FAQ Group: Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Some cats test positive on the coronavirus titer test, some do not. Those which have never been exposed to ANY form of coronavirus are called “seronegative.” Those which have been exposed to some form of coronavirus are called “seropositive.” The Winn Foundation-sponsored research felt the Cornell study was flawed because it used cats which hadContinue reading What is a seropositive cat?

The consensus arrived at the seminar sponsored by the Winn Foundation on FIP/FECV is that the enhanced disease effect is a laboratory phenomenon, especially since that study by Cornell only used seropositive cats in the first place.

Well, Cornell concluded from the above that vaccine efficacy in a laboratory setting is highly dependent on the challenge. It offers protection at low challenge doses, none at higher doses. The problem is, no one knows what the “real world” dose level is. Another problem is that there are actually two strains of FIPV. JustContinue reading So are these the only test results?

There is a vaccine available, but it is controversial and some vets do not recommend it, although others highly encourage it. The manufacturer’s tests state that it has an efficacy rate (protection rate in this case) of 69%. Cornell Feline Health Center then did a study which said the vaccine failed to show any protection,Continue reading What about the vaccine?

There is a test which will look for the presence of coronavirus antibodies in your cat’s blood. If your cat has been exposed to a coronavirus, ANY coronavirus, its immune system will build up antibodies to it, and the titer tests for the level of those antibodies in the blood. But it does not distinguishContinue reading Is there a test?

Most household soaps, detergents and disinfecting agents will kill the virus. Make sure you wash any part thoroughly that has come in contact with the cat (don’t forget your pants if the cat rubbed up against you). Bleach in a 1:32 solution is suggested for decontamination purposes.

Wouldn’t we all like to know! Seriously, there seems to be two schools of thought. One group (from Cornell-based publications and seminars) states that the spread is not known with certainty, but is believed to be by ingestion or inhalation of the virus. The other school of thought (from Dr. Pedersen and the UC, DavisContinue reading How is it transmitted?

If your cat comes in regular contact with other cats (i.e.: a multi-cat household), the answer is YES! The lowest risk groups are indoor only, single-cat households. The higher the number of cats, the more risk of FIP. The higher the number of cats, the higher the titer test results (more on titers below). Single-catContinue reading Is my cat at risk?

FIP is a disease. Normally the disease/virus relationship is simple, but this is not the case with FIP. FIP may be caused by many things, perhaps an isolated FIP virus (FIPV), perhaps a mutation of FECV, or perhaps there are multiples viruses which can all lead the the same disease complex known as FIP. ThereContinue reading What are the differences between FIP and FECV?

FIP usually appears in one of two forms: Effusive (wet) and Non-Effusive (dry). It should not be thought, however, that there are two different FIP diseases. The results of the infection are a continuum on a scale, with the ‘wet version’ being one end, the ‘dry version’ being in the middle, and a ‘carrier’ beingContinue reading What are the symptoms of FIP?