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.

The symptom list for this disease ranges from sneezing, to fever, to personality changes, to entire body system breakdown. There is weight loss, anemia, depression, and the list goes on.

The root cause of FIP is exposure to coronavirus (FCoV). Catteries are at high risk for the spread of these infections, because infected cats will shed coronavirus in their feces and saliva. Not all cats exposed to the virus will display symptoms, and not all will all develop FIP either.

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.

Antibody tests for feline FIP are inconclusive. Exposure to the virus can cause a cat's immune system to produce antibodies, whether or not he or she ever actually develops the disease. Since detection is critical in order to prevent the spread of any communicable disease, this makes FIP even 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.

Additional symptoms will depend on what form of the disease is present, wet or dry. Some cats may have combinations of both forms.

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 with the dry type, or non-effusive, include signs of ocular problems, or neurological issues, such as wobbling. In addition, affected cats may have masses on the lymph nodes, kidneys, in the eyes, and the brain. Visible signs may include a change in color or a cloudy appearance 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.

Once a cat has been diagnosed, FIP is generally considered to be fatal. Since this incurable disease can show up many years after exposure to the virus, it has taken a number of cat owners by surprise. On the positive side, this illness affects less than one percent of the general cat population. In catteries, however, the infection rate can be as high as 20 percent.

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Kurt Schmitt keeps cat lovers informed about fip symptoms as well as other cat illnesses.