Fip Cat Diseases

FIP stands for Feline Infectious Peritonitis and is caused by the coronavirus infection. FIP is rare, but fatal. The disease can affect all types of felines, including lions and cheetahs. The virus can be found in saliva and feces and is spread by cat-to-cat contact through litter boxes, bedding and water dishes.

  1. Feline Enteric Coronavirus

    • FIP develops from a simple intestinal virus called Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FECV). In some cats, the virus mutates and becomes FIP. According to Long Beach Animal Hospital, it is unknown why the virus mutates. Homes with multiple cats have a higher risk of their pets developing FIP because of the continual infection and re-infection of FECV. According to Pet Education, 5 percent of cats that live in homes with multiple cats or in catteries develop the fatal FIP and die. Cats with Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency have a low immune system and are at a higher risk of the virus mutating.

    Dry Mutation

    • According to Pet Education, one quarter of cats with FIP have the dry mutation. The symptoms of dry FIP are slower to progress and can start with weight loss, fever and a loss of appetite. The cat may also become lethargic. As the disease progresses, the symptoms will depend on the organs that develop granulomas, or nodules. If the nervous system is affected, symptoms can range from paralysis to convulsions to urinary incontinence. If a granuloma develops in the eye, the pupil may look irregular and the iris discolored. There is no treatment for FIP. Cats that develop the dry mutation of FIP can live up to a year after symptoms manifest.

    Wet Mutation

    • Wet mutation starts off the same as dry mutation. The cat may experience weight loss, loss of appetite and be lethargic. The biggest difference between wet and dry mutation is wet mutation progresses rapidly. As the disease progress, the cat will become pot-bellied as fluid builds up in its abdomen. There is a chance the fluid can also build in the chest causing respiratory distress. As with dry mutation, there is no cure. Cats usually die within two months of showing wet mutation symptoms.

    Prevention

    • Pet owners of multiple cats can help stop the spread of the disease by cleaning litter boxes of feces daily and disinfecting and throwing out old litter once a week. Also keep the litter away from the cat's food and water. Owners, who want more than one cat, should limit the number of cats living under one roof to four or five and should keep the cats separated as much as possible to lower the risk of transmittal.