FIP, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, is a terrible disease that typically strikes young kittens and is almost always fatal. It is highly prevalent in indoor and multi-cat environments like animal shelters and catteries.
Life expectancy after diagnosis can be as short as one week. However, it is seen that some cats survive the disease for months and, rarely, for years.
Unfortunately, sometimes symptoms like chronic fever, anorexia, and weight loss can be misdiagnosed as FIP. So, looking up what the symptoms mean on google search can hardly help. When unsure, consult your vet, and you shouldn’t delay if a young kitten is involved because its health can deteriorate before you even realize it.
At the same time, consider being prepared with a medical financial backup in terms of pet health insurance. Cheap pet insurance policies are affordable and ensure your fur child basic health care with little economic hassle for covered health conditions and medical emergencies.
Contemplate purchasing a policy if you haven’t bought one already. In the meantime, read this article to learn about the diagnosis and symptoms of FIP.
Diagnosis
There are no specific diagnostic tests to confirm FIP. Although there are particular tests that help detect Feline CoronaVirus (FCoV) antibodies, there is no way for a veterinarian to determine the presence of strains that can lead to FIP.
In short, positive test results only mean that the cat was exposed to coronavirus, but there is no way to tell if the cat was exposed to the coronavirus strains that lead to FIP. However, animal medical experts have come up with a technique to screen feline fur babies for FIP risks while they are healthy.
The vet will collect fluid samples, examine them, note symptoms, and check the cat’s medical history. These vital details help the vet make a diagnosis, but a biopsy would be required to confirm the condition.
Symptoms
A feline fur baby exposed to FCoV may not show obvious infection signs. However, some fur babies develop mild upper respiratory symptoms, including nasal discharge, watery eyes, and sneezing. Mild intestinal issues like diarrhea are also observed in certain cases.
Know that it can take weeks, months, or even years for FIP to develop before symptoms appear. You will be surprised to see signs of infection suddenly appear without any warning. Cats are good at hiding signs of sickness, so as a cat owner you should be vigilant about all aspects of your feline’s health and wellbeing.
Once the signs appear, the disease can worsen over several weeks, eventually leading to fatality. This disease occurs in two forms – wet and dry, and the disease signs match with various other medical conditions, making it all the more difficult for vets to confirm FIP.
In terms of treatment, there are only ways to provide FIP-infected cats with short-term relief, but there is no permanent cure as such. Supportive care is all that the vets recommend in such cases.
If your baby cat seems sick, don’t hesitate to take it to the vet asap. It could be FIP or anything else. Your vet is the best person to seek information from regarding your little furball’s health status. Suppose the illness is treatable and not FIP, then consider yourself and your cat blessed.
Pet health insurance covers a furry baby’s health care during accidents, injuries, specific illnesses, and medical emergencies. Contemplate purchasing cheap pet insurance, so getting medical assistance need not be a significant financial trouble during treatable unanticipated illnesses, at least.
