Cat has FIP - any experience?

butler_helen

As it says on the title - my baby has FIP.

He's very sick but the vets have said he might come home until the inevitable happens. Has anyone had any experience of this? He is insured so they have been treating him to everything possible which "might" give him a comfortable couple of months. However im not sure what to expect and the vet didn't have time to chat (he was an emergency).

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhh no.... so sorry to hear this Helen.

Also sorry that I can add any helpful comments as no experience of this but couldn't just read & not say anything.

Fingers crossed he can be made comfortable and come home to enjoy the time he has xx

Sooz00

So sorry to read this. I hope your vet has been able to go through things with you in more detail now.

Dr. Diane Addie from the University of Glasgow is one of the UK's if not one of the world's experts on FIP. I know she has supported other owners and their .GP vets dealing with FIP so the link below may be helpful if you want to use her site as a resource or get in touch with her.

http://www.dr-addie.com/

Good luck to you & your kitty. I hope the treatment helps. x

MissMitch

I'm so sorry to hear that. I had two that died from FIP last year...it is a truly horrible disease. If you have Facebook please look for the FIP Fighters group who will help you with every question you have. If not they have a Yahoo messages group.
Dr Addie's site is wonderful and she can be found on both groups too I believe.

I wouldn't like to say myself what you can expect. There is wet FIP and dry FIP, it doesn't have a good prognosis I'm afraid, but not everything diagnosed as FIP turns out to be it, but the groups will tell you everything you need to know and give you amazing support!

Best of luck to you and your kitten. x

http://en-gb.facebook.com/FIPFighters

https://www.facebook.com/groups/fipfighters/

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIPCatSupport/

BECKIN1507

so sorry to hear your cat has FIP, sorry I haven't got any advise. I lost my cat to FIP a few years ago, such a horrible disease. There was alot of cats been poisoned with de-icer around here at the time and they thought that was what was wrong with Biscuit, the vet did a post morton free of charge due to the problems in my area and it turned out to be wet FIP. Biscuit's daughter (whom was my friends cat) had dry FIP a year later.
I'm not sure what treatment your cat is having or what symptoms she has but I will keep my fingers crossed for you that it works. x

moggymutt

Sorry to hear. Its such a complicated disease that you really are best sticking to advise from legit people such as Dr Addie.

Sadly if he's already very sick , be prepared to the possibility that you might lose him very quickly- its a viscious disease once it really gets going.

butler_helen

Ok so we went to see him tonight and had a good chat with the vet. They are ruling out all other options but FIP is the expected issue and I think he will last only a couple of days now. Tomorrow if he eats (he hasn't eaten since Saturday) he can come home, today he was too weak. However, they are xraying him tomorrow too, if it's a tumour then there's nothing he can do and if it's not then its almost definitely FIP and (assuming he is still not eating), it is only fair to put him to sleep, he can't eat, drink or move, it's cruel.

I'm devastated as he's only 18m and he's my baby after the last one threw himself under a car

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhh Helen ..... poor wee lamb and so young .... (((hugs))) and will be thinking about you both tomorrow xx

butler_helen

Thank you

We had some good hugs tonight but he is just skin and bone - its an evil illness, he has gone downhill so fast. I honestly thought we would take him home tonight.

I can't recommend cat insurance enough - he's getting every option explored, which would be impossible without it. (£700+ is predicted).

rising_from_the_ashes

It's awful when they're ill ..... and not long since you lost your last wee one - wish there was something I could say / do to make you feel better but, having been there many times, I know that there's not ...

MissMitch

What are his symptoms Helen? I'm assuming he has fluid build up from what you say. Both mine had wet FIP and it was only a matter of a day or two from when they got very sick. Some dry FIP has shown a more promising prognosis in a few cases treated with PI, but you really need to speak to people with more knowledge. Please join one of the groups & they'll send you all the information and point you in the right direction for any appropriate treatment from the leading experts including Dr Addie, Dr Niels Pedersen & Dr Legendre.

I know how heartbreaking it is, my kitties were only 6 months & should have had long happy lives ahead of them. It's a very, very cruel disease.