Feline Infectious Peritonitis Symptoms

Feline infectious peritonitis is caused by infection with a mutated feline coronavirus and can be divided into wet feline infectious peritonitis and dry feline infectious peritonitis. The most obvious symptom of wet feline infectious peritonitis in the early stage is the gradual increase in the cat's abdominal circumference, accompanied by fever and other symptoms. In comparison, the symptoms of dry feline infectious peritonitis are not as obvious, with the early stage mainly presenting fever and abdominal lymph node swelling. If treated promptly, the cat's chances of survival are high.

Wet Feline Infectious Peritonitis

If a cat has wet feline infectious peritonitis, its abdomen will usually swell due to the accumulation of abdominal fluid. As the fluid accumulates, the cat's weight will also increase. General symptoms include urinating everywhere, urine being yellow-green in color, and so on. In the middle and late stages, symptoms such as abdominal enlargement and difficulty breathing will appear. Therefore, when a cat has infectious peritonitis, the owner should immediately take the cat to a nearby pet hospital for inspection and treat it with specific drugs for infectious peritonitis.

Dry Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Dry feline infectious peritonitis is caused by a mutated coronavirus. Most cats carry the coronavirus, and when they are suddenly frightened, undergo diet or seasonal changes, and other stress responses, it easily causes the coronavirus to mutate and trigger infectious peritonitis. It usually also causes symptoms such as conjunctivitis, jaundice, anemia, and granulomas, which make the cat gradually lose weight and become thinner. It can also damage the nervous system, causing seizures and cerebellar ataxia. Therefore, once the above symptoms are found, treatment should be started immediately to increase the chance of recovery.

Note: Currently, there is only effective treatment for feline infectious peritonitis through specific drugs containing 441 components and anti-inflammatory drugs. At the same time, liver protection drugs should also be administered. To prevent cats from contracting feline infectious peritonitis, regular vaccination is the best method.