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As recently as 3 years ago, all cat veterinarians and shelters lived in fear of feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP. At the time, this disease was 100% fatal and could strike at any time. Most often, it was seen in kittens who seemed healthy and then after adoption or getting spayed or neutered, they’d become progressively sicker, lose weight, and fluid would accumulate in their abdomen or chest. Happily, that has changed.
FIP is a syndrome. It’s not a simple cause and effect, but more of a recipe or a process. First, a cat must be exposed to a common, relatively benign virus called feline enteric coronavirus, or FeCoV. FeCoV only affects cats and in adult cats, it will often make them feel puny for a couple of days, they’ll have a decrease in appetite, and a few days of diarrhea.
In kittens, though, the diarrhea can be severe enough that they can die, and it’s probably one of
the leading causes of kitten death in shelters and rescues. It’s also highly contagious. Once it’s
introduced into a multi-cat environment, it is rapidly passed from cat-to-cat.
Once a cat has the FIP-variant coronavirus, they have the first part of the recipe to potentially develop
FIP. We know that there appears to be a genetic predisposition. In catteries and breeding colonies, we’ll see FIP develop only in certain family lines, even though the whole facility is exposed to the same viruses and environmental factors. We think that all cats that develop FIP probably have an immune system that isn’t quite as healthy or robust as some others, and it makes them more likely to fall ill.
The final factor we usually see is what we call a trigger event. This event does not cause FIP all by itself. Rather, it provides just a tiny bit of additional physiological stress that further suppresses the immune system and provides a window for the virus to replicate in an uncontrolled fashion.
The Good News is that FIP is Now Treatable!
Once we find it, it can be treated. There’s a new treatment not yet approved in the United States that inhibits viral replication. It’s called GS-441524 (or GS, for short), and if pet owners can find it, we have at least an 80% cure rate when this medication is given at the appropriate dose for the appropriate time. Treatment is most often about 84 days, or 12 weeks, but it can be longer if a cat is very sick,
or the dose needs to be adjusted.
For cats affected with FIP and their families, this drug is nothing short of a miracle. All affected cats need to have their other symptoms treated, including nausea medications and appetite stimulants as needed, pain medications as needed, fluids if they’re dehydrated, antibiotics if they have other concurrent infections, and sometimes steroids to help reduce inflammation and make them more comfortable while the treatment is working. Cats who start on GS will usually show marked, obvious improvement within 2 or 3 days of starting the medication.
The Cats at Longstreet has been able to help treat dozens of FIP cats in the past 3 years, and we have found our place in helping to educate other rescues and pet owners. Treatment on average is around $2,000-3,000 for most cats. We’ve reached a time of radical change in feline medicine and are honored to be able to help spread the word that FIP is no longer a death sentence.