If you would like to donate funds for clinical research into Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), please send your donations to the Langford Trust of Bristol Unviersity.
The Trust was founded in 1990, following recognition of the need to improve facilities at the Bristol University’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, and is currently conducting research into FIP.
There are a number of ways you can donate, include via Charity Choice.
Continuing the series on my visit to the Natural and Organic Products Show on 6 April 2009.
FOOD PRODUCTS
1. Maharishi Honey. It’s bizarre, but following last year’s show I wrote about this brand of honey and somehow I found myself at this stand again this year, after the exhibition had closed.
Maharishi honey is organic and produced according to the ayurvedic principles of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (Those who are Beatles fans will have had their bells rung as, for a short time, the Beatles embraced the philosophy of this yogic practitioner.)
I’m no stranger to biodynamic farming which encourages the use of biological sprays and planting according to planetary cycles to enhance crop vibrancy.
However, Maharishi honey seems to go one step further in influencing the wellbeing and quality of honey produced by playing mantras to the bees as they forage and when the honey is harvested. Furthermore, the Institute believe that honeys harvested at different times of the year have different tastes and a positive effect on different parts of the body.
It all seems very airy-fairy, but I picked up some leaflets from the stand which included scientific research into the efficacy of Maharishi honey.
One study (conducted by the Food Research Laboratory in Japan) compared the antibacterial activity in Maharishi Honey with Manuka Honey (UMF 30).
(Now, the little I know about Manuka Honey is that the higher the UMF rating, the stronger and more reliable the properties of the honey. So UMF 30 is pretty high up the scale. Because of its potency, Manuka Honey has been used in the treatment of digestive disorders and burns.)
Interestingly, the test show that after one hour and even after three hours, Maharishi Honey showed considerably greater anti-bacterial than Manuka Honey.
I’d always meant to try the honey, and this year, after humming and haaing over which type to buy, the assistant on the stand took pity on me and quite out-of-the-blue, presented me with a small sample of their Madhu Taste 8 (enhances the sense of Taste and sense of Sight). She told me that everyone they’d given samples to usually ended up purchasing more later on.
Who knows? Perhaps by writing it up in my post last year, I’d somehow attracted it into my life.
2. Gaia’s Organic Kombucha. I used to make Kombucha. It’s a kind of fermented tea drink, which has health-benefits. The fermentation is carried out by a special type of rubbery fungus called a scobie. I stopped making Kombucha when the fungi multipled and threatened to take over the house, so I’m always on the lookout for commercially-produced Kombucha which would give me the convenience of a Kombucha drink without the hassle of having to make it.
Most commercial Kombucha suffers from one problem: pasteurisation. This destroys most of the living enzymes, probiotics and amino acids in Kombucha. Which means that most shop-bought Kombucha is essentially a dead substance and no better than a cordial.
Until today I thought the only brand of “live” unpasteurised Kombucha was made by Lewtress. So it’s great that Gaia’s Organic Kombucha also offers live, unpasteurised Kombucha. While Lewtress’ Kombucha are fermented with herbs, Gaia’s are infused with fruity flavours which may be a more gentle introduction for newcomers to Kombucha: Original Green Tea, Green Tea and Peach and Green Tea and Blackcurrant.
The creator of Gaia’s Kombucha is Gary Leigh and he represented everything I enjoy about the Show – the passion to create a product that will help people, and the enthusiasm to share his knowledge and expertise about the product. He showed me how fresh and “alive” his Kombucha was – in one of the bottles, a little Kombucha culture floated, with the potential to become a fully-functioning Kombucha fungus. His Kombucha does not need to be refrigerated, although refrigeration will slow the fermentation process down. He claimed that an unopened bottle would stay potent for up to 10 years.
I tasted some Gaia’s Kombucha – it had that Kombucha kick to it: slightly fizzy, tart with a warming effect. My favourite was the Original Green Tea flavour because I’m a purist when it comes to Kombucha tastes. Definitely a must-try for Kombucha addicts.
3. Argital green clay. I’d come across bentonite clay during a detox – taken internally it is supposed to absorb toxins. However, Argital green clay is extracted from a pit near the seas of Sicily. It is suppsoed to be more potent than other types of clay because of its marine origin which is rich in mineral salts and other elements.
