Coronavirus

FIP – this abbreviation causes the appearance of cold sweat and trembling in the knees of any breeder. The disease became known not so long ago, the first diagnosis was made in 1960 in the United States, since then the number of cases has been growing exponentially, causing fear and horror among felinologists and veterinarians.

Data on the prevalence of the virus vary greatly, but tend to increase as animal testing for carrier spreads. According to the latest data, up to 100% of purebred cats come into contact with coronavirus throughout their lives. It should be noted that there is a direct correlation between the percentage of positive tests for the isolation of coronavirus and the presence of diarrhea or symptoms of ill health that are not associated with the clinic of coronavirus enteritis. At the same time, a positive test for the carriage of mutant coronavirus in animals with a clinic of effusion peritonitis occurs in about 50-60% of cases. According to the Glasgow Laboratory, FIP was detected in only 18% of the samples sent. From this, it logically suggests that the replication and isolation of the virus is provoked by a decrease in the defenses of the cat's body, and effusion peritonitis is not necessarily caused by coronavirus. Attempts to explain such a low percentage of positive tests for coronavirus in animals with antibody binding, I personally have serious distrust of the theory linking the pathogen and the disease.

Practice shows that there is a serious overdiagnosis of FIP. The diagnosis is made unreasonably often. There are many pathological processes that can cause an effusion into the abdominal cavity:

1. any severe liver damage (cholangiohepatitis, lymphocytic cholangitis, cirrhosis)
2. cardiomyopathy
3. tumors
4. lymphosarcoma

The effusion form of FIP is provoked by an autoimmune vascular lesion, vasculitis, the cause of which may well not be a coronavirus, well, or not only it.

The dry form of FIP, without effusion, accompanied by uveitis, iridocclitis, central nervous system damage, progressive exhaustion and asthenia, requires differential diagnosis with viral immunodeficiency, viral leukemia and toxoplasmosis in the first place.

Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to conduct a full-fledged study of animals suspicious of FIP, but I can share the observations that I have at the moment.

All animals suspected of FIP, as well as contact and parents whose children gave symptoms of the disease, should undergo treatment for protozoa, primarily from toxoplasmosis. Ronidazole and Tinidazole work, only they. Tinidazole is usually recommended at a dose of 30mg/ kg for 2 weeks. I prescribe higher, about 50mg / kg, but the course is shorter, 3-5 days, very rarely longer, and then the dose should be reduced to 30mg / kg. The main guideline is stool, after the disappearance of impurities and normalization of consistency, the drug is given another 2 days. In the presence of diarrhea, parallel Dysparcol (0.15-0.2 / kg of weight, 1-3 injections once a day, treatment is discontinued after the effect is achieved, usually one injection is enough). Disparkol complex injectable preparation as active ingredients in 1 ml contains levomycetin (chloramphenicol) - 50 mg, metronidazole - 20 mg, tylosin tartrate (in terms of tylosin base) - 20 mg. The effectiveness of the course was confirmed by negative tests for protozoa/toxoplasmosis after treatment.

In parallel, polyoxidonium or roncoleukin is prescribed, plus a 5-day cathode and a transition to natural nutrition.

There are serious reasons to suspect that at least the combination of coronavirus and toxoplasma gives an impetus to the development of symptoms. The initial immunodeficiency, primary or secondary, also plays a role; unbalanced nutrition (naturalists get sick at times less often); crowding; insufficient hygiene.

Personally, I very much doubt in general that only coronavirus is involved in the formation of FIP. Perhaps he "fell under the distribution", as the most easily determined when pathological processes occur. Approximately like mycoplasma, which by itself can not cause trouble, but is activated when there is inflammation and a decrease in overall resistance. And the name of the disease contradicts the pathogenesis, because the process is not infectious, but autoimmune.

There is no single diagnostic test for FIP, except for histopathological examination, which is usually performed posthumously! Neither PCR nor ELISA analysis can serve as a basis for establishing a diagnosis and even for assessing the risk of its development!

A positive smear test from the rectum for coronavirus is not equal to FIP

High antibody titer - not equal to FIP

The presence of effusion in the abdominal cavity is not equal to FIP

According to the research of the WSAVA 2015 group, "The absence of antibodies to coronavirus in cats aged 16 weeks or older is rare," and therefore, animal testing has only one meaning – ensuring the financial stability of veterinary clinics.

A source: https://www.oldbluzcoon.com