FIP? Fever and fluid.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear about what is happening with Mo. The symptoms certainly do sound like FIP. Any time we see a fever in a young cat and abdominal fluid, FIP is very likely.

It's hard to say why Mo is having these swallowing issues. I did a search for you on Veterinary Information Network where thousands of vets discuss their difficult cases. I searched for "FIP" and "swallowing" and I found several cases where cats with FIP had difficulty swallowing. Many described it as gagging. I can't say for certain why this is, but it's possible that FIP causes lesions to form around the tonsils?

There is a lot that we don't know about FIP. We do know that there is a wet and a dry form and some cats get both. With a belly full of fluid, wet FIP is likely present, but the dry form could be affecting Mo's tonsils.

I could make a case for other things going on but they would be much less likely than FIP. One possibility would be electrocution. If a cat chews on an electrical wire this can cause burns at the back of the mouth which can interfere with swallowing. It mostly causes fluid in the chest though, not the abdomen, but it is possible. It's a long shot though.

Another possibility would be if Mo had swallowed something caustic like bleach or another chemical. It could cause burns in the throat/esophagus that could cause swallowing problems. But, in order for it to cause fluid in the abdomen this would mean that there was intestinal or stomach perforation and that would be very bad.

From what you have described I fear that FIP is most likely. I think that the swallowing issue is likely related to the FIP (mostly because of the cases that have been reported on VIN). Unfortunately, as you likely know, we don't have a cure for FIP.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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