11/12/2024
This is Smokey, the most gorgeous 6 month old Burmese kitten. Smokey and his brother Bandit came in to see us for routine neutering a few weeks ago. Whilst having the surgery, the vet noticed there was some unusual slimy fluid discharging from the incision site. We decided to ultrasound his abdomen and found some free fluid surrounding his organs. This is never normal, and we were concerned given his age and breed about a condition called FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). As Smokey was currently so bright, the owners hadn't realised he was unwell. So we had caught this as early as possible. Until recently, this was a very serious condition that carried a grave prognosis. It was very rare for any of these cats to survive. Fortunately, in the past few years, there has been significant development of an antiviral treatment that is now able to cure 85% of cases. We took some fluid for analysis. Whilst waiting for the results, Smokey started to go off his food, and his abdomen became more bloated with fluid. We were pretty confident this was FIP, so we opted to start treatment before the results were back. We currently see Smokey on a weekly basis to assess his condition. Since starting medication, the improvement has been miraculous. He is now as naughty as his brother and behaving as a normal kitten. His belly is now normal, and he is eating well. We have another 10 weeks of treatment to go, but all the results so far are extremely encouraging. Smokey is the first cat we have seen with FIP since it has become a treatable condition. As protocols are changing so quickly, we needed the most up to date info, which was provided by the FIP Advice Team. This is a team of medical specialists who volunteer to help general practitioners with FIP cases. This was invaluable in Smokey's case. Smokey is the most wonderful boy, and being able to now treat him has been so exciting and rewarding for the team.
