FIP
Alternative therapies help IMPROVE LIFE for FIP cats
by Mark Newkirk, VMD

When Smokey, a 1-1/2-year-old Burmese cat, stopped eating, Joanna Smith got worried. Smokey had always had a healthy appetite but now, after several days of only picking at his food, he was losing weight and getting listless. Joanna brought Smokey to my veterinary clinic and, after several tests, we determined the cat had Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). This is never pleasant news to deliver, since it is almost always fatal but, as I explained to Joanna, it also didn’t mean automatic euthanasia. Integrating conventional and alternative veterinary medicine gave us a number of options to try, and we immediately started treatment to give Smokey as long and healthy a life as possible.

What is FIP?
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a progressive viral disease most often affecting young adult cats. There are two types – wet form and dry form. In the wet form, large amounts of fluid build up in the body cavities, especially the abdomen. Clinical signs vary in the dry form, depending on the organ system affected, which can include the intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs, nervous system or eyes. This form usually has a longer clinical course and the infected cat may live for a year or more. Diagnostic testing is difficult, because FIP is a coronavirus and therefore most tests cross-react and can give false positives. The FIP specific elisa test is the most reliable, although needle aspirates revealing the typical yellow fluid is almost always a tip-off.

Transmission and complications

The usual mode of transmission appears to be from asymptomatic carrier queens to their kittens at five to seven weeks of age, after maternally derived immunity wanes. Routine disinfection of premises, cages, and food and waterdishes readily deactivates the virus and reduces transmission. Complications of the disease may include pleural effusion (fluid in the chest cavity) or intestinal obstruction from inflammatory abdominal disease. The disease can also spread to the nervous system, causing neurologic signs. Feline leukemia positive cats are more prone to FIP, because of an already suppressed immune system.

Your cat’s risk of contracting FIP is low compared to other feline diseases, but no cure exists in traditional medicine. You should discuss with your veterinarian about whether or not vaccination is appropriate, based on your cat’s lifestyle, age and health. Cats typically catch the disease between the age of three months to three years, but the incidence sharply decreases after that time. The onset is usually gradual and involves weight loss and decreased appetite, or stunted growth in kittens. The most common presentation is a gradual increase in the size of the abdomen, giving a pot-bellied appearance, and a persistent or fluctuating fever that is unresponsive to antibiotics. No traditional treatment is routinely effective, although some veterinarians will try interferon, which may have limited success.

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Published in the February/March 2005 issue of Animal Wellness