Dedham Veterinary Associates

DVA 326 Bridge Street * Dedham, MA 02026 * 781.326.2800

Feline Infectious Peritonitis

What is Feline Infectious Peritonitis?

Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP, is a disease caused by a virus from a family called coronaviruses. Coronaviruses are not fully understood, but we know that viruses in this family mutate and change. The contagious form of the virus, intestinal coronavirus, may cause diarrhea or other gastrointestinal sings in some cats. After a brief illness these cats usually recover. In some cats, however, the virus mutates and becomes the deadly FIP form.

How is FIP spread?

It is not entirely clear exactly how the virus is spread, but it appears that only the intestinal form is contagious. The virus spreads easily in a house or cattery from cat to cat. Most cats in an affected house will contract the virus. Some may get just the intestinal disease. Others may go on to develop FIP weeks to years later. Some cats will just become carriers of the virus and will be contagious to other cats for life.

What does FIP do in a cat?

Once the virus has mutated from the benign intestinal virus, to the deadly FIP virus, two types of disease can occur. The“wet form” usually involves filling of the abdominal cavity with fluid and high fever. Cats that get this form usually stop eating and become compromised quickly. The “dry form” results when the immune system reacts to the virus. Any organ can be attacked but most often the kidneys, liver or brain. Any combination of forms of disease is possible, and almost any symptom can occur, depending on the organ or system attacked. Any form of FIP is almost always fatal. Some cats will have temporary improvement of symptoms with supportive care and steroids to lower their immune system’s reaction to the virus.

How is FIP diagnosed?

There is no ideal blood test for FIP. Exposure to the coronavirus can be shown with a blood test called a titer, but this does not definatively confirm a diagnosis of FIP. However, in a cat with suspicious illness and a high titer, the diagnosis may be very clear. A PCR test can be done on abdominal fluid of tissues. This is the best test but there is not always enough abdominal fluid to sample and often the patient is not well enough to endure tissue biopsies. Other tests exist that are just not sensitive enough to be practical.

How can FIP be prevented?

This is a difficult question. The biggest prevention problems are for shelters and catteries. Separation of cats of different ages and backgrounds, and quarantines of new additions can help. Since some cats can be contagious but not exhibit any signs of the disease, care must be taken when a new individual enters a shelter, cattery, or private home. Testing all new cats for coronavirus and bringing in only cats that test negative is a nearly impossible feat since many healthy cats will test positive because of exposure but will probably never shed virus or get sick. A vaccine exists that does not work very well and can cause side effects. The best prevention in a home is to have any new cats examined by a veterinarian before they are introduced to the existing cats. Then all cats should be kept strictly indoors. Even with these precautions there is a slight risk that any cat can develop FIP.

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