Fip?

[Carmel]

Nope, I'm talking about FIP. The shelter in my city is linked to a cat sanctuary with several rooms to place FIV cats, so if it had been FIV they'd have gone there.

[Arkona]

Originally Posted by Carmel

Nope, I'm talking about FIP. The shelter in my city is linked to a cat sanctuary with several rooms to place FIV cats, so if it had been FIV they'd have gone there.

How do they know they have FIP? It's extremely expensive and difficult to test for.

[Arianwen]

After reading the link and looking at a couple of other things, that's what bothered me too.

I also thought I was reasonably up on cat illnesses but I have never come across this and it isn't anything they have stuff posted about in my vets. Is it quite uncommon or is because it is so hard to diagnose?

[Carmel]

Because the kitten had all the symptoms (lethargy, losing weight, fever, probably also diarrhea though I don't recall from hearing the story) and her body was shutting down all over the place, couldn't regulate her own body heat later on. In a kitten that's usually pointing to FIP, there's not really going to be a "yes! FIP for certain!" but odds were highly in its favor. There was another case or two at the shelter that I recall, where several kittens -- or all -- in the same litter came down with it, that's also going to be pretty obvious indicator if multiple kittens are displaying these symptoms.

But in the OP's case I'm not so sure it was FIP, the details seem vague, like everything happened overnight, and I'm not sure what the tests were for, so I'm looking for clarity.

[doodlebug]

Originally Posted by Arianwen

I also thought I was reasonably up on cat illnesses but I have never come across this and it isn't anything they have stuff posted about in my vets. Is it quite uncommon or is because it is so hard to diagnose?

FIP is a mutation of Coronavirus, which (in the US, anyway) it's estimated that 80-90% of cats have been exposed. Most fight it off with minimal flu like symptoms, but they remain carriers and can expose all the other cats they come in contact with. In a small number of cats, the virus will mutate and become FIP which is not curable. It is way more likely to happen to kittens because their immune system isn't at it's best. But it can also happen in older cats.

In the years that I have been on this forum we've had a handful (guessing no more than 10 or so) of cases brought up. Oddly enough they seem to come in waves...we'll have a bunch within a few weeks of each other, then none for a couple years.

It's hard to diagnose and the symptoms are very similar to so many things. Usually it's the lack of response to any treatment that leads to the FIP diagnosis. In the case were have here, I'm thinking there was some conclusion jumping going on. Not enough info from what we've been given to decide it was FIP.

[savemykissesx]

Brought Reba to the vet on monday, they tested her for PARVO, it came back as a LIGHT/WEAK positive... they said her symptoms (same as FIP) were pointing towards parvo, though they didn't mention FIP at all. One of the other kittens that were already adopted out came down with the same symptoms just a day prior. And he was tested and apparantly came up positive for FIP... now, I don't know what test they did exactly seeing as I am not their adoptive home and just the foster home - I am not in contact with them.

[Whaler]

i lost a little one to FIP on 11-15-10. he had shown up at my colony one day and was emaciated. i wish i had known more about FIP back then and maybe he could have been saved.


as far as tests, there are two tests that can be done for FIP based on a 7b protein fraction in FIP that is not present in FeCoV. there is an ELISA version that looks for antibody to FIP’s 7b protein and there is also a PCR test that looks for actual 7B viral protein and intended for necropsy work, though it can be used on blood samples as well. it seems not all clades of FIP have the 7b protein however, so FIP is under diagnosed in those cases. if the 7b test is positive you have a 95% chance that it is FIP.

cats exposed to other cats ill with FIP can and do make antibodies to FIP, though they do not get the disease. these few cats will test FIP-positive to an ELISA-7b test, but they do not have FIP. however, they would be negative to PCR-7b test looking for actual virus protein.

there has been some success curing FIP by using homeopathy. since the tests are rarely done vets treat the symptoms as they assume it is something else. not only does it make matters worse when a FIP cat is given antibiotics or steroids it delays the treatment to a point that it is probably too late.

[Mitts & Tess]

Ive never known an FIP cat or kitten to survive. I didnt know about this new test for the 7b protein. That is hopeful progress in identifying what is going on. Mostly its been process of elimination esp since FIP mimics other combination of diseases. Its the most heart breaking of all diseases Ive encountered with cats.

I would be highly suspicious if a vet thought it was FIP right off the bat.

[Whaler]

Originally Posted by Mitts & Tess

Ive never known an FIP cat or kitten to survive. I didnt know about this new test for the 7b protein. That is hopeful progress in identifying what is going on. Mostly its been process of elimination esp since FIP mimics other combination of diseases. Its the most heart breaking of all diseases Ive encountered with cats.

I would be highly suspicious if a vet thought it was FIP right off the bat.

the irony is Feline Infectious Peritonitis comes in three forms, none infectious, and none peritonitis.

the tests have actually been around since the late 1990s, and (i believe) are only available in the u.s. the issue with them is that they will not show it in its early stage. seemingly the biggest issue is that vets treat the cat with the assumption that there is something else wrong which ends up furthering the disease. the use of antibiotics and/or steroids weaken the immune system and damage the thymus so much that it makes proper treatment nearly impossible.

the treatment is centered around building overall health and strengthening the cats immune system so that it has a chance to overcome the auto-immune attacks that FIP causes and leads to death. since the disease attacks in so many different ways therefore requiring a non "out of the box" treatment plan it seems that a person would need there cat to been seen by a skilled veterinary homeopath.