03/27/2024
Written by Alicia Hughes. It's been a while since I did any FIP updates for the group and since there have been quite a few questions lately, I just wanted to cover some of what y'all have been asking. If you have any questions not answered here, feel free to ask in the comments.
Q: Are Siberians more likely to get FIP than other breeds?
A: No. FCOV and FIP do not discriminate. The benign FCOV that *can* mutate into FIP is ubiquitous and is found pretty much everywhere multiple cats are housed under the same roof. Shelter cats, pedigree cats, even feral cats can get FIP and do so at a pretty even rate. There *can* be a genetic component to FIP so where you may see it more commonly in pedigreed cats is if a particular pairing creates susceptible kittens once, it's nearly certain that additional litters from the same pairing will produce FIP kittens.
Q: Is the breeder to blame if my kitten has FIP?
A: It depends. Statistically, 1-3% of all cats will get FIP so even the absolute most meticulous and careful breeder is going to have FIP at some point. It's statistically impossible to avoid FIP completely. It's literally like asking if you could have a child who will never be sick in his or her life. The difference between ethical breeders and ones to avoid is in how they handle FIP in their cattery. If a breeding pair produces FIP kittens once, it's possible that only this specific pairing was the problem. It is not unreasonable to try breeding each cat with a different mate. If either or both cats produce a 2nd litter of FIP kittens, that cat(s) should be retired, spayed/neutered and adopted out as a pet. If both cats produce healthy kittens with their new mate, then it is reasonable to assume that the initial pairing was the problem but both cats can be bred with different mates going forward. *If a cat produces 2 litters with FIP and the breeder continues breeding that cat, this is someone you want to avoid adopting from.
Q: Did the breeder sell me a sick kitten?
A: It's possible that the kitten picked up FCOV at the cattery, but FCOV is benign and kittens rarely display ANY symptoms. A regular vet check would not pick up on FCOV either. The only test for FCOV is a f***l PCR, which is $150 and takes 7-10 days to get results. Since FCOV is ubiquitous, it's highly possible that a kitten could be negative at the time of testing but exposed to FCOV while waiting for results to come back. For that matter, it's possible that the kitten picked up FCOV while at the vet for testing. The kitten could have picked up FCOV in transit, or in your home as well. There is really no way to know for certain. If a kitten is showing any signs of illness, an ethical breeder is not going to send that kitten home until he/she is better. As an adopter, everyone wants their kitten ASAP but it is in the kitten's best interest to stay in the home it is used to while he/she is recuperating, even if this means you miss a couple weeks of the cute kitten stage. That kitten does not need the stress of rehoming while he/she is trying to fight whatever kind of illness is going on.
Q: What are signs to look for with FIP?
A: There are 4 types of FIP, and some cats get multiple forms combined. Wet FIP comes on acutely and progresses rapidly. There is typically high fever, inappetence, lethargy. The effusion is more often than not in the abdominal cavity so these cats will present with a pot-belly that feels like a water balloon. A vet can draw a fluid sample and if it is straw colored and sticky, it is FIP. DO not waste time or money on further diagnostics. Start treatment IMMEDIATELY. These cats have days, sometimes hours, before they will succumb to the virus. The dry form is a slower progression and is harder to diagnose. With the dry form, the virus causes lesions and granulomas on organs, and it can pick any organ(s) it wants. If the virus settles in the kidneys, it will look like kidney disease. If the virus settles in the liver, it will look like liver failure. The dry form starts in the gut so there is always thickening of the GI tract and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes that can be (and often are) mistaken for lymphoma. Cats can have the dry form for quite some time before symptoms become apparent. Those are often inappetence and lethargy. In hindsight, dry FIP kittens/cats typically have a history of stunted growth, failure to thrive, and often just lots of little health issues (e.g. unusual number of URIs, or frequent diarrhea) that seem insignificant at the time but in the big picture, present as a kitten/cat who was never 100% healthy. An ultrasound is the best diagnostic for dry FIP but still requires some speculation. Age and history should be considered as well. If it is a kitten, lymphoma is super rare but FIP is quite common, so FIP should be the top diagnosis when considering differentials. Toxo is another common differential but can be easily eliminated if the cat does not go outdoors unsupervised and/or does not eat a raw diet. Ocular FIP occurs when the virus gets to the eyes and/or optic nerve. It can present as uveitus (looks like blood clots in the iris), cloudy eyes, or acute onset of blindness. If it is strictly ocular FIP, a cat will have no other symptoms and labs will look 100% normal. Ocular may also occur in conjunction with wet, dry or neuro FIP in which case, symptoms from each form may be present. Neuro FIP occurs when the virus hit the brain or nervous system. Symptoms include any or all of drunken gait, paralysis, seizures, wobbly head, nystagmus (darting eyes), uneven pupils, pupils that do not constrict with light. The neuro form can be isolated, or can occur with wet, dry and/or ocular forms as well.
