Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a rare disease in cats, but its effects are devastating.
FIP in cats causes various symptoms, which makes it difficult to diagnose. Until recently, FIP was almost always considered deadly. Fortunately, recent treatments have seriously improved the results for affected cats.
Let's look at what FIP ​​in cats is, how it is diagnosed and what treatment options are available.
Key dealers
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a rare but life -threatening disease caused by a mutated cat coron virus that triggers a harmful immune response.
- The symptoms vary depending on FIP type – wit or dry – and may include fluid building, difficulty breathing, neurological problems or changes in the eyes.
- While once considered fatal, new antiviral treatments such as GS-441524 and Remdesivir have improved the chances of survival for cats diagnosed with FIP.
What is cat infectious peritonitis?
Feline Infectious Peritonitis is an immune -mediated disease caused by a mutated cat coron virus. This virus causes a cat's immune system to overreact, which triggers an inflammatory response that damages the blood vessels in the body and causes significant swelling of the organs.
Cats with FIP have different symptoms. These symptoms can vary widely between cats depending on how their immune system reacts to the virus.
This disease is life -threatening because of a cat's inappropriate immune response to the virus.
Cats with symptoms of FIP should be seen by a veterinarian immediately for treatment.
Types of cat infectious peritonitis
There are two forms of FIP, which cause various symptoms. FIP in cats can be either “wet” or “dry.”
Symptoms of cat infectious peritonitis
Symptoms of FIP in cats depend on the type that an affected cat has.
Early symptoms of both “dry” and “wet” cat infectious peritonitis include weight loss, diarrhea, decreased appetite, fever and lethargy. As the disease progresses, more symptoms develop, including the following:
Wet fip
Dry fip
Causes of cat infectious peritonitis
FIP is caused by exposure to a cat enteric (bowel) coronary virus.
The exact way this virus causes FIP is unknown. However, it is believed that the virus becomes mutated and causes an abnormally large immune response in affected cats, leading to significant damage to organs and blood vessels.
The virus is usually spread when a cat takes in something that carries FIP, such as stool.
Less common, inhalation or spread through saliva or mucus may occur. This can happen if cats lick or grooms or divide water bowls. Because of this, cats living near other cats, for example in shelters or households with several cats, have a higher risk of infection.
FIP affects cats of all ages, but it is most common in young cats aged 6 months to 2 years.
Men are also more likely to become infected, especially if they are unpleasant. Purebred cats, such as Himalayans, Persians and Abyssinians, have an increased risk of getting FIP, possibly due to a genetic predisposition and breeding conditions.
How veterinarians diagnose cat infectious peritonitis
To diagnose FIP, veterinarians start with a complete physical examination to find some obvious deviations, such as changes in the eyes, a closed abdomen and abnormal heart or respiratory (respiratory speeds).
Due to the various symptoms that cats can have, it may be difficult to diagnose cat infectious peritonitis. More testing can include:
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Nice needle spiration (FNA). A veterinarian uses a small needle to gently take a sample of cells from the desired area, such as the liver, to control the presence of coronary virus.
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Fluidan analysis. A veterinarian can use a small needle to take fluid from the abdomen, chest or spine to control it for the virus and abnormal cells.
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Histopathology. This is the only way to definitely diagnose cat infectious peritonitis. Because it is difficult to diagnose FIP in live cats, histopathology is done primarily with tissue samples after a cat death. These samples may include lymph nodes or parts of organs to find evidence of the virus and immune cells indicating FIP.
Until recently, FIP was almost always considered deadly. Fortunately, recent treatments have seriously improved the results for affected cats.
Treatment of cat infectious peritonitis
Treatment options are limited to FIP in cats.
Until recently, there was no effective treatment for cat infectious peritonitis. However, therapies have now developed that are effective for cat infectious peritonitis.
Remdesivir and GS-441524 are two treatment options that have shown the promise to treat FIP ​​well, but they are not yet widely available.
These treatments are given for at least three months by injection or orally.
Supportive care may be helpful for affected cats, including:
Recovery and handling of cat infection crack
Cats that do not receive treatment for FIP will die from the disease within ten days or less in most cases. The survival time for cats with wet cat infectious peritonitis is generally days to weeks, while dry FIP has a longer survival time of weeks to months.
If they receive treatment, cats have a good chance of recovery, but more studies are needed on the currently available therapies to fully understand how well they work.
Cat infectious peritonitis
Minimization of stress in the environment can support a healthy immune system, which can lower the risk of cats developing FIP.
Providing enough litter boxes (one more than the number of cats in the given area) and to clean them carefully reduce the spread of the virus.
In addition, thorough disinfection of areas where many cats live, such as shelters, is needed to remove viral particles from the environment.
In households with several cats, cleaning of bedding, food and water bowls, litter boxes and other shared objects can often reduce the spread of FIP.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis Frequently Asked Questions
What are the first signs of FIP in cats?
The first signs of FIP in cats may vary but may include lethargy, weight loss, diarrhea, fever and reduced appetite.
Can a cat with FIP survive?
Many cats with FIP can survive if they are seen by a veterinarian directly and given the right treatment.
How captures indoor cats fip?
Some cats may contain the coronary virus that causes FIP in the long term and protruded it in their saliva and stool. Therefore, there is still a risk of infection in several cats in several cats, although the cats are only indoors.
Indoor cats can get FIP ​​after exposure to the coronary virus from dividing litter boxes or food and water bowls with other cats in the household.
What gets a cat to have FIP?
Cats are believed to have FIP after their immune system overreacts to a mutated form of the cat coron virus.
How long does a kitten live with FIP?
The survival time for kittens with FIP varies greatly depending on how serious the symptoms are at diagnosis and how quickly treatment is given.
Why don't cats eat with FIP?
Cats with FIP have decreased or absent appetite due to nausea and inflammation in the body. Fluid building in the body can also lead to a cat feeling more full than normal.
How contagious is FIP in cats?
FIP itself is not contagious between cats, but the cat enterian coronary virus that causes it is. It is therefore proper disinfection of the environment and cleaning of litter boxes is so important, especially in households with several cats and shelters.
References
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Feline infectious peritonitis. Merck Veterinary Manual. Updated September 2024.
