Veterinary Advice on FIP in Cats (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP in cats) is a severe, debilitating, and progressive disease. In most cases, with a fatal outcome.
Distributed worldwide, it specifically affects felines, both domestic cats (Felis catus) and wild cats (lynxes, leopards, pumas, cheetahs, etc ) Cats of all ages can become ill. But, FIP symptoms in kittens are more frequent, in ages between 2-3 months to 2-3 years.
In this article, we will discuss in depth everything you need to know about FIP. A disease that is as alarming for cat owners as it is devastating for felines
How do Cats Get FIP?
FeCV lodges in the intestine of cats and causes a chronic infection of the digestive cells. It does not produce symptoms or generate self-limiting transient diarrhea.
Due to random errors during replication in the digestive cells, the FeCV can mutate, giving origin to a pathological and harmful viral form. This new virus can travel through the cat's intestinal wall invading the White Blood Cells and disseminating throughout the animal's body. This gives rise to the disease called Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).
The cat's immune system detects the virus and generates antibodies against it But these antibodies are "non-neutralizing" They cannot prevent viral replication It is the cat´s own inflammatory reaction that produces the symptoms of the disease.
How is FIP Transmitted?
FeCV is very contagious. The most frequent form of transmission is the fecal-oral route. Most felines shed the virus in feces for only a few months, but a small percentage shed the virus for life
The second, less frequent transmission route is through oro-nasal secretions (saliva and mucus).
Finally, transplacental transmission from mothers to kittens. This route still needs confirmation with further studies
The virus is fragile in the environment and dies in approximately 24 to 36 hours outside the host's body. But it can live for several months in cold climates that preserve its vitality.
The virus enters the body of healthy cats by ingestion or inhalation. The direct form of contagion is close contact with carrier animals The indirect way is through objects contaminated with feces (sandboxes, feeders, bedding, etc.).