_________________
- Dawn

http://www.nutkitty.com

I mentioned FIP to the vet and they said that they will test if no improvement by Monday. Poor little fella hating every minute up there. He was hissing at nurse which is something he NEVER does. He's normally like a baby.
I was also in touch with his breeder who confirmed that there is no history of FIP with any of her cats so maybe that is something, Does anyone know?? I am worried though because he does appear to have a few of the symptoms.

It's good that he's spitting at the nurses - maybe not for them but it shows he's got fighting spirit.

FIP is a mutation of the corona virus which is a virus that is often present in multi-cat households. Nobody really knows why it mutates into FIP in some cats when others just deal with it without any symptoms. It's good that you're in contact with the breeder and that she's not had any FIP cases before, although unfortunately it doesn't mean it can't be that.

There's a multitude of other things it could be so fingers crossed that the vets find out quickly and can treat it.

_________________

No improvement this morning. Belly still very swollen. He is eating a little but I'm really starting to think that it is FIP. The more I read about it the more convinced I am. Wha happens if it is? Do I need to get him put to sleep? Couldn't bare to make decision like that

_________________

Aw honi , possitive vibes on their way to you & franco xx

Ginny & Elaine have given excellent info. This subject is difficult to explain.

The test for Corona is just a place to start and a positive test doesn't mean that a cat has FIP.

Many cats are exposed to Corona. Very few develop FIP. They must be genetically predisposed.

Hopefully your vet will help you figure out how to proceed. There are ways to try to treat it IF it is FIP but there are no treatments that "cure" it YET!

I hope and pray that this discussion ends up being completely unnecessary--but I thought I would share a bit of my experience.

You mentioned that Monday they were testing fluids. Do you mean a blood test or would they be testing the fluids in the belly?

I never had the fluid withdrawn from my kitty King's belly because the vet was certain he had wet FIP --because of his swollen belly, high Corona titre, his fever, lethargy etc...and the fact that his half sister had died of FIP just a few months earlier..And I just "knew" it was FIP the first day he started acting really lethargic.

I just didn't want to put King through the ordeal. It is a personal decision how much you want to do in the way of testing and treating.

Some people may disagree with me about this and feel that "everything" must be done before helping the cat "cross the bridge". But unfortunately, with FIP, the outcome is always the same in the end. And definitive diagnosis is only made with a necropsy.

King's necropsy showed he had "Wet FIP" and more tests and treatments were not going to change that. I feel good about the decision I made not to prolong his suffering. There were a lot of things to consider with King--symptoms, Corona test results, a family history of the same illness, that all helped me decide what to do. Without the family history part, it would have been much harder to proceed.

When it happed to Mariah several months earlier, I didn't know what FIP was and she had the "dry" form. It took longer to figure out what was going on and unfortunately, she progressed further with the illness and suffered for it. I hate that but I can't change it now.

Try to remain strong, we are here for you and Franco. I will hope that he does not have FIP. Big hugs for you both. Please contact me by pm if you need anything at all. xxoo

Thanks everyone. Julie can't believe you went through this twice. Do you mind me asking all the symptoms that King and Mariah had?
To be honest I wasn't actually that concerned for Franco until the other day when I noticed the belly. He was just very lethargic but that is going on a few weeks. I thought that he was just very lazy( We had a domestic cat like that growing up who just loved to sleep) Then the appetite started to really go. Also he appeared to be stiff. He was missing the liierbox when going to the toilet, but myself and vet thought that he had injured himself.
Apart from that there were no symptoms, no fever, vomiting or diahorea etc.