Is Your Cat at Risk for Feline Infectious Peritonitis?
Most cat owners have never heard of this disease, known as FIP. Although it is not as common as many other diseases of cats it is invariably fatal. It usually causes a slow, wasting disease with signs involving the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract or eyes. Symptoms may include fluid build up in the abdomen, fever, weight loss, diarrhea, coughing or sneezing.
There is no cure for FIP but there is now a vaccine. The vaccine is given as nose drops and requires two initial vaccinations about four weeks apart and then annual boosters. The vaccine is only about 60-80% effective - in other words it is not a guarantee against infection but it's better than nothing.
FIP virus is not as hardy as viruses like distemper, which can survive for years in the environment. However it can persist where a sick cat has been for as long as several months and it is sturdy enough to be transported into your home on your shoes or clothes. It is most contagious via direct contact between cats, so the more cats your cat is exposed to and the more time he or she spends outside the higher the risk for this disease. It is a very frequent cause of death in outdoor or barn cats and cat breeding facilities.
Unfortunately, there is no good blood test to diagnose this disease. Blood antibody titers for FIP show exposure to the virus but don't tell us whether a cat actually has the disease. Most of the time the disease is diagnosed after death on post mortem exam or via fluid collected from the abdomen of a sick cat.
Whether you choose to vaccinate your cat for this disease is up to you. However, we certainly encourage you to think about this vaccine if your cats go outdoors, if you show or breed them or if you have more than one cat.
