Please remember we are not Vets.  We are sharing our research about FIP with you.  Please contact your personal professional for more information.  We want to bring awareness about this to the pet community. We here at Magic Whiskers are wanting to to share information with you about FIP.  Any cat inclduing LaPerm Catscan get FIP.

What is FIP?  FIP is short for Feline Infectious Peritonities. 

 This is a disease caused by a “corona virus” infection.  Many strains of the Corona virus are able to infect cats but most do not produce serious disease.  The strains of Corona virus that produce FIP are distinguished by their ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells.  Once the cells are infected they transport the virus throughout the cat’s body, which causes an intense inflammatory reaction in the tissues where these virus infected cells are located.  The interaction between the cat’s own body and immune system and the virus that is responsible for the disease.

How does a cat get FIP?

  A cat gets infected with the FIP virus when exposed to the shed virus in an infected cats saliva and their feces.  Many cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus either by direct contact with an infected cat or by contact with virus contaminated surfaces such as clothing, bedding, toy or food and water dishes.

How can you stop FIP from spreading?

  Most household detergents and disinfectants can rendered the virus inactive although without using these chemicals some authorities believe that the virus can survive for a number of weeks in the enviroment.  A recommended solution for killing the FIP virus on surfaces is one part household bleach in thirty-two part of water.  This equals 4 ounces of bleach per gallon of water.

Are FIP and FELV caused by the same viruses? 

 They are caused by different viruses.  It is possible though for a cat to be infected with both FIP and FELV, but the diseases are totally separate.  It can get confusing with the different illnesses such as FIP, FIV and FELV and to add to the confusion the symptoms are similar or even the same.  It used to be that many would just think that a cat had FIP  and not go further with a diagnosis.  It was kind of a catch-all diagonosis.  Sometimes it has been found that FIP will tag along with another illness and vice versa.

What are the symptoms of FIP?

  First of all you need to understand that there is no way to tell for certain when a cat has been initially exposed to FIP,  although some cats do have symptoms of a mild upper respiratory disease such as sneezing, watery eyes, and watery nasal discharge.  Other cats may exhibit a rather unusual bacterial infections such as a very severe ear infections, which is now thought to be a result of the cat’s immune system being under stress.  Extremely excessive shedding may also be an indication of the very beginning of FIP but this can look like many other illnesses with a cat.  Some cats even experience a mild intestinal disease:  most cats that do undergo the primary infected described above recover completely, althought some of them may become carriers of the virus.  Only a small percentage of cats exposed to the FIP virus will develop the disease and for that that do develop it it may be weeks, months or years after their primary exposure.  There is no way that a shelter or cattery would know that this has happened in most cases.

Kittens with FIP.

  The onset of signs of FIP maybe sudden or the signs may appear gradually and increase in severity over a period of weeks.  Often times the symptoms that are not clearly associated with FIP by them selves such as a decrease in appetite on occasion, rough hair coat or lots of shedding with a coated cat, depression, fever and weight loss.

The Major forms of FIP

 Are effusive (wet) and the noneffusive is called dry and there can be combinations of both.  The sign most characteristic of effusive FIP is the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen and/or chest of the feline, which can accumulate to the point where it is very difficult for the cat to breathe normally.

A Point about noneffusive (dry) to remember is that the onset is usually slower with minimal fluid accumulation although fever, depression, anemia and the weight loss are almost always present.  FIP can be very difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can also be indicative of kidney failure (increased water consumption and urination), liver failure (jaundice), pancreatic disease (vomiting, diarrhea, diabetes), neurological disease (loss of balance, behavioral changes, paralysis, seizures), enteritis (vomiting, diarrhea), and eye disease (inflammation, blindness) may be seen in various combinations.  FIP is a disease that frustrates veterinarians, breeders, shelters and owners alike, as both feel so helpless when faced with it.

What is the likelihood of my cat getting FIP in its lifetime?

  Young cats which by definition in this article we will say they are less than two years old, older or senior cats (over ten years old), cats in poor physical condition and cats undergoing concurrent infections or stress are more susceptible to FIP.  Generally this is a relatively uncommon disease in general in the cat population, probably affecting less than one percent of the cats that are brought into a veterinarian’s office for treatment.  In multiple cat environments such as shelters and catteries or homes with more than 4 cats the disease rate can be much higher affecting up to 10 percent of the susceptible population over a period of months.  It is very important to remembers and realize that the presence of FIP is not about someone being a poor animal caregiver or a bad breeder and the list goes on.  The old fashioned and non deserved stigma of FIP just gets in the way of what should be our common goal of discovering more about what exactly FIP is and why some kittens and cats come down with it while others (including their littermates) do not and most importantly how can we as cat lovers prevent it.

Are there laboratory tests that can detect the FIP virus?

  The answer to this is yes there are.  But a positive test result from the tests only means that the cat has had prior exposure to a corona virus and not necessarily one that causes FIP.  When a cat is exposed to a corona virus it will develop antibodies against that virus.  If the test is negative it means that cat has not been exposed to a corona virus.  Therefore if a sick cat presents with symptoms of FIP yet has zero corona virus titers, that cat can not have FIP.  There have been cases reported where the titer count did not represent that true condition of the cat and a necropsy confirmed FIP yet the cat had a very low titer count.

