Feline Infectious Peritonitis -- The Dreaded FIP

Feline infectious peritonitis, or feline FIP, is a deadly transmittable disease that is difficult to diagnose. In fact, it has been said that the most reliable confirmation is done during an autopsy. Infection rates are high in close quarters, making this the most feared disease in catteries, and the leading infectious cause of feline death.

Is there good news? Yes. It is unlikely that your cat will get it, unless your cat was exposed to an infected animal while in a shelter or cattery. The danger, however, is that if your cat roams, or is boarded, or kept overnight at the animal hospital, she could be at risk.

The symptom list for this disease ranges from sneezing, to fever, to personality changes, to entire body system breakdown. There is weight loss, anemia, depression, and the list goes on.

The root cause of FIP is exposure to coronavirus (FCoV). Catteries are at high risk for the spread of these infections, because infected cats will shed coronavirus in their feces and saliva. Not all cats exposed to the virus will display symptoms, and not all will all develop FIP.

The majority of otherwise healthy cats will fight off the virus. They will, however, shed FCoV for up to two months. Some exposed cats will at some point develop FIP. The onset of FIP can actually sometimes be weeks, months, or years after the initial exposure.

The feline FIP symptom list includes symptoms common to many other conditions. In addition, symptoms can be very individualized which may not raise a red flag right away. To make things a bit more complicated, there are two types of the disease. Also, different areas of the body may be affected, depending upon the cat. It is therefore difficult to speculate about or diagnose this disease on symptoms alone.

A cat may produce antibodies when exposed to the virus, but this does not mean the cat will develop FIP. Testing for the presence of antibodies, therefore, is not conclusive for diagnosis. A positive antibody test simply means only that the cat was exposed to the virus at some point. Since control of the spread of a disease like this is dependent upon diagnosis, this makes FIP that much more dangerous.

The symptoms are many and varied, with some cats exhibiting signs of a mild respiratory infection. Symptoms may including sneezing, watery eyes, and watery nasal discharge. Other cats may experience a mild intestinal disease. In young cats, the most common symptoms are a recurring fever that is non-responsive to antibiotics, lethargy, and failure to grow.

Additional symptoms will depend on what form of the disease is present, wet or dry. Some cats may have combinations of both forms.

A yellow fluid in the chest or abdomen is characteristic of the wet, or effusive, form of FIP. This can cause the abdomen to take on a swollen appearance, as well as breathing problems.

The dry type, or non-effusive symptoms include the growth of masses on the kidneys, lymph nodes, in the eyes, and the brain. Cats with the dry form of will have signs of neurological issues or eye problems. This can include a change in color or cloudiness in the iris of the eye, or difficulty with balance.

As you know by now, feline infectious peritonitis is difficult to spot, and nothing to mess around with. While exposure to a coronavirus infection (FCoV) does not ensure that your cat will develop FIP, it is important that you limit your cat's exposure to cats that may be infected.

Feline infectious peritonitis is incurable, and is considered to be fatal once diagnosis is confirmed. Since this disease can show up many years after exposure to the virus, a diagnosis may come as a surprise. Perhaps of some comfort to cat owners is that feline FIP is relatively uncommon, and affects less than one percent of the general cat population. In catteries, however, the rate of infection can reach 20 percent.

Visit the website for cat lovers for details on fip symptoms and other cat health problems. Copyright 2008 by Kurt Schmitt.