What Are Symptoms of FIP in Cats? Can cats be treated? (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease that affects cats and can be fatal.

If you’ve noticed the sudden appearance of a couple of new symptoms in your cat, don’t panic! In fact, your cat may just be experiencing a condition called Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP. So, what’s this condition all about?

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a disease that infects only cats, but can be very harmful to their health. In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms of FIP and how to protect your cat from getting infected.

What is FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)?

Certain strains of the feline coronavirus virus cause feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is a viral illness in cats. Feline coronavirus is primarily present in the gastrointestinal system and does not cause major illness.

They’re known as feline enteric coronaviruses (FECV) (FeCV). Most FeCV-infected cats go their whole lives without showing any evidence of the virus’s presence, although other cats may develop brief bouts of diarrhea and/or minor upper respiratory symptoms, both of which go away on their own.

Within 7-10 days of infection, feline FeCV-infected cats often begin producing antibodies against the virus.

White blood cells can become infected with FeCV virus and transmit it throughout the cat’s body in 10% of FeCV-infected cats due to viral mutations that modify the virus’ biological function.

When this occurs, the virus is referred to be the FIPV. An strong inflammatory reaction to FIPV develops around capillaries in the organs where these infected cells localize, commonly in the belly, kidney, or brain.

It is this interplay between the body’s own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the development of FIP.

Once a cat develops clinical FIP, the disease is typically progressive and nearly invariably deadly without medicine that has just become accessible, but that has yet to be licensed to treat FIP in cats by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (see below) (see below).

To our understanding, coronaviruses cannot be transferred from diseased cats to people.

Is my cat at risk for developing FIP?

FeCV-carrying cats of all ages are at risk for developing FIP, but younger cats are more susceptible, with 70% of cases detected in cats under 1 1/2 years of age and 50% of cases in cats under 7 months of age.

FeCV is believed to be transmitted most commonly by infected queens to their kittens, generally between the ages of five and eight weeks.

High-density cat facilities (e.g., shelters, kennels) appear to increase the risk of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in cats, as do purebred cats, male cats, and elderly cats.

What are the symptoms of FIP?

When cats are exposed to FeCV for the first time, they don’t display any symptoms. Sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal discharge all be markers of upper respiratory illness in cats, while moderate gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea might be seen in others.

These minor symptoms usually go away on their own. FIP is a disease that affects only a tiny number of cats that have been exposed to FeCV, and it might take weeks, months, or even years for this to occur.

A “wet” variant of FIP and a “dry” type are the two most common varieties of the disease. When cats are infected with FIPV, they often show nonspecific indications of illness such as lack of appetite, loss of weight, depression, and fever.

The effusive form of FIP can grow into the non-effusive version, and the other way around.

There is a slower progression of symptoms in the noneffusive type than in the effusive form, including the non-specific indicators indicated above and neurological signs such as seizures and ataxia (abnormal or uncoordinated movements).

There are several non-specific indications that can be seen in the effusive type of FIP, which generally progresses quickly and includes the buildup of fluid in bodily cavities such as the thorax and belly (chest cavity).

It is possible for a cat to get breathless because of fluid buildup in the abdomen, which can cause a pot-belly look in affected cats.

Diagnosis of FIP in Cats

Detecting FIP can be tricky. There is no one blood test that can be used to prove FIP, and many of its symptoms might be signs of other conditions. If any of the following apply to your cat, your vet is more likely to suspect FIP:

• White blood cell count is low.
• This person’s white blood cells are extremely high.
• Protein levels in the blood are abnormally high.
• Gums or eyes appear yellowed.
• Doesn’t belong to a lower-risk category (young cats or cats living in an overcrowded environment)

Your veterinarian may take a sample of the fluid from your cat if there is an accumulation in the belly or chest.

An indication of FIP is yellow-tinged fluid with a high protein content. Your veterinarian may do an X-ray or ultrasound on your cat if FIP is suspected.

The results of a few further tests can assist confirm a FIP diagnosis. White blood cells infected with the virus can be detected using the immunoperoxidase test.

It is possible to detect the virus using polymerase chain reaction technique. An abdominal cavity biopsy may be necessary in some cases to examine the affected tissue in the abdomen.

A veterinarian’s diagnosis is supported by these tests, although none of them is 100 percent accurate.

Can my cat be tested for FIP?

Diagnostic tests for FIP are sadly lacking at this time. While coronavirus antibody titers may be assessed, they are unable to discriminate between exposure to FeCV and FIPV in a conclusive way.

Only a past exposure to coronavirus, and not necessarily to FIPV, indicates a positive test result for coronavirus in cats.

Young cats with a non-response to medicines and high coronavirus titers are commonly presumptively diagnosed with FIP, despite this constraint (appropriately in most cases).

