Thanks all for the info. We have drawn the fluid and sent it to VA Tech for analyss. We have moved the ther cats to isolation and are keeping with our sweet boy in our bedroom so we can cuddle all night. I bleached the litter boxes and sanitize our ands/feet/clothes when we are leaving the room. He was on the pred for the huge belly. The liquid drawn was yucky-looking. They are testing for CBC/diff, feLCv/FIV, He is also taking oral antibiotics Amoxicillin drops. He s NOT from here, but purchased to become our future stud. He's gorgeous and just screamed at me to "PICK ME!!" /so I did. No worms, so full of snuggles and love. Do you think he got it here or at his birth cattery. No one else ere is sick and 14-17 years old, except Djembe (4) and LaLa (4).
LONG REPLY...
Good Morning Johanna,
I am so sorry you are going through this. Having dealt with both the wet and dry form of this disease over the years I understand your heart break and feeling of being helpless as you watch the disease progress. It rips you up and the best you can do is confirm as best you can that it is FIP and then give your boy the best quality of life for the time he has. Please don't wait too long... you will know when it is beyond comfortable or humane to keep them alive.
That said, here is the experience & information I can share with you. I am not an expert, just sharing my theories, and personal experience. First, I think the number are something like 85% of all shelter cats and cattery cats have been exposed to and carry the benign corona virus. He could have come home with it, he could have picked it up at your place. Unless you test and titer all your cats you can't possibly know and really it doesn't matter. 90% of cats exposed never develop FIP so people don't even realize their cats have been exposed until the worst happens and the virus mutates.
I do have a theory that certain lines are more susceptible than others. 3 of the cases of FIP I have dealt with were from the same foundation line - heavy on the Oriental Shorthair side. 2 had wet FIP and 1 had the dry form. They were related a few generations back, but of different generations and different litters over the course of 3 years. While I don't openly discuss which cats in particular it seems too much a coincidence to me so I am very cautious with subsequent generations. There are many, many cats out there with this particular line in the pedigree, so maybe it's just a black cloud over me. Problem is, discussing FIP is taboo and carries a very negative stigma so breeders don't talk and very few will admit they have had any cases of it. Makes it really difficult to gather data on cases.
I also believe stress plays a big role. The 2 cats noted above that developed wet FIP were diagnosed just a month or so after being shown. I don't think they picked anything up at the show, but do feel that the stress of the show hall was a factor in the mutation of the virus.
Please go here:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CatHealthNewsFromTheWinnFelineFoundation
There is a very basic explanation and a new treatment announced that sounds quite promising.
WET FIP - this sounds like what your boy has. My first experience with FIP was also the wet from about 5 years ago. It was an F3 kitten that I got from another breeder. She was a black smoke and probably left the biggest hole in my heart of any cat we have lost over the years. She always had a big belly, even in kitten pics and although I don't know if this was indicative of things to come, we had her for 3 months before I took her to the vet for the last time. Think of the effects of FIP as an auto-immune response where the virus infiltrates cells so the body tries to destroy those cells, in effect destroying itself in the process. Hemolysis of both red and white cells increase fluid in the abdominal cavity and also cause the increase in proteins and hemoglobin in serum as well as anemia. The fluid will build up until it depresses other organ functions. Once the wet form starts, they really don't have much time and all you can do is try your best to make them comfortable, and give yourself time to come to terms with it. Maybe a month.
DRY FIP - In the one case that we had, it was also a kitten I got from another breeder. Where she got it really doesn't matter cause she was in the house with 5 other cats, all of whom are still here and perfectly healthy. This form was first noticed due to obvious weight loss and what appeared as neurological issues. Despite the girl eating on her own and me force feeding her baby food and tuna.. anything I could get in her, she continued to lose weight. Her motor functions also became progressively worse as the disease progressed. She got to the point where she would just fall over, could not coordinate walking or even sitting upright. This is due to lesions that form in the brain. I finally took her in to let her go after 2 - 3 months of a losing battle. Personally I think the dry form is much harder and cruel. It drags on and you try to fight along side the cat against the disease and just watch them waste away despite anything you can do for them.
I hope this helps in some way. It won't save your boy, but maybe help you understand what is happening inside his body. Please know that you are NOT alone in dealing with this horrible disease. It is no one's fault although I do treat it as a genetic defect and expect replacements for the cats I've lost to it within the first year. I have also replaced one kitten that was lost to FIP within the first year. If you want/need to talk to someone I would be happy to lend an ear or a shoulder. This shit is hard, and breaks your heart. I am so very sorry.
Lori
