worried - vet wants to test for FIP

hi everyone,

i posted a while ago about my 1/2 yr. old cat Spike who was acting kind of lethargic, but had no other symptoms. The vet gave him a blood test that suggested he had a virus and gave him an immune boosting shot that really seemed to help, but it is now a week later and he is still not totally back to normal. He first started acting strangely about a month ago and though the vet said it can take awhile to get over something, now she wants to test for FIP!

I am really worried - I had not even heard about this before now. I thought my cats were safe from this kind of thing because they are indoors, I had no idea there was something like this that could happen to them.

I searched the board and saw that some of you have had experience with this, though it mostly seems to be young kittens who are affected? I guess I don't really have a question, just worried and hoping the test will be negative (although I also read it isnt a reliable test!)

So thanks for reading, and please send prayers/good thoughts our way.
Erin

Erin, the test for FIP won't tell your vet anything ... if your cat was exposed to a corona virus (and 99.9% of ALL cats are exposed) then the titer levels will show a higher value, which some vets can and oftentimes do mistakenly diagnose as FIP. The ONLY way to test for FIP with any degree of certainty is to do an organ biopsy POST-MORTEM.

I would politely decline the testing and find another vet.

~gf~

Prayers and good vibes for Spike to feel better soon . And, yes, please get another vet. Gayef is right, the FIP test will not tell your vet anything. It can take quite a while for some cats to get over viruses. In the meantime, I suggest that you get a second opinion.

I agree with the others above. I lost 2 kittens to FIP over the past few months, but they both had high fevers,lethargy,fluid in their abdomens,and lack of appetite. My vet ran blood tests because at first he thought it was an infection, and the 1st one was treated with clavamox, but after she did not get any better, and her abdomen was enlarged, an ultrasound revealed fluid, and a needle biopsy was done, and the fluid indicated FIP. Her brother was diagnosed with it 2 months later, sadly both sweet babies passed on. I pray for you and your cat, but if no other symptoms, I would definately get a 2nd opinion.

I had my kitten tested for FIP because he had gastrointestinal symptoms.
The vet tested for corona titer and also did blood test ( if I remeber correctly, the number of white blood cells could be an indication of FIP). My cat tested negative for everything. So, I would say, go for it. If the cat tests negative, it will give you a peace of mind, like it did to me.

Originally Posted by gayef

Erin, the test for FIP won't tell your vet anything ... if your cat was exposed to a corona virus (and 99.9% of ALL cats are exposed) then the titer levels will show a higher value, which some vets can and oftentimes do mistakenly diagnose as FIP. The ONLY way to test for FIP with any degree of certainty is to do an organ biopsy POST-MORTEM.

I would politely decline the testing and find another vet.

~gf~

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I had my cat tested, and his corona titer was negative. Also, his blood panel was perfectly normal with normal range for white blood cells. Thus, FIP was ruled out. Eventually I found out what caused my cats' symptoms.

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

I had my kitten tested for FIP because he had gastrointestinal symptoms.
The vet tested for corona titer and also did blood test ( if I remeber correctly, the number of white blood cells could be an indication of FIP). My cat tested negative for everything. So, I would say, go for it. If the cat tests negative, it will give you a peace of mind, like it did to me.

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An elevated White Blood Cell count can mean a whole lot of things. An elevated WBC can indicate an infection, bacterial and/or viral. The FIP tests are very inaccurate early on. The only sure way to confirm FIP is to send out a tissue biopsy. Early on, signs of FIP are very similar to other viral/bacterial infections. What usually leads to a firm diagnosis of FIP is a combination of symptoms usually seen in the later stages of FIP. The symptom that is most indicative of FIP is a fluid filled abdomen. The fluid is usually a yellowish color and has a very high protein count. High fevers, lethargy, and lack of appetite are usually the first symptoms to show. These symptoms are also very common in other viral/bacterial infections. If these symptoms do not improve and others develop (namely the fluid filled abdomen), FIP is diagnosed and the patient generally has a very short time to live.

paws crossed and prayers being sent!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I think will be making an appointment with a different vet tommorrow for a second opinion. Spike's blood work showed a high lymphocyte count, which is why the current vet suspects a virus. It seems likely that he has probably been exposed to the corona virus as he and my other cat were both stray kittens. But I also read that the FIP test can give false negatives as well?

Anyway, I think I would rather try to rule out curable things although I realize that if it is a virus there isn't much that can be done except wait.

Marlearn, I'm so sorry about your babies!

Originally Posted by Julya

An elevated White Blood Cell count can mean a whole lot of things. An elevated WBC can indicate an infection, bacterial and/or viral. The FIP tests are very inaccurate early on. The only sure way to confirm FIP is to send out a tissue biopsy. Early on, signs of FIP are very similar to other viral/bacterial infections. What usually leads to a firm diagnosis of FIP is a combination of symptoms usually seen in the later stages of FIP. The symptom that is most indicative of FIP is a fluid filled abdomen. The fluid is usually a yellowish color and has a very high protein count. High fevers, lethargy, and lack of appetite are usually the first symptoms to show. These symptoms are also very common in other viral/bacterial infections. If these symptoms do not improve and others develop (namely the fluid filled abdomen), FIP is diagnosed and the patient generally has a very short time to live.

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My cat had normal white blood cell count, and his corona titer was negative, which is why vet said she can rule out FIP.

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

My cat had normal white blood cell count, and his corona titer was negative, which is why vet said she can rule out FIP.

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Elizwithcat,
Sorry if I was unclear in my earlier post. I was just trying to explain how inaccurate the test can be..... as quoted from www.vetinfo.com

"To make matters worse, a negative titer (no discernible antibodies) to FIP does not rule out the disease. There are several possible explanations for this but it is not uncommon for cats to have negative FIP titers when the disease is present."

I'm so glad your kitty did not turn out to have FIP! It is risky for a vet to both rule it out or name it as a possible cause. So, the vet community is kind stuck between a rock in a hard place with this virus. I've worked for several vets who always bring it up as a possibility when presented a patient with lethargy and FUO (fever of unknown origin). Other vets don't usually bring it up unless FIP is strongly suspected. It's so unfortunate that we don't have a way to accurately diagnose or rule out the disease until it's too late...maybe someday we will.


Serval,
Good luck at your appointment for a second opinion! I hope Spike feels better very soon!