FIP

Question
Hi, i have a question about FIP. I have a cat now who is perfectly healthy and about a year old. I am due to pick up a new kitten about 4 months old from my local animal shelter on tuesday but he has been showing some weird respiratory symptoms for the last week to 14 days or so.  It started with some greenish boogers in his eyes and what sounded like a stuffy nose or respiratory infection. He was sneezing and made a clicking nose when he breathed. He is very active and i've seen no change in his behavior at all. He's been on clavamox and his eyes are cleared up with less than two sneezes in the hour i saw him today, but after he plays really hard he starts the clicking again and sighs like he can't quite get enough air. i'm wondering if I should wait to bring him home because I've hear FIP commonly starts with mild respiratory symptoms? I'm afraid to make my other cat sick.

Answer
Reachel -

Have you had a problem with FIP in the past?  Has the shelter had a problem with FIP in the past?  If there has not been a history of FIP in the shelter then there is not reason for you to suspect that the cat has FIP.  

Most symptoms of FIP are GI or ocular in nature however FIP can present in several nonspecific.  I have not seen it present like a URI.  Since definitive diagnosis is quite difficult, it is hard to determine if ananimal has FIP.

In a shelter environment upper respiratory infection is quite common. URI is very common is cats especially and is usually treated very easily once the animal is in the home environmednt.  URI in the shelter can take a while to treat because of the stress of being in the shelter.  

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM