My cat was exposed to FIP. Can Moducare really help prevent it?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! FIP is hard to diagnose. It is usually a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning all other diseases have been ruled out. The most accurate test is PCR of belly or chest fluid when the cat has the wet or effusive form of FIP. There is also the Dry or granulomatous form which likes the brain and eye. A simple blood test is riddled with false negatives and positives. Simple put a cat positive for coronavirus doesn't mean it has the mutated viral form that causes FIP. Unfortunately Mia's eye problem could be from FIP, but also many other things and sadly there is no 100% way to tell you that. FIP is not curable, it is a terrible disease. If Mia is doing well then I'd take that. And see if anything happens in the future. I hope this helps and I wish Mia the best!

I'm sorry to hear that! FIP is a nasty disease in cats, so I definitely understand your worry. I will try to answer your questions and give you some basic information about how this disease works - it's a bit more complicated than most other infectious diseases! FIP is caused by a coronavirus - coronaviruses themselves are extremely common in cats, and almost all kittens are exposed to them at some point. In a very few cats, the virus mutates into a much more dangerous form and causes FIP - this seems to be partly related to genetics, but it's not fully understood why this happens in some cats but not others. So although the coronavirus can be passed from cat to cat, FIP is not really considered to be a contagious disease because most cats who are exposed to a coronavirus will never develop the more dangerous, mutated form that leads to FIP. So, the bottom line is that your kitten will probably be just fine. There isn't much you can do at this point, since there is no diagnostic test for FIP. Although a vaccine does exist, it isn't recommended by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) because it hasn't been shown to be effective and can actually cause illness in some cases. I would recommend preventing your kitten from having any further contact with your friend's cat to be on the safe side, and monitoring your kitty for any signs of a problem - but it's very likely that she will be just fine :)

In situations like this you can take it a day at a time - as long as Watson seems to be doing well (enjoying his normal routine, interacting with you and other family members or pets, eating and urinating/defecating normally) you can continue with supportive care. If the bad days outnumber the good it may be time to consider euthanasia. Polyprenyl immunostimulant has shown some promise when used for the dry form of FIP - I believe it is more readily available than it was a few years ago but most veterinarians have not used it. There is also a newer experimental drug that seems to show promise being developed at the University of California Davis. The specialist at Blue Pearl might be able to look into each therapy further for you. Either way you would probably want a definitive diagnosis first since these would not help cancer, and that might involve exploratory surgery to obtain biopsies.

I'm sorry to hear that you lost a cat to FIP. It certainly is a devastating disease. Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to your question. Since we never know which cat's bodies will transform FeCoV into FIP, we have no way of protecting those cats. Most cats have been exposed to FeCoV. So, a new cat that you adopt may already have FeCoV. And your cats may have cleared their FeCoV infection, so they may not have anything to pass along. I am attaching a handout with more information about FIP and FeCoV below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549 I wish there was a simple answer to your question, but this is a very complicated disease and unfortunately, we simply don't know enough to answer your question. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I'm so sorry to hear about Theo's battle with FIP. That is, by far, one of the most heartbreaking diseases to diagnose in this field. Most cats are exposed to the coronavirus that causes it, but only an unlucky few convert the virus to FIP. As far as we know, this is based on a genetic predisposition and has nothing to do with exposure from the environment or other cats. If Meika is having loose stool, I would recommend having her seen by a vet. It is much more likely to be due to a common problem, such as a minor parasitic infection or stress colitis from grieving her playmate. They will likely recommend a bland diet, probiotics, or a short course of anti-diarrheal antibiotics if her only symptom is mild loose stool. I cannot say that FIP is impossible, but it would be very low on my list of concerns. I hope this is helpful and gives you some peace of mind. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lolo! I don't think we can tell based on response to medications. Especially if it is a slow response. If she has FIP they can have good and bad days. I would ask for testing so you know. FIP has a poor prognosis and you should know as best as you can if that is what she has so you do not put her through too much. Also if you want to repost with more specifics on Lolo's symptoms I may be able to help better.

Hi and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The blood results are in German so it is hard to interpret. There are two types of the feline corona virus: the enteric version and the mutated enteric version which causes FIP. A FIP diagnosis requires a blood test, clinical signs/symptoms and a history. If fluid is present in the abdomen, testing that fluids for the virus will indicate FIP. Just becomes Hadid has antibodies against the corona virus, does not mean he has FIP. All is means is he has been exposed to the virus and developed antibodies. Blood results together with Hadid's history will help determine diagnosis. It is great news Hadid is eating and has no fever. This is a good sign Hadid is heading the right direction. I hope this has helped!