My Pet World: New drug shows promise to extend life for cats with 'dry" FIP
Q: My friend's cat was recently diagnosed with FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). The Chinese (veterinarians) maintain this is a fatal disease. Can you help? -- L.L., China
A: The Chinese veterinarians are correct, although there is some good news on the FIP front: For the first time, there's hope for some kitties to live longer with an improved quality of life.
Dr. Susan Little, president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and a past president of the Winn Feline Foundation, says that while FIP can occur in cats at any age, it most often occurs in kittens, which is particularly heartbreaking.
"There are two forms of the disease," says Little, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. "For the wet form (also called effusive), there are unfortunately no treatment options. However, now, for the dry form (also called non-effusive), there's a drug called polyprenyl immunostimulant (PI)."
Funded by the Winn Feline Foundation, Dr. Al Legendre, professor of internal medicine and oncology at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, has been studying the effectiveness of PI.
"So far, it seems, certain cats with dry FIP live longer (when given PI) and enjoy an improved quality of life," says Legendre. "However, it's not a cure."
For 10 years, the Winn Feline Foundation Bria Fund has raised money specifically to support researchers working to better understand this complex disease and ultimately to discover a viable treatment. Legendre's work has mostly been funded by the Winn Feline Foundation.
"Ten years ago, we never would have imagined that any drug might slow the progress of FIP in some cats," says Little. "With continued financial support, we hope to see more advances."
To answer your question, long-term prospects for any cat correctly diagnosed with FIP remain doubtful. Out of desperation, particularly since the disease is considered fatal and tends to target kittens, there are many homespun "cures" posted online. So far, only PI offers any viable promise, and even then only hope for cats with one form of the disease, and it appears that hope is finite.
Learn more about the Winn Feline Foundation and the Bria Fund at http://www.winnfelinefoundation.org/giving/ways-to-give.
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