Introduction
The majority of cats that are infected with feline coronavirus do not develop clinical signs of disease. However, those that do tend to have a poor prognosis. When clinical disease develops, it is called feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP.
Symptoms of FIP
Cats with FIP often show no symptoms of illness. When signs do appear, they can vary widely and usually are nonspecific. Symptoms of FIP can include:
- Insidious onset of persistent fever that is unresponsive to antibiotic treatment
- Lack of appetite (inappetance, anorexia)
- Weight loss (gradual)
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Depression
- Weakness
- Stunted growth
- Dull hair coat
- Dehydration
- Abdominal distention or enlargement (ascites; fluid effusion; seen with the wet form of FIP)
- Labored breathing (wet form)
- Inflammation of the eye (dry form)
There are two clinical presentations of FIP, called the wet (effusive) form and the dry (non-effusive) form. They cause different clinical signs in affected cats, but the treatment options and prognosis are unfortunately equally poor. The wet form of FIP causes an accumulation of fluid in the cat’s chest and/or abdominal cavity, which can lead to respiratory difficulty and a distinctive pot-bellied appearance. The dry form affects the same parts of the body, but it does not cause fluid accumulation. The dry form may eventually progress to the wet form, if the patient lives long enough.
Cats at Increased Risk
FIP is primarily a disease of young cats, between 6 months and 2 years of age. Cats over 14 years of age also seem to be predisposed to developing FIP. Males are more commonly affected than are females, and purebred cats are at an increased risk of developing this disease – especially Asian breeds, such as the Birman and Himalayan. Animals that are malnourished or suffering from other illnesses are also more susceptible to contracting clinical FIP. FIP is most common in catteries, animal shelters, boarding facilities and multi-cat households.