Can someone, please shed some light

[dianam]

Hello everyone --

I have two cats, about eight years old. For the last few days my male cat has been acting strange. A bit lethargic and not eating his dry food that he used to love so much. He now eats canned food which is softer. Recently he has been drooling a bit and I noticed that if he tries to eat dry food he immediately leaves the dish after just one bite and pawns at his mouth as if trying to dislodge something from between his teeth. I haven't been able to examine his mouth but I suspect some sort of trouble with his teeth. An appointment with a vet has been set for Thursday.

Now this is the thing: A friend of mine picked up a tiny stray kitten and took her in. She had a very good appetite and was very active and playful for the first month and a half. Suddenly, the kitten became lethargic and developed a cloudy eye. My friend suspected FIP and took her to the vet. The vet did not see anything wrong, except a problem with the eye. He prescribed antbiotics by mouth and some medications, including prednisone. The kitten did not get better and my friend took her back to the vet and insisted upon the Elisa test. Two days later the vet called to say that the test came back positive for FIP but he warned her that no test for FIP is conclusive. Cats that test negative have it and some that test positive don't.

My question: Has anybody here heard of possible transmission of the FIP virus from an infected cat to others living in another household because a person who has healthy cats visited a house where the infected cat lives? Is it possible to carry the virus on one's clothing and shoes? I always thought that the disease is only transmitted through direct contact between cats and through the infected cat's feces and saliva.

Your input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gayef]

Given what you have described, I would be thinking more along the lines of a teeth/mouth issue more so than FIP ... perhaps you should have your little guy in to see his vet for an oral exam.

 

[booktigger]

i would be thinking more along the lines of a dental - one of my fosters did that with his teeth and he had really bad abscesses. As far as I know, FIP couldn't be transmitted that way, but I could be wrong.

 

[dianam]

Thanks for your reply, Gayef.

Yes, as posted before, an appointment with the vet has been set for Thursday. I a nervous thinking I might have carried the virus on my clothing or shoes.

 

[gayef]

Sorry, I am guilty of not reading but rather scanning posts at times and didn't see that your appointment was for Thursday ... I hope you will come back and let us know how it went?

I could be wrong, but I think that the only virus you could carry in on your clothes or shoes would be panleukopenia ... perhaps others will have better answers for you on this.

 

[dianam]

Thanks, Booktiger, your answer is very reassuring.

 

[dianam]

Please don't worry about having missed the detail of the appointment with the vet, Gayef. I am guilty of doing the same thing. I scan quickly and I miss some points in the process.

Your answer brings some relief to me. A friend told me the same thing but I am worried about having brought the virus home in the so-called "aerosol" way (contaminated dust on my clothing or shoes) When one talks about FIP to vets, they all have different answers. It's very confusing.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[gayef]

It is confusing and it makes it even more frustrating when you have a sick little furry at home - we worry, we fret, we second-guess ourselves until we are blue in the face from it. It is the way of those of us who share our hearts and homes with cats. It is my hope that your vet can resolve this issue for your little man (what is his name?) quickly and easily with a dental cleaning.

 

[booktigger]

just thinking more about FIP, I am fairly certain they have to come into contact with a cat shedding the Corona Virus - cant remember all the ways they can, but I know faeces is one, so I would doubt it is spreadable by humans, esp as it is such a rare illness. But even if you brought the corona virus in on your shoes doesn't mean your cat will get it - cats respond to it in different ways, depending on their immune system. A very good immune system will shake it off, a fairly good one will shake it off but it may stay dormant to return in old age, a good immune system may allow it to mutate slowly, which is when dry FIP develops, and a poor immune system allows it to mutate rapidly, when you get wet FIP. i lost a cat to FIP, and my other cat lived for nearly 4 years after that with no health issues.

 

[dianam]

Thanks, Booktigger for your input. Tomorrow is Clancy's day with his vet. We shall see ...

 

[dianam]

Thanks again, Gayef.

The name of my little guy is Clancy. Tomorrow is a big day for him at the vet's office. I hope a dental problem is all there is.

 

[katiemae1277]

One thing, I believe the Elisa test is used to test for feline leukemia

there is no test for FIP, just a test for the corona virus which can mutate into FIP, the only way to determine if a cat had FIP for sure is a necropsy

Sounds like your boy may just have an abcessed toofer, that can be cleaned up pretty Quick, I had a kitty that had one and he drooled too

hope the vet visit goes well!!

 

[junglebutterfly]

my brother had a cat with FIP it lived in our home where my mom had 8 cats the infected kitten lived in my brothers room and came out while being held by my brother or his gf none of the other cats in the house ever got sick.

I'm no expert for sure but I watched that disease kill that kitten 4 years ago and the others are fine no symptoms at all. So I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[dianam]

Thanks, KatieMae1277.

Matters have taken a strange twist now (in case you have followed this thread from the start)

Last night, my female cat --a long time companion of Clancy, my male cat-- dissapeared for hours. I could not find her anywhere in the house. They are house cats, never allowed to venture outside.This morning she came to see me, along with the male cat, at feeding time. She, however, refused to eat. She is somewhat quiet and does not want to participate in the teasing game with the "birdie" at the end of the string. Just yesterday she was so playful trying to catch the birdie but today she just made two weak attempts to cach it and then she ran aways annoyed.

The thought that I might have inadventently brought the virus on me when I visited my friend with the sick kitten still lingers. I would be heartbroken to learn that my two precious cats, innocent victims, that have been very active and healthy are now sick with the dreaded disease.

When we have pets and they get sick, we mentally make a million excuses for their behaviour and we refuse to entertain negative thoughts. We always give them the benefit of the doubt (she doesn't feel well today, she is not hungry, perhaps later on she wil eat, etc.)

Thanks for your input, KatieMae.

 

[katiemae1277]

I totally know what you mean dianam, I actually just lost my little Iz last week to what the vet suspected might have been FIP, I elected not to get the necropsy done, but I'm sorta regretting that decision right now, as I have 14 more kitties at home. If it was FIP, its most likely that all the cats have been exposed to corona virus, which may or may not mutate into FIP in the rest of them, on top of that all my kitties are immune-compromised already due to being leukemia positive

so every strange behavior or sniffle, sneeze, or crossed-eye is making my heart stop. You and your furbabies are in my thought that this is nothing serious

 

[dianam]

Thanks for your message, JungleButterfly.

Interesting input but I take it that if the infected cat lived in your brother's room he did not share sleeping quarters, food and water bowls, litterboxes, etc. with the others. He was isolated from the rest, so to speak. Am I right?

Regards.

 

[dianam]

KattieMae --

Don't feel guilty about not having had a postmortem procedure on your precious little kid. Most likely, after the vet looked into the situation, came to the conclusion that there was no chances of recovery from whatever the poor little creature died. I would not want see myself in the painful situation of having the kitten been cut up just for me to find out if that would not solve anything.

You have captured my feelings. I am constantly checking upon my guys, looking for every symptom and observing closely their behaviour. Perhaps I should back off a bit for, maybe, it's MY behaviour that is driving them nuts.

Thanks for your message.