Causes , Treatment , and Prevention
Feline infectious peritoneal inflammation ( FIP)is a complicatedviral disease of catsthat is seen worldwide . The disease can dissemble theimmune system and electronic organ . African tea can be infect with the virus without any symptom or problem andfew will develop the diseaseand becomefatally inauspicious . There aretwo grade of the diseasewith symptoms that often overlap and they are equallytricky to diagnose .
What Is FIP?
FIP is a complex disease that is a effect of contagion with thefeline coronavirus . While prominent numbers of cats are infected with feline coronavirus , few will ever develop FIP . The fatal disease is think to result from a mutation of the virus within the body that combines with an incorrect response of the immune system of rules . This combining lead to inflammation in various organ organization .
Symptoms of FIP in Cats
The two master class of FIP , the wet shape and the dry form , have unlike characteristics . These broad shape are not needs completely discrete and some cats will have some of both .
Symptoms
Distention of Abdomen
If a cat has the sozzled configuration of FIP , it will have fluid physical body - up in its stomach and chest area . Fluid may become concentrated straight off around the inwardness , as well .
Difficulty Breathing
If a big cat has pixilated frame FIP , it will have difficulty breathing as the lungs are inflamed .
Fever
A cat with FIP may have a minor long - term febricity that is unresponsive to handling . Fevers are often vague symptoms that can companion many other problem in cat .
Loss of appetite and weight loss
A cat with FIP may or may not lose its appetite or lose weight . In some cases , it ’s observe that a computed axial tomography ’s appetite and weight may slightly increase if it has FIP .
Depression
A CT with FIP may or may not seem gloomy and listless . However , if it has nervous organization trouble , the kat ’s personality and behaviors may change .
Organ Failure
guy with the dry physical body of FIP are usually seen with inflamed cells invade various pipe organ , such as the kidneys , liver , pancreas , or spleen . As a result , jaundicemay become apparent as the disease progress .
Eye Problems
Inflamed centre may show sign of pus accrual or jot of pedigree , leading to potential cecity .
Poor Muscle Coordination
A cat ’s nervous organization will show signs of distress if it has FIP . It will get to lose muscle coordination leave in venial limb palsy . This can further contribute toseizuresand tremors .
Causes of FIP
FIP is most often seen inyoung catsless than 12 months honest-to-goodness , but it can be see at any age . It ’s still unknown why some cats develop FIP while others do not . Most cats that develop FIP have been recently exposed to some variety of stressful experience such as boarding , rehoming , or surgery .
The common coronavirus is spread through direct contact via the nozzle and mouth with septic faecal matter , usually while sharinglitter boxes . It is thought that a variation in the virus right away affects cells and top to FIP which causes a poor resistant reply in computerized axial tomography with unfledged or weakened resistant systems . In accession , it appears that purebred cats , such asAbyssinian , Bengal , Birman , Himalayan , Persian , ragdoll , and all character ofrexbreeds , are prostrate to developing the disease .
Diagnosing FIP in Cats
corroborate a diagnosis of FIP can be very difficult . The best method acting to substantiate a diagnosing of FIP take aveterinarianto take a biopsy . The tissue try from the biopsy are examined microscopically and often include special tests to commemorate the presence of the virus in tissue samples . If these trial are not possible , the diagnosing must be made on a combining of other factor , let in clinical sign and lab tests which can include line trial run and psychoanalysis of fluid sampled from the stomach if the cockeyed chassis is present .
Testing for antibody to coronavirus is not helpful in the diagnosing of FIP but is useful in screening healthy cats before infix them to a coronavirus - free computerized tomography or group . A plus result only indicates pic to coronavirus and possible shedding of coronavirus but does not intend a cat has or will recrudesce FIP .
Treatment
There is no treatment for FIP.Some supportive measure , let in run out excessive fluid physique - ups , can provide irregular assuagement . A kind of medicament designed to reduce the unnatural immune response to the computer virus or shorten the power of the virus to multiply have been tried . They may cater some rest period from the disease and prolong survival .
Prognosis for Cats With FIP
Most cats infected with the computer virus that causes FIP may never become ominous . But the cats who do develop signs of FIP will always knuckle under to the disease . Generally , cat exhibit signs of the pissed form succumb to FIP sooner ( within days to weeks ) than those with symptom of the dry figure ( up to a few months ) , though survival for several months may be possible .
How to Prevent FIP
foreclose pic to coronavirus is the best way to prevent FIP . This is very unmanageable to do as well over one-half of all computerized tomography in a single - qat or multi - cat household may be infected with the virus . A bulk of those cats will remain healthy , however . FIP only break in a very low pct of hombre who are infect with the coronavirus , so exposure does not automatically mean cat will get FIP .
There is avaccineavailable , although its utilization is controversial . The vaccine is given in the nozzle and is designed to produce just a local response to preclude the computer virus from gaining approach to the physical structure . The efficacy of the vaccine is refutable and it must be given before natural exposure to coronavirus to be effective . Because FIP is uncommon in the general cat population , the indigence for routine use of FIP vaccine is generally not recommended , although it can sometimes be used in shelters where the risk of exposure is high . Your veterinarian can talk about the use of FIP vaccine for your big cat .
Is FIP Contagious to Other Animals?
The benign feline coronavirus is contagious to other cats because felid shed the virus in the feces . Another cat can become septic with the benignant felid coronavirus through oral link with the septic feces . However , if the virus mutate in an infected cat leading to FIP , the animal may not shed the mutated computer virus because it becomes cadre - tie in ( the cells become right away infected).This means that FIP is not technically transmissible to animals .
With that say , housemates of a kat name with FIP may not have a greater hazard of germinate FIP unless they are litter mates that share a genetic sensitivity . They have also likely been unwrap to coronavirus already , so no special precautions are usually necessary . Your veterinary can put up further advice regarding family care .
Overview of feline infective peritonitis - generalize conditions . Merck Veterinary Manual .
Credit:“Cat?” (CC BY 2.0) byaymen_bet
Feline Infectious Peritonitis . Cornell University College Of Veterinary Medicine
Feline infectious peritonitis ( Fip).Merck Veterinary Manual .
Feline infectious peritonitis| vca fauna hospitals .
Feline infectious peritonitis / feline coronavirus ( Fip / fcov)| resourcefulness | koret shelter medicine program .
