Cat disease FIP

Note at the beginning: The content of this blog post applies equally to cats and tomcats. For the sake of simplicity, we use the term cat here.

Together with Sabrina from sallyfipfighter, we would like to use this article to provide information about the cat disease FIP and encourage all those affected by FIP. FIP is the most common cause of death in young cats. But the disease no longer has to be a death sentence and there are the first signs of a possible cure. As Sabrina says: "You have nothing to lose, if you don't try, you've already lost."

No. 1
What exactly is FIP?

Almost every cat owner has heard of this cat disease. FIP is the abbreviation for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. This is a serious infectious disease, usually in the cat's peritoneum or pleura. The virus attacks the envelope, i.e. the protective skin, of the internal organs. FIP is caused by an aggressive mutation of the feline coronavirus FCoV. This has nothing to do with the current Sars-CoV-2 pandemic; there are different virus variants.

Around 80 to 90 % of cats carry the FCoV virus, which generally colonises the cat's intestines. Only in 3 to 5 % of cases does the virus mutate into FIP. It is comparable to herpes. Many of us humans are carriers, only some of us have an outbreak. Cats initially have no problems or impairments due to FCoV. At most, some animals may have a mild cold or diarrhoea. As a rule, cats' immune systems can cope well with this virus so that the infection does not take a drastic course as long as the virus does not mutate.

No. 2
What causes FIP?

Feline coronavirus is passed on via contact with the saliva, faeces or nasal secretions of an infected cat. For example, cats excrete it in the litter tray. Sharing the litter tray with several animals contributes to the rapid spread of the virus. People or objects can also be carriers. The risk of infection increases, especially when many cats live together in a small space. Domestic and indoor cats rarely become infected with the virus. The risk of FIP can be reduced by keeping young cats in particular away from large populations and paying careful attention to hygiene in the cat's home.

However, an infection does not necessarily mean an acute illness. In some cases, the disease does not break out at all. The dangerous thing is a possible mutation of the coronavirus in the cat's body into the FIP virus. It is not always possible to say exactly how such a mutation occurs. It is often the case in young or older cats whose immune system is still or no longer stable. In most cases, young cats aged between six months and two years or older cats aged 14 years and over contract FIP. Various triggers such as stress, poor nutrition, a weakened intestinal flora or other infections can lead to a mutation of the FCoV.

The immune system can then no longer withstand the virus. It is often assumed that a combination of a weakened, not yet fully stable immune system and prophylactic worming and vaccination is the trigger. This was the case with Sabrina's cat Sally from sallyfipfighter, for example.

No. 3
Forms of FIP

If the cat's immune system is so weakened that the infection breaks out, FIP can occur in two forms. The wet form is characterised by the appearance of fluid in the cat's chest or abdomen. This also changes the external body shape of the cat, its belly becomes pear-shaped. This is accompanied by fever, loss of appetite, apathy and peritonitis. The dry form is characterised by nodular changes in the tissue and is usually more difficult to detect. Often there are also neurological and ocular forms, changes in the eyes or paralyses.

The dry FIP has a variety of signs such as recurring fever, loss of appetite, apathy, jaundice, eye changes, paralysis, behavioural changes or even breathing difficulties. Due to these many different symptoms, the disease cannot always be recognised immediately. A mixed form of FIP can also occur.

No. 4
Signs and symptoms of FIP

A cat infected with FIP can show various symptoms. Fever often occurs, the cat hardly eats and appears apathetic. The following symptoms can be signs of FIP:

_Fever
_Loss of appetite
_Fluid accumulation in the abdomen
_lethargy _ jaundice
_Change in behaviour
_Anaemia
_Breathing difficulties
_Lymph nodes

No. 5
Diagnosis of FIP

FIP cannot be detected by a single test. A careful, conscientious examination and diagnosis are therefore essential. The diagnosis of the cat disease can be made using the following methods:

_Geriatric differential blood count
_Electrophoresis plus protein
_Leucocytes
_haemoglobin
_Erythrocytes
_Ultrasound / X-ray
_Puncture of the fluid
_Rivalry sample
_PCR test

No. 6
First hope?

Until now, FIP was the death sentence for every cat. Since 2019, there has been a first glimmer of hope. Scientists led by Niels Pederson from the University of California treated 31 cats with dry and wet FIP with the nucleoside analogue GS-441524. 25 of the animals that had become infected naturally survived the disease and were healthy at the time the study was published. GS-441524 is a tiny drug, only about 1nm in size and weighing less than 900 daltons, which can easily penetrate the cells. There it prevents virus replication. However, this drug is not yet freely available. The company GS holds the patent on the formulation and is using the drug in a series of tests in the fight against Ebola. They have not yet released the formulation for imitation. This is because if this formulation achieves a breakthrough in human medicine, the financial proceeds are likely to be higher than in veterinary medicine. GS-441524 is currently not a medicine, it is not authorised, it is merely a formulation.

At the end of 2019, veterinarian Dr Hartmann from the LMU in Munich submitted a trial application. She wants to prove that the therapy actually works so that veterinarians can legally use the active ingredient. The study on GS-441524 has been running at the LMU in Munich since mid-2021. We very much hope that the study is a complete success and that the drug will hopefully be authorised in the future. The drug is not yet officially available.

Nevertheless, cats have already been successfully treated. FIP is no longer a death sentence. The treatment takes 84 days. It is not an easy path, but it is worth it. Sabrina and her cats from sallyfipfighter have experienced it themselves and know what they are talking about: It's worth the fight. You can read Sabrina's story in her book: Diary of a brave little cat. Just have a look at sallyfipfighter. If you are affected yourself or suspect that you have FIP, don't give up. Have a look at the social networks, you will find lots of help there. You are not alone. "Courage is the beginning, happiness is the reward", as Sabrina writes to us.

In collaboration with Sabrina from @sallyfipfighter