Fip Or Fat?

Raeny

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Hello all~ And I apologies in advance for the big wall of text you're about to see.

So our purebred Ragdoll 11 month old cat, Sora, suddenly developed a swelled abdomen a few days ago. To us, it appeared out of nowhere, possibly overnight or maybe within 2 days at most (by our estimate). The swelling is located a little higher up than most fat I've seen on overweight/obese cats. Not exactly on the chest but the mid-section and it's most noticeable on his sides, like he swallowed a ball or something and it's bulging from the sides rather than the bottom.



(Doesn't look much but it's definitely noticeable in person.)

We took him to the vet 2 days ago and according to him it's just fat. We're really hoping it's just fat because FIP would be worse.

In terms of his diet, he has been overfed for a while. 3 cans of 3 oz. cans of wet cat food daily for maybe 2 months, and 4 cans daily that lasted around 2 weeks (I know, it's bad. We were ignorant with the amount he's supposed to consume and assumed he was supposed to eat more than normal cats because of his breed being on the larger side; now we're back to feeding him only 2 cans a day and taking him on walks for exercise.) This does support the fact that Sora is just fat but it still baffled us why his fat appeared suddenly instead of gradually and that the fat is only presenting around his belly and nowhere else.

As for other signs/symptoms besides the belly swell, is lethargy. Ragdolls are already known for being more chill than other cat breeds so we can't even say if his lethargy is severe or not. Sora's already been the type to like sleeping ALL DAY (his usual routine is 2-3 days of all-day sleeping, one day of a couple hours of activeness/playfulness). This time around he still tries to play with his toys by trying to reach and grab them with his paws but he doesn't actively get up and chase it anymore. Now, we aren't sure if this lethargy is something severe or just a sign of being fat=lazy.

Another thing he's been doing that he never did is squeak when we try to pick him up. He never meowed in his entire life, only squeaks and only when he wants food or if we accidentally step on his tail or something. We aren't sure if it's due to pain from his gut being pressed but he squeaks even if we try to avoid touching his gut now too. This has been going on for a few days now, since the belly swelling started showing. We're assuming he finds it painful or, at the very least, uncomfortable for his gut area to be touched.

Other than that, he's presenting nothing else that could indicate it's FIP. No fevers, no weight loss (if anything, he's gained weight and he begs for food now because we've been cutting his portions down from what he's used to getting), no difficulty breathing...so what's really concerning us the most is the belly swell. The vet said he could take an x-ray to give us piece of mind but when he initially told us he thinks (confident, even) it's just fat because it goes along his diet and his age (puts on weight more easily now), it put us off having to pay a lot of $$ for an x-ray.

For those with experience with wet FIP, does the swelling of the abdomen happen suddenly? Or gradually? Does my cat's swollen abdomen look/sound like it could be FIP?

Any insight on this matter will be greatly appreciated!

____

A little backstory about Sora:
Last year around October (at around 6 months), he got his poop tested and his blood drawn and tested. We took him to the vet at the time because he was presenting problems from a runny nose, drooling, and even neurological signs (he kept walking in circles and looked as if he couldn't see; this particular symptom only lasted a few minutes though). This lasted for only half a day which was when we left Sora home alone. Later that night, after giving him a lot of attention, he was completely fine. (So my husband and I assumed he has separation anxiety or something.) Tests were also completely normal and this incident never happened again.

I'm only mentioning this because I'm wondering if, during the blood draw and the tests they did, could they have tested for feline coronavirus at the time? They said they tested his blood for "everything" and everything came back normal. So would this mean he didn't have coronavirus and therefore not possibly have FIP now? (Also for reference, he's the only cat in our house. There are 2 dogs though, but Sora's the only cat and he's strictly indoor until 2 days ago after the vet visit when we started taking him on walks just around our neighborhood but he's had no contact with other cats since the day we got him at the pet shop when he was a month-ish old and when he was 5 months old when we put him in a boarding place while we were out of town for a week).
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. Did you tell the vet about it being painful to Sora when he's picked up? That doesn't seem like that would happen from just being too fat - although I suppose it could cause some sensitivity because of the added weight and how that might affect the way you pick him up.

As far as corona virus testing, you can call the vet's office and ask if that particular test was done and if so, what the result was.

