Main Categories

Other Resources

Pages

OnlineEarnings Article Board » Pets » What is Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Welcome Guest

What is Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Author: KurtSchmitt
Total views: 228
Word Count: 619
View PDF

Add2Netvouz

What is this dangerous cat illness known as FIP? FIP stands for feline infectious peritonitis, also referred to as feline FIP. It is the most feared disease in catteries, as it is the leading infectious cause of cat death. This is a tricky disease to diagnose, and it has been said that the most reliable confirmation is done during autopsy.

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 either.

Typically, a healthy cat will shed FCoV for up to two months, and fight off the virus. Some exposed cats will become carriers. Others, however, will develop FIP, sometimes weeks, months, or years later.

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.

Since this deadly illness can show up many years after exposure to the virus, it has taken a number of cat owners by surprise. There is no cure at the present time, and is generally considered to be fatal once a diagnosis is made. The good news is that feline FIP is relatively uncommon, affecting less than one percent of the general cat population. The infection rate in catteries is much higher and can reach 20 percent.