The titer that is reported is the highest serum dilution that still produced a positive reaction.  Low titers indicate a small amount of corona virus antibodies in the serum, while high titers indicate greater amounts of antibodies.  A health cat with a high titer is not necessarily more likely to develop FIP or be a carrier of an FIP causing corona virus that a cat with a low titer.  It is also not necessarily protected against future FIP virus infection.  The testing that counts the titer can be most useful in the case of a very sick cat (one who is isolated from other cats) exhibiting the classic symptoms of FIP, and where FIP is definitely suspected.  In a case like this repeating the titer count in about 10 days may be indicated.  A substantial rise in the titer count would virtually prove the cat had FIP as there is no other explanation for this change and increase in the cat’s titer count.

The development of two tests that can detect parts of the virus itself can diagnose FIP more accurately.   The immunoperoxidase test can diagnose FIP more accurately than traditional histopathologic examination because it detents virus infected cells in the tissue.  A biopsy of affected tissue is necessary for evaluation.  Another antigen test utilizes polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detent viral genetic material in tissue or body fluid.  Although this test shows promise,  PCR is only capable of detecting corona viruses in general at this time and not necessarily those that cause FIP.

Should I have my cat tested for FIP?

  That decision will be between you and your vet.  There are two primary situations where some have recommended testing for corona virus antibody titers in a cat.  The first would be as a screening test to determine the presence or absence of antibodies in a previously untested household and to detect potential virus carriers or shedders when introducing new cats into households or catteries that are currently negative for corona virus antibodies.  The second situation would be as an aid and nothing more than an aid as mentioned above in the clinical diagnosis of a diseased cat that is exhibiting signs strongly suggestive of FIP.

Can the result be different from different laboratories?

  The answer to that question is yes that can be true as each laboratory has their own antigens prepared and interprets the assay differently.  The FIP test can be difficult to interpret since it usually depends on a subjective decision made by the person reading the test.

How can a cat be positively diagnosed with FIP?

  The presumptive diagnosis of FIP can usually be made on the basis of clinical signs, routine laboratory tests, and evaluation of abdominal or chest fluid.  In all cases, however a Tissue Biopsy is the only way to absolutely conform a diagnosis of FIP.  It’s always extremely important to be working with a vet whom you trust and feel very comfortable with….but with the potential FIP positive kitty it is absolutely essential.  Owners truly suffer terribly with this disease right alongside of their beloved kitty and knowing when and how to let go is not something any cat lover should try to go through alone.

Is there a cure of FIP?

 It is considered a terminal disease with no cure at this date.  Once a positive diagnosis of FIP has been made the basic aim of therapy is to provide supportive care and to alleviate the self-destroying inflammatory response of the disease.  Some treatments will induce short-term remissions in a small percentage of the cats and combinations of corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs and antibiotics with maintenance of nutrient and fluid intake may be helpful in some cases.  There are numerous studies and research being done now for beneficial medications for the future treatment of FIP.

How do I protect my cats from getting FIP?

  Minimize exposure to infectious agents, keep cats as health as possible, keep current on vaccinations, provide good nutrition and adequate sanitation are the most helpful things that you can do to recude the incidence of FIP withinh a group of cats.  But even in the best of circumstances FIP can occur.  If this does happen to you and that maybe why you are reading this we give to you our sincerest sympathy and it is for you and others like you that have prompted us to write this and add it to our site.  Knowledge is power and we believe if we work together it will help in the hardest of times.  You will no doubt join the ranks of other cat lovers who are dedicated to finding out as much as they can about FIP and to share their knowledge with others.  We hope that research efforts continue and a cure will some day be found.  We also are trying to reach out to others who have been devastated by this elusive yet deadly virus and share information and compassion. 

What about a vaccination for FIP?

  The vaccination was introduced in 1991 and it is a modified live temperature sensitive vaccine licensed for intranasal vaccination of cats at 16 weeks of age with boosters in 3 to 4 weeks then once yearly.  The problem is that once the cat is vaccinated with this vaccine its serum will always have a positive corona virus antibody titer.  Various studies have yielded different estimates of its efficacy.  The pet owner should discuss with their health provider whether or not the Primucell FIP by Pfizer Animal Health vaccine should be given to you cats.  There is ongoing work to come up with a much better vaccine.   

My cat has FIP and I am wondering what happens now?

  Once the clinical signs appear cats with effusive (wet) form of FIP will ove a few days to a few weeks although in rare cases some adult cats have linger for six to eight months.  Cats with the dry form of FIP usually fie within a few weeks however some of those cats have lived for up to a year or more.  There are always so many variables to be sondidered such as age and the overall health of your cat and the quality and timeframe of the medical care that has been provided and that can be provided in the future for the animal.  The best you can do is to provide good nursing care to your cats, feed highly nutritious diet, and work with your veterinarian to make your cat as comfortable as possible, which may involve the prescription of medications to reduce some of the symptoms.  FIP has been documented in many species other than those of the cat family and it is not known to be a health risk for humans.  The FIP virus for cats is similar to the canine corona virus, which causes enteritis in dogs.

We would like to suggest at this time that you try to learn more about FIP and look for some people to offer support.  Here are some suggestions we have for you of different resources.

Where can I go to learn more about this disease, and for support?? There are some WONDERFUL website resources for FIP. Learning as much as you can about this illness, and connecting with other people who understand exactly what you are going through, will be invaluable sources of support for you. Here are our favorite website recommendations:   Dr. Diane D. Addie's FIP and Coronavirus Website;  The Winn Feline Foundation FIP Updates;  FIP Support Group;  Cornell University FIP Brochure;  Yahoo Groups - FIP Support Group.