Kitten with Swollen Belly - Worried about FIP

alyssamvs

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Hi there. I'm hoping for some input or reassurance on this issue, although I will be seeing a vet tomorrow.

My dad picked up a kitten 10 days ago from a saw mill he visited. She wasn't feral, but the owner of the mill kept lots of cats in the property and they were all outdoors, he was giving the kittens away. My dad was told she was about 3 months old, and she weighted 1.2kg (2.6 pounds) when he brought her home. Since the first day, she's had a swollen belly. She was infested with fleas, and we brought her to the vet who thought parasites were responsible for the belly, and she was dewormed with a spot on treatment and also got treated for the fleas. This was on January 8th, and so far her belly remains the same (I've posted some pictures).

Besides the belly, she is very active and playful, and eats well (seems insatiable). She's gained weight, and is now at 1.6kg (3.5 pounds).

I'm worried about two things: that this could be FIP, in which case I guess time will tell but I am terrified about that, or that maybe she's a little older than 3 months and could possibly be pregnant. She's scheduled for further deworming on January 22. Could there be another reason for this?
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FeebysOwner

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Hi. She is very pretty!! Although not an absolute, kittens and cats who have the corona virus and it mutates to the wet form of FIP usually go downhill very fast. After 10 days, it would be my guess you would have started to see some negative changes in her such as lethargy, disinterest in eating/drinking, and her belly would continue to swell. I can't address the pregnancy possibility, but I think based on what I know she is a bit young - unless, as you mentioned, she is in fact older than 3 months. (Although, I will admit, her nipples look a bit pronounced - but, that could be because of her coloring.)

Most spot on treatments are usually the 2nd step of a two step process in the elimination of worms, the first one being a dewormer, such as Drontal. You didn't mention one being given to her, so I am guessing she still has worms. While there are certain spot on treatments that are supposed to kill existing worms, I don't know for sure how long that takes, or if they are always entirely effective. You might want to check with your vet about this aspect before the next appt.
 
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alyssamvs

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Thank you for your reply! She still has somewhat of a swollen belly but not every day. Maybe she's just a glutton. She's been dewormed with drontal again with no noticeable change but she's still in good humour and very active. Hopefully it will resolve itself!
 
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