I took a pinch of the clay between my fingers – it felt like talcum powder. The person I talked to at the stand told me that he mixed a teaspoon of the powder in a glass of water every morning, let the clay settle and drank the remaining solution. It was, he said, the secret to his good health because the liquid contained all the minerals that the body required. It was also supposed to be good for pets who would recognise that their water now contained all the right elements. Needless to say, I had to have some, but unfortunately he only had a few packets available, so I had to make do with a few tablespoons in a plastic cup, sealed with a wodge of kitchen towel!
4. Devon Cottage Organic Fudge. All I can say is, it’s delicious. It is the only organic AND Fairtrade fudge available on the market. Added to that, unlike many other fudges it is made with butter, not with the cheaper palm oil. (I’m also a bit wary of palm oil which may be highly-processed).
I spoke with the owner, Richard Dennison who described how he still makes the fudge in small quantities, in a cottage-type enterprise. The fudge is still hand-stirred by himself, so it truly deserves the label “home made”.
He sources all his organic ingredients from the UK (which can only be good for our farmers). The exception is the milk powder (which is used to produce condensed milk used in the fudge recipe) because apparently despite the plight of the British milk industry, there is no one in this country who has capitalised on excess milk stocks to manufacture an organic milk powder!
Continuing the series on my visit to the Natural & Organic Products Show 2009.
PET-RELATED PRODUCTS – FLOWER ESSENCES
(As you may be aware, flower essences are remedies which act on the emotional state of a person or animal. They are made by infusing the flower in water in the presence of sunlight to capture the vibrational quality of the flower. The belief is that each unique flower vibration is capable of healing different negative emotional states.)
It’s not often I come across a range of flower essences specifically-created for pets. Most holistic practitioners use traditional Bach flower remedies for pets. I’ve used Australian Bush Flower Essences. Bioforce have a small number of pet-specific remedies. And in the US, Green Hope Farm have an Animal Wellness Collection.
At the show, I came across Tortue Rouge, a company specialising in organic essential oils, that has created a pet-specific range of flower essences (more to follow).
The company is based in the South of France, in the beautiful Languedocienne mountains. All their essential oils are grown by themselves in their grounds.
What I found impressive was the four varieties of high-altitude lavender essential oil that they were able to offer me: lavender grown at 800 metres, 1200 metres, 1600 metres and 1800 metres.
(What’s the big deal about high-altitude lavender, I hear you ask. Well, apparently, high-altitude lavender has a higher ester content – esters are the chemical components that give the oil its relaxing, calming effects as well as floral scent. Therefore the higher the ester content, the finer the scent and more therapeutic the oil. )
I couldn’t smell the difference between the 1200m and the 1600m, but the difference between the 800m and the 1800m was discernible – the latter had a creamier, almost honeyed fragrance.
Anyway, I digress. The founder of the company, Petre (pronounced “Peter”) Sefton has always loved animals and decided to create a range of flower essences for pets. She and I had a very interesting discussion about whether or not the intent and “purity” of the person making the flower remedy had any influence on the efficacy of the remedy, and whether commercial methods of production eroded quality.
I spoke with Tracy Savage, one of the assistants at the stand and she gave a glowing testimonial on their effectiveness. She is normally a sceptic about flower essences, however, she gave some to a friend who had a rescue cat who, four years after the rescue, was timid and nervy. Apparently, three days after the remedy, the cat became more confident and sociable.
I realise that what I’ve just narrated is anecdotal, so I’m looking forward to trying these essences and reporting on the results. However, it is worth noting that a number of holistic vets including Richard Allport are using these remedies.
Last year, I posted on the homeopathic kit I’ve put together for the birth process.
The birth last year for my queen did not go as smoothly as with previously litters. One of the kittens was very large and was born hours late, and sadly, dead. I’d ignored the vet’s suggestion to use Oxytocin to strengthen her contractions and thought I’d let nature take its course, instead. I tried 2 homeopathic remedies which had been recommended: caulophyllum and cimicifuga. Neither worked.