My first cat, Tawny, acquired FIP at age 15. Lethargy and decreased eating happened almost instantaneously with the belly swelling. I am guessing the swelling was probably more gradual than we knew, so I cannot say that it was nearly overnight in terms of when/how it occurred. Weight loss was coincidental to the declined eating - each got worse as the disease progressed. And, I don't know if his older age played a role in how/when the symptoms transpired.

I think you should get the x-ray done.
 
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Raeny

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FeebysOwner FeebysOwner Yes, we told him about the squeaking when he's being picked up but the vet still thinks it's all just fat. I will definitely give them a call to ask about the previous testing done on him though. I didn't think to ask if coronavirus was definitely tested before or not. Thank you as well for the info. based on your experience and I'm sorry your cat has gone through all that. :(

And yes, I think we really will get the x-ray done. This has put us in unease and I think only seeing definite test results can calm us at this point.
 
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Raeny

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Just called the vet to ask about Sora testing positive for coronavirus months ago and they said that yes, he did/does have it but that it's very mild? I don't know what that means for it to be "mild". Showing no signs/symptoms for it, maybe? Because he didn't show any signs of suffering from coronavirus or FIP at the time.

We also scheduled for him to get an x-ray tomorrow so we're just hoping results will show that there won't be any fluids in there and that his swollen abdomen really is just fat. *fingers crossed*
 

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A huge number of cats have corona virus - which is not the same thing as FIP. Corona virus most of the time never mutates to FIP. When it is common is when a kitten/cat hasn't built up their full adult immunity, or their immune system is weakened by other, unrelated illnesses. So, I have no idea what a mild case of corona virus is. They either have it or they don't, and it is not a guarantee that it will mutate to FIP.

So, for now, let's just go with 'fat'! :crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers:
 

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Believe me, a vet could easily tell apart fat and fluid! It's one of the first thing to learn in doing a clinical visit. Do the x-ray, especially if it's the first one, it's good to have a basal exam. But relax
 
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Raeny

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UPDATE:

We took Sora to the vet again earlier for his scheduled x-ray. I went there hopeful that they wouldn't find anything besides fat but unfortunately, that isn't the case. :(

When they did the x-ray, they did find fluid in his abdomen and so they took some out so they could do more testing. We spoke to the vet and asked what he thought it could be and I immediately asked if it was FIP. He said he can't say for sure until they test the sample of the fluid they took but in his opinion for now, he doesn't think it is mainly due to the color & consistency of the fluid. It was more clear-pink in color and watery and he says that if it is FIP for sure, he would have expected the fluid to be more sticky (not really sure if this was the word he used; but basically he meant the consistency would be thicker I think). He hasn't ruled it out entirely yet of course but their waiting for results from the test to check protein levels to know for sure. But for now, he's thinking it isn't. (I'm really hoping it isn't FIP. The other possible causes don't sound good either from cancer to organ failure but somehow I think [and maybe I'm just delusional at this point] that those other possibilities can be better handled and Sora will have a better chance at surviving compared to if it were FIP. So, fingers crossed again.)

He also mentioned that from the x-ray he noticed that Sora's liver was slightly enlarged. He mentioned the kidneys too but I think he said they were normal in size and that it was the liver that was noticeably different in size (again, not entirely sure of the exact words he said; I went blank for a bit, my mind was racing the moment he told us there was fluid inside my baby boy's abdomen T_T). After that, he said they'll test the sample they took which will take 3-5 days. He also referred us to a bigger facility that specializes in more serious cases so we can take Sora there after we get the initial results.

So now we're just waiting for the results and then we'll take Sora to a specialized vet, possibly to get an ultrasound to pinpoint the cause of the abdominal fluid like our current vet recommended but we'll have to talk to the specialist to know all our options first.

I'm still reeling right now that this is all happening. It still doesn't make sense to us because Sora is literally the very picture of a perfectly healthy cat---if you look past the swollen belly and the squeaking he does when we pick up (which we assume is discomfort from pressure on his belly). He still sleeps as usual, plays as usual, eats, drinks, poops, and pees like normal. The only reason why we took him for the x-ray was to ease our minds that there really is nothing wrong with him because we can't see anything wrong with him besides the big belly. I was distraught by the news given to us today but also glad we at least listened to our gut and still took him for an x-ray anyway if this means we're catching (whatever this is) in its earliest form.

