Submitted: 13 years ago. Please let us know if you have any more questions. Ask Your Own Cat Question. How long can she be expected to live? Now, I am crying knowing what you went through and how this sick disease can claim so many stolen lives.What is odd is that I keep seeing people post about cats at mid age like that having FIP. In a subsequent field study of 60 cats with non-effusive FIP treated with PI, 52 cats (87%) died before 200 days, but eight cats survived over 200 days from the start of PI treatment for and four of those survived beyond 300 days. He just came down with an eye infection and this made the doctor think he may have FIP because the antibiotics and eye drops he gave me for … Category: Cat. Although FIP may commonly strike an entire litter of kittens, my experience tells me unrelated adult cats rarely pass the fatal form of the virus between each other. But did you know exactly how it impacts the length of time they live? It is quite safe to let a non-infected cat live with its sick friend if this is emotionally beneficial to both. 2. Since most American homes with a cat actually have more than one cat, a diagnosis of FIP causes double upset: the illness of one cat and possible exposure of the other cat to a serious infectious disease. Lynn, Veterinary Assistant.   It is thought that the mutation in the virus that leads to FIP is more common in cats with immature or weakened immune systems. Research has shown that the feline coronavirus that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) can live for up to two weeks in a laboratory. Feline infectious peritonitis is a devastating disease of cats for which there is no treatment. ︎ Early stage Recommended dose: 100 mg/kg/day. We do need to bear in mind though the FIP, that coronavirus actually isn't shed in feces. However, all cats, FIP or not, can benefit from a high quality probiotic such as Fortiflora. Once clinical signs appear, cats with the effusive (wet) form of FIP will live a few days to a few weeks, although some adult cats may linger for six to eight months. An aggressive and potentially life threatening virus, feline immunodeficiency virus is a relatively recent feline discovery. There is no cure for either type of FIP. Alternatively, you can read the “Which breeds are most susceptible to FIP?” section in chapter 9 of my "FIP and Coronavirus" book, which is written for cat lovers. Exposure to any strain of feline coronavirus will result in an immune response and the production of antibodies. My darling Spike is now over a year old. How can I make my cat comfortable during her last days? It was first isolated in the mid-1980s in a community of feral cats, but it has since been transferred to domestic cats. The vet can properly diagnose your pet’s illness. How long do FIV-infected cats live? I'm sorry I know it's a very hard thing to do. Would it surprise you to know it doesn’t? All I knew was thatsomething was very wrong with my kitty's ordinarily gorgeous cat eyes. The mutation occurs within the individual cat and there is scant evidence that the deadly FIP form of the virus spreads efficiently between cats, although recent shelter outbreaks suggest that transmission of the lethal FIP form can occur under certain conditions. This biopsy can be performed on a live cat during an exploratory surgery, or during a necropsy (the animal version of an autopsy) in a dead cat. Cat Vet: Lori, Feline Healthcare replied 13 years ago. A healthy gut is essential in fighting FIP and can help stave off so many other illnesses too. Category: Cat. Healthy cats with a strong immune system will pass and clear the coronavirus. Can you explain what this is and how long should I wait before I can get another cat? My cat was diagnosed with FIP, how long can they live with this disease? Non-effusive FIP can be ruled out as a diagnosis if the cat is seronegative, provided the antibody test has excellent sensitivity. Antivirals. Other cats in the household cannot catch FIP (see FAQ: Is FIP contagious, above). What does FIV positive mean? Some treatments may help affected cats feel better and live a bit longer. How can I protect my other cats from FIP if one has it? We can keep fewer cats living in smaller groups. Most studies indicate that vaccination against FIP is not effective, so FIP vaccination is not usually recommended. Early signs of FIP can vary but often include a rising and falling fever, loss of appetite, and energy loss. How long can I expect my cat to live with anemia if I can't afford a blood transfusion. I had never evenheard of FIP the day my kitten suddenly had hazy eyes. Share this conversation . But over the past 18 months, thousands of cats have reportedly been cured of FIP by a drug similar to remdesivir. If it's not FIP he may have a chance. Answered in 2 hours by: 4/17/2007. For additional information on overall wellness and support, please view the vitamins and supplements page. If it's definitely FIP he can't live very long and it might be kinder to euthanize him. Satisfied Customers: 2,175. If your cat has FIP, your vet can provide your cat fluids to prevent dehydration, corticosteroids to fight inflammation plus antibiotics to keep away any secondary infections. Wet FIP. My cat Monty tested negative for FIP but had similar symptoms. However, this test is usually a post-mortem one. