need quick advice-positive fip (x-post)

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witch's mom

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(x-posted in Health)

Not sure if I'm posting in the right place, but here's the situation:

We have been planning to adopt a 7-year-old cat who needs a new home. We already have a 4-year-old cat. Both cats have been tested for FELV, FIV and FIP. Our 4-year-old is negative on all three; the cat we're hoping to adopt is FIP positive.

My understanding is that a positive FIP doesn't mean a sick cat, or even that the cat's a carrier of FIP--it means that the cat has been exposed to a feline coronavirus at some point in its life. Our vet advises that it's really impossible to know what exactly it means, and that our decision will need to be based on how comfortable we are with the possibilities of risk.

Should we go through with this adoption? I'd love to hear opinions. Thanks.
 
barbb

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I think you need to find out more about the positive test result. Where are you adopting the cat from? Where is it being kept right now? Does it show any signs of the disease and if so, wet or dry FIP?

I agree a positive FIP test just shows high titers and 30% of FIP tests are false positives. I would ask whoever has this cat right now how long they have had the cat and if it can be tested again.

Even though there are many sketchy things about this cat's test outcome, I personally would be extremely wary of bringing a cat who tested FIP positive into my home, especially because I have other cats and because if the cat shows signs of full blown FIP it is hard to eradicate from your home so that you can adopt again.

Having said that, I can only say bless you for being so kind to take this kitty in. Do read the article link below and push whoever is adopting this cat to you for all the details you can get.


Here is a really good link about FIP with a good FAQ at the end:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/cats-faq/FIP/
 
kai bengals

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Just to let you know, there is NO test for FIP, it can only be diagnosed positively with a tissue sample which requires surgery. Nearly all cats infected with FIP are too ill to survive surgery, so the only clear way to determine FIP, is by post mortem necropsy.

The test for exposure to the corona virus really doesn't mean anything other than telling you the cat was exposed to it sometime in it's life. Many many cats test positive for exposure. This does not mean they will develope FIP and only a very tiny percentage do.

The corona virus has to mutate in the cats body in order to cause FIP. Some cats may have compromised immune systems that pre-dispose them to developing FIP. The factors that cause the virus to mutate aren't fully understood yet.

I would say that if the cat is deemed healthy by your Vet in all other regards, you can safely adopt this cat.


A side note: FIP is NOT contagious, but the corona virus is. FIP is the resulting fatal disease caused when the corona virus mutates. Having a house full of corona virus exposed cats, does not mean they will all contract FIP and die. If one contracts FIP, it does not mean the others will. It doesn't work like that.
 
katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

Just to let you know, there is NO test for FIP, it can only be diagnosed positively with a tissue sample which requires surgery. Nearly all cats infected with FIP are too ill to survive surgery, so the only clear way to determine FIP, is by post mortem necropsy.

The test for exposure to the corona virus really doesn't mean anything other than telling you the cat was exposed to it sometime in it's life. Many many cats test positive for exposure. This does not mean they will develope FIP and only a very tiny percentage do.

The corona virus has to mutate in the cats body in order to cause FIP. Some cats may have compromised immune systems that pre-dispose them to developing FIP. The factors that cause the virus to mutate aren't fully understood yet.

I would say that if the cat is deemed healthy by your Vet in all other regards, you can safely adopt this cat.


A side note: FIP is NOT contagious, but the corona virus is. FIP is the resulting fatal disease caused when the corona virus mutates. Having a house full of corona virus exposed cats, does not mean they will all contract FIP and die. If one contracts FIP, it does not mean the others will. It doesn't work like that.
Click to expand...
I posted in the health forum, but basically said exactly this
 
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Thanks for the replies. This is really maddening--it makes me wish we'd never had this test done.

The cat we're considering adopting is healthy. Fat, friendly, playful. She was rescued as a not-quite-adult by a woman we know 7 years ago, nursed through an injury and has been kept at the woman's house--with other rescue cats--ever since. In seven years, she has shown no signs of illness. This is the first time she has had the FIP test run. (I understand that it's not a test for FIP; that's just the easiest way to refer to it and how the vets refer to it.)

