Is It Fip?

[Ramses]

Hi everyone. I left my 4 year old male tabby with parents for a month and they told me he started showing weird symptoms 10 days ago. He stopped eating&drinking, became lethargic, and started eating his litter crystals. They took him to the vet, initial examination showed nothing out of the ordinary and no fever. So they gave him his dewormer shot and took him back home. He showed some interest in wet food but didn't eat all of it. When I got him back he was very very lethargic with matted dull fur, he had lost some weight and altough he used the be the most vocal cat ever he didn't make a peep on the way home. His appetite was not completely lost but he ate very little and drank absolutely no water (I had to use a syringe) No problem with pooping&peeing (albeit very small amounts) So we took him to the vet again for blood tests. Still no fever, but his test results were worrisome. The doctors said it was almost definitely a viral infection and probably fip.
We started iv treatment, antibiotics, vitamin shots the whole works. He did get vocal again and his appetite increased a bit. But he shows no signs of real improvement. His blood is being tested for parasitic infection and FIP right now.

Since he's an indoor cat and his symptoms are weird af, can anyone tell me their experience with FIP?

-No fever
-No vomiting
-Eats small amounts of wet food
-Normal belly
-Grooming regularly
-Interested in his surroundings, windows
-Happy to receive attention, tail wagging all the time
-Walks very slow, rests all day
-Eats very small amounts
-Drinks no water
-Eats litter crystals
-Fast breating in resting position
-Condition basically has been the same for the last 10 days

The blood work can be seen below. He's vaccinated against fel leukemia. What other viral infection can cause these symptoms? Should I rest assured it's not FIP because there has been no fever? Has anyone experienced the same sypmtoms that turned out to be FIP?

I just cannot believe it is something serious or fatal. He's a happy, active indoor baby that has never been sick. Please tell me the vets are being dramatic and this is something we can beat.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Well, one thing that I think is wrong is that he has anemia. Did they mention that? The reason i say that is when you said he was eating his litter. That's a classic sign. And I see his RBC is low, but I don't see where they did a PCV, but low HGB and HCT would indicate anemia to me. Are they treating that? Of course, the CAUSE is important, and that's what they're trying to find out.

I don't see anything on this lab work that's indicative of FIP...is there another page?
You may need to wait for the rest of the test results . (but there is no definitive test for FIP - although it doesn't sound like it to me)

 

[Ramses]

Well, one thing that I think is wrong is that he has anemia. Did they mention that? The reason i say that is when you said he was eating his litter. That's a classic sign. And I see his RBC is low, but I don't see where they did a PCV, but low HGB and HCT would indicate anemia to me. Are they treating that? Of course, the CAUSE is important, and that's what they're trying to find out.

I don't see anything on this lab work that's indicative of FIP...is there another page?
You may need to wait for the rest of the test results . (but there is no definitive test for FIP - although it doesn't sound like it to me)

Thank you so much for your reply. It lifted my heavy heart. They absolutely did not mention he had anemia, just said his blood levels were very low and it was a viral infection, most probably FIP. I did some reading on litter eating today and found anemia as the cause. So most probably he has a blood parasite. They are testing for that too but mainly focus on FIP. Here is the other page of the tests, and the treatment they have him on.

If it is a parasite though, why is he not responding to the antibiotics and improving?

 

[Ramses]

Well, one thing that I think is wrong is that he has anemia. Did they mention that? The reason i say that is when you said he was eating his litter. That's a classic sign. And I see his RBC is low, but I don't see where they did a PCV, but low HGB and HCT would indicate anemia to me. Are they treating that? Of course, the CAUSE is important, and that's what they're trying to find out.

I don't see anything on this lab work that's indicative of FIP...is there another page?
You may need to wait for the rest of the test results . (but there is no definitive test for FIP - although it doesn't sound like it to me)

 

[stephenq]

I also think FIP is unlikely especially because there is no fever. You said he's breathing fast at rest. This isn't good. Can you count his breaths per minute? This sounds obvious but it isn't for evryone, 1 inhale and 1 exhale equals one breath. count over 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Normal breathing in a resting cat is around 20/min. Rapid breathing could indicate a serious problem, did your vet discuss this?

 

[Ramses]

Hi everyone. I left my 4 year old male tabby with parents for a month and they told me he started showing weird symptoms 10 days ago. He stopped eating&drinking, became lethargic, and started eating his litter crystals. They took him to the vet, initial examination showed nothing out of the ordinary and no fever. So they gave him his dewormer shot and took him back home. He showed some interest in wet food but didn't eat all of it. When I got him back he was very very lethargic with matted dull fur, he had lost some weight and altough he used the be the most vocal cat ever he didn't make a peep on the way home. His appetite was not completely lost but he ate very little and drank absolutely no water (I had to use a syringe) No problem with pooping&peeing (albeit very small amounts) So we took him to the vet again for blood tests. Still no fever, but his test results were worrisome. The doctors said it was almost definitely a viral infection and probably fip.
We started iv treatment, antibiotics, vitamin shots the whole works. He did get vocal again and his appetite increased a bit. But he shows no signs of real improvement. His blood is being tested for parasitic infection and FIP right now.

