FIP? Please help. Sorry...Long

We adopted our kitty almost 3 months ago from a shelter.  He is almost 5 month old now.  Since the day we brought him home he had diarrhea and 2 outbreaks of sneezing and runny eyes/conjunctivitis.  After few different antibiotic treatments/eye ointments and dewormers, his diarrhea was under control and eye back to normal.  vet assumed it was worms...  he also had a history of swallowing strings before i could grab it off the floor, but passed it in his stool.  hence, antibiotics and some meds to coat his tummy to make sure the diarrhea wasn't from that.  i finally had a perfectly healthy kitty for about 3 weeks.  10 days ago hoping to introduce better food brand, i let him eat about half a can of new food (he loved it).  2 hrs later he had diarrhea again.  i assumed it was from new food.  cut it out, and waited for 5 days for diarrhea to go away, per vet's advice.  it didn't get better, and the vet prescribed fligyl.  on sunday, he vomited.  it looked yellowish liquid with stray hairs.  on monday i noticed his tummy being bloated.  he was sleeping much more, and i noticed that he was shedding a lot.  called the vet and took him in on wed.  vet thought maybe he swallowed some string again and it was stuck.  did x ray and ultrasound.  saw a bit of gas and "moderate" amount of liquid.  vet took a sample of the liquid for testing.  his temp was 104.5 i believe btw.  test came back and showed the following "specific gravity 1.039, protein 6.6 g/dl, WBC 1070, RBC 2000.  Moderately cellular sample is present on a pink stippled proteinaceous background with low numbers of scattered red cells.  Nucleated cell count differential is: 44% non-degenerate neutrophils and poorly preserved neutrophils, 47% small mononuclear cells.small lymphocytes and 9% large mononuclear cells/macrophages.  No infectious agents or neoplastic cells.  Based on high protein content of the fluid, FIP is a consideration.  However, typically neutrophils predominate in FIP effusion.  Other differentials to consider include inflammation of an organ and sterile irritants."  The vet believes that my kitty has FIP.  She mentioned that we could do a blood test and look at titer levels and if they are high that support FIP. She also mentioned that we could do a complete blood work up to see if anything else shows up.  but she doesn't think that it is worth doing because she believes the outcome will be the same (whatever it is it it's fatal).  her opinion was to focus on supportive care.  what should i do???  i don't want to put him thru any pain or discomfort.  it is not about "me knowing" what's wrong if i can't fix it anyway.  he is our only kitty.  got him for my daughter, and we are all in love with him.  it breaks my heart.  and he is such a sweet little boy.  side note...  his diarrhea is gone, he is eating, using his litter box, but does seem a little off.  sleeps most of the time, not really interested in playing, and once in a while makes a little crying sound when i pet him.  he used to purr like crazy when i would pet him before... pls give me advice...  thank you.

FIP is one of the cruellest diseases - impossible to fully diagnose, impossible to treat and the outcome is always bad. And because you can't know for sure, you always have hope that it might be something else. I have lost two cats to it, one an adult and one a 5 month old kitten. I would go with the vet's advice to make your kitten as comfortable as you can and try treatment for the standard things that it could be, but if he doesn't improve quickly on the usual meds, then I am afraid you may be looking at FIP.

he was on flygil for the past week.  his diarrhea improved, but the bloat is there...filled with fluid.  the vet hasn't suggested any further treatment.  has only said if things get worse than we can do something to ease the pain.  the only possible thing the vet said we can do is further testing...complete blood work to see if anything shows up, but even then the vet doesn't think the chances are good...  i don't want to add more stress and pain and put my kitty thru more testing if there is not much hope...   but i keep wondering if i'm wrong?  this is so hard  poor little guy.  i can't stop crying

Even complete blood testing will not make it 100% sure that he has FIP. Most cats (up to 80% in some studies of colonies) carry the coronavirus that causes FIP, and this shows up in the blood. But most will never get it because the virus needs to mutate in the body to become the actual disease. A very high titre can indicate the likelihood, and this coupled with fluid in the chest or abdomen plus other symptoms like fever, mean that the vet can say it is probably or probably not, FIP. But all they can really do is treat the symptoms until it becomes too much for the cat.

i completely understand, and that's why i don't see much point in testing to find support for FIP.  the only testing i would consider doing is complete blood work to see if anything else shows up to point us into a different direction and possible treatment for it.  but as i mentioned the vet doesn't provide much hope that this could be something else, or if it is, that it would be treatable.  

