How common is FIP?

Question

I'm worried about my kitten. She's an indoor cat who is eating and drinking normally, but she has two perfectly symmetrical bumbs on both sides of her stomach. Is this what a swollen stomach looks like? I know that is a sign of FIP. At first I thought she was gaining weight, but since it's been a number of days, I don't think this is the case. I'm trying to avoid self-diagnosis since it's hard to know over the internet, but she doesn't go to the vet until tomorrow and I'm in search of peace of mind until then.

Answer 1

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fip.html

See Cornell's info. They are doing a lot of research on FIP. They are developing a fecal test for FIP. Currently there is NO test to diagnose FIP. The vaccine is poor at best and most cats will have already been exposed to the corona virus anyway. FIP is fatal. There is NO treatment. It is actually more common than a lot of people think. I am a vet tech at a cat shelter and we see a lot of it. It is common in entire litters and is often misdiagnosed. It can have many different signs and symptoms. There is a "wet" form where the cat will have fluid in the abdomen or chest. There is a "dry" form where the brain can be effected and neurological symptoms can be seen. Sometimes a chronic URI is common to see for a while and then the cat will do down hill from there. A cat can seem healthy one day, and die within a week. It is a horrid disease. I have fostered MANY kittens from the shelter and even Cornell would not totally commit to FIP as the diagnosis. They could only say that it was the most "plausible" diagnosis. I had a litter of 4 Siamese kittens that I fostered. They were all sick when I got them, but recovered with antibiotics quickly..except one that just seemed frail. One female was placed at 9 weeks. The three boys I kept since they seemed to still be recovering. Two weeks later one bot stopped eating and was dead within 24 hours. Thought it was a fluke.
The one other boy seemed fine, but the other was a constant problem. Low blood count, trouble breathing. Had fluid tapped from his chest and sent to Cornell. His blue eyes turned GREEN. He ended up being euthanized and tissue sample sent to Cornell. The other boy went along fine for THREE years until he started down the same road. When he started having trouble breathing, and fluid was tapped from his chest, he was euthanized also. I then found out that the female that was adopted had died at Cornell the year before with suspected FIP.

It is a terrible disease. I hope your kitten does not have it. Get her to a vet and have it checked out. Chances are it is not FIP, but it is best to be safe. Just do some research first because there are still a lot of vets out there that do the blood test for the Corona virus. If it comes back positive, they will say to euthanize the cat based on that and that is not the best course. Just be aware of the options and what the test means.

Answer 2

FIP is a horrible, fatal disease in cats and it is not common at all. It happens when a corona virus mutates and many cats have the corona virus in their bodies. Go to:www.littlebigcat.com and Dr. Jean Hovfe's newsletter archives for an article about it. It is in Volume 4, #4 from May 2006.

Kittens always need to be wormed and when you see the vet tomorrow you will probably get medication for that.

Answer 3

The 'best' thing about FIP, if there is one, is that it is something you can vaccinate against. You can also test for it. So just relax and enjoy your kitty until tomorrow. I would also add that even if she is FIP positive, there's no reason to put her down if she's not suffering. Two bumps are indicative of a lot of things, but rarely FIP. In all my years as a former Veterinary Nurse I've never seen a cat with FIP with two bumps as you described them. Play with your kitty and relax. She's probably just fine.

~Morg~

Answer 4

What is FIP?