This year, at the Natural and Organic Products Europe show, Helios the homeopathic pharmacy was exhibiting, and one of their homeopaths was on the stand. I took the opportunity to discuss what happened last year, and she had another suggestion, the remedy Secale.
According to the Helios own-guide to Homeopathy in Childbirth, “Secale … like Pulsatilla, intolerant of stuffy rooms, but emotionally more stupefied in labour, with much longer contractions. If these stop, trembling may start. Most often used to antidote ill-effects of Syntometrine, often routinely injected to speed up expulsion of placenta. Can be used to encourage a retained placenta to be pushed out naturally if contractions are too weak.”
Another suggestion was to use the remedies in a higher potency than 30C, in fact to use them in 200C potency because the birth process is a particularly intense experience. This advice went against what I was taught about using the minimum dose, but I was open to anything that would help my cat.
I bought the Helios homeopathic kit for childbirth which contains 18 remedies for use before, during and after labour. (Aconite, Arnica, Bellis per., Calendula, Carbo veg., Caulophyllum, Chamomilla, Cimicifuga, Gelsemium, Hypericum, Ipecac., kali carb., Kali phos., Phytolacca, Pulsatilla, Secale, Sepia, Staphisagria). Some of the remedies I already have, but this kit had them in 200C potency.
I truly hope that I will not have to resort to any of the remedies to assist in labour, but it pays to be prepared.
Good news.
Ananda, my breeding queen, has tested NEGATIVE for the known gene for feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (“HCM”).
HCM is a disease of the heart. It causes thickening of the heart walls, weakness, build-up of fluid and eventually, heart failure. There is no cure for HCM; medication can only slow the progress of this disease. The anguish of a much-loved pet dying suddenly is something that all responsible breeders want to avoid. For this reason, any test that can diagnose the possibility of HCM is welcome so that affected cats can be taken out of a breeding programme.
HCM is an inheritable disease, and affects ALL breeds of cats. However, because studies have been done using Maine Coon cats, there is a tendency to associate HCM with Maine Coons.
In a study entitled “Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon Cats” by Dr. Kittleson, a dominant gene was identified that could lead to the expression of HCM in cats. Recently, a mutation in the MYBPC gene which is suggested to cause HCM in cats was found by Dr. Kathryn Meurs (Washington State University, USA).
There are a number of testing labs worldwide, but I opted for the Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine HCM genetic testing service. It costs US$60 per cat. Registration for the service is done online and offers a choice of testing using either blood samples or cheek swabs. I opted for cheek swabs, based on the advice of other Maine Coon breeders because it’s apparently something you don’t need special training (aka a vet) to do.
The College sent me the Test Kit, which consists of two cheek swabs. These are like the mini versions of brushes used to clean baby bottles. Written instructions were included on how to take the samples. They were deceptively easy: each brush had to be inserted on either side of the mouth, between the cheek and gums, and then twirled for about 20-30 seconds to gather the cell samples. The brushes then had to be air-dried, before being popped into a plastic bag and sent back to the College.
I read the instructions out loud to Ananda, in the hope that she would open her mouth and allow me to insert the brushes and twirl them merrily.
Oooh, the look she gave me. She was on heat and not looking very cooperative. On second thoughts, maybe not.
Fortunately, I had a contingency plan. She was due to go to the vet for a blood test before going to the stud cat. So I asked the vet if he would take the samples for me. My vet kindly agreed, and asked his two assistants, to carry out blood test and the DNA sampling. I gave them the instructions, the twirly brushes and waited.
Much later, the door to the surgery opened, and there stood the two strapping young vets, looking a little hot around the collar.
Apparently the blood test hadn’t been the problem. But who would have thought that a sweet-natured tortie cat would make a fuss about a few brushes? After checking to make sure they still had their fingers and toes, the vets handed me the brushes with the samples.
I had the choice of sending the brushes via courier or Royal Mail International Special Delivery. I called several courier companies and nearly fainted at the cost – the cheapest was about £30! I was worried that if I didn’t send the samples by courier, the cells would degrade, but a breeder assured me that once air dried, the samples were quite robust. So I chose Royal Mail in the end, and the samples got there.