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a painful, incurable disease that’s nearly always fatal to cats. Experimentally, FIP can be caused in a cat by injecting a live FIP virus culture into the tissues, but that is not the same as being exposed to some virus shedding of another cat. There are two forms of FIP. It turns out COVID-19 may have hijacked the cure for FIP and that's why you haven't heard about it. However, cats with the dry form may live for a few months if they are still eating, haven’t developed neurological signs, and don’t have anemia. The long term side effects of prednisone include eye disorders and Cushing's disease. So, we're not getting that multi-cat household where we're getting a kind of cross-contamination and infection spread rapidly between cats. A cat with FELV typically is presented with clinical signs. Lori, Feline Healthcare. Prednisone has several side effects that may be both short term and long term. Not all cats exposed to FIP will develop the disease; the majority of cats exposed to it will not get sick. Prevention of FIP . FIP is most often seen in young cats, less than 12 months old, but it can be seen at any age. Any cat that carries FeCV is potentially at risk for developing FIP, but younger cats are at greater risk of developing FIP, with approximately 70% of cases diagnosed in cats less than 1 1/2 years of age and 50% of cases occurring in cats less than 7 months of age. Although FIP is not believed to be contagious, it is a very serious disease. FIP is more problematic for cats who don't have especially strong immune systems -- think the very young and the elderly. Satisfied Customers: 4,131. The best protection you can give other cats in the household is to support their immune system. Clinical symptoms of diarrhea or constipation may also occur in some FIP cases. Category: Cat. In fact, this virus in cats is amajor reason that I ended up becoming a feline veterinarian. The way research would have you believe, they are so resilient to FIP between the ages of 2 and 12. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine says the disease occurs mostly in kitties younger than 2 years old, although it can affect all felines. It can affect any cat at any age, although the typical disease occurs in young cats. So, a FIP cat can't then transmit FIP to another cat. An acute form, often referred to as “wet” FIP and a chronic form, known as “dry” FIP. If you think you should get another opinion ask another vet or at least have yours explain better what he means, don't be afraid to ask questions. FIP is a disease caused by a mutated (changed) strain of feline coronavirus. The NWP Team. and should i put her to sleep, even though she shows no sign of pain? Palliative Care for Cats With FIP . The average lifespan of a positive testing cat is about two to three years. Answer: I'm sorry about your cat. Share this conversation. Providing a cat with the quality nutritious food can help for a few months. Treatment of FIP . Answered in 3 minutes by: 12/10/2008. FIP is thought to spread through feces; the virus can stay active for a long period of time, until surfaces are thoroughly disinfected. Unfortunately, cats that are at highest risk for FIP (e.g., pedigreed cattery and shelter reared cats) are inevitably exposed to FECV long before 16 weeks of age. Checking cat health. Show Less. Cat Vet: Lynn, Veterinary Assistant replied 11 years ago. You may know Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) isn’t a death sentence for cats. They are similar to those FIV+ can develop —poor wound healing, chronic upper respiratory infections, etc. It depends on the severity of the anemia but if Princess needs a blood transfusion, I suspect it's really bad and she may not last long. Straight away you can see part of the problem; testing positive for coronavirus doesn’t mean the cat has FIP, it just means the cat has been exposed to a bug that causes diarrhoea. Histopathology of tissues in an infected cat can confirm FIP. I painfully learned about Feline FIP, feline infectiousperitonitis, long before I became a veterinarian. Current research is trying to develop immunosuppressive drugs that slow disease progression. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) causes inapparent or mild enteritis in cats, but a highly fatal disease, called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), can arise through mutation of FECV to FIP virus (FIPV). FIV treatment in cats; How long does a cat with FIV live? General information about disease prognosis doesn't necessarily apply to any given patient. Show Less. Show More. FIP Symptoms. Further, cats with wet FIP usually are much sicker than cats with dry FIP, so they often are euthanized earlier, he said. Kitten. This means that vaccination is least effective in cats that are at highest risk, and most effective in cats at lowest risk (i.e., pet cats from homes with one or … Ask Your Own Cat Question. FCoV can live in carpets and soft surfaces for as much as seven weeks. When a cat gets FIP, it is progressive and almost always fatal. How Long Can My Year Old Healthy Cat Live With Fip. Diagnosing FIP is like having a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with now ideal of what the finished picture looks like. Dr. Utchen my cat just passed away from a disease called FIP. Unfortunately, routine blood testing for feline coronavirus is not clinically useful. If the cat develops anemia, they may need blood transfusions. The disease is considered to be incurable and it’s quite difficult to access efficient therapeutic protocol in order to prolong the survival time of patients. Since most American homes with a cat actually have more than one cat, a diagnosis of FIP causes double upset: the illness of one cat and possible exposure of the other cat to a serious infectious disease. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment or cure for FIP in cats. December 15, 2015 Categories: Shelter Medicine. It likely cannot live as long in your home, but two weeks is the maximum that has been shown. Joined Nov 8, 2017 Messages 8 Purraise 1. My cat has FIP. Cats may experience excessive thirst and urination, fluid retention, intestinal disorders and vomiting. Thread starter Marcia M; Start Date Nov 8, 2017; Nov 8, 2017 #1 M. Marcia M TCS Member Thread starter. Show More. how long does my cat have to live if she has fip? Drain fluid for cats with the wet form. How to prevent IVF in cats? The effusive form of FIP is more serious and the survival time varies from days to a couple of weeks, while cats with non-effusive form can live for months. (However a negative test does rule out FIP.) We hope this is helpful. I have other cats and that concerns me. Unlike those with FIV, FELV cats do NOT live a long nor healthy life after they are infected. 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