I'll be updating here and there from today on about Sora's condition and if there are any changes or developments.
 
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Raeny

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Oh and I thought I'll mention this as well:

We got his blood tested last year on November 29, 2018 for a completely unrelated issue. The vet used that same blood test to refer Sora's current condition (and mentioned we'll have to have it redone to reflect his current condition accurately) and tests revealed that his liver was working perfectly fine at the time his blood was drawn. Results that connected to his liver (and other organs for that matter) on the test was all normal in range.

So whatever change happened to Sora happened between then and last week when we first noticed the swelling.

Not sure if this is relevant, just thought I ought to mention it just in case.
 

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FIP fluid is usually identified by color. It's straw yellow in appearance. Here's hoping that what is happening to your baby is not that.
 

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This all sounds positive, if no other reason than I think your vet is SUPER. And that unto itself is comforting. Keep the faith! And bless Sora for having wonderful parents and vet! No better support system than that! Yes, please keep us posted as often as you are willing/able!:vibes:
 
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Raeny

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Just a little update about Sora:

We're still waiting on results of the test done from the fluid they got from Sora's abdomen, but there has been a change with him.

Yesterday we noticed that his abdomen has gone back to normal in size. The bulge that has been so noticeable on him somehow completely disappear and now he looks like his normal/usual self. To make sure, I measured his abdomen. I measured him before when he was larger and it was 18 inches but now it measures 17 inches. This happened completely overnight yesterday. I measured him again today and his abdomen measures 16.75 inches unless I just measured wrong. Either way, his abdomen definitely went down in size and we can tell just by looking at him. As far as his weight goes (which I've also been monitoring; I've been all over this cat and watching him like a hawk as of late), he went from 9.6 pounds yesterday to 9.2 pounds today. This part I'm a bit concerned about. I'm not sure if it's okay for cats to lose that much weight overnight. He doesn't look any skinnier overall besides his stomach though so I'm thinking its the fluid he lost if he actually did lose it.

Other than that, he still eats and drinks like normal and he also still poops and pees like normal. If anything he's been more playful lately and he's starting to jump more and doesn't squeak anymore when we pick him up either so we think (and hope) the discomfort around his abdomen is also gone.

This might be stupid of us but we're hoping he somehow just peed all the fluid from his abdomen out.
 

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Good news - but kind of strange. Can't wait to hear test results - ruling out FIP. :crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers:

.4 lbs is a whole lot of pee!!!! Was the litter floating inside the litter box?? JK.
I'd ask the vet if that is even remotely possible. Was he put on a diuretic?

But, the search will still be on, I would think, to determine the original increase in his abdominal fluid - and, what now seems to be an overnight reduction.

Looking for your next update!!!
 
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Raeny

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UPDATE:

We got the results from testing done on the fluid taken from Sora. According to my husband (he went to the vet right after gym so I wasn't there with him unfortunately), they couldn't really say where the fluid was coming from and could only tell him that the fluid had "some protein" in it. (All that money and they basically just told us they still don't know anything for sure. *sigh*)

I'm not sure what to make of this but those were apparently the words the vet said. He didn't say it was significantly high or anything so I'm being a little hopeful. But then he also said the vet can't think of anything it could possibly be for now without further testing besides FIP so he's leaning more towards FIP. So now they're testing for that. I looked up online and apparently there's no real test for FIP so I don't know what exactly they are going to do since they didn't take blood from Sora and I'm assuming they're still using the same fluid they pulled out of him last Friday.

He also told my husband that after this test, if they still can't say what it is exactly, our next step would be an ultrasound to hopefully pinpoint the source of the fluid and whatever other answer that test could give us.

For now, I refuse to believe it's FIP. Besides it being a death sentence, I just can't see Sora's symptoms as being that. The color of his fluid was slightly pink and clear, and it was watery, not sticky. Results also said the fluid had some protein in it and I thought fluid aspirated from cats with FIP are supposed to have high levels of protein in them? That and he really doesn't show any other signs for FIP. He's perfectly normal/like usual now, even his abdominal swelling is gone (if it isn't, it's small enough that it's not noticeable to us anymore) and his weight is steady.

