Lost my little boy to FIP this morning.

[catconcern]

Hey oscar and Zoe hope you guys are ok

Peace

 

[txcatlover]

Wow, reading these stories brings my worst fears to light and a horrible hole in my heart for 6 abandoned feral babies I've brought into my home and bottle fed for 6 weeks and loved and cared for for 2-3 additional months...loving them, feeding them the best food possible to make their immune system stronger. Even though I've been told countless times by wonderful experts, my highly trusted vets, hours of research that FIP is not contagious...my first baby, Trevor, was put down at 16 weeks. Then less than 2 weeks later 1 of 2 orphaned kittens had the same symptoms, a swollen abdomen, neurological issues, not eating and lethargy. Toby had to be put down too at 14 weeks for FIP. Now the remaining 3 girls are (2) 20 weeks and (1) 16 weeks are all developing the same symptoms. I just know in my gut that it is FIP once the neurological disfunction and lethargy starts its a very rapid process that gets to their brain. I'm speaking of the wet version.

I've been rescuing kittens and cats for 35 yrs and never ever even heard of FIP until now.

Recently I found article that said cross infection happens when they use the same litter trays...no matter how clean you keep it. My babies had their own bedroom to eat, sleep and play with multiple litter trays cleaned 5 times a day. I wanted them to be together so they felt safer. Now I know that was the wrong decision.

FIP transfers when the kittens use the litter trays and get litter and poop on their paws then proceed to grooming themselves and swallow the Coronavirus and apparently mutates into FIP.

I pray that my gut is wrong, but I foresee having to put them down too. They haven't comingled much with my older cats, but I can't imagine losing any of my adult cats I've had for 3 up to 8 years to this horrible disease.

Anyone lost full litters to FIP? Did any of your adult cats get the virus?

 

[catpack]

I am so sorry for your loss. It is very very rare to lose an entire litter to FIP. Exposure and genetics certainly play a role in providing the right environment for a certain strain of coronavirus to mutate into FIP.

Was a necropsy done of any of the kittens that died? Perhaps there is something more at play for your kittens?

 

[txcatlover]

No, because I've never heard of necropsy. Yes, they did blood work, x-rays and ultrasound on the first one. After I lost Trevor, I knew what it was with Toby and watched it worsen each day for a week. Once, the catheter was in Toby's arm you could see how much his kidneys were swollen up. His neurological hit him real hard to where he would hide his head because he couldn't move himself to defend himself if necessary. Their built in instincts.
Can you share with me what a necropsy would show us? Do you think it could possibly save my girls?

 

[catpack]

A necropsy is an autopsy done on an animal (postmortem.) Tissue samples (kidney, heart, lung, intestine...) can be sent off to a pathologist for further study. It would have given you a difinitive answer as to what was going on with the boys. Perhaps FIP and a congenital heart problem or something totally different.

We had a group of 8 kittens come in last summer (two 10 wk olds and six 6 wk olds.) They were all extremely ill (campylobacter, parasites) and were all malnourished and underweight. In March of this year one of the 6 (a girl) developed FIP (dry form.) We did everything possible for her (including the use of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant.) She lived about 12 weeks after her diagnosis (at which time she converted to the wet form.) The remaining 7 kittens all have sensitive GI systems; but, ::knock on wood:: no one else has developed FIP. G lived with her siblings (and was adopted with 2) until it was decided she would come back to me for care. So, she shared food/water bowls and litter boxes for 9 months. When she came back to me she was isolated from the others simply so that I could monitor her input and output.

 

[txcatlover]

Thank you for your response! So she was isolated when the FIP turned to the wet form. What causes FIP to turn from dry to wet? Because I have the grandmother to these kittens and she is very thin, but blood work was normal and negative on her combo test. She eats and is quite active. I'm terrified that I will lose all my adult cats in addition to these kittens. One of my 20 week old girls' kidneys are swelling in addition to her abdomen.

 

[catpack]

Yrs, she was isolated when she "converted" from dry to wet...or developed the wet in addition to the dry. FIP acts much like a cancer getting into the capalaries, the lymphatic system, etc...
It spreads throughout the body and affects each cat differently. That is why it is almost impossible to get a 100% difinitive FIP diagnosi, except postmortem. It mimicks a whole host of other ailments. However, with bloodwork, u/s, and other diagnostics a probable diagnosis of FIP is certainly doable.

I lost a 3 yr old to FIP Jan 2010. At the time, we also had a 13 yr old and an 11 yr old. We had to PTS our 13 yr old 3 wks later due to sudden onset of symptoms...the vet thought FIP. HOWEVER, knowing what I know now and looking back of this cat's records, I believe 100% that he went into congestive heart failure. (He had a heart murmur from the time he was a kitten.) The then 11yr old is now 16 and doing well.

All 3 of these cats shared 1 litter box, ate/drank out of the same bowls, slept together and groomed each other. The older 2 for 11, almost 12 yrs. The younger one for almost 3 1/2 yrs.

I honestly suspect something more going on if you have multiple generations presenting with problems. That is not to say that FIP isn't playing a role.

 

[chai love]

I'm so very sorry. I lost my cat to FIP yesterday. Lots of hugs. 

 

[medeamagic]

I too lost my baby but this morning. The cancer became too much for her throat. I too wondered the same thing, was it the right time. I don't think there is ever a real right time, our babies let us know. Mia was throwing up foam and blood and was unable to breath and starting choking on it. I made the call.... but a while later before the vet came, she was almost herself, and I wondered did I call too soon, should I have waited.... but I think waited for what, another episode where maybe she does choke and I can't help her and she passes on that way... no, have to do the humane thing.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done, and I am devastated to not have her here with me. My life is forever changed! She left her mark on me...... 

 

[catconcern]

I'm
Very sorry chai love medeamagic. You did the right thing. If she was bringing up foam and blood and choking on it, that was the right thing to do.

 

[gverdugo]

You can tell from all those photos that he was very much loved and doted upon. A kitty can't ask for more than that! Comfort yourself that this kitty had a wonderful life with you and you took excellent care of him. My thoughts are with you. It's always so sad when we lose a kitty.

 

[my4llma]

1849.jpg

• my4llma
• Sep 12, 2014

Beautiful Oscar