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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In cats that develop FIP, the symptoms can appear to be sudden since cats have an amazing ability to mask disease until they are in a crisis state. Once symptoms develop, often there is increasing severity over the course of several weeks, ending in death.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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].
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.
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.
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).
How is FIP Transmitted? FECV lives in the cells of the intestinal tract and is shed in cats' feces. Cats become infected with FECV after they ingest the virus when they groom or eat. The mutant feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) that causes the disease is not contagious to other cats.
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.
FIP is a disease caused by Feline Coronavirus. Feline Coronavirus infection is very common and normally causes a mild intestinal disease, which may either be asymptomatic or cause transient diarrhoea.
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.
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.
FIP is a disease that most frequently appears in young cats less than 2 years old but can occur in cats of any age.
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.