Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment options and outcomes for cats with feline infectious
By Hartmann, Katrin & Ritz, Susanne·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology·2008·Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Treatment of cats with feline infectious peritonitis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is facing a serious illness that is usually fatal. While some treatments like immune-suppressing drugs (such as prednisone) can help slow down the disease, they do not cure it. Some veterinarians may also try immune modulators to help the cat's immune system fight the virus, but there is no solid evidence that these treatments work effectively. Unfortunately, FIP remains a challenging condition, and pet owners should discuss all available options with their veterinarian to manage their cat's symptoms.
People also search for: cat FIP treatment options · feline infectious peritonitis symptoms · immune suppressants for cats with FIP
Abstract
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) infection resulting in clinical signs is invariably fatal despite clinical intervention. As FIP is an immune-mediated disease, treatment is mainly aimed at controlling the immune response triggered by the infection with the feline coronavirus (FCoV). Immune suppressive drugs such as prednisone or cyclophosphamide may slow disease progression but do not produce a cure. In nearly every published case report of attempted therapy for clinical FIP, glucocorticoids have been used; there are, however, no controlled studies that evaluate the effect of glucocorticoids as a therapy for FIP. Some veterinarians prescribe immune modulators to treat cats with FIP with no documented controlled evidence of efficacy. It has been suggested that these agents may benefit infected animals by restoring compromised immune function, thereby allowing the patient to control viral burden and recover from clinical signs. However, a non-specific stimulation of the immune system may be contraindicated as clinical signs develop and progress as a result of an immune-mediated response to the mutated FCoV.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18395801/