How cats become infected with feline coronavirus, the virus which causes FIP

[stephaniecatlover01]

I understand because of lack of time if you cannot answer these questions but I wanted to put them out there anyway thank you.

[stephaniecatlover01]

From your catvirus.com website - In summer of 2009, an exciting paper appeared by Prof. Al Legendre of Tennessee Veterinary School in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery reporting cure of 3 cases of non-effusive FIP using Polyprenyl Immunostimulant from Sass & Sass. This paper is a hopeful pilot study and I look forward to a controlled clinical study. Unfortunately, Polyprenyl Immunostimulant does not work on effusive (wet) FIP cases.

Do you have any updated info on this research?

[stephaniecatlover01]

I think inbreeding is also causing many health problems in cats and is difficult to avoid. I believe cats from the street make up the majority of ones that enter shelters. They are usually from colonies made up of moms and dads that can breed with their offspring when they reach maturity. Even cats that aren't part of some formed colony can be related to other cats in the same area, distant cousins for example. Going to a breeder isn't a sure thing either many bad ones out there.

[stephaniecatlover01]

Yes, having enough foster homes can prevent health and behavior problems. I have found it pretty difficult to find responsible and reliable people to help out with fostering cats. I will keep what you said in mind about the vitamin C and FIP. Are you not able to suggest a medication to treat nasal inflamation? I have been told this by other vets they won't give out advice without seeing the cat and I can't afford to go from vet to vet. Just another hurdle to deal with being in rescue.

[stephaniecatlover01]

Dr Addie, thank you for your replies. One of my rescue cats had the worsening nasal inflamation while she was on the street and that is why I took her home. There is one other cat at her colony so in her case it doesn't seem to be from being around too many other cats. I have 9 other cats and they have a large living space. I keep their litter boxes ultra-clean because I believe cats coming in contact with other cat's feces is going to compromise their health in many ways.

[stephaniecatlover01]

Dr. Addie,

I also wanted you to read a website about a cat rescue person that says she has cured some FIP cats with a vitamin C regime. I guess utube won't let me put the website address here but I can email it to you. I would like to know what you thought about this, she also gives contact info of her vet that used the vitamin C on her cats. I value your opinions and appreciate all the work you do to help sick cats. Thank you. kay1931@hotmail.com

[DrDianeDAddie]

@stephaniecatlover01 One has to be very careful with vitamin C in cats because prolonged use can predispose to bladder stones.

[stephaniecatlover01]

Dr Addie, I am really needing advice on how to cure chronic nasal inflamation that doesn't respond to clavamox and doxycycline. I am in cat rescue and some of my felv/fiv neg cats have this and I haven't found a way to help them! Usually they have no nasal discharge or sneezing. Over time their nasal airway seems to get smaller and smaller, some of them start trying to breathe thru their mouth to get more oxygen but it doesn't help much. If you have advice pls email me kay1931@hotmail.com

[DrDianeDAddie]

@stephaniecatlover01 I suspect you may be dealing with feline herpesvirus infection. Stephanie - are there too many cats in your rescue shelter? This is a frequent problem for people saving cats, especially during this financial crisis. A network of fosterers can be safer than a shelter in terms of infectious disease control. Avoid dry foods, and give raw meat daily or every other day: even a soup spoon a day will help keep their arginine blood levels up, and strengthen their immune systems.

[85nikki96]

Dr. Addie--In print it looks like Com litter, but I ment CORN. Thank you--

[85nikki96]

Dr. Addie,

Is there a kitty litter that you recommend in the US? Have you heard about the corn litter, and if so, do you recommend it? I'm scared about the scoopable--it seems so dusty to me, and it gets all over their fur and they will lick it.

Thank you,

Stephanie

[leavesontree3267]

Is a FCoV-positive cat, 4-5 years old, have a lower risk of developing FIP, in comparison to a kitten or a senior? Is there any place that has kittens or cats for adoption that are FCoV-free? Is there a kitty litter that can kill the virus so it won't spread? Is there a particular litter you suggest? Why do only some kittens who have feline coronavirus, who are stressed from adoption or neutering, the same as others, develop FIP, and others don't? Thank you.

[DrDianeDAddie]

@leavesontree3267 It would appear, from data of age distribution of FIP cases, that middle aged cats are less likely to develop FIP than kittens or the old. Prof. Niels Pedersen once said that it might be better to obtain cats and kittens from personal ads in newspapers than from a shelter - he was probably right, though it depends on the shelter.

[85lalala96]

In the United States, is there a litter that you suggest?

[DrDianeDAddie]

@85lalala96 Yes indeed - World's Best Original litter tracks the least of the litters which I have examined. However, no litter totally prevents FCoV infection. Allowing cats to toilet outdoors - even in an enclosed pen - is safer than having them indoors, sharing a litter tray from a FCoV point of view. (Though outdoors of course they may face other dangers.)

[MsZippity]

We got news today that our 8-month-old kitten has FIP. Her abdomen is swollen with fluid and she is wet-sneezing. Our older cat's stomach briefly became distended shortly after the kitten came home. It then normalized. Last week the kitten's stomach became swollen. Who gave it to whom? If our kitten dies, should we not get another because the older cat carries the virus?

