Here is a diseases which unfortunetly I am too familer with.It is what took the life of my beloved Heathcliff.It was so hard to watch my sweet bady slip away knowing there was nothing I could do about it.
FIP is caused by a type of corona virus.One of the reasons FIP is such a problem is because there is no way to differentiate FIP from certain other viruses.There is a test that can look for the presence of corona virus atibodies in your cats's blood.If your cat has been exposed to a corona virus,ANY corona virus,its immune system will build up antibodies and a titer test can tell the level of antibodies.The higher the titer,the more antibodies the cat has created.However,this does not mean that your cat has FIP.A cat should never never be euthaniized based solely on the results of a titer test.
There are two forms of FIP.The WET form is more common and more rapid in progression.Early signs are non-specific and mimic other feline disorders.They may include loss of appetite,weight loss,listlessness and depression.The cat appears chronically ill.As fluid begins to accumulate in the body spaces you may notice labored breathing or abdominal enlargement.Sudden death my occur from fluid in the heart sac.Other signs can be fever,dehydration,anemia,vomiting and diarrhea.Jaundice and dark urine are caused by liver failure.
Early signs of DRY form are like those of the wet except fluid is not produced.The dry form is even more difficult to diagnose.It affects a variety of organs including the eyes,brain,liver,kidney and pancreas.
Once a cat has developed the secondary disease (wet or dry) he will die within a few weeks.I feel at this point,the last kind thing you can do for him is Euthanasia.Your cat will love you for it
FIP presents the greatest risk to multiple cat famillies,boarding establishments and catteries.Fortunately,the virus is easily killed by household disinfectants.
Since the death of my Heathcliff,I have had my cats all tested regularly and am happy to say,so far so good.It is said that the majority of those exposed experience no apparent infection.Less then 5% develop the secondary disease