I'm also thinking that maybe the fluid in Sora is just in its early stages and it might turn yellow/sticky/with significantly elevated protein levels but I really wouldn't want that to be the case. Is that also even possible? That the "FIP fluid" will change? I thought that the moment his abdomen swelled up, it would indicate that wet FIP (if it is that) is already starting its final stages...?

If anyone has some experience or any kind of info. about this, I would really like to know. :(
 

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Hi. I am a little bit confused, so I am sure you way more than me. I think you need to call the vet and talk directly to them about what test they did, and what more tests they are thinking about doing - besides the ultrasound. And, find out what the specialist is expected to offer - other than an ultrasound.

Here is the test that I understand to be the most conclusive in terms of identifying FIP.

https://idexxcom-live-b02da1e51e754...c75ac/feline-infectious-peritonitis-virus.pdf

I understand each cat is different, and age may play a small factor as well, but by the time my Tawny (15+ yo) had belly swelling a whole lot of other stuff was going on - lack of energy, not much interest in eating, and overall lack of interest in much of anything. I still don't think the symptoms would vary that much even with the age difference. And, I don't think the fluid changes consistency with the progression of the disease; I don't know that for sure. But, I have never heard of that.
 

weemomma

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It honestly sounds like fluid retention, which is a different beast all together. That can signal anything from kidney failure to congestive heart failure. Did blood work come back alright?
 
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Raeny

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FeebysOwner FeebysOwner That's reassuring and I hope that's the case. I've been hopeful this entire time that it's not FIP mainly because of the color/consistency of the fluid.

And thank you for that link! That's the additional testing they're doing. FIP Virus RealPCR Test. I checked the receipt my husband brought back home and that's the name of the test printed on it, and they say we'll get the result for that test in 1-2 days. I'll definitely speak to the vet myself when we go back for the results just to get a clearer picture of what's been done and what's going on.
 
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Raeny

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W weemomma We haven't had his blood tested recently, not since the one last year on November which for another matter entirely and his bloodwork was normal then. For now we're just waiting for tests done on the fluid that was aspirated from his abdomen. We'll probably have his blood tested (as well as the ultrasound, etc) if needed after we hear results on the other test being done for now.
 
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Raeny

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UPDATE:

So, again, my husband went to the vet without me. Would've wanted to go but I'm sick and have been in bed all day.

Anyway, he just told me the results of the FIP Virus RealPCR Test and----- Sora doesn't have FIP!! I am SO HAPPY when he said this. The vet also made it clear that it's not 100% guaranteed he doesn't have FIP but just that the test came back negative. For now though, that's good enough news for us and we're happy. But also because of this, it means we still don't know what's going on with Sora. So we scheduled for a specialist to see him on April 3rd. There he'll get an ultrasound and hopefully we'll find out where the fluid is coming from.

While at the clinic, my husband also asked the vet if by her (Sora has 2 vets at this clinic, one male and the other female; it was the female doc that gave the results this time) experience as a vet, if she could tell him if it could be cancer or not. Of course it wasn't a guarantee without actual tests done but in her opinion and just based on what she observed with Sora, it shouldn't be cancer either. It was reassuring to hear that. My husband also told her that Sora's acting normal in every possible way and that his abdomen has gone back to normal in size and she said that doesn't make sense and it's very rare but its possible Sora's body might have just reabsorbed it or something.

She also told my husband that she thought our cat is weird. She and my husband got a laugh out of that. This is because ever since we got Sora last year, we've taken him to the vet for a variety of "issues" that went away on its own. I won't go into detail but basically during all those incidences, Sora showed signs of getting sick (from minor to major signs & symptoms) and clearly suffering from something (the blood test done on November 2018 was for one of those, he had some kind of neurological episode which didn't even last a day, just happened for several minutes; the other times we took him to the vet were nothing too major, just for things like consistent sneezing, diarrhea, etc.) but every time they went away on their own without ever happening again and without any real intervention needed from us. Even if tests were done, they didn't really show anything significant and we just went home every time and went on with our lives like nothing happened. It wouldn't make sense for it to happen again now since there's actual fluid in his abdomen but if that's the case now and this issue fixes itself like the other times, then we certainly won't be complaining.

But we're still going to try to get to the bottom of this since it's still worrying until we actually get answers. I'll be updating again when we hear more info. after more tests will be done. Hopefully by that time, I'll have more good news to share. :)
 
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