mis-diagnosed?? I guess???

This post comes after reading another post on here. I could not remember the name of disease that the vet told me --I think I was just in shock, but I know now, that FIP was what he was told me--I'll just start at the beginning before this gets confusing

About 6 months ago my cat Trinity got really sick and threw up for several days. I thought it was a hairball at first and wasn't concerned, until she stopped eating. I called the vet the next morning. She just seemed to loose all her wait overnight! It was really scary!! The vet did a ton of tests and blood work. And said that there was no way to be certain but that he thought she had FIP (the dry kind-she was skin and bones). (I couldn't remember the name of it until tonight. --I think I was just in shock because I thought she was dieing) He wanted me to put her to sleep because if he was right it would be fatal. this all happened on a Friday so she would have been alone all weekend at the vet's office-he would have checked in on her but she would have been in a starnge place, in a cage and all alone for what could have been her last hours or days of life. And I just couldn't put her down without knowing for certain that it was fatal! I just felt like she deserved a fighting chance! So, I told him that I would just take her home and see if I could get her to eat again. I am so glad that I didn't listen to him!! I got her home and started to fix some supper for myself and Trinity jumped up on the counter and demanded my chicken breast! Which I gladly gave her!! (I know teaching her bad habits, but I was just so glad that she was eating I didn't care!!) She has been fine ever since! (other than some stress related over grooming last week--but we have that under control now) So my question is (after such a long post--sorry!) Was it FIP since she didn't die from it? (gosh that sounds morbid) From what I have read so far FIP is always fatal. I just wanted to know if FIP is always fatal and if that is really what Trinity had or if the Vet charged me $250 for a wrong guess? (needles to say I switched vets)

Thanks for taking the time to read my LONG post and respond!!

This is a very common occurance. FIP diagnosis is way over used by vets, in my opinion. There is no positive way to diagnose it until a cat is dead and there is a necropsy done. I had a similar experience with Jake several years ago. After fighting and being dilligent, we discovered his problem indeed was something different.

So glad to hear that you cat is getting better! My cat died of FIP, the wet kind. He was filled with fluid. It was around his lungs and organs. We withdrew some fluid and had it tested. I have read so much about FIP since then. The dry variety is harder to determine. Also cats can start to get better then die even up to a year later. I so hope you are correct and you cat is FIP free. Try and keep you cat stress free as that can bring the FIP on. FIP is usually a death sentence. I hope with research they will find a cure for it.

oh, I already found another one!! that was the first thing that I did!! I don't trust him anymore after he tried to convince my husband to ok putting Trinity down before I came in to see her--I think that he was just trying to get the ok so that he could already have it done before I could get there and get on home for the weekend! I was so mad that he tried to go behind my back and put my cat to sleep!! My DH told him that I was the only one that could make that decision and he was really mad too!! But I love my new vet!! he really cares about my animals!! So, it's possible then that my cat does have FIP (dry) and if so could she give it to our other cat? We were thinking about getting a another kitten for Christmas but if they might make each other sick maybe we shouldn't risk it. Trinity hasn't had any symptoms since--and that has been at least 6 months ago.

I don't think your furbaby has FIP, but again, I'm no expert. If her only symptom was throwing up a few times, she probably just got into something that didn't agree w/ her, and had to get it out of her system. I think your previous vet was a quack, and just wanted to make a few bucks out of the situation, IMO.. I've had cats go through bad puking spells, w/ no ill effects. Cats just puke sometimes, with no apparant reason - or sometimes they get a furball stuck that takes awhile to cough up.

The "experts" used to believe that FIP was contagious: now they're saying it's not. I don't know. What I do know is that I have 5 cats, and 2 have the dry form of FIP, and the others don't: there's nothing wrong at all w/ the other 3 - they're perfectly fine. IMO, I don't think it's contagious; but like I said, I'm no expert..

If it's been six months since Trinity had her puking spell, I think it would be alright to get another kitty. Ask your vet what he thinks first, if you're concerned about it..

~kk~

My vet even told me my cat might have FIP, which he doesn't at all.
By the way there is no test for FIP, but the vet can do a corona titer on your cat to get an idea if she has been exposed to a corona virus. I would ask your new vet if it's possible your cat actually has FIP and if you can get another cat in addition to yours. From what I've been reading, FIP is infectious. Who is saying it is not?
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fip.html

The more research I have done the more I think that Trinity does not have FIP. The main indicators were that she was throwing up (a lot!) and lost over a pound in just 2 days. She also had really high protein levels which was odd because she hadn't eaten. She was not running a fever-in fact her temp was actually low. So the Vet said that FIP was the only thing he could think it might be. But he still charged me $250! for the tests!--no, I don't mind paying for tests to keep my baby healthy but it was fishy because he said that $250 was his estimate for how much x-rays, blood tests, and the boarding for the weekend would be. I put down a deposit of $150 for the tests a boarding but I took her home that evening. (So no weekend boarding) But he still charged me the extra $100 because he "forgot" to add in the cost of the x-ray. I just think he wanted to get the full amount and he wasn't even sure how much the tests were--he is the only vet at the office--in fact he owns the place! Don't you think that he should know how much he charges?!?! anways, I am ranting by this point--it just makes me so mad that he is charging like he does because he is the only vet in town. Well needless to say that I found another vet who is more reasonable price wise and is a WAY better vet!! He spends as much time as I need and answers all of my questions so that I feel assured of my babies health! He really cares about the animals that he treats!! I am really happy with the new vet!!

There is no way your cat has either form of FIP, even if it was the dry form there would be extensive symptoms and your cat would be quite ill. say good riddance to the old vet, and feel free to tell your friends his name and to stay away. IMO he should have heavily discounted his services to you for that non-diagnosis.

Contagious and infectious are not the same, medically speaking:

"Contagious, infectious are usually distinguished in technical medical use. Contagious, literally 'communicable by contact,' describes a very easily transmitted disease as influenza or the common cold. Infectious refers to a disease involving a microorganism that can be transmitted from one person to another only by a specific kind of contact; venereal diseases are usually infectious."
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=contagious