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What is feline infectious peritonitis? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? Is there a vaccine? Is it contagious in a multi-cat household?
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What is feline infectious peritonitis? What are the symptoms? How is it diagnosed? Is there a vaccine? Is it contagious in a multi-cat household?
Feline infectious peritonitis is an old term for the diseases caused by one strain of the feline coronavirus. The coronavirus that causes FIP is hard to distinguish from the one that is of little or no consequence. Most cats that become ill are under 2 years of age. As the virus does not survive well outside the cat, cat-to-cat transmission is probably the most common way for a cat to become infected although inanimate objects are suspected to spread the disease in some cases. Many cats with the disease are also positive for feline leukemia. There are two common forms of the disease. The wet or effusive form where fluid builds up in the abdomen or chest cavities, and the dry or noneffusive form where damage to various organs will occur without fluid accumulation. The term feline infectious peritonitis came from the fact that some cats have fluid in the abdomen, but it needs to be clarified that this disease has no relation to true forms of peritonitis. Clinical signs may develop months after the initial infection, unfortunately allowing the disease to become greatly advanced before a diagnosis is possible. Cats with the wet form of the disease will show signs of fever, weight loss, decreased appetite, a swelling of the abdomen and/or difficulty breathing. With the dry form the symptoms vary greatly depending upon which organs are being affected. Fever and weight loss is often present but other signs may include uveitis, blood within the eye, neurological disease, kidney disease and liver dysfunction. Diagnosis can be quite difficult. There are tests for FIP but they are not very specific and reliable in many cases. History, clinical signs, blood counts, serum chemistry, urinalysis, FeLV testing, fluid analysis if fluid is present and biopsy of affected organs are all useful to diagnose the condition. There is no curative treatment for this disease. Cortisone (steroid) type drugs may provide temporary relief of symptoms. Many cats are quite ill by the time a diagnosis is obtained and euthanasia is the only humane alternative. Cats exposed to infected cats should be tested for FeLV and FIV and if found negative, vaccinated for FIP. While there are questions about the true protective ability of the currently available FIP vaccine, it remains the only and best alternative at this time.
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