FIP Groundbreaking Treatment Approved For Cats! By: Amanda Dorris

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a devastating illness for cats and cat lovers. Thankfully there have been great leaps in treatment recently and in February of 2024 a new drug was approved that has increased survival rate from almost zero to 77%! Feline aficionados worldwide are celebrating enthusiastically! It turns out that remdesivir is effective against FIP. Leading this research has been UC Davis and Cornell University here in the USA.

FIP is a mutation of the feline coronaviruses (FCoVs). FCoV is very different from our human counterpart and tends to be much easier for felines to recover from. Many dedicated researchers are still trying to sort out why the FCoV mutates into FIV in some cats and not in others, as FCoV is present in about 80% of the feline population worldwide.

The FIP has different ways in which it can present, either the wet form or dry form. The wet form presents as peritonitis, with a massive build up of infected fluid in the cat’s abdomen cavity. This causes it to look like a water balloon. The dry form is neurological and results in central nervous system issues, such as: physical weakness, involuntary tremors, no coordination, incontinence, and seizures.

Overall FIP is a heinous epidemic among our beloved felines. With these recent developments, we can be thankful that a major adversary of our beloved companions finally has a viable solution. We still have a long way to go, as we continue to spread the knowledge and awareness of the treatment. So, let’s hit the pavement!