At Petplan, we sadly still receive a number of claims for Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) effecting cats of all ages, but especially prevalent in youngsters. While we cover FIP, we are pleased to share some positive outlooks on this nasty viral disease.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease caused by an infectious agent – known as feline coronavirus (FCoV). While it is different from Covid-19, which affects people, coronavirus in cats causes similar problems and affects a cat’s respiratory tract or gastrointestinal tract. FCoV is common in cats but can mutate and develop into full FIP, which can prove fatal.

As the virus infects the intestinal tract, it is shed in faeces and can pass to other cats if it’s ingested. It can cause diarrhoea but some strains mutate into FIP before spreading through the body. Approximately 5-10% of FCoV-infected cats develop FIP, which has a poor prognosis and can lead to euthanasia.

The virus spreads throughout the body and can cause a wide range of different signs (including peritonitis with the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, but in other cats fluid may accumulate in the chest cavity; in others the virus may cause inflammation affecting the brain, eyes, liver, kidneys or elsewhere).

FIP is difficult to diagnose as the symptoms are vague and not unique to the condition. FIP symptoms seen in UK cats include fluctuating fever, lethargy and loss of appetite. Cats often deteriorate to develop one of the two main forms of the disease: wet/effusive or dry/non-effusive. Effusive FIP features a build-up of fluid in the abdomen or chest, while non-effusive FIP causes chronic inflammatory lesions around the blood vessels affecting the eyes and brain. This can cause neurological disease, wobbles or bleeding from the eyes.

New era of FIP treatment for cats

FIP is difficult to treat but research has shown that some newer anti-viral drugs may be effective. Remdesivir has recently become available legally in the UK and has been used to treat human infections, including Covid-19, as well as being used for cats.

Petplan vet expert, Dr Brian Faulkner MRCVS, says: ‘Feline infectious peritonitis is a devastating disease and, when diagnosed, it was almost always fatal. Anything that increases the survival rate has to be welcomed and this is very encouraging news. The initial results seem very optimistic.’

Treatment is expensive and lengthy but initial tests suggest response rates of around 80-95%, and trials on cats have had positive outcomes, according to the Royal Veterinary College. This is a huge step forward and could make it much easier for you, as a breeder, to treat any outbreak, with a much more positive outlook for any cats who do contract FIP. Vet Times has described it as a ‘new era of treatment’.

Remdesivir treatment starts intravenously and improvements in condition can be seen after 36 hours with marked improvement within a week. Daily injections are required throughout the 12-week course of treatment.

FIP can occur in cats of any age but is seen most often in youngsters, with around 80% of cases in cats under two and a large number in kittens around 4-12 months old. Infection in cats can increase when large numbers are kept together, such as in a breeder establishment or cattery. If you have a large number of kittens or young cats mixing then they could be at an increased risk.

FIP is also more common in cats kept in groups or colonies as this is an environment where FCoV infections are spread easily. A crowded environment may also contribute to stress, which can be a factor in disease development as it compromises the cats’ immune responses.
As a responsible breeder with your animals’ health at heart it’s important to know what steps to take to help avoid infection:

● Avoid keeping large groups or having multiple litters at once;
● Keep cats in small groups of four or fewer;
● Use at least one litter tray for every two cats in clean areas away from food and water;
● Maintain good biosecurity and hygiene;
● Avoid stress among the cats.

If FIP is diagnosed then you should stop breeding for several months or breed only from older cats, consider isolating queens before they give birth and keep them and their litter separate, and review your hygiene processes.

Petplan covers treatment under its general Terms and Conditions and, therefore, provided the required health checks have been carried out by a vet and there are no clinical signs of the conditions prior to the policy being taken out, then it will be covered. However, if a cat shows clinical signs, is diagnosed or treated for the condition prior to the cover note being issued then they will be excluded from the policy.

At Petplan, we’re keen to keep our partners up to date with new information that can help them continue to be responsible breeders. Share this information and our tips with your friends or fellow breeders to help keep future generations of cats and kittens safe from FIP.