The DNA test is not the only means of testing for HCM. Because there may be more than one gene involved in HCM, another recommendation is to diagnose using an echocardiogram which may show signs of the developing disease. Echocardiograms only show the state of the heart at a particular point in time, which means that repeated testing is necessary.
The problem with all these tests is that they are inconclusive. In humans alone, several hundred mutations have been identified that cause HCM. HCM can develop at any age, and a cat that is normal one year could still have HCM and develop symptoms later in life. Also, a cat may test positive for the HCM gene, and yet not have any signs in its echocardiogram.
And because the tests are inconclusive, a number of breeders are not convinced that they are absolutely necessary, preferring to breed according to the general longevity and healthiness of bloodlines. It means that breeders have to put their trust in the honesty of other breeders. It means that there is an element of the guessing-game if breeding with untested cats. This perception about not needing to test is slowly changing in the UK, but testing in this country isn’t as widespread as say, in the US or Australia.
There is also, of course, the difficulty amongst breeders in being “open” if a cat tests positive for the gene, in case they get tarred with the HCM brush. Just to confuse the matter, the HCM gene is variable in its expression – just because a cat tests positive doesn’t mean that it or its offspring will go on to develop HCM.
More openness, more work, more studies need to be done to address this silent killer.
More links:
For more information on HCM, see: members.aol.com/jchinitz/hcm/index.htm.
And from the same site: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – The Silent Killer - a tragic story from a Ragdoll breeder about the pain and devastation that can result when cat breeders are not open with one another about any occurrences of HCM in the lineages of their cats.
Yesterday, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Natural and Organic Products Europe show at London Olympia. It’s the trade show for the natural, health, organic, speciality foods industry.
I know this post isn’t directly cat-related, but if you’re like me, you probably know that a keen interest in all things holistic usually means a desire to learn about nutrition, complementary health care or organic food.
Most of the trade stands at the Show offered samples, or tastings of products from all over the world. All of the exhibitors were passionate about what they’re selling, whether it’s organic honey or a new type of skin cream. It was simply fantastic to be able to pick the brains of these people who’re experts in their field, and add to my knowledge.
So what caught my eye this year?
1. Comvita’s Olive Leaf Complex. Olive Leaf extract is a powerful antioxidant, anti-bacterial substance. I’d previously seen it in a powdered form, but what made this version different was that it was a LIQUID extract pressed from fresh leaves. That’s minimum processing, with none of the drying process which would destroy potent compounds in the fresh product. I tasted some – it was palatable, but had bitter overtones, no worse than Swedish Bitters. I found that reassuring. It showed it hadn’t been over-processed to remove its natural taste. I’ve also seen Olive Leaf extract used in other supplements as part of an immune-system booster. It is apparently 400% stronger than Vitamin C.
2. Maharishi Vedic Organic Honey. For those not in the know, Maharishi was the guru whom the Beatles feted in their younger days. The name has been used to sell food that is manufactured or farmed to Ayur-Vedic standards.
OK, there were loads of honey suppliers at the show. But Maharishi Vedic claim that their honey is energetically more vibrant because of the way they nurture their bees, a process which includes chanting/singing to the bees as they make their way to and from the hives. You can either take it with a pinch of salt or see whether it’s made a difference to the quality of the honey.
I’m not sure I could, but I only had a small tasting. I tried some honey water made from Maharishi Vedic Honey, and it was very light, like acacia honey. I didn’t suddenly sprout wings and feel one with the Universe, but it was a nice honey. They also produce honeys made at different times of the year, and with different flavours. The Maharishi Honey Site is worth it j
ust for the happy New Age colours (emphasis on the pink!).
I’ve previously tried Maharishi homemade ghee, and I was blown away. The best ghee I’ve ever tasted. Ghee is clarified butter with the lactose and milk solids removed. Most ghee tends to be greasy and sicky-rich. Maharishi ghee was delicate, light, with a sweet flavour. I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon.
