Feline Infectious Peritonitis

[sweetlillnikki]

My dear sweet Bandit passed away in January of 2008 from FIP We didn’t even know he had it until he died. He was at the vet for the third time in six months for not eating or drinking and having difficulty breathing. He had lost almost 5lbs since May of 2007 and yet he couldn’t be diagnosed with FIP. I guess it wouldn’t have really mattered any way, from what I have been reading he would have died regardless of when he was diagnosed. It was horrible the way he died. The vet was trying to give him fluids under the skin and I was helping to hold him down. I don’t know what happened but he snapped. He began to twist and turn and bite at myself, the vet and my husband. I tried to hold him down and I did but I held to hard and he began to gasp for air and then he died. It was horrible. I can’t get the look in his eyes out of my head. He wanted to me help him and yet I killed him. I let my baby down and now my world seems so empty without him. I know the FIP killed him, he had so much fluid in his chest cavity, breathing was a chore. I just can’t help but wonder what might have been if I had just held him gently. Maybe he would still be here.

I’m so sorry that I have rattled on about this, but the pain is still so raw. I actually do have a question. We have another cat, she is not a Persian like Bandit and from what I’ve read FIP seems to attack Persians more, but she has been with us the entire time we had Bandit, 10 years. Are we set to go down the same road with her as we did with Bandit? Madison and Bandit have been living together for 10 years. I can’t imagine she was not exposed. Any help would be grateful!

Thanks!

[haydee]

My dear sweet Bandit passed away in January of 2008 from FIP We didn’t even know he had it until he died. He was at the vet for the third time in six months for not eating or drinking and having difficulty breathing. He had lost almost 5lbs since May of 2007 and yet he couldn’t be diagnosed with FIP. I guess it wouldn’t have really mattered any way, from what I have been reading he would have died regardless of when he was diagnosed. It was horrible the way he died. The vet was trying to give him fluids under the skin and I was helping to hold him down. I don’t know what happened but he snapped. He began to twist and turn and bite at myself, the vet and my husband. I tried to hold him down and I did but I held to hard and he began to gasp for air and then he died. It was horrible. I can’t get the look in his eyes out of my head. He wanted to me help him and yet I killed him. I let my baby down and now my world seems so empty without him. I know the FIP killed him, he had so much fluid in his chest cavity, breathing was a chore. I just can’t help but wonder what might have been if I had just held him gently. Maybe he would still be here.

I’m so sorry that I have rattled on about this, but the pain is still so raw. I actually do have a question. We have another cat, she is not a Persian like Bandit and from what I’ve read FIP seems to attack Persians more, but she has been with us the entire time we had Bandit, 10 years. Are we set to go down the same road with her as we did with Bandit? Madison and Bandit have been living together for 10 years. I can’t imagine she was not exposed. Any help would be grateful!

Thanks!

I'm so sorry you lost sweet Bandit and that her passing was so stressful for everybody. How was it that the vet diagnosed FIP? The only way to dx FIP is by necropsy; that he had fluid in his chest doesn't meant the corona virus had mutated into FIP I mean there are other diseases that cause it.
If he did have FIP there is no 100% chance your other kitty got it. FIP is caused (sorry to sound like a broken record) by the corona virus mutation so unless the virus mutates in your other cat he won't get it.
Keep your other kitty UTD on vaccinations with good food and TLC he should be OK.
There's a good yahoo group about FIP; http://groups.yahoo.com/FIP