'Feline Coronavirus' Diagnosis Guidelines Released By Wyckoff Nonprofit

WYCKOFF, NJ — A Wyckoff feline health research nonprofit has released landmark guidelines for diagnosing a viral disease in cats that is caused by a feline coronavirus, the nonprofit said.

EveryCat Health Foundation, along with the American Association of Feline Practitioners, has released the Feline Infectious Peritonitis Diagnosis Guidelines to provide veterinarians with the information necessary to diagnose FIP in cats, the nonprofit said.

The guidelines, published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, were written with the intent to provide the most current knowledge available combined with supplemental resources, said Susan Gogolski, who is co-chair of a task force of experts in feline clinical medicine.

She, along with other task force members, developed the guidelines, which contain helpful tips, images and tables, and algorithms, the nonprofit said.

FIP is fatal when untreated, and is challenging to diagnose in some cases due to a lack of clinical signs or laboratory changes. Nearly every small animal veterinary practitioner will see cases; therefore the ability to correctly diagnose it is "critical," the nonprofit said.

First recognized over 50 years ago, FIP especially affects cats younger than two years old, another task force co-chair Vicki Thayer said. Given that the disease is often considered an "enigma" by the veterinary profession, she added, these guidelines will serve as an important resource for practitioners in "diagnosing FIP in their cat patients."

FIP Diagnosis Guidelines can be downloaded at the EveryCat Health Foundation or AAFP websites.