An excellent way to determine the cause is possibly something else, is by the fever.

FIP will NOT respond to antibiotics and reduce the fever.

If it does infact lower his temp then it may very well be some other issue.

You mentioned vomiting yellow liquid with hair strands, are you sure they were not skinny long worms?

The vet said he doesn't have a fever.  i just can't remember exactly what his temp was...103.5 or 104.5, but the vet said that the cat's temp is higher than human temp, and his is within the range.  either under 104 or 105???  

yes, sure it was hair.  he has been treated for worms a few times, the last being a broad spectrum dewormer, so this is not worms...

he just looks like the life has been sucked out of him ((  still eating, drinking and using his litter box, but has a balloon of a belly.  would you do a blood test or not???

i actually just called the vet about his temp.  it was 101.8, so no fever.

lilysam said:

 
i actually just called the vet about his temp.  it was 101.8, so no fever.

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The blood test you are asking about is to check for high titer level, but getting your kitten from a shelter means he likely has had exposure to the coronavirus, but wouldn't mean fip either, as just about all cats at some time during their lives are exposed to corona, but as you know only a few will take this fairly mild coronavirus and the individual cats own system will mutate this into fip.

I would choose not to test further.

It's tricky, sneaking and cruel. 

It is much easier to determine wet fip over dry, due to the fluid in his abdomen. 

There was a comment you made that, honestly, point to fip. "the life is being sucked out of him" 

(I can't tell you how much I hate saying this) I understand it is hopeless and devastating. 

I think the vet is correct, and remember, a vet will never positively tell you it is definitely fip, since it is impossible to know as a fact, but the age of your kitten, the signs and fluid retention, with high protein levels in the fluid, sound like it is infact fip.

Wet form of fip will take him down quite fast, as today he may still be eating, and shows a bit of his normal self, but very suddenly he will get to the point of suffering, more than he already is now.

Because you love him, of course you do not want for him to suffer. 

While you are not ready to gently let him go just yet, just in case....which I fully understand, I mean, what if right?  It is human nature to remain hopeful, even if it is clearly looking like fip and we all know what will come soon, I DO get that.

But please watch, the very minute that he takes a turn for the worse, please take him right then and let him go with minimal suffering. FIP is currently wreaking havoc right now and has been, on his organs, his entire system, plus the fluid is quite uncomfortable, and he knows he is not well.

He is a baby to this world, and despite the cruel and unfair nature, randomly choosing who it will take from us, he should not feel hurt or pain, his survival instincts say to eat, drink, play, purr, smell, explore, be curious, snuggle, be spunky, silly, but he just can't anymore. He will sleep his time away until it is more than he can bear, and then you must do the dreaded but most loving and humane thing for him, because you do love him, and set his body free.

The biggest gift you can possible do for him. 

Big hugs to you and your family for having this happen to you. Many of us know and have been there.  

  

I do understand everything you are saying. And completely agree. I will it let him suffer. He is the best little kitty I have ever met.
The vet said that he may last a few months because he doesn't have any other clinical signs except fluid in his belly. He still has glimpses of his old self. But I do understand and agree completely that I won't let him suffer.
In regards to a blood test my question was whether we should do a complete blood work up for a possibility to see if it shows something else wrong other that FIP. Confirming FIP is not the point for me. Does it make sense?? Thank you so much for your replies. I'm so sad and go back and forth between denial and anger and accepting this.

lilysam said:

I do understand everything you are saying. And completely agree. I will it let him suffer. He is the best little kitty I have ever met.
The vet said that he may last a few months because he doesn't have any other clinical signs except fluid in his belly. He still has glimpses of his old self. But I do understand and agree completely that I won't let him suffer.
In regards to a blood test my question was whether we should do a complete blood work up for a possibility to see if it shows something else wrong other that FIP. Confirming FIP is not the point for me. Does it make sense?? Thank you so much for your replies. I'm so sad and go back and forth between denial and anger and accepting this.

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A full blood panel would be your sole decision, but frankly his initial symptoms of sneezing and runny eyes, and diarrhea are commonly seen in kittens who have had exposure to many others before vaccinating, and I highly suspect that the eyes/sneezing he had early on after getting him was likely when the coronavirus was at work.

It's costly and a bit stressful for your kitten, but it won't really do much harm.

What you will likely see are some newer effects from the fip as it takes it's toll on his system.

I'm so glad you are aware of the suffering factor involved and are committed to not allowing this to happen for him.

His short little life should be pain free.