I would never suggest euthanizing 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, I also cannot argue with those owners that decide to end suffering at an earlier stage, given the grave prognosis.
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.
Twenty naturally infected symptomatic cats with FIP were treated. Thirteen eventually died, often relapsing after a remission and dying of neurological FIP in the brain. Seven cats survived and appear to remain disease free as of now, one as long as 1 year following treatment.
With either form, life expectancy after diagnosis can be as short as one week, although some cats survive for months or, rarely, for years. Pedersen noted that while it's commonly thought that cats die quickly from FIP once clinical signs develop, the major cause of death for cats with FIP actually is euthanasia.
Therefore, after the death of a cat to FIP, the litter tray can be disinfected using bleach, and soft furnishings can be steam-cleaned. To be 100% sure that all coronavirus has gone, wait 2 months before obtaining another cat.
The natural incubation period is extremely variable, ranging from a few weeks to several years. Cats are at greatest risk for developing FIP within the first 6 to 18 months after initial infection with FCoV.
Prednisolone is frequently prescribed at the time of diagnosis, as it is as anti-inflammatory and can help to keep the cat comfortable and even stimulate appetite. Once the cat is taking GS, prednisolone is no longer necessary unless it is being used to treat a secondary or underlying condition.
it is estimated that up to 80% of FIP cases are misdiagnosed! A positive feline coronavirus result is not a diagnosis of FIP. Even a very high titre for feline coronavirus is not a diagnosis of FIP. There are other illnesses, including cancer and Bovine TB, that have exactly the same symptoms as 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.
Ham and Gravy is the stinkiest and therefore the most enticing to cats, but Chicken & Gravy or Turkey & Gravy are also fine to give provided they have NO seasonings (onions and garlic are toxic to cats). Many FIP cats prefer to lick food from their human's finger rather than eat out of their usual bowl.
Since many different organs can be involved with the dry form, the symptoms we see with this form of FIP can mimic other common diseases of cats, like hyperthyroidism, liver disease, sugar diabetes and kidney disease.
The number one infectious disease killer of cats in the United States today is Feline Leukemia Virus, or FeLV. FeLV destroys the cat's immune system so that he falls prey to anemia, cancer or infectious diseases that a healthy cat would not get. A simple blood test is 99% accurate in diagnosing the disease.
Ultimately 25 of the 26 cats that were treated for 12 weeks or longer achieved full remission. One of these cats subsequently died of unrelated congenital heart disease, but the 24 remaining cats are still healthy after periods as long as 18 months. Luna was the first cat to complete treatment in this trial.
What are the symptoms of FIP? Cats that have been initially exposed to FeCV usually show no obvious symptoms. Some cats may show mild upper respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal discharge, while others may experience mild gastrointestinal signs such as diarrhea.
Signs & Symptoms
However, in either form of FIP, cats commonly show vague symptoms such as: Loss of appetite. Weight loss, or for kittens a failure to gain weight. Lethargy.
Neurological disease is a frequent occurrence during antiviral drug treatment for other forms of FIP and is a common cause of relapse in cats treated for the common systemic forms of FIP. These relapses usually occur within the first 1-4 weeks after what appeared to be a successful treatment.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a common disease and a frequent reason for referral; approximately 1 of every 200 new feline cases presented to American veterinary teaching hospitals represents a cat with FIP [1]. It is also a major factor in kitten mortality [2].
Since FIP is in part immune-mediated in pathogenesis, treatment aimed at controlling the immune response has been used, using prednisolone at 2–4 mg/kg/day, with a tapering of dose slowly if the cat responds to treatment.
Since vasculitis is a feature of FIP, the eye is a common target organ. Ocular manifestations include pyogranulomatous anterior uveitis, often with fibrin in the anterior chamber and keratic precipitates (Fig.
Long-term use of corticosteroids with GS is strongly discouraged as it can mask improvement signs caused by the GS, especially in cats with neurological FIP, it has no curative power, and may interfere with the development of a protective immune response to the FIP virus.
Feline infectious peritonitis is a heartbreaking disease. It usually strikes kittens and is almost always fatal. According to the Morris Animal Foundation, FIP is a leading cause of death in kittens and young cats and is most common in indoor, multicat environments such as shelters and catteries.
Cats infected with FIV may live for months or years. On average, life expectancy is 5 years from the time of diagnosis depending on how active the infection is. There is a FIV vaccination given twice initially, then yearly thereafter for outside cats or cats exposed to outside cats due to the potential of cat bites.
The “wet” form of FIP, includes the effusion of thick, yellow fluid as noted. The “dry” form is more insidious, leading to death over a much longer period (potentially years, but more usually weeks to months).
An anti-inflammatory agent, prednisolone (Pred) was historically used to support cats with FIP, but in recent reports of successful FIP treatment it has been replaced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).