Fip In Cats How Do They Get It

In rare cases the coronavirus may mutate to a more virulent form which is able to weaken the cats immune system and spread.

Fip in cats how do they get it. This because the FIP is caused by a genetic mutation of feline Corona virus. In most cats the coronavirus normally stays in the intestines and either causes no problems or just mild diarrhea. Feline infectious peritonitis FIP is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus.

The first factor is that the cat comes from a multicat environment suchas a shelter or a breeding facility. The wet form of FIP is caused by the virus making the walls of blood vessels leaky which allows fluids to leak out. Its caused by an infection with the coronavirus but only a few infected cats end up with FIP.

When cats have no immune response to FCoV they develop the wet form of FIP which is characterized by a vasculitis that allows fluid to build up in the abdomen ascites around the lungs pleural effusion andor around the heart pericardial effusion. Your vet may already have done blood work to look for common FIP markers. Feline infectious peritonitis FIP is a viral disease of cats that occurs throughout the world and is almost invariably a fatal disease.

If you have other cats in the household who were exposed to your FIP cat it is recommended that you test them for FCoV antibodies every 3-6 months to determine if they are shedding the virus. However there is another group of cats aged 11 years or over that also seem at risk. These include a cats young age in particular kittens between 3 months to 2 years old a genetic breed tendency the cats immune status stress levels and the dose and virulence of the virus as well as high infection rates in the households shelters and catteries where there.

How do cats contract FIP. Feline infectious peritonitis is caused by mutation of certain strains of the coronavirus. Ask your vet for a blood chemistry panel.

The healthy cat will likely have blood tests indicating exposure to coronavirus for the 3-6 months after the death of the sick cat. While most cats recover from FCoV infection some factors could increase the likelihood of FIP developing. If you know of an infected cat you need to keep cats that arent infected well away from the cat and any objects they come in contact with.