Hi all, I am new to the forum although I have been reading this website for months in pursuit of my new bengal kitten. Sushi is 6 months old and within the last 2 months her health has been deteriorating. After numerous tests, the vet told us that she has dry FIP although her FIP results came back negative.


Her symptoms:
- She started out eating litter, licking cement. I thought that was a sign of anemia.
- Her eye became red and has not healed in 2 months. It looks similar to uveitis although dry FIP has these symptoms.

- Now she is very disoriented, her back legs are "cramped" when she walks and when she shakes her head she falls over. She cannot jump too much and she is always off balance when she walks.


We took her for numerous tests and her blood work - potassium, RBC, WBC, hepatic function is fine. Two FIP tests came back negative. The vet is sure she has dry FIP but we think she may have neuropathy.

Is neuropathy and dry FIP commonly misdiagnosed? We have given her prednisone but after 4 days she is still somewhat the same condition. I feel very bad and she seems like she is in pain but we have been to the best animal hospital in this city and they are set on her having dry FIP.

The reason I dont think she has dry FIP is because 1) the test came back negative (although it isnt 100% definitive) and at one point 2) she was so sick once she could not walk and slept and peed in the same spot and now she has improved. I thought that dry FIP would be consistently downhill and not have kittens improve.

Opinions are welcome - we are stumped and really dont know what else we should do :(

The tests for FIP are not definitive - they still don't have a full grasp on the disease and it's causes. I lost a cat to wet FIP about 11 years ago and I can tell you it was nothing but downhill FAST with her. She was fine in the morning, by the afternoon she was listless and we were off to the vet. She stayed overnight on fluids while they tried to figure it out. Transferred her to a specialist the next day - another night of constant care and I had to put her to sleep the day after.

I have also dealt with what I'm pretty sure was a case of Bengal Polyneuropathy with Diesel. Although our vet never did diagnose it as such we followed a steroid treatment protocol (along with antibiotics because his white cell count was quite high) and he slowly recovered over a coupe of months. His only symptoms were wobbly hind legs and not being able to jump at all that came on very suddenly. If it is neuropathy you need more than 4 days of steroids - it could take a couple of weeks on steroids to see noticeable improvement.

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Dallas, TX USA
Diesel - snow Bengal born 09/01/2013 adopted Feb 2014
Tuck, Chloe, Buddy, Lewis & Tia - rescue kitties
Clyde, Bleu & Coal - Great Danes

I am so very sorry you and your kitty are going through this. Test results can be wrong. Happens every day. Are they not looking for something else? Test for something else? It sounds like the vet hospital has done just about everything. The internet is a good place to read up on illness and diagnosis and treatments. However, every cat is different. It sounds like your little one is having a horrific time and is not doing well. This happens sometimes. The problems could have started prior to your ever taking possession of the kitten. Have you talked with the breeder? Do they have any other sick kittens? I know of a breeder in NY who has been selling sick bengals -- with some of the litters even dying. I don't know what recourse you might have against the breeder when you don't have a definitive diagnosis.

I'm afraid you have to go with what your vet suggests. You want to see improvement in your baby's health! We cat owners are about willing to try anything and everything to save our babies. FIP doesn't have a good outcome, unfortunately.

You say you have her at the best vet hospital in your city. You can always try the second best .... facilities are very different as vets are quite different and a second opinion can often help.

So sorry you are going through this it's absolutely awful.

I lost my lovely Snow Bengal, Dexter to Wet FIP at 9 months old.

He had been a poorly kitten for a while with TF infection which I think the stress of caused the FIP.

He was just very listless and his abdomen was swollen badly.

Loads of (((hugs))) to you. I've also seen your other post so do seek a second opinion if you are not sure.

Take care.

Debbie x

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Oscar and Jasper (or one ear and two ears as dh calls them) black rescue mogges

RIP my sweet baby Dexter, Snow Bengal 19/5/14 to 5/3/15 and my lovely dear old friend Muskey, Brown Burmese put to rest aged 15 on 14/11/15.

Debbie

sorry to hear that you are having a horrible time at the moment, i hope things improve for you very soon, I am new here and I was wondering what is FIP please?

1CrazyMum, the easiest way to find out the various health issues with cats is to check out the Health Care section of this forum.