[DrDianeDAddie]

@MsZippity What awful news, I'm so sorry. The older cat may excrete virus for some weeks or months but then stop - most cats do stop excreting virus. Depending on which country you are in, there are tests for virus shedding. Give them both plenty of varied food - especially a little raw red meat every few days to keep their immune systems healthy. Bon courage, as the French say.

[ItsJustSoTrue]

If one adopts a kitten, or a cat for that matter, and if they are definately positive for coronavirus, how long does it usully take to mutate into FIP if it's going to? In other words, can we ever say: "It's been six months now, or one year now, and if there's no FIP by now, there never will be." What is the most common timeline for FIP to develop? Thanks for your effort to try to eradicate this terrible disease of our sweet kittens. Your efforts and caring are so appreciated.

[DrDianeDAddie]

@ItsJustSoTrue This is a great question, thank you for asking it and for your encouraging comments. In my first research survery I found that if cats had survived for 18 months after their first exposure to feline coronavirus, their chances of developing FIP were very remote - though we see some older, teenage, cats go down with it as their immune systems age and can no longer fight the virus. One of the important things is not to stress the cats or kittens in the early days of infection.

[85lalala96]

Thank you for a wonderful video. I read somewhere that FCoV needs three months to die off in a house. But you say seven weeks, and I trust your judgement more. However, what do you think about this three-month suggestion? And, is it true that because of kittens' under-developed immune systems, those exposed to FCoV have more of a chance to mutate to FIP, or, is it strickly a genetic problem? Thank you!

[DrDianeDAddie]

@85lalala96 The seven week figure comes from Cornell Vet School, whom I trust. Actually FCoV isn't all that robust - it probably only lasts hours to days outdoors, but in the house it is protected by faecal matter and when it dries out it can last for some weeks. It is a horrendously infectious virus, making it difficult to clear from a group of cats - they keep re-infecting each other if there are a lot of cats sharing litter trays.

[DrDianeDAddie]

@85lalala96 Fifty percent of cats with FIP are less than 2 years old. Probably a combination of kitten's immature immune systems, and the stress they undergo (rehoming, neutering, etc) is what contributes to them having higher amounts of virus than older cats do. Sorry I don't understand your genetic question - do you mean the genes of the cat or of the virus? Thank you for your very kind comment about the video. It's part of my plan to eradicate FCoV! I believe in dreaming big!

[85lalala96]

@DrDianeDAddie Hi Dr.Addie--Let me reword what I asked...Are all cats at risk for the FCoV mutating into FIP, or is it just the ones that have something wrong with them genetically? And if it's just genetic, why are 50 percent of them under 2? So--is it the immune system or genetics, or both? How can anyone test a cat for this prior to adoption? I want to adopt two cats, and now I'm afraid to!

[85nikki96]

You say that the virus can be protected by a carpet and can live up to seven weeks in it. However, if you vacuum and steam the carpet, won't that kill the virus? Thank you--

[tenten6134]

@85nikki96 Viruses aren't living though

[DrDianeDAddie]

@tenten6134 Thank you for watching the video. Depends what you mean by living (I'm not sure I get your meaning, sorry.) Viruses are just protein plus DNA, or in the case of FCoV, RNA. The must hijack a living creature in order to reproduce (replicate) - is that what you mean? They cannot thrive independent of their host, but they can survive outside the body, which is how they get to find their next host, in some cases.

[DrDianeDAddie]

@85nikki96 Thank you for watching our video. Steam cleaning will certainly get rid of the virus and vacuuming will physically remove some of the infection. It is also killed by domestic bleach (sodium hypochlorite, e.g. Domestos, eau de Javel, Miltons). The virus can survive for up to 7 weeks when dried up, and protected by faecal matter. It is extremely contagious, getting around the house on blown particles of cat litter, on our shoes, on poop scoops, etc.

[squeeky95]

Is this the parasite that ends up in the blood stream and destroys the blood cells?

[DrDianeDAddie]

@squeeky95 Thank you for watching our video. Feline coronavirus mainly inhabits the gut, but in a few cats (less than 10%) it does parasitise, and replicate in, white blood cells called monocytes, as we showed in our video Pathogenesis of FIP. Happily most cats remain clinically well and eventually they clear the virus, FIP only occurs in a few infected cats. I'd just prefer no cats to run the risk, and I want to eradicate the virus. To find out more, please visit my website: catvirus.com

[DrDianeDAddie]

@squeeky95  It has just occurred to me to wonder whether you're thinking of the parasite which infects feline red blood cells, destroying them? If so, that is something different - called Feline Infectious Anaemia, or Mycoplasma haemofelis, or Haemotropic mycoplasmas.

[squeeky95]

@DrDianeDAddie Ahh! Yes. Thank you. I was thinking of Feline Infectious Anemia. Sorry, i'm new to these viruses!

[DrDianeDAddie]

@squeeky95 There are too many of them and it gets confusing! The things our poor feline friends have to put up with!

[squeeky95]

@DrDianeDAddie Yes, it's heartbreaking :( 

[DeeJaySiddall]

amazing graphics

[DrDianeDAddie]

@DeeJaySiddall Thank you! Finding Francois was brilliant - he's such a talented animator and he's a veterinary surgeon!