Q: Is there a test for FIP?
A: Not really. With the wet form, blood work will contain typical markers and a fluid sample can be drawn for evaluation. If the fluid is straw colored and sticky, it is FIP. For the dry form, an ultrasound is the most conclusive diagnostic, but still not 100% definitive. With ocular, the best test is to run a PCR on aqueous fluid, but that is invasive and requires a specialist. There is also a 30% rate of false negatives. With the neuro form, the best test is a PCR on spinal fluid but this too is incredibly expensive, invasive, risky, and requires a specialist. And it too is not 100% definitive. If I may be blunt here, in most cases, the kitten or cat will die before the vet is done running all of the diagnostics they want to try and you will have spent $10,000 and still have no answer. We are huge proponents of using GS diagnostically when FIP is a possible diagnosis. It is a lightweight anti-viral that ONLY works on FIP and if the cat does not have FIP, GS will have done no harm. In most cases, you will see a response within anywhere from 12 hours to a few days and if the cat is responding, that is as firm of a diagnosis as you will ever get.
Q: If 1 of my cats has FIP, will my other cats get it?
A: FIP is not contagious, but FCOV is highly contagious. If you have FIP in your household, then all of your cats have been exposed to FCOV, which they will most likely clear on their own. FCOV is spread via f***s so be vigilant with the litter boxes. Scoop regularly, empty and do a full disinfection every couple weeks. FCOV can only live on non-porous surfaces for a couple days. In porous surfaces, it can live up to 7-8 weeks. Direct sunlight will kill it, as will most disinfectants. FIP begins in the gut, so give your cats a good probiotic for optimal gut health. Bene-Bac and Proviable are both good multi-strain probiotics. While you know that your cat(s) is/are likely positive for FCOV, avoid the known immune stressors. Don't do any vaccines or elective surgeries. Don't board them in a kennel or travel with them to unfamiliar places. Don't bring home a new pet that may cause unnecessary stress. Keep their daily lives as stress-free as possible.
*If your cats are completely unrelated, your non-FIP cat is at no greater risk than any other cat. If your non-FIP cat is a littermate of the FIP kitten/cat, there is a much higher probability of FIP due to shared genetics.
Q: What are the treatment options?
A: It depends where you live. There are a few countries that have legal access to Remdesivir for veterinary use (AU, UK, parts of the middle east). The rest of us still rely on the meds from China. In some area, Molnuprovir may be available for off-label vet use. It is the least favored option due to the high level of liver toxicity that it presents, as well as the smallest case studies to date. That said, it has shown to be effective but there isn't a whole lot of info regarding dosing and treatment protocol. We use it primarily on cats that have shown resistance to gs. GS comes in injectable and oral forms, though the oral form may not be suitable for some cats. The injectable form is absorbed via the bloodstream, whereas the oral form is absorbed via the GI tract. If a cat is having diarrhea, vomiting, experiencing difficulty swallowing, or has GI thickening, he/she may not be able to fully absorb the oral form.
Q: How much does treatment cost?
A: The dose and dosage depend on the cat's weight and form of FIP, as well as severity of symptoms. Each brand is a different price as well. That said, treatment is about 90% less than it was 5 years ago. A small kitten with wet fip should be able to finish 12 weeks for considerably less than $1000. A huge cat with neuro might be more like $2500 over 12 weeks. There are discount coupons available and fundraising groups as well. Price should never be a deterrent. We have the means to help with that, if needed.
Q: What do I do if I suspect my cat has FIP?
A: Join FIP Global Cats ASAP. Post about your cat and a moderator will connect you with an admin usually within the hour.
