RE: another despair - prayer for Rikki - ARF/FIP?

[Susan Hoffman]

I really don't think FIP is contagious, nor do the people who have studied this 
disease closely for decades -- Dr. Addie, Nils Pedersen.  Corona virus is 
contagious but before corona virus can trigger FIP a cat has to be genetically 
predisposed to develop FIP.  Most cats are not.  I really think you have 
something else going on here.

Hideyo Yamamoto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:        v\:* 
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{behavior:url(#default#VML);}  .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}             
   I know…up to a couple of months ago, I was very convinced that  FIP is not 
contagious – and some strain of the virrus may not be. .but now I know that 
it’s not true.. 
   
      
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  From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL 
PROTECTED]
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 6:24 PM
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Subject: Re: another despair - prayer for Rikki - ARF/FIP?

   
      If Olive's necropsy showed FIP, then maybe they really all do have FIP.  
It has not made sense to me, given that FIP experts say it is a mutation, not a 
virus in itself. But maybe particular corona viruses are more likely to mutate 
or something, and maybe that is the one going around that house.  I am really 
sorry you are going through this.

     

    The only thing I know of that helps with FIP symptoms (but is not a cure) 
is steroids; the combined dexamethasone and depomedrol shots can help with FIP 
like they do with lymphoma.  My Buddy may have had FIP-- lymphoma was never 
definitely diagnosed because he had no masses anywhere and his blood work was 
all fine in the beginning, just weight loss, lethargy, and dull matted coat, 
and then he got uveitis in his eye and kidney failure and anemia, and died of 
anemia.  He lived with it for about 4 months on steroids.  It was either 
lymphoma, or leukemia, or dry FIP. My vet thought it was dry FIP.  He got sick 
shortly after Patches entered the household, and she had been exposed to a cat 
with FIP right before coming. I called and spoke to an FIP expert at Cornell 
who told me not to worry about exposure that way because FIP itself is not 
contagious, so I didn't.  Maybe the form of corona virus that caused it was 
contagious, and maybe he got it.  He was 18 months old.  None
 of the others got it, and I think some were under 2.  But who knows. No one 
claims to completely understand FIP.

     

    Hideyo, all I can say is that I feel terrible you are going through this.  
The suddenness of Rikki's symptoms make me think, though, that even if all the 
others have had FIP, maybe something else is going on with him. But maybe not.,

     

    Michelle

     

    In a message dated 11/17/2006 8:08:57 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL 
PROTECTED] writes:

      I think none of the kitties whom she lost recently to FIP at this past 
incident was felk positive – (she had sent me the details of every kitty  whom 
she lost  as I was very curious to find out what happened)  -Karen who also 
lost 6 of her kitties to FIP recently and none of them were felk positive 
either..

    I ended up doing necropaise on Olive as my vet suggested  and it was FIP – 
and I am assuming that the rest of my babies were also FIP – I am not sure 
which portion of the symptoms don’t sound like FIP except Rikki– I really wish 
it was something else.. I have not lost any kitties older than two years old – 
three were less than 1 year, and Peter was 1.5 years old..– I don’t know for 
sure if Rikki has FIP and it caused ARF or not – but there was nothing that he 
could get into – please trust me – I would think of all the reasons to cause 
what’ s causing – Rikki’s blood work is very similar to Peter though Rikki’s 
liver is functions are fine– I did all the blood parasite tests on Rikki – and 
it was all negative – what else could it be?  I don’t keep any chemicals at all 
in my house for cleaning supplies – as I get so worried about it ..  if not, 
FIP – what could it be?  If you have any other ideas of the cause, I would love 
to look into it..please let me know..

     

    I have two separate houses where I keep my cats next to each other.. none 
of the kitties from the other house (they are all older than 3 years old and I 
have not brought any new kitties to the house for the past three years or so) – 

    When I read about the symptoms (both lab and clinical) of FIP –they are 
very much what my kitties have gotten – it just attacks differents part of the 
body, whether it’s liver, kidney or CNS…