did. Tests can't confirm FIP but they pretty much ruled everything else out and she had fluid in her stomach.  We spoon fed her to get her to eat what we could. I had some high calorie nutrition food from the vet and often she would eat some of that. I also tried anything, including 9 lives, anything at all that she would eat. Toward the end all she wanted was Temptation Catnip treats, and I would pour her a bowl of however many she would eat. The vet also had her on Prednisolone and antibiotic. The antibiotic was in case it was FUO, but that didn't help. I think the Pred did help.  She did survive maybe two months, but it got her in the end.  Your kitten is beautiful and breaks my heart all over again.

 

[misty8723]

 
I am sorry that your family doesn't believe in euth. Can you take her to the vet and do it anyways? you can tell the family she died naturally. She will suffer. Tell your family that death by FIP is torture. She will have fluid filling up and lungs full of fluid, I BEG you don't let her suffer this kind of death. There are two types of death. Good death which is peaceful like euthanasia and then there is the other kind that I fear will haunt you for some time.

I bring this up because we had a cat die at home from breathing difficulties. I didn't know this was serious. For many years I was tortured by my memories of her gasping for air for hours. Please don't allow this to happen to your kitten. I swear if there was something I could do is spare you from the flashbacks of a bad death.

Sometimes we have to do the right thing even if it alienates others. tell the family that the swelling is blood. Tell them whatever. make up some story to make it easier to accept death. I would much rather see a peaceful death than a hard death and I know you don't want to see her suffer. I am sending you many hugs and positive energies to help you through this difficult time.

I don't particularly believe in euthanasia either. What I don't like is that people are often so quick to use that option and vets are too quick to recommend it. We had no other good choice when Darcy had FIP, because of the nature of the illness and no way to relieve her pain. It haunts me no end. Our other cat who died at home, it was hard seeing her deteriorate and we did give her pain meds toward the end, but allowed her to pass at home on her blanket, and I'm more at peace with that one.  FIP is horrible and it's not fair, and there is really no other choice than euthanasia, but only when it's clear there are no good days left.

 

[misty8723]

 
Yes, I would think that buprenorphine would be appropriate for the little kitty for pain relief.  

I don't think that would work with FIP, but I'm not a vet.

 

[misty8723]

 
Does anyone know if vet schools are actively trying to find out a decent treatment that cures FIP - as well as all other incurable diseases?  I suspect not, sadly.   We all know that the cure for human cancer has been an abysmal failure, nevertheless those organizations continue to thrive quite well.  

What my vet told me when Darcy had it was that most cats are exposed to the virus, and they have no idea why it mutates in some and not others. She also said it's not something they can really research for a treatment / cure. I don't remember all the particulars she told us at the time.

 

[ginny]

 
I don't think that would work with FIP, but I'm not a vet.

I'm not either but I would think any pain reliever would help, or at least be better than nothing.  That's what Gracie was given for pain because it could be absorbed locally through her gums, bypassing the GI tract.  It helped her.