Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is Curable!

The treatment of FIP lasts 12 weeks. But the cat gets significantly better within a week. It is still essential to continue the twelve-week treatment, as otherwise the virus is not completely eliminated and a relapse is to be expected after the end of the treatment. Close monitoring of the cat during treatment is also important. In some cases, adjustments to the treatment regimen are necessary.

Treatment progress

Day 1–2:

The Fever should subside. The appetite may already return a little. It is possible that the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and chest will increase slightly.

Day 3–5: Most cats are doing much better. The eye and neurological Symptoms: also subside. The neurological Symptoms: largely subside somewhat.

Day 7: The shortness of breath (dyspnea) usually disappears because the triggering fluid accumulation in the chest (pleural effusion) is absorbed by the body.

Day 7–14: Within this time, the effusion in the abdominal cavity (ascites) is also largely absorbed and the eye Symptoms: are significantly or completely reduced.

Day 21–28: The absorption of the abdominal effusion is complete. The neurological Symptoms: are significantly reduced or no longer present.

Monitoring of the therapy

• Weighing and adjusting the dose: at least weekly. Since the cat starts eating and gaining weight during the therapy and young animals are still growing, the dose must be adjusted. Underdosing endangers the success of the therapy.
• Blood count control: The success of the therapy can be assessed on the basis of the blood count and clinical-chemical values and measures can be taken to optimize it. The control should take place every 4–6 weeks. At least glucose, creatinine, BUN, albumin, globulin, ALT, ALP and total bilirubin should be determined.
• Monitoring clinical Symptoms:: Clinical Symptoms: must be monitored throughout the treatment to ensure that the decrease or disappearance of Symptoms: meets expectations. New Symptoms: may become visible because they were superimposed by the disease state before treatment. This can be the case, for example, with neurological Symptoms:.

Completion of the therapy

To determine whether a patient is ready to complete treatment after 84 days or after a longer treatment, both clinical and diagnostic information must be considered. It is imperative that the overall picture of the cat’s health is taken into account, rather than giving excessive weight to a slightly abnormal value in the blood count. (For example, a slightly high globulin value or a slightly low albumin to globulin ratio.) The cat should be treated, not the blood count!

Blood count

To assess whether treatment can be terminated, a blood count and clinical-chemical values should be determined in the blood serum. Ideally, the usual blood values for FIP should be back in the normal range. More precisely:

• The anemia should be resolved.
• The neutrophil granulocytes should be in the normal range.
• The percentage of lymphocytes should be 20% or more.
• Lymphocytosis is often observed during and after treatment and is the result of immune activation. It can take months to fully normalize.
• Lymphocytosis can be neglected in connection with FIP.
• The hyperbilirubinemia disappears.
• The globulins are in the normal range

An albumin/globulin ratio of 0.7 or higher is desirable, although some cats do not achieve this but can still be considered cured. An A/G value below 0.7 is less of a concern if it is due to normal globulins and low (or low-normal) albumin values and not vice versa.

Blood count and serum chemistry also include numerous other values that can generally be ignored unless they are significantly increased or decreased and are related to clinical Symptoms:.

Unless there are any particular concerns, performing an ultrasound or X-ray at the end of treatment is neither necessary nor recommended. This is because small amounts of abdominal fluid or vague irregularities in organs such as the kidneys, spleen, pancreas or intestines in the end stage in the ultrasound are more likely to be residual findings than signs of active disease.

Clinical assessment

• The cat should be examined for external signs of its health. For example:
• Have the neurological and ocular Symptoms: subsided?
• Keep in mind that neurological and ocular FIP can leave some permanent damage/Symptoms:
• Does the cat have a normal (or above normal) energy level?
• Does the cat have a normal appetite?
• Has the cat gained weight?

If a cat does not essentially meet the above criteria, it is recommended to increase the dosage and extend the treatment by at least 4 weeks.

After completion of the treatment, it is recommended to observe the cat for three months to determine whether the treatment was successful. During this time, a check-up and a blood count are recommended every 4–6 weeks.

As a supportive measure, the additional administration of vitamin B 12 during the treatment makes sense. Vitamin B 12 is needed for the formation of red blood cells. It is contained in particular in animal feed such as meat, inner organs, fish, eggs.