Coronavirus positive cat fcov /FIP
December 3, 2015 7:36 PM Subscribe
Hi
We recently did a diarrhea pcr panel and results that the cat has positive coronavirus which I hear is super common.
I am stressed out about it since I hear that it can mutate to FIP which is fatal!
My cats are 1 year and 2 months and healthy other than this blood result. Any thoughts or advice?
I would look for feline health Yahoo groups for additional information and advice on this particular issue. Just search till you find an active one that mentions this issue.
My cats have had some odd things going on, and I do have to say, these groups are an amazing resource with a lot of nutritional and treatment ideas most vets won't discuss unprompted. I have literally extended the lives of two of my cats many years through advice and information shared there. (and also gotten diagnosis on some really tricky engine problems- in the VW group!).
Good luck to you!
posted by TenaciousB at 9:23 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
My cats have had some odd things going on, and I do have to say, these groups are an amazing resource with a lot of nutritional and treatment ideas most vets won't discuss unprompted. I have literally extended the lives of two of my cats many years through advice and information shared there. (and also gotten diagnosis on some really tricky engine problems- in the VW group!).
Good luck to you!
posted by TenaciousB at 9:23 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding what TenaciousB said about the Yahoo groups. There is a Yahoo group specifically for FIP, and they were invaluable both as a source of information and support when my sweet orange boy, Pumpkin, was stricken with FIP just before his third birthday.
But, before you get lost in the wilderness of FIP diagnosis discussions, some basic research and reading should put your mind at ease. IIRC, the number is something like 1 in 3000 cats who carry the coronavirus will get FIP. Most of those cats are under six months old, and it becomes increasingly rare as they get older. Three years is considered the cutoff point for the mutation to occur. So, just based on those odds, you should be feeling a little more calm.
Another thing to know is that while FIP is still poorly understood, treatments have been developed - treatments which did not even exist five years ago. Many vets may be unaware of the latest developments, most of which have been funded by the Bria Fund of the Winn Feline Foundation. Polyprenal immunostimulant is one newly approved treatment for FIP. If, by some monumental stroke of bad luck, you do end up with an FIP cat, you will have to become an expert (using the Yahoo Group) in FIP, and an advocate for your cat. You may find yourself more educated about the best tests to have run, and the best treatments to try than your vet.
My biggest piece of advice, besides assuring you that the odds are that your cats will not develop FIP, is to tell you that if your cats do start developing symptoms, do NOT, under any circumstances, allow exploratory abdominal surgery. FIP is a diagnosis of elimination, and the last step in the elimination is surgery to discover the source of the abdominal effusion. The surgery itself is such a blow to the immune system that most cats can't recover afterwards. If you've ruled EVERYTHING else out, then ask your vet to go ahead and treat for FIP - after you've educated yourself on the latest treatments via the Yahoo Group.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 10:20 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
But, before you get lost in the wilderness of FIP diagnosis discussions, some basic research and reading should put your mind at ease. IIRC, the number is something like 1 in 3000 cats who carry the coronavirus will get FIP. Most of those cats are under six months old, and it becomes increasingly rare as they get older. Three years is considered the cutoff point for the mutation to occur. So, just based on those odds, you should be feeling a little more calm.
Another thing to know is that while FIP is still poorly understood, treatments have been developed - treatments which did not even exist five years ago. Many vets may be unaware of the latest developments, most of which have been funded by the Bria Fund of the Winn Feline Foundation. Polyprenal immunostimulant is one newly approved treatment for FIP. If, by some monumental stroke of bad luck, you do end up with an FIP cat, you will have to become an expert (using the Yahoo Group) in FIP, and an advocate for your cat. You may find yourself more educated about the best tests to have run, and the best treatments to try than your vet.
My biggest piece of advice, besides assuring you that the odds are that your cats will not develop FIP, is to tell you that if your cats do start developing symptoms, do NOT, under any circumstances, allow exploratory abdominal surgery. FIP is a diagnosis of elimination, and the last step in the elimination is surgery to discover the source of the abdominal effusion. The surgery itself is such a blow to the immune system that most cats can't recover afterwards. If you've ruled EVERYTHING else out, then ask your vet to go ahead and treat for FIP - after you've educated yourself on the latest treatments via the Yahoo Group.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 10:20 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by sweetkid at 7:49 PM on December 3, 2015 [1 favorite]