3. Sancler Organic Yoghurt Cheese. Yoghurt Cheese is also known as Labneh, a traditional dairy product. It’s actually strained yoghurt. Sancler Yoghurt Cheese is made in Wales. I spoke to the man, Elwyn, who was exhibiting, and he turned out to be the farmer and owner of Sancler too. The herd is 70-strong, and it was obvious he loved them – he fed them the best of organic produce, he knew their personalities and they all had names. I had an interesting chat with him about TB and cows and the methods he used to prevent TB. Wonderful to meet someone who is passionate about farming organically and creating a great product.
The Yoghurt Cheese itself is very light and refreshing and can be used as a spread. In texture it was a bit like Philadelphia Cheese, but in terms of quality and flavour it was far superior – it is, after all, a live product. And think of all those happy cows!
4. Barleans Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Now that coconut oil has been proven to be one of the most beneficial oils around, the market is full of coconut oil manufacturers. What makes Barleans different is that their oil is obtained from coconuts that are hand-picked from the tree, and not coconuts that are immature, over-ripe or have fallen to the ground. Tree-picked coconuts means the coconut meat has a gel-like consistency, is fresher and has optimal nutritional values. I tasted and smelt some – I’m careful to do this ever since I bought some coconut oil (certified organic etc.) and it smelt like hair oil – have you ever cooked a curry and have it smelling of perfumed hair oil? I liked what Barleans produced – the smell wasn’t too cloying, so I bought a jar.
5. Maaic Collagen Gel. I’m not usually into face creams because they promise much and cost the earth and don’t deliver, but this intrigued me. Collagen is a substance in the body that is necessary for the regeneration of body tissue. With age, collagen breaks down resulting in less elastic skin, and wrinkles.
A lot of collagen preparations in the market are made from either marine algae or bovine sources. However, Maaic claim that natural collagen that works can only be found in humans and animals, but even bovine collagen isn’t very effective because the size of the particle does not allow it to permeate into the skin. Maiic’s source is collagen from fish, to be specific, fresh-water carp. The skin is taken from the belly of the carp which is more closely approximates the texture of human skin. (though mind you, I’ve never stroked the belly of a carp, so I wouldn’t know!).
The product is from Poland where it has been available for a number of years, but is new to the UK market.
5. ClearGen Anti-bacterial gel made from Mangosteen. Mangosteen is a tropical fruit. It has a hard, thick outer skin that is purple, and inside are soft and white segments of sweet fruit. I’ve eaten a lot of Mangosteen in my life, but have never heard of a medicinal use for its skin. But research has shown that Mangosteen contains a class of compounds called as Xanthones, which are potent anti-oxidants. Xanthones have also been demonstrated to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. And it’s apparently used in South East Asia for skin conditions. So there you go. It’s especially efficacious as an acne treatment.
6. And at last … Pet food. Namely dried dog and cat food. One exhibitor was selling gourmet dog biscuits. Their biscuits were cooked by baking, not using the extrusion method which apparently means a better product. I’m not sure why you can’t just give your dog normal human biscuits vs these gourmet dog biscuits. There were some interesting flavours, like mint and herbs (to freshen the dog’s breath). And the packaging was suitably premium to match the price and the market. Cat biscuits are in the pipeline.
SUMMARY:
So what trends have I spotted in this year’s show which will possibly set the tone for the rest of the industry?
Last year, the stars were the new superfoods like acai berries and goji berries. But more importantly, superfoods that were sourced from exotic locations: acai berries from Brazil and goji berries from the Himalayas. Their appeal was to a market that was jaded by Western sources of food and seduced by the promise of Eastern healing, and elixirs of life yet to be discovered in Brazilian rainforests.
The trend is still toward sourcing the exotic – there’s loads of products out there with acai and goji in them (even the mainstream Innocent Smoothies have got into the act) – for example, the anti-bacterial gel made from mangosteen fruit.
However, in terms of health products, the keywords are freshness and purity. The gold standard that is emerging is finding ways of delivering a natural product with maximum potency and minimal processing (hence the liquid olive oil extract and the coconut oil) and a minimum of preservatives or chemical nasties. Health food consumers are becoming more demanding and canny about the quality of products available and are willing to pay more for what they perceive as a product that’s as close to its source as possible.
And if it is possible to put a spiritual slant on the product, so much the better – see the honey produced by Maharishi’s happy bees.
