What are Coronavirus?
Coronavirus is most often found in young cats or multi-cat households where it is spread through feces and airborne contaminants. Fatalities most often occur in cats who are young or have a weakened immune system.
Coronavirus in cats, or feline infectious peritonitis, is a viral disease caused by certain strains of feline coronavirus. Though most strains of feline coronavirus do not cause the disease to occur, some strains can cause symptoms that range from mild to severe. These strains may also mutate in the cat's body, becoming feline infectious peritonitis virus. This virus attacks the immune system and vital organs, resulting in the death of the cat.
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Symptoms of Coronavirus in Cats
Symptoms of feline infectious peritonitis depend on the type of strain of coronavirus that the cat has contracted, the age of the cat, the cat's immune system and what specific organs are attacked by the virus. The virus can be one of two types, wet or dry, with symptoms depending on the type of feline infectious peritonitis the cat has contracted.
Wet/Effusive
- Fever that doesn't respond to pain relief or antibiotics
- Weight loss
- Anorexia (lack of appetite)
- Lethargy
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Nasal discharge
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal distension (nonpainful abdominal swelling)
- Breathing difficulties
- Fluid in chest or abdominal cavity
- Granulomas that form on different organs of the body
Dry/Non-Effusive
- Fever that doesn't respond to pain relief or antibiotics
- Poor growth (in young kittens)
- Eye inflammation
- Jaundice
- Depression
- Anemia
- Diarrhea
- Depression
- Neurological symptoms, which include loss of sight, loss of balance or inability to properly run/walk due to loss of coordination
Causes of Coronavirus in Cats
Feline coronavirus is fairly common among cats and is transmitted through the feces of other infected cats or from breathing in contaminants. Feline infectious peritonitis is caused by the feces or airborne contaminants of certain strains of the coronavirus. Some types of feline coronaviruses can mutate and attack the white blood cells, which then carry the disease throughout the body. When this mutation occurs, it causes feline infectious peritonitis.
Diagnosis of Coronavirus in Cats
Feline infectious peritonitis is difficult to diagnose as there is no definitive test that can determine if a cat has a mild form of coronavirus or feline infectious peritonitis. The symptoms can also mimic other diseases or viruses, making it more difficult for veterinarians to diagnose properly.
The veterinarian will ask for the cat's health history, which includes the cat's symptoms, when symptoms first began, and if the cat lives with other cats at home or was frequently placed in a kennel. The veterinarian will examine the cat, listening to the cat's breathing and looking for a distended abdomen.
Labs, which include a complete blood count and an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test, will need to be done. The complete blood count will look for white blood cells that are indicative of an infection while an ELISA test will show the presence of any coronavirus antibodies. A sample of fluid may be taken from the thorax or abdomen for further testing. Additionally, a fecal test using a stool sample may also be performed to detect the virus. Because these tests only show if the coronavirus is present and not if it's mutated, however, the veterinarian will diagnose the cat with feline infectious peritonitis if it doesn't have the symptoms of other viruses or diseases.
Treatment of Coronavirus in Cats
Most strains of coronavirus don't require treatment as the cat's immune system will produce antibodies against the virus. Unfortunately, there is no cure if the cat has developed feline infectious peritonitis. Care is centered on keeping the cat comfortable and prolonging its life for a few months.
If the cat is diagnosed with the non-effusive type of feline infectious peritonitis, medications will be prescribed. Antibiotics will help kill bacteria, immunosuppressants will prevent the virus from mutating, and anti-inflammatory medications will reduce the pain the cat is experiencing and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
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Recovery of Coronavirus in Cats
Feline infectious peritonitis is fatal in approximately 95 percent of cases. In some cases, the prescribed medications can keep the infection dormant, or in remission, for several months. It's important to follow up with the veterinarian so medications can be evaluated for effectiveness and changed, if needed, in order to allow the cat to be comfortable.
Though there is a vaccine available to prevent feline infectious peritonitis, its use is not recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners as it hasn't proven effective in preventing the virus in all cases.
The best way to keep coronavirus from spreading to other cats is to vigilantly clean the cat's food and water dishes, regularly disinfect the cat's living space and keep sick cats away from other cats in multi-cat households. Kittens should be kept away from other cats, other than the mother, to prevent them from contracting the virus. If a cat passed away from FIP, it is sensible to wait awhile before rehoming a new cat and to thoroughly clean the home.
Coronavirus Average Cost
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Top
Coronavirus Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Cat
Coconut
1 Year
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Healthy Now
I'm adopting a 1 year old cat that was just treated as nd cured of tritrichomonis. But her tests keep coming back positive for corona virus..she has had several rounds of flagyl has no Diarra and healthy..CAN I PUT HER WITH MY OTHER CAT?
