Do cats with feline infectious peritonitis need regular abdominal fluid drainage?

Draining abdominal fluid can alleviate symptoms in cats and make them less painful, but it does not hold any meaning for the recovery of the disease. The prominent feature of wet infectious peritonitis is the presence of a large amount of fluid in the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and the abdominal circumference gradually increases. Some cats experience respiratory difficulty due to pleural fluid, and after loss of appetite, they may also develop anemia, progressive muscle wasting on both sides of the spine. There is currently no drug that can cure the disease, and it can only be prolonged through medical assistance.

Do cats with feline infectious peritonitis need abdominal fluid drainage?

Feline infectious peritonitis is a disease with a high clinical mortality rate, difficult to treat, and expensive to treat. In the later stages of the disease, cats may develop abdominal or pleural fluid accumulation. When there is a large amount of fluid, it can cause respiratory difficulty and loss of appetite in cats. Timely puncture and drainage of the fluid can effectively alleviate symptoms, but it does not achieve therapeutic effects. If the owner does not want the cat to suffer, they can also choose euthanasia.

Methods of abdominal fluid drainage in cats with feline infectious peritonitis

Draining abdominal fluid in cats with feline infectious peritonitis requires sterile conditions. First, locate the abdominal fluid according to the B-ultrasound, select an appropriate puncture site, and then perform local anesthesia on the cat. Disinfect the skin, and use a suitable puncture needle for laparoscopic puncture, drainage of abdominal fluid, and analysis of the fluid as exudate or transudate, cell and protein components of the fluid, and auxiliary experimental diagnosis such as Lichtheim's test and PCR experiment.

Treatment methods for feline infectious peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis is currently a major worldwide problem. Once diagnosed with infectious peritonitis, it is almost always fatal. Traditional treatment methods mainly involve supportive therapy and symptomatic treatment, mainly using dexamethasone and oral prednisolone, but they only provide temporary relief of symptoms and have no substantial effects. Currently, a foreign drug called GC376 and another drug have been introduced, which have a certain cure rate for feline infectious peritonitis. If treatment is persevered, the survival rate may be about 30%, but the cost is expensive, and the drugs are unlicensed, with serious fraud issues.