FIP new kitten? Very upset....

I think my 10 week old Clive has FIP. I hope I'm wrong. His symptoms are: chronic 'conjunctivitis' with eyes watering & oozing, distended belly, sneezing, not thriving/very thin & tiny except for belly - he weighs just 1.7 lbs, the iris of one of his eyes turned red/brown (so scary) for a day, then went back to normal, he tested high when the vet gave the FIP test, & finally, he has never meowed. He tried a few times, but nothing came out.

There are some positives, and that's what's giving me hope: I've had 2 vets examine him (same practice) - they both said that even though his belly is distended, neither think it's fluid. They think it's parasites. Clive hasn't had any fevers that I'm aware of - he eats a ton (though not gaining), and plays a ton -he's not lethargic at all.

The vet is not ruling FIP out, and Clive was diagnosed with 3 parasites, as well as possible ringworm. Vet thinks the sneezing is from a respiratory infection & gave me Albon & Flagyl, plus ointment for his eyes - which Clive was already on several times at the animal shelter as well as with his foster/rescue mom. The mom told me he was "sniffly" & had ringworm but she treated him & it was gone. His coat did look full & shiny when we got him.

I've had him only 12 days, but I'm so in love. We adopted another kitty at the same time (not sibling). She's about the same age & I'm worried about her too!

So....are there any other tests/questions/things I should be doing? Could Clive have this and still be running around, happy? Am I just supposed to wait & see if his health declines or gets better? How long does it take before I can tell?

I've been doing a lot of reading online, but wanted to hear from people who have actually dealt with this instead of from 'text book' answers.

Thank you in advance - I'll be waiting for any replies!

If they thought it was parasites causing the distended belly, did they deworm him and treat him for tapeworms?  My first thought was that this doesn't sound like FIP.  He's probably not thriving because he's sick.  Ask the vet for some Science Diet a/d. That is packed with lots of nutrients and used with cats and kittens who are malnourished, undernourished, or very ill.

OOPS! Clive is 12 weeks and just 1.7 lbs. Is there a way to edit my original post?

Yes, click on the little pencil on the lower left of your post.

Thanks for your reply. I don't think they dewormed him. They sent me home with Albon & Flagyl.  He has 3 different types of parasites - none of them tapeworm. Also, I should add that the vet put both Clive and Penelope's stool samples together when they sent it to the lab, so we're not sure which kitten has which parasite but they share a litter box. The vet did that because it would have cost $200 instead of $100 for the test & he said we would have to treat them both anyway.

I will get some Science Diet A/D today - good suggestion.

Oh man I can't find the pencil to edit? I see a red flag on the bottom left of my post....

9flowers said:

 
Oh man I can't find the pencil to edit? I see a red flag on the bottom left of my post....

Click to expand...

Hi

Newbies can't edit,or if they can its for a very short amount of time, but i'm pretty sure you need more "status" to edit.  But everyone see's your update. A 12 week old kitten should weigh about 3 pounds so your kitten is definately underweight and sounds like he has a cold and likely worms, but i agree with the others, it doesn't sound at all like FIP.  This will sound awful but its an analogy: a cat getting FIP is a little like a human getting Ebola:  you are SUPER sick very fast and then you die.

But you're kitten doe need care and treatments in order to thrive.

What's his blood test results?

FIP is very easy to tell using blood test (if you know what you're looking for):

High neutrophils

Low Lymphocytes

High Globulin

Low Albumin

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/fip.html

Here is a successful case of treatment for FIP:

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/fipcase.html

Thanks Morse, for your reply. I don't know his exact blood results. The vet only told me that he tested positive or high for FIP.
I've asked the front desk for his results but they don't like to give out any records. I guess I should push them.
The info you gave me is helpful.

You have every right to every piece of lab results and clinic notes. 

Does he have a fever? That is a very common symptom of the 'wet' form. And one blood test is not enough. Most cats actually carry the virus, which shows up in their blood, most just stay as carriers unless something happens to make the virus active and mutate into the disease. You need several tests, at least a week apart. Then the vet can tell if the levels are changing and getting higher, which is a very strong indication of FIP. But with FIP nothing is sure, especially at the beginning. It could well be that he has parasites and maybe a herpes infection, which is causing his eye problems and is also difficult to treat, though not life-threatening.

I feel for you - I have lost two cats to FIP and it is horrible. Let us hope that it is something else. But you must get your vet to show you the test results and explain the figures to you - they mean nothing to you without an explanation. The vet should understand how worrying this is for you and be sympathetic.

9flowers said:

Thanks Morse, for your reply. I don't know his exact blood results. The vet only told me that he tested positive or high for FIP.
I've asked the front desk for his results but they don't like to give out any records. I guess I should push them.
The info you gave me is helpful.

Click to expand...

There is no such thing as a test for FIP.   Your cat may or may not have FIP, but a diagnosis is made presumptively by careful exam and symptoms, along with tests that can be at best supportive of a diagnosis provided that the cat's symptoms are consistent with the illness.

The corona virus titer test means nothing by itself.  Most cats test positive for it because its just super common in the cat population.  But only 1 cat in thousands will have it mutate to FIP.

Whenever you have a disease that is totally incurable (including human diseases) you will have people come out and say there is a miracle cure if only they do these things that either a) no one else does or b) no one else knows about.  In cases where there have been "rare" cures, the data points to either misdiagnosis in the first place or misreprepresentation in other cases. This terrible disease has been around for almost 60 years and if there was a cure, everyone would know about it.

There are 2 versions of FIP, the wet form (fluids build up) and the dry form. The wet form is rapidly fatal, but the dry form can often be managed for a period of time.  Please see reputable websites on FIP, like these, and be very cautious about sites that talk about cure.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_information/brochure_ftp.cfm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_infectious_peritonitis

Your cat is clearly ill, and i hope the best for you and that with supportive treatments he can begin to thrive.  Some kittens don't thrive and pass for a variety of reasons, and some cats do have FIP, and i'm not saying (nor can I) that your cat has or doesn't have FIP.  The main point I want you to think about is connected to a member's post above that suggested a cure.  There is no cure, only timely euthanasia, the "when" depending mostly on whether the cat has the dry or the wet form, and how they are feeling.

StephenQ said:

 
Hi

Newbies can't edit,or if they can its for a very short amount of time, but i'm pretty sure you need more "status" to edit.  But everyone see's your update. A 12 week old kitten should weigh about 3 pounds so your kitten is definately underweight and sounds like he has a cold and likely worms, but i agree with the others, it doesn't sound at all like FIP.  This will sound awful but its an analogy: a cat getting FIP is a little like a human getting Ebola:  you are SUPER sick very fast and then you die.

But you're kitten doe need care and treatments in order to thrive.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much. This helped me sleep better last night. This is the kind of info I'm looking for.

stephanietx said:

 
You have every right to every piece of lab results and clinic notes. 

Click to expand...

I figured that. I don't know why they won't give me the info. I've asked them a few times for different things. They question me about it & then hand me a piece of paper, but it's never the actual info I've asked for. Yesterday they gave me notes (not lab results) that were completely illegible due to low/no ink in their printer! Everyone there is usually so incredibly nice & accomodating - except when it comes to asking for files. I'll try again.

JennyR said:

Does he have a fever? That is a very common symptom of the 'wet' form. And one blood test is not enough. Most cats actually carry the virus, which shows up in their blood, most just stay as carriers unless something happens to make the virus active and mutate into the disease. You need several tests, at least a week apart. Then the vet can tell if the levels are changing and getting higher, which is a very strong indication of FIP. But with FIP nothing is sure, especially at the beginning. It could well be that he has parasites and maybe a herpes infection, which is causing his eye problems and is also difficult to treat, though not life-threatening.

I feel for you - I have lost two cats to FIP and it is horrible. Let us hope that it is something else. But you must get your vet to show you the test results and explain the figures to you - they mean nothing to you without an explanation. The vet should understand how worrying this is for you and be sympathetic.

Click to expand...

He has not had a fever (that I know of). He does feel warm to me a lot. I'll go to the pet store & see if they have an thermometer that doesn't go in the rectum - he's so tiny, plus I don't think I could do it. I wasn't aware that several tests are needed, a week apart. The vet didn't explain that. He just said that Clive's levels were high. You're right, I'm going to have the vet explain his actual numbers to me, & I'll ask about herpes. I've been using the eye ointment for 3 days now & it's not getting better.

I'm sorry about your losses. Thanks so much for your input. Really helps.

StephenQ said:

 
There is no such thing as a test for FIP.   Your cat may or may not have FIP, but a diagnosis is made presumptively by careful exam and symptoms, along with tests that can be at best supportive of a diagnosis provided that the cat's symptoms are consistent with the illness.

The corona virus titer test means nothing by itself.  Most cats test positive for it because its just super common in the cat population.  But only 1 cat in thousands will have it mutate to FIP.

Whenever you have a disease that is totally incurable (including human diseases) you will have people come out and say there is a miracle cure if only they do these things that either a) no one else does or b) no one else knows about.  In cases where there have been "rare" cures, the data points to either misdiagnosis in the first place or misreprepresentation in other cases. This terrible disease has been around for almost 60 years and if there was a cure, everyone would know about it.

There are 2 versions of FIP, the wet form (fluids build up) and the dry form. The wet form is rapidly fatal, but the dry form can often be managed for a period of time.  Please see reputable websites on FIP, like these, and be very cautious about sites that talk about cure.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_information/brochure_ftp.cfm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_infectious_peritonitis

Your cat is clearly ill, and i hope the best for you and that with supportive treatments he can begin to thrive.  Some kittens don't thrive and pass for a variety of reasons, and some cats do have FIP, and i'm not saying (nor can I) that your cat has or doesn't have FIP.  The main point I want you to think about is connected to a member's post above that suggested a cure.  There is no cure, only timely euthanasia, the "when" depending mostly on whether the cat has the dry or the wet form, and how they are feeling.

Click to expand...

Again, so informative - thank you! The vet did explain that although he tested high, it wasn't a definitive diagnosis. But that's all he really said. I also wasn't aware that only 1 in thousands will have it mutate. I've been researching a bit so I'm aware of the wet & dry versions. I was thinking he might have wet due to his eyes, sneezing & belly.

If he does have it, I won't get my hopes up with a 'cure' - I understand the reality.  I appreciate your insight.

@9flowers you DO want a rectal thermometer. With lube like ky and you just do in very far 1/2 to 3/4 inch is fine and gently. Please do NOT put a thermometer in his mouth. A normal temp should be between 101-102F.

Runny eyes is more a symptom of a cold than anything else. Fluid in the abdomen is a sign of fip. I do t understand why your vet wants to do weekly tests.

It was me that mentioned having several tests. a week or so apart. It can help determine whether the titre levels are rising - a sign of FIP.

JennyR said:

It was me that mentioned having several tests. a week or so apart. It can help determine whether the titre levels are rising - a sign of FIP.

Click to expand...

Excellent!