This was the last in a series of webinars discussing  Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) led by Dr Diane Addie, a veterinary virologist who has focused her research on this complex and devastating condition. This webinar aptly turned its attention to the prevention of this disease and Diane delivered the main take home message right from its outset, “the single most effective way to prevent FIP is to prevent the kitten/cat ever becoming infected with Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) in the first place!”

The best way prevent FCoV infection in through good hygiene, testing and quarantine. This is because the major route of infection between cats is through the indirect transmission of FCoV via infected cat’s faeces. Interestingly FCoV infection is rarely a problem in outdoor ranging cats because once the virus is passed in motions it will be subject to weather conditions and probably only survives a few days. However it is much more of a problem within the indoor cat population as the virus can survive up to seven weeks within faeces passed into litter trays. This means that the sharing of litter trays in a multicat environment is the major route of FCoV transmission and where hygiene plays a crucial role in preventing transmission. Measures to be taken to reduce the chances of spread include ensuring each cat has its own litter tray and to avoid the sharing of litter trays ( microchip triggered litter trays are available). It is also important to use a non tracking litter, to place the litter tray away from where the cat drinks and eats, to use dirt trapper mats and finally to vacuum and steam clean as often as possible. Of course the ideal scenario is to avoid the use of litter trays altogether and allow the cat outside to pass faeces. Another point Diane was keen to make is to always visit establishments which are having problems to ensure the environment provided is appropriate as owners/breeders may not always fully implement the necessary changes. For example Diane visited one cattery which was storing its litter, cat food and cat waste bin all in the same place, a perfect set up for the spread of FCoV.

Breeders also need to play a major role in the prevention of Feline Infectious Peritonitis as 71% of cats diagnosed with FIP are pedigree cats and, if for no other reason, the RSPCA has successfully prosecuted a breeder who made no effort to prevent FIP developing in her/his kittens. Owners can also now sue breeders who have sold infected kittens under the Sale of Goods Act. Breeders should be encouraged to early wean and isolate kittens, barrier nurse kittens, and test the queen for shedding and if present the kittens should be taken out at 5-7 weeks old. The kittens should also be tested for FCoV antibodies at over 10 weeks old to ensure the weaning and isolation has worked. Diane offered more in depth advice for vets and breeders which is available within this webinar.

It is also important for vets to pick up on warning signs of FCoV infection in kittens when examined at vaccination. These include uneven litter size, a history of diarrhoea at around 5-7 weeks of age, a history of upper respiratory tract disease, and third eyelid protrusion. It is important to note these signs as FIP can develop in some cats soon after some form of stress such as vaccination, surgery, breeding and boarding. If these at risk cats are identified at a young age they can be FCoV antibody tested and stressful interventions can be avoided.

FIP vaccination has been hotly debated by key opinion leaders over the past few years but in Diane’s opinion, vaccination can play a role in FIP prevention. Evidence demonstrates that vaccination prevents 50-75% of FIP cases in cats that would have otherwise developed FIP had they not been vaccinated. Multiple studies were cited by Diane which showed that the current FIP vaccine does work and it most certainly does NOT cause FIP as may be feared by some. The down side is it will not be effective in cats already infected with FCoV and can only be used in cats from 16 weeks of age. Therefore it is too late for pedigree kittens who could have already been infected by this age but the vaccine should be given to all cats and kittens entering rescue centres or boarding catteries. It is also currently not available in the UK but can be imported by going through the appropriate legal channels.

If you find diagnosing and managing cats with FIP a challenge, as I’m sure most of us do,  then watching this webinar series will undoubtedly make this whole process easier. Saying that, managing an FIP case is never easy. Seeing, more often than not,  young pure breed cats lose their lives to this devastating disease makes these cases very challenging to manage even armed with all the necessary up to date information.  Surely prevention has to be better than cure and it is this webinar which provides all the necessary advice on how to make this happen. Only through education of both vets and breeders do we stand any chance of seeing the back of FIP once and for all.