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What do you need to know about feline infectious peritonitis? It is said that breeders fear feline FIP more than any other disease, and it is the leading infectious cause of cat death. Infection rates are high where crowded conditions exist. This fatal communicable disease is difficult to diagnose. It's symptoms are many and varied, and tests are sometimes inconclusive. Affected cats may experience symptoms ranging from sneezing, to personality changes, to fever. In addition, there is weight loss, anemia, depression, and eventually fatal body system breakdown. The cause of FIP is a coronavirus infection (FCoV). Infected cats will shed coronavirus in their saliva and feces, which is why cattery residents are at high risk. Crowded locations allow the virus to spread from cat to cat. The good news is that not all cats exposed to the virus will experience symptoms, nor will all develop feline FIP. The majority of otherwise healthy cats will fight off the virus. They will, however, shed FCoV for up to two months. Some exposed cats will at some point develop FIP. The onset of FIP can actually sometimes be weeks, months, or years after the initial exposure. The feline FIP symptom list includes symptoms common to many other conditions. In addition, symptoms can be very individualized which may not raise a red flag right away. To make things a bit more complicated, there are two types of the disease. Also, different areas of the body may be affected, depending upon the cat. It is therefore difficult to speculate about or diagnose this disease on symptoms alone. A cat may produce antibodies when exposed to the virus, but this does not mean the cat will develop FIP. Testing for the presence of antibodies, therefore, is not conclusive for diagnosis. A positive antibody test simply means only that the cat was exposed to the virus at some point. Since control of the spread of a disease like this is dependent upon diagnosis, this makes FIP that much more dangerous. With respect to signs and symptoms, some cats will show evidence of a respiratory infection and sneezing. In younger cats, the most common signs are a recurring fever that doesn't respond to antibiotics, failure to grow, and increased laziness. Other symptoms may include watery eyes, sneezing, intestinal problems, and nasal discharge. Some cats may have combinations of both the wet and the dry forms of the disease. Additional symptoms will vary depending upon which form a cat has. A yellow fluid in the chest or abdomen is characteristic of the wet, or effusive, form of FIP. This can cause the abdomen to take on a swollen appearance, as well as breathing problems. Symptoms for the dry, or non-effusive type include the growth of masses in the eyes and brain, the kidneys, and lymph nodes. In addition, there may be signs of neurological disorders such as loss of balance, and eye problems with a change in color or cloudiness in the iris of the eye. Considering the seriousness of this disease, and realizing how difficult diagnosis and detection is, it's important that you limit your cat's exposure to cats that may be infected. While exposure to a coronavirus infection (FCoV) does not ensure that your cat will develop FIP, it's best to minimize your risk. Since this deadly illness can show up many years after exposure to the virus, it has taken a number of cat owners by surprise. There is no cure at the present time, and is generally considered to be fatal once a diagnosis is made. The good news is that feline FIP is relatively uncommon, affecting less than one percent of the general cat population. The infection rate in catteries is much higher and can reach 20 percent.
Article Source: http://www.philvault.com
Kurt Schmitt publishes the website for cat lovers keeping you informed about feline infectious peritonitis and other cat illness symptoms.
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