Since he's an indoor cat and his symptoms are weird af, can anyone tell me their experience with FIP?

-No fever
-No vomiting
-Eats small amounts of wet food
-Normal belly
-Grooming regularly
-Interested in his surroundings, windows
-Happy to receive attention, tail wagging all the time
-Walks very slow, rests all day
-Eats very small amounts
-Drinks no water
-Eats litter crystals
-Fast breating in resting position
-Condition basically has been the same for the last 10 days

The blood work can be seen below. He's vaccinated against fel leukemia. What other viral infection can cause these symptoms? Should I rest assured it's not FIP because there has been no fever? Has anyone experienced the same sypmtoms that turned out to be FIP?

I just cannot believe it is something serious or fatal. He's a happy, active indoor baby that has never been sick. Please tell me the vets are being dramatic and this is something we can beat.

Parasite test came back negative. What else could it be?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Some sort of viral infection? I really don't have any idea, but saw that as something the Vet thought was possible

 

[Ramses]

Took him to a new vet who took an x-ray said there was in fact liquid in his abdomen. He concurred that it was most probably fip. We're gettting the test results today. The parasite test was negative. I don't understand how this could have happened.

 

[stephenq]

Took him to a new vet who took an x-ray said there was in fact liquid in his abdomen. He concurred that it was most probably fip. We're gettting the test results today. The parasite test was negative. I don't understand how this could have happened.

I'm so sorry, fluid in the abdomen is a very bad sign. There is no conclusive test for FIP, diagnosis is made by looking at all the symptoms and ruling everything else out. The wet form of FIP (fluid build up) is sadly rapidly fatal and the kindest thing to do in almost every case is to put the cat to sleep.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Although there is no definitive test for FIP, there are certain test results that are fairly conclusive. Did they test the fluid in his abdomen? Low platelets and high globulin in the blood are also indicators, as well as a positive rivalta test.

 

[DeannaF]

I found this

 

[Ramses]

All the viral tests came back negative. He doesn't even have the coronavirus! What the heck?

 

[DeannaF]

Testing...

 

[DeannaF]

Reading Testing results

 

[mingsmongols]

Did you test the fluid in his abdomen for the coronavirus or do it by blood test?

 

[DragonsNKitties]

With those lab results and fluid in the abdomen, I would suspect FIP, as well.

 

[Ramses]

They tested the blood, not the fluid. A positive test result may mean a lot of things but a negative one should only mean one thing. He's never been exposed to corona virus therefore a mutation into fip is impossible, right? He's getting better now, started eating&drinking on his own. He's never deteriorated ever since this started.

 

[mingsmongols]

A negative blood test result means he doesn't have antibodies to the virus not that he doesn't have the virus itself. It's means one of three things. He doesn't have the virus, the blood test was done too soon, or his immune system was overwhelmed so quickly he was unable to produce to produce antibodies for it. Because of his rapid deterioration and the fluid in his abdomen I'd suggest retesting the blood two weeks after the first test and having a protein analysis done on the fluid. A teaching hospital at a university would be able to better assist you then your local vet in this case and they'll have vets specialising in infectious desease. I find it allitle unlikely that he'd have have a negative test result and fip but it is still possible. However if he's third spacing fluid and theirs a build up outside the cells and it's not fip that's still of concern and the right diagnostic tests need to be ran to get to the bottom of this.

 

[Ramses]

I see. I'll ask my vet about fluid testing. The first place I took him to was a university hospital, they couldn't even get an iv on. I'm not joking, they shaved all of his legs and still couldn't find a vein and sent him home. Never took an x-ray, didn't give him iron shots for three days because their pharmacy didn't have it. So I'm not taking him back there.

About his condition, his loss of apetite and lethargy was very sudden but he has NOT deteriorated one bit. He's been exactly the same ever since this started. He's actually improved since he started staying at the vet who's now suspecting renal failure. But that would make him drink tons of water and urinate often right? He hasn't touched his water bowl in two weeks.

I am losing my mind. It shouldn't be this hard to diagnose!

 

[stephenq]

Although there is no definitive test for FIP, there are certain test results that are fairly conclusive. Did they test the fluid in his abdomen? Low platelets and high globulin in the blood are also indicators, as well as a positive rivalta test.

See Rivalta test - Wikipedia