That’s especially true if yellowish fluid with a high concentration of protein and white blood cells accumulates in bodily cavities.

It is not always true that cats with a high titer of coronavirus antibodies are more likely to develop FIP or carry a FIPV than cats with a low titer of coronavirus antibodies.

FIPV infections may not create increased coronavirus titers in cats with weakened immune systems because the immune system is unable to develop adequate antibodies against the virus.

In principle, other tests are able to detect the virus itself. One such test, the immunoperoxidase test, can identify viral proteins in virus-infected white blood cells in tissue, but assessment requires a sample of damaged tissue.

Antibody-infected white blood cells can be detected using the immunofluorescence assay, which can identify viral proteins.

Tissue or bodily fluids may now be tested for viral genetic material using a technique known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

No matter how beneficial these tests may be, they each have their own flaws that might lead to false negative or false positive findings.

Can FIP be treated?

FIP was once thought to be an illness that could not be cured. A drug currently known as GS-441524 may be an effective treatment option for the effusive form of FIP, despite some uncertainty regarding its long term effectiveness.

Studies conducted on laboratory and client-owned felines with naturally occurring FIP have shown that GS-441524 is safe and effective for the effusive form of FIP.

Non-effusive FIP may have had some positive results from GS-441524 treatment in these studies, but the results were not as positive as those reported in effusive FIP cases.

Anecdotal reports imply that the items being sold by some of these vendors vary substantially in both the accuracy of the advertised drug concentration and the purity of the product. This medicine is presently not FDA-approved.

When contemplating GS-441524 treatment, it is critical to explore the potential dangers, benefits, and emerging regulatory difficulties with your veterinarian.

Fluid treatment, drainage of collected fluids, and blood transfusions are all examples of supportive care that may be necessary in some patients.

FIP Treatment Options

For a long time, FIP was thought to be incurable. Antiviral medicines for the treatment of FIP have just lately been put to the market. For now, the FDA hasn’t authorized these medications, and their long-term efficacy is uncertain.

Supportive therapy, such as evacuation of accumulated fluid and blood transfusions, may also be used to treat FIP.

You should seek the advice of a veterinarian before making a decision about your cat’s treatment.

Can I protect my cat from getting FIP?

Preventing FeCV infection is the only method to completely avoid FIP in cats, and this can be a difficult task considering how widespread the virus is.

Keeping cat populations in high-density environments (such as cat shelters and boarding kennels) to a maximum of three cats per room is ideal in order to alleviate the strains that can arise from living in such close quarters.

FeCV is highly infectious, whereas FIPV is not considered to be, despite the fact that it is conveyed in the feces and saliva of cats infected with the virus.

Individual cats get FIP once they are infected with FeCV and the virus mutates to become FIPV, which causes the disease (FIPV itself is not passed in the feces).

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIP) can be prevented by keeping cats healthy and vaccinating against other viruses such feline leukemia virus and calicivirus, if suitable.

It is important to keep the litter box clean and away from food and drinking utensils.

However, the efficacy of this treatment technique is controversial, as some authorities have indicated that newly acquired cats and those suspected of FeCV infection should be kept apart from other cats.

Only one approved FIP vaccination is available, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners Feline Vaccine Advisory Panel does not usually suggest it because of the vaccine’s uncertain usefulness in preventing FIP.

Even if the vaccine looks to be safe, it’s important to assess the benefits of immunization against the potential dangers it may bring. Owners of cats should consult their veterinarian before deciding whether or not to vaccinate their pet.

Is There a Vaccine for Cat FIP?

The American Association of Feline Practitioners Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel does not advocate the use of a FIP vaccine.

Even if the vaccination proves to be safe, the dangers should be carefully considered. See your veterinarian before starting any new vaccination or therapy.

The easiest method to avoid FIP in your cat is to avoid the coronavirus’s first infection since FIP arises after the feline intestinal coronavirus has mutated. As a preventative measure, the following should be done:

• Keep your cat in the best shape possible.
• It’s important to keep your litter boxes sanitary.
• Keep food and drink dishes at least three feet away from litter boxes.
• As a rule of thumb, maintain no more than three cats per room if you have many cats.

It might be frightening to have to deal with a sick cat. You may get advice from a vet on how to best care for your cat.

Conclusion

The symptoms of FIP in cats can be quite similar to other diseases. That’s why the diagnosis of FIP is based on a combination of clinical signs, history, physical examination and laboratory findings.

There are no specific diagnostic tests for FIP, however, the results of serum protein electrophoresis and serum enzyme levels may suggest an underlying disease.

source https://catshint.com/what-are-symptoms-of-fip-in-cats/