What is FIP?

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a disease that can be seen frequently in cats, which is not contagious to humans but can be low contagious and highly fatal for cats. FIP disease, which has a wet and dry form, is also known as feline coronavirus. FIP is directly proportional to your cat’s weak immune system, non-sterile environment and interaction with other cats, if any.

What Causes FIP Disease and How Does It Occur?

One of the main causes of FIP is your cat’s contact with another cat. In addition, this disease can be caused by your cat’s weak immune system and the non-sterile environment in which it lives. FIP is mostly transmitted through saliva and feces. In addition, if the cat lives in the garden environment, it can get this disease from any object it comes into contact with.

Cat owners with multiple cats often use shared water and food bowls, which creates an unsterile environment for your cat and causes illness. FIP is one of them. If you have more than one cat and you use a common water-food bowl, your cat’s immune system will be weakened because it does not live in a sterile environment and the environment will become suitable for catching diseases.

What Are the Symptoms of FIP?

Symptoms of FIP can vary, but often include rising and falling fever, loss of appetite, and loss of energy. As time passes, infected cats may have more symptoms of FIP, depending on the form of FIP.

FIP has a ‘wet’ and a ‘dry’ form. Infected cats may have symptoms in only one form or a combination of both.

Wet form: In this form of the disease, fluid accumulates in the abdomen, causing a navel-like appearance. Fluid can build up in the chest, making it difficult for the cat to breathe. This form of FIP damages blood vessels, causing inflammation and leakage of fluid from the blood into the abdomen and chest.

Dry form: The dry form of FIP causes infection and inflammatory lesions around the blood vessels in a cat’s body. This infection can affect the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin. This form often causes the cat to have seizures and act abnormally or uncoordinatedly. In some cases, cats may also experience excessive thirst and urination, vomiting, weight loss, and jaundice.

When a cat has both forms of FIP, the symptoms tend to get worse over time. As a result , the cat may need to be put to sleep (Euthanasia) as the FIP treatment process has passed.

FIP Treatment Process

FIP disease treatment and early diagnosis are very important. Treatment is carried out symptomatically. As a result of the symptoms seen in the cat, it is vital for both the cat and the treatment process to be taken directly to the veterinary clinic. There is no definite and clear medicine called FIP medicine . Some of the methods used in this treatment are:

  • Immune system booster supplement
  • Interferons
  • Vitamin cures
  • Vitamin C supplement
  • Antibiotic support
  • GS441524

Using these drugs, it is aimed to strengthen the immune system of the cat and to treat it according to the symptoms. In addition, a healthy and balanced diet is also very important.

What should be done to prevent cats from getting FIP disease?

There are many factors that contribute to the development of FIP disease. Cats in stressful conditions such as shelters or multi-cat homes have been shown to be at an increased risk for developing FIP. But there are some precautions that can be taken to prevent this. These;

  • Checking the cat regularly by the veterinarian
  • Having the cat vaccinated completely and having it done regularly
    Cleaning the litter box of the cat daily and also placing it away from the food and water bowls.
  • Supporting the cat with vitamins.
    Not being in the same environment with other cats if possible, and if not possible, having separate sand, food and water containers are some of the main considerations that should be taken.