June 14, 2018
1 Recommendations
Coronavirus is a common infection in cats with many cats in shelters and catteries testing seropositive on tests; the normal test used shows exposure to the virus but doesn’t necessarily mean an active infection. The decision to bring this cat into your household is down to you, you may find your current cat is seropositive too if tested. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 15, 2018
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mixed
Badem
21 Months
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
No Symptom
My cat is 21 months old now, and we have decided to neutralize her. Our vet advise us to check her for coronavirus. The test was elisa and the result is high titre positive. So we postponed the operation for about 4 months. She is very energetic, well in appetite and show no symptoms. I found her when she was 2 months old and she had all the vaccines from that time. What does high titre means and is there anything we could do to maintain a healthy life?
June 9, 2018
1 Recommendations
Coronavirus is a common infection with cats and many cats will have a positive titre test; a high titre may indicate a current or recent infection but even cats which do not have a current infection may still have a positive titre result because the antibodies are still present. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 10, 2018
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Black & White Short Hair
Misty
12 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhea Only
My 12 year old cat tested positive for Feline Coronavirus, but the remainder of a full blood panel and urinalysis were all normal. There was no sign that the virus had mutated into FIP. She has had a severe case of diarrhea for almost 3 months and has been on Hill's Prescription i/d (canned and dry, most recently only dry food). Fecal test at the onset of the diarrhea showed no giardia. Upon positive diagnosis today of Coronavirus, I took my other 2 cats in to be tested and am awaiting results. I have isolated my sick kitty in a 4-foot wide round pet playpen, pending the test results on the other 2. She shows no other signs of being sick, other than the diarrhea. She has no fever, is eating, drinking water, is active, does not show any lethargy. Other than the diarrhea, she seems perfectly normal. Her overall condition does not match anything I'm reading on the Internet about other cats with that virus. Could it be that she was misdiagnosed? If she's been misdiagnosed, is there treatment for the diarrhea (as there is for humans)?
June 6, 2018
1 Recommendations
Coronavirus is a lot more common than cat owners think, it is likely that the other two cats are positive as well. There are many different causes for diarrhoea and there are different treatments depending on the underlying cause, treatment for enteric coronavirus is supportive and symptomatic. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.msdvetmanual.com/digestive-system/diseases-of-the-stomach-and-intestines-in-small-animals/feline-enteric-coronavirus
June 6, 2018
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Domestic long hair
Cotton
5 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Bloating, Panting, Fast Breathing,
If my cat is tested positive with FIP (still warded, results will come later), will the virus spread to other cats as well? I have 5 healthy cats + 1 sick cat.
June 3, 2018
1 Recommendations
Coronavirus is a common infection in cats especially in multi cat household and in shelters, but the regular coronavirus doesn’t immediately mean feline infectious peritonitis (FIP); once the virus mutates it is not contagious to other cats. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 4, 2018
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Persian
Phoebe
4 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Peeing In Her Slep
Hello. My 4-year old cat has recently been peeing in her sleep without realising so. I am very concerned about her and cannot decide on what I should do. Due to the lack of veterinary support, it is almost impossible to correctly diagnose the cause.
May 31, 2018
1 Recommendations
There are many possible causes for urine leakage; when a cat sleeps their muscles relax and if the bladder muscles relax, it may lead to leakage of some urine. However, other conditions like hormonal conditions, nerve damage, spinal disorders, kidney disease among other causes may also lead to problems. You should try and get some veterinary attention if possible, if not ask a human medical clinic or pharmacy for a sterile container to collect urine and try to see if a human doctor will check it for you; without an examination I cannot give any specifics. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 1, 2018
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Maine Coon
Prince
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Our prince who just turned 1 this month is a Maine coon kitty. For the past week and a half he hasnt been eating well and just been very lethargic. We took him to the vet and they said he had an ear infection so they gave us antibiotics. We gave it to him for 7 days. Didnt really make a difference, so we took him back again because my family and I started to really worry. They did blood work on him and took his temp and they said he had a fever. Some of the lab test came back that really points to him having coronavirus.... but the vet isnt 100% sure yet since we are still waiting on the final result. My heart is breaking and so is my children. He is a loveable playful goofy kitty. But he just hasnt been himself. We already paid close to $1100 for his checkup. Should I get a second opinion? Please help
domestic short hair
Willow
7 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Liquid Out Of Eye,
My new kitten has been diagnosed with the Corona virus and now I'm worried about my seven year old cat. She just recently started getting a sore eye and I previously thought it was because the kitten was playing to roughly with her. There has also been the occasional sneeze but not much.
I know it is likely she caught Corona virus, but does any of this look like FIP??
Coronavirus Average Cost
From 359 quotes ranging from $200 - $3,000
Average Cost
$800
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Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