We like her very much and would adopt her in one thin minute if it weren't for this positive FIP. I understand that this positive test very likely means nothing--in fact, it so very likely means nothing that I wonder why it's included in a standard viral panel for cats! It seems like an adoption-killer, in that it's a scary sounding disease and to truly understand the limitations of the test you have to do a pile of research.

So the test has raised questions for us. Is it wise for us to accept this cat, however small a risk, into our home where we have a coronavirus-negative cat? I've got calls in to both vets now to discuss it. After many weeks of waiting around to coordinate the vet appointments and wait for vet calls and coordinate schedules, etc., the adoption was FINALLY supposed to happen today, my daughters are heartbroken . . . argh!
 
kai bengals

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Originally Posted by witch's mom

Thanks for the replies. This is really maddening--it makes me wish we'd never had this test done.

The cat we're considering adopting is healthy. Fat, friendly, playful. She was rescued as a not-quite-adult by a woman we know 7 years ago, nursed through an injury and has been kept at the woman's house--with other rescue cats--ever since. In seven years, she has shown no signs of illness. This is the first time she has had the FIP test run. (I understand that it's not a test for FIP; that's just the easiest way to refer to it and how the vets refer to it.)

We like her very much and would adopt her in one thin minute if it weren't for this positive FIP. I understand that this positive test very likely means nothing--in fact, it so very likely means nothing that I wonder why it's included in a standard viral panel for cats! It seems like an adoption-killer, in that it's a scary sounding disease and to truly understand the limitations of the test you have to do a pile of research.

So the test has raised questions for us. Is it wise for us to accept this cat, however small a risk, into our home where we have a coronavirus-negative cat? I've got calls in to both vets now to discuss it. After many weeks of waiting around to coordinate the vet appointments and wait for vet calls and coordinate schedules, etc., the adoption was FINALLY supposed to happen today, my daughters are heartbroken . . . argh!
Click to expand...
The likely scenario is that all or most of this woman's cats will test positive for exposure to corona virus. Multi-cat households, rescues, shelters and catteries have large numbers of cats that test positive.
All it takes is one cat with active intial infection, shedding the virus and pretty soon all cats are exposed. They get ill (not FIP), then they get better and most of the time, that's it. Blood titers will show exposure.
Some cats can be carriers and shedders, causing re-infection and new infections.

To be 100% safe and ensure your cat has no risk for exposure, you would have to decline the adoption. However, to be realistic, your cat could be exposed in many different ways. At the Vet's during a procedure, maybe an exam table doesn't get cleaned well enough, or a kennel that your cat is placed in after a surgery.
Boarding your cat during vacations, etc.

I truly believe the risks are minimal in adopting this cat, but you'll have to come to that decision yourself.
Good luck with it!
 
katiemae1277

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

The likely scenario is that all or most of this woman's cats will test positive for exposure to corona virus. Multi-cat households, rescues, shelters and catteries have large numbers of cats that test positive.
All it takes is one cat with active intial infection, shedding the virus and pretty soon all cats are exposed. They get ill (not FIP), then they get better and most of the time, that's it. Blood titers will show exposure.
Some cats can be carriers and shedders, causing re-infection and new infections.

To be 100% safe and ensure your cat has no risk for exposure, you would have to decline the adoption. However, to be realistic, your cat could be exposed in many different ways. At the Vet's during a procedure, maybe an exam table doesn't get cleaned well enough, or a kennel that your cat is placed in after a surgery.
Boarding your cat during vacations, etc.

I truly believe the risks are minimal in adopting this cat, but you'll have to come to that decision yourself.
Good luck with it!
Click to expand...
again


one thing though, I've actually never heard of a rescue running the titre test for corona, it's usually only run if a cat develops symptoms that may lead to the suspicion of FIP
 
kai bengals

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Originally Posted by katiemae1277

again


one thing though, I've actually never heard of a rescue running the titre test for corona, it's usually only run if a cat develops symptoms that may lead to the suspicion of FIP
Click to expand...
You're right, most places don't routinely test for it, unless there is cause to suspect FIP. I know neither of our 3 Vets run that test for routine work-ups.
 
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