Introduction:
There are lots of different subtypes of Corona Virus affecting people and animals.
Many of these subtypes are harmless but some cause pretty serious diseases in some patients.
In cats, we have 3 main types of problems caused by Corona Virus:
1: Some strains or types of corona virus that affect cats cause relatively minor diseases. For example, some types of corona virus causes diarrhea in kittens but it's usually non fatal. Although it may cause a life time of poor health and recurrence of intestinal problems.
2. Sometimes the virus causes mainly neural signs such as high, persistent fevers, blindness, paralysis, stumbling, and seizures. Once these signs appear the disease is usually fatal.
3: And sometimes the virus causes severe inflammation of the abdomen and chest cavity. When this happens, a thick yellow fluid often develops in the abdominal cavity which is easy to identify on necropsy which is how the disease got it's name of infectious peritonitis. (Peritonitis is a medical term referring to inflammation of the abdominal cavity.) But it's a misleading name because sometimes there's NO fluid in the abdomen and sometimes the main symptoms are associated with the nervous system or the respiratory system or all of the above.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Symptoms:
Of the cats that get exposed to the virus, most show no symptoms at all. Ever.
Many show no symptoms at first, but months later may get sick.
Some cats may show mild upper respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal discharge and then get better.
Other cats and especially kittens may experience a mild intestinal disease and show symptoms such as diarrhea and then get better.
And unfortunately, a few cats go on to develop full blown FIP and almost always end up dying.
In cats that develop FIP, the symptoms can appear to be sudden since cats have an amazing ability to mask disease until they are in a crisis state.
Once symptoms develop, often there is increasing severity over the course of several weeks, ending in death.
Generally, these cats first develop nonspecific symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, rough hair coat, and fever.
Other symptoms include anemia, persistent fever, a pot bellied appearance due to fluid in the belly and trouble breathing.
Diagnosis:
FIP is pretty easy to diagnois if the belly is obviously full of fluid and the patient is almost dead. The problem is getting a diagnosis when you first bring your cat in because it's just not feeling up to par and not eating well.
There are no reliable screening tests for FIP
The blood work that most vets do when you have a sick cat will tell us that your cat is fighting off an infection or is anemic, but it won't tell us if the cause is FIP.
It's very inexpensive for us to place a syringe needle in your cat's belly to see if there is any yellow, syrupy fluid in the abdomen but this symptom doesn't occur until late in the disease.
Radiographs will often indicate fluid in the lungs and/or abdomen making us suspect FIP but again, this often isn't obvious until late in the disease.
Blood titers will tell us if your cat has been exposed to corona virus but not if it's the type of corona that is harmless or the type that causes FIP.
If we repeat the blood titer 7-21 days later and the titer is rising significantly while at the same time the patient is getting sicker, then we can conclude that your cat has FIP but by then your cat will be near death anyway.
Prevention: There is a vaccine for FIP but many veterinary feline specialist seem to think the vaccine is not very effective or that the risks of vaccinating don't outweigh the advantages.
Treatment:
Unfortunately, there is no known cure or effective treatment for FIP at this time. Some treatments may induce short-term remissions in a small percentage of cats; however, FIP is a fatal disease. Treatment is generally aimed at supportive care, such as good nursing care and nutrition, and alleviating the inflammatory response of the disease. Cats with FIP are often treated with corticosteroids, cytotoxic drugs, and antibiotics. Supportive care may also include fluid therapy, draining accumulated fluids, and blood transfusions.
Research is ongoing to find other immunosuppressive drugs that may slow down the progress of the disease. Attempts are also being made to find antiviral drugs that will prevent or slow down the replication of the virus. One promising approach currently being studied combines both an antiviral agent and an immune response modifier.
Can I protect my cat from getting FIP?
In multiple cat environments, keeping cats as healthy as possible and minimizing exposure to infectious agents decreases the likelihood of cats developing FIP. Litter boxes should be kept clean and located away from food and water dishes. Litter should be cleansed of feces daily, and the box should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected regularly. Newly acquired cats and any cats that are suspected of being infected should be separated from other cats. Preventing overcrowding, keeping cats current on vaccinations, and providing proper nutrition can also help decrease the occurrence of FIP in groups of cats.
