Cats with the dry form may stay alive for months or more. Some spontaneous remissions can occur, but usually all cats ultimately succumb to FIP. Hope may come in the form of newer antiviral drugs.
FIP prognosis is grave: over 90 percent of cats with FIP will die from the disease. Affected cats usually do not live more than a few weeks after diagnosis, so there is little possibility for long-term care. Fortunately, veterinary researchers are working hard to find a cure.
Many cats with non-effusive FIP will have ocular (eye) symptoms as their only clinical sign. Once disease develops, without treatment, most individuals deteriorate rapidly, although some cats remain normal for several weeks. Unfortunately, the disease will eventually result in death in almost every case.
Relapses of disease following cessation of treatment have occurred within days to several weeks after stopping treatment and the relapse rate appears to be much higher than for cats suffering other forms of FIP.
One of the most difficult decisions is to determine when to stop treatment. Although some cats, often younger ones with wet FIP, can be cured in as little as 8 weeks and possibly sooner, the usual treatment time is 12 weeks. Some cats may even require dosage adjustments and even longer treatment periods.
Supportive care will prolong life, and some cats with FIP can live in a state of chronic disease for weeks, months, or, rarely, a year or more.
At the time of the survey, 96.7% (380 cats) were alive, with 54.0% of them considered cured and another 43.3% being monitored in the 12-week observation period. A total of 12.7% of the cats suffered a relapse of clinical signs of FIP, and 3.3% of the cats died despite GS-441524-like therapy.
Treatment appears to be rapid, with most cats showing significant improvement within only a few days. Anecdotal evidence appears to result in 80-95% of cats being successfully treated. One of the most comprehensive studies involve 31 cats on long term treatment for FIP.
It is not recommended to euthanize a cat, even with FIP, as long as it looks and acts fairly normal. Miracles do happen, but they can't happen unless they are provided time to happen. However, some owners choose to end suffering at an earlier stage, given the grave prognosis.
FIP can suppress your cat's appetite, and many cats will lose a lot of weight during their diagnosis. It's important to encourage your cat to eat as much as possible to increase their energy levels and support their body functions.
Definitively diagnosing FIP antemortem can be extremely challenging in many clinical cases. FIP is often misdiagnosed [29]. Many times, its general clinical signs (eg, chronic fever, weight loss, anorexia, malaise) are nonspecific.
The most recent promising treatment for cats with FIP is the use of the nucleoside analogue GS-441524 [24,25,28], which is the active form of the prodrug remdesivir [29]. Currently, remdesivir is only conditionally licensed to treat human patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms [30,31,32].
However, early cessation of treatment will always lead to a decrease in the proportion of cats that are cured, and the sooner you stop a treatment, the higher the relapse rate.
Although the disease occurs in all breeds, purebred cats are more susceptible including, Abyssinians, Australian mist, Bengals, Birmans, Burmese, British shorthairs, Himalayans, ragdolls, rexes, and Scottish folds.
Offer FIP-positive cats their favorite food or treats to encourage them to eat. Try to minimize stressful situations, keep them indoors, warm and comfortable, with their litter box, fresh water, and food nearby. Veterinarians may prescribe medications but understand that these medications often only help temporarily.
How much does it cost? Although FIP is now curable, the treatment is not inexpensive. Costs will depend on your cat's weight and other symptoms. Typically, costs vary from typically around $1,000 to $3,000 for the duration of treatment.
The less common form of the disease is 'dry FIP' in which there is no build up of fluid but thick scar tissue develops on the cat's internal organs. Except in rare cases, wet FIP is fatal within about five weeks of diagnosis. The dry form is equally deadly but affected cats may survive for a few months.
Some say it's because God chose only the sweetest of kittens to go to Heaven early. Those more pragmatic point out kitties sick with FIP don't feel very well, and that is actually what the purring is all about. So much purring, in fact, that FIP was once called “the purring disease.”
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a painful, incurable disease that's nearly always fatal.
Because the FIP coronavirus can invade many different tissues, routine blood testing may indicate evidence of kidney or liver damage. Due to the inflammatory nature seen with FIP, protein levels in the blood are often increased. However, these tests can only provide additional evidence supporting the diagnosis of FIP.
Other forms of FIP
This inflammation affects the eyes in around 30% of cases and the brain in around 30% of cases, but can also affect almost any tissues in the body including the liver, kidneys, lungs and skin.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease of felids caused by the feline coronaviruses (FCoV).
A cat is considered cured after a 12-week post-treatment observation period. A cat who is considered cured with GS treatment has no FIP symptoms and regains normal levels of activity, appetite, appropriate weight gain and/or growth and coat quality, as well as normal critical blood values.
Clinical signs of FIP include:
Decreased appetite to complete loss of appetite. Chronic weight loss or weight gain (seen more with dry FIP)
Primucell FIP is licensed for intranasal administration, with two doses given 3–4 weeks apart in cats at least 16 weeks of age. Annual revaccination is recommended by the manufacturer.