Preventing FIP

If there is no Feline coronavirus there is no FIP.  SIMPLE.  Households with less than five cats will eventually spontaneously clear of coronavirus. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549

Avoid a cattery which cages their animals or has a very large number of adult cats. (unfortunately this means most shelters ) Dr. Pedersen's advice is to choose a kitten from a one cat household - the good old backyard moggie.
Ask to see the kitten's inbreeding cooefficient COI before you purchase a pedigreed cat. You will need to calculate this for the past ten generations, a feat now possible thanks to computers. "A COI of more than 25% is considered high and is equivalent to a parent to child or brother to sister mating." Ask if the stud cat and mother are FeCoV free, ask if they have had any kittens affected by FIP - if the breeder will not discuss FIP look elsewhere.
When Mishka was diagnosed I contacted Dr Pedersen for help - he was sympathetic but counselled me that "there is usually more going on in these cats" than just the infection. Our vets including the second opinion vet asked us to contact our breeder and tell her so the parents could be neutered. It turned out that Mishka had other signs of inbreeding - she had a 'hunting nystagmus' due to low vision. Unrelated means having no common relatives in 10 generations - Mishka's pedigree shows relatives in the third generation. Inbreeding causes lowered immunity. Some breeds such as Birmans have been through genetic 'bottlenecks' and have generally high 'inbreeding cooefficients'. Breeders should outcross to improve these breeds. 
  • http://www.glamourpuss-birmans.com/index.php?page=resources Glamour Puss Birmans provides an excellent article on FIP and another on outcrossing Birmans
  • Forest Wind Siberian cats have a TEN YEAR genetic health guarantee that covers FIP if diagnosed according to Dr Addie's protocol. Their cats have a COI of almost zero.
  • FeCoV free catteries and FIP afffected cat database This database is a consumer database especially listing FeCoV free catteries and FIP affected cats pedigree. Search for a cat pedigree, cattery or add one to the database. It is provided without warranty and no liability for use or misuse of the information provided is accepted.
  • http://www.askthecatdoctor.com/fip-in-cats.html FIP in Cats: Breeder Accountability
  • Raw food diets for kittens Progress report, Winn grant 09-002 Nutritional adequacy and performance of raw food diets in kittens Investigators: Beth Hamper, Claudia Kirk, Joe BartgesUniversity of Tennessee. "Innate immunity appeared to function at a higher level in the kittens fed a raw diet."
  • Primucell FIP Vaccine - "It has long been accepted that the initial exposure to the virus seldom, if ever, causes clinical disease, but rather serves to "sensitize" the animal, making it more vulnerable to active disease on subsequent exposure. Usual methods of vaccination, therefore, might serve to act as the initial, "sensitizing" exposure, rendering the vaccinated animal more vulnerable rather than protecting it from the disease. Dr. Scott states that based on the limited efficacy and the potential to stimulate immune enhancement under certain conditions, the routine use of Primucell-FIP in low-risk populations of cats (i.e. household pets) cannot be recommended."
  • Bleeding edge research is being done around the globe into FIP - it has some implications for human disease as SARS is also a coronavirus. Send donations, send your cat's DNA and their fluid if they have wet FIP to help. ( please note the vets below can only usually answer questions about general information unless they are actually treating your cat - usually requires a physical examination by law.)

    Dr Niels Pedersen (USA)
    Requesting samples of DNA (buccal swabs), virus from fluid and also necropsy tissue samples.
    UC Davis researchers are especially interested in Burmese or Birman cats that have FIP for an FIP genetics study. We have just identified some genetic associations for both resistance and susceptibility to FIP in Birmans from Scandinavia and the US. However, samples are also needed from both random bred and other purebreeds dying from the disease, especially Persians, Ragdolls, and Bengals, as well as lines that appear free. So if you have siblings,  half-siblings, parents, grandparents of affected cats who do not develop the disease please also send their swabs.
    Buccal swab for DNA detailed instructions and questionnaire - http://www.sockfip.org/fip-studies.html this is so easy - essentially just take a qtip and swish it inside a cat's cheek, store in a labelled paper envelope when dry. Breeders are encouraged to keep such DNA samples of all their kittens on file in case something arises in the future - you may contribute to research well down the track.
    To submit samples containing the virus (i.e., effusion fluid), just get a new coffee filter, put it on top of foil or waxed paper, and soak it with a teaspoon of fresh fluid. Let it air dry completely. You can then submit it like you would the buccal swab. 
    Necropsy tissue (fresh samples from dead cats) - instructions: http://www.sockfip.org/fip-studies/115-instructions-for-taking-tissue-
    Should you need more advice on an FIP diagnosis or have questions about taking and shipping samples, please feel free to contact Dr. Niels C. Pedersen: ncpedersen@ucdavis.edu
    Donations: The price of a cup of coffee is all it takes from a lot of internet friends :)
    be sure you do not donate to researchers who use experimental animals! YUUUK DO NOT LET ANYONE GIVE FIP TO A HEALTHY CAT IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE. This unfortunately includes Dr Pedersen.

Netherlands - Ghent University Donate money or your sick cat if you live in Flanders and can't afford treatment
"We strive to do research with direct relevance for the field situation. We do this by checking our in vitro results in FIP cats. However, we prefer not to work with experimental infections of cats (for both scientific and ethical reasons). That is why we are always looking for FIP patients. If you live in Flanders and you would like to donate your ill cat to FIP research, please contact us!! You can do this through our 'contact' page, by sending an e-mail to Dominique.Olyslaegers@UGent.be or by phone: 09/2647519."
http://www.fipv.ugent.be/page7/page7.html

Dr. Diane Addie (europe)
Appeal for effusions - looking for really enormous quantities.
Any vet who sends more than 20 ml will receive a free FCoV antibody test, AGP test and Rivalta.
Just mail them in clean receptacles - some people have used empty water bottles.
Address:
D. Addie
Maison Zabal
64470 Etchebar
France
Apart from preventing FIP it's important to prevent coronavirus transmission because it's a virus noted for JUMPING THE SPECIES BARRIER more  

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