Eye symptoms are often among the first and most common signs of dry FIP, though they can sometimes occur with wet FIP. About one in three cats with dry FIP have eye lesions. Eye problems caused by feline FIP can include: Anterior uveitis – inflammation of the iris and ciliary body in the eye.
What ocular symptoms of FIP exist? Ocular FIP is relatively rare, occurring in only about 10% of FIP cases. The most common symptom is a sudden onset of unilateral or bilateral uveitis (inflammation of the eye). Other ocular symptoms include increased tearing, squinting, redness, and apparent cloudiness of the eye.
Symptoms of Feline Infectious Peritonitis in Cats
The cat becoming ill with FIP shows no symptoms at first. Soon, it displays mild symptoms, such as nasal discharge, sneezing, and watery eyes that may look like a cold.
Can FIP cause blindness in cats? Yes, it can. In fact, in some infected cats, changes associated with the eyes may be the only symptoms seen, although for most animals, multiple signs are present.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus mainly produces anterior uveitis. Feline calicivirus is currently thought to be responsible for 90% of upper respiratory tract infections in cats. The virus can be the cause of conjunctivitis, but the conjunctival disorders appear rarely without other signs of the disease.
The only effective treatment for ocular and neurological FIP that is currently available is the adenine nucleoside analog GS-441524 (GS), a specific inhibitor of viral RNA synthesis.
It can take time for cats to show signs of FIP, from a few weeks to months. The first signs of FIP can range from depression to changes in appetite to fever. There are two forms of FIP: wet and dry.
In the final stages of FIP, cats struggle to breathe and eat, often resulting in euthanasia. Other symptoms of FIP in cats include: Abdominal swelling, often described as a pot belly. Breathing difficulties (open-mouth panting, harsh breathing, extra effort needed to breathe, fast breathing)
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.
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.
This infection can affect the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin. This form often causes the cat to have seizures and move in an abnormal or uncoordinated way. In some cases, cats will also have excessive thirst and urination, vomiting, weight loss, and jaundice.
FIP is often nicknamed the purring disease, because infected kittens will spend so much time snuggling and purring – perhaps because they are feverish and are struggling to stay warm. Even though scientists and veterinarians have known about FIP since the 1960s, there is still neither prevention nor cure.
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.
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.
Histopathology (the collection of tissue samples that are evaluated microscopically) remains the best way to diagnose FIP in the living cat. "Histopathology remains the best way to diagnose FIP in the living cat."
Regardless of which form they ultimately progress to develop, cats infected with FIPV usually first develop nonspecific signs of disease such as loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, and fever. It is also important to note that cases of the effusive form of FIP can evolve into the non-effusive form and vice-versa.
FIP is a disease that most frequently appears in young cats less than 2 years old but can occur in cats of any age.
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 FIPV-DF2 isolate is a type 2 virus. Primucell FIP is licensed for intranasal administration, with two doses given 3–4 weeks apart in cats at least 16 weeks of age.
The typical FIP blood work will show low albumin, high globulin, high white blood cell count, low red blood cell count, high neutrophils, high protein, and high bili. Most FIP cats will have non-regenerative anemia, as well as a persistent fever.
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].
Usually, cats with FIP respond rapidly to remdesivir injections or GS-441524 oral tablets, with fever resolving and significant improvement noticed within 3-5 days of starting treatment, sometimes as early as 24 hours after the first injection.
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.
What cats are most often affected with FIP? Although FIP can occur in cats of any age, it is most often seen in young cats. Around 80% of cases diagnosed are in cats less than 2 years old, and many cases are seen in kittens around 4-12 months old.
Clinical signs of FIP include: Decreased appetite to complete loss of appetite. Chronic weight loss or weight gain (seen more with dry FIP) A pot-bellied appearance (from wet FIP) due to fluid accumulation in the abdomen; typically the fluid is a straw-colored, thick, high-protein fluid.