FIP in cats

[violets]

I'll elaborate on FIP from my limited experience: 6 months ago, our one neighborhood stray turned up in yard looking near-dead and breathing very laboredly. Emergency vet pulled a record volume of fluid from his chest. She said sometimes that symptom never returns, and the cause is unknown; other times it returns. Vet analyzed the fluid and confirmed FIP. Cat with relieved chest cavity and subcutaneous fluids still had no interest in anything/felt like crumbs. I consented to the vet's recommendation and they put him down. I suspect all my cats may have been exposed, if it was FIP. They all go outside. Though they've all been vaccinated, my overweight cat has become bony in the last months. (Still obese but bony. Strange combination.) She was vomiting regularly for a while but we thought she was overeating. Pale gums suggest anemia. I'm being vigilant about her parasite preventative. I've been cramming liquid vitamins down her every few days, and they may be helping. She's getting a bit frail. Still eats and drinks. Coat is poorer than usual. No visit to vet yet. Trying to coax her to drink chicken broth, and every little victory seems rewarded. I'm trying to dedicate time to petting her. Attention is the best medicine I may have for her. Her will to live will mean most. All our cats have been free fed for years, so anticipating others may succomb in time if it is FIP. In the interest of collectively holding out hope for an alternative diagnosis, I'll share what happens. When stray was being seen, the vet gave me the impression that well-maintained cats fare better and live longer with a terminal illness like that. I'm interested in getting the best quality of life out of what time we have left. Good luck to all!

 

[solomonar]

 
First of all, how does your cat feel? Is she really sick at the moment?
I'll start by saying that I live in Europe (in Italy to be precise), so what I'm going to say might be true for my country, but not in the US (you're generally more technically advanced than us and this is true also for diagnosis techniques and tests); anyway, from what I know FIP is caused by a virus mutation (viruses invade a body and start replicate themselves; at every replication, mutations in their RNA can occur. Some of these genetic modifications are potentially more dangerous than others). A large variety of FCOVs (Feline Coronavirus, the pathogen of FIP) is absolutely innoccuous (it could give your cat occasional diarrhea at worst) and some cats even manage to expel the virus, while most of them keep its proliferation/replication under control. In some subjects, however, a weak immunitary sistem can lead to the onset of FIP, which is always deadly (feline interferon can generally slow the illness, but doesn't cure it), but must not be confused with a positive test for FCOV. Then those symptoms could be referred to other illnesses that can be treated succesfully.
Did your cat get a blood test? (I guess she had it, otherwise you couldn't have seen the positivity to the Coronavirus) One of the parameters that are generally taken into consideration to diagnose FIP is the level of total proteins and most of all of alpha1glycoprotein (both are much higher in cats with FIP than in healthy cats).  Anyway, I'd definitely seek a second advice from another veterinarian before considering euthanasia.

I share the same point of view.

Tested positive to FIP means near nothing. An additonal  blood test may be useful - as Serena77 said.

But still, I cant get it: is your cat showing some symptoms? Or you only worry about a potential illness?

Anyway, research advances. Very rapidly.

 

[solomonar]

A clear diagnostic is only if the FIP and the symptoms are related as caused to effect. 

For instance, if I have Antigen Au and dome penumonia in the same time (which actualy happened to me) that does not mean that the Antigen Au caused the penumonia. They were just in the same time....

A lot of cats test positive to FIP virus. So what?

We all humans contact a lot of microbs,  we could easily test positive to a lot of microbs. Meat has bacteria that can easily kill as. It does not happen, because the concentration is to low, or our immune system reacts, or the bacteria are not so powerful..

Temperature? Measuring the temperature is rather tricky. "Fever" alone may be very well a result of an error in measurement (bad quality thermometer, not proper use etc.)

Cats may also have "bad mood", without being actually sick.

I agree with other forum members here - to look for a second opinion..

 

[solomonar]

Here you have an open scientific article about FIP- it states clearely "no correlation between serological positive and disease rate":

https://doaj.org/article/a446c78ac94342af9358f5440588143e

 

[ashleylucas]

This is a super old post but i appreciate everyones input.. My Maggie DID have FIP... Unfortunately she did not make it..  She passed away about 2 weeks after my last post.. It was October 12th and I could not bare to see her suffer anymore so my vet came to my home and put her down.. She was on my bed snuggled up on her blanket with me holding her and she was purring.. It was the HARDEST thing I have ever had to go through for an animal honestly.. She was my most special cat.. I will never have one like her again..  To the ones asking for advice, this disease moves fast and my advice to you is to just pray with all your heart, feed the best food, and take your cat to the vet every week.. Also the meds I posted above did help for a week but she succumbed to the disease but maybe they will work better for someone else.. i took Maggie twice a week to get her fluid drained from her tummy area.. They were very kind to me they drained her anyway knowing it would fill up within the next day again..  All you can do is love love love and give them a great life but the moment their quality of life is suffering you need to put them down.. I decided to put her down because she hadn't eaten or drank in 36 hours and she also peed herself and kept trying to hide in the closet in the dark... At that moment i called my vet.. She was holding on for me but I had to put her to rest..  Its a horrible disease and it has definitely scarred me for life.. Im so sorry for anyone that has come across this too... i hope I helped in a small way.. Thank you for all your advice and words of encouragement... I sincerely appreciate it..

 

[ashleylucas]

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• ashleylucas
• Jan 20, 2016

my sweet angel..

 

[neely]

My sincere sympathies and deepest regrets go out to you.  May the memories of Maggie be in your heart forever.  We had a 3 y.o. cat that passed away several years ago from FIP.  It is truly an insidious disease.  RIP sweet angel.