Innovation is key as always, and there will always be new takes on old products, for example, the collagen face cream made from fish skin.
In terms of food produce, organic is now the de facto standard. Biodynamic is the next step up, but I didn’t see that many biodynamic producers in this year’s show. I didn’t see much furore over food miles either. Fairtrade seems to be the name of the game at the moment – consumers in the West seem to have a need to couple consumption with the need to save the world, the feel-good factor you get when you drink your cup of coffee knowing that it will benefit not just a small colonial estate, but change the lives of 1000 farmers. And why not?
Scientists have genetically-modified a mouse so that it can catch a cold. Previously the only mammals that could catch colds were higher primates like man. It’s thought that this development will lead to potential new treatments for colds because these mice will enable more testing to be done. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7225742.stm)
So why did this news send a chill down my spine?
I remember watching a documentary last year about the last great flu epidemic, the Spanish flu of 1918, that killed 40-50 million worldwide. Research done recently revealed that this flu was a variant of the bird flu, H5N1.
Now, how could bird flu have spread to humans? Surely by virtue of its name and type, bird flu is supposed to have been confined to one species – birds.
However, it seemed that may have been another vector involved, pigs. Pigs are susceptible to both bird and human viruses. At that time World War I was being fought and huge armies were quartered near livestock. It was possible that pigs caught the bird flu and they acted as “mixing vessels”, causing the virus to mutate sufficiently so that humans could catch it. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1005_051005_bird_flu.html
http://www.pighealth.com/influenza3.htm)
So, is it too much of a leap of fantasy to substitute “mice” for “pigs”? Surely by increasing the susceptibility of mice to human viruses, the possibility is open for mice-type viruses to be modified within these mice to be contagious to humans? What precautions are these scientists taking to make sure that diseases, once unique to smaller mammals, won’t leap the species-barrier from rodents to humans?
It’s harder to shut Pandora’s Box now that we’ve opened it.
Just a short update: I took the plunge and wormed the kittens.
I ended up using Panacur because my vet was adamant that it had the gentlest effect on the digestive system of kittens.
I did have a discussion about using tablets, but he wasn’t convinced that they were easily digested. I asked about wormers you could add to food, but with this method there is no guarantee that each kitten will get the dose they require. (I’d been warned off a wormer starting with “M” because of rumours of a kitten allegedly suffering an intussusception after taking this wormer).
It did have to be done 3-days’ consecutively. Because I used a 10% suspension, the dose was 0.7ml per kitten, once a day.
It wasn’t as messy as the previous time. There was a bit of foaming at the mouth, but on the whole most of it went down the kittens.
One tip that was given to me by an experienced breeder is to put a teat on the syringe so that you can reach further back in the mouth so the kitten will swallow the liquid more easily.
It’s that time when I hum and ha about deworming kittens.
Some vets recommend a protocol of deworming kittens from as young as 2 weeks of age and to repeat every 2 weeks until 3 months’ old. One argument is that worms, such as roundworms can affect the digestion and well-being of kittens, causing failure to thrive.
Another argument is that prior to vaccinating a kitten, you want to get rid of parasites, otherwise the toxic overload from dying parasites can affect the kitten’s ability to cope with the vaccination.
Then of course there’s the possibility of a kitten passing on parasites to whoever handles it.
I really don’t like the idea of having to stuff chemicals down perfectly-healthy kittens. And of these three above reasons, the second is the only one that might convince me deworming is necessary.
I don’t think you can really prevent a cat from acquiring parasites, especially if they go outdoors. Worming an adult cat every 6 months probably only keeps the parasites under control.
And if the cat is raw-fed and has a healthy immune system, it should be able to cope with parasites.
Last year I used Panacur in its liquid form for the litter of 7 kittens. The liquid formula had to be administered by mouth for 3 days running, in order to ensure that all the parasites were killed. It is a mixture that has the texture and consistency of white paint. Smells like it too.
Oh my, what fun.
For 3 days I ran round the house armed with a syringe full of Panacur, chasing kittens who seemed to sense that something nasty was up. It was like something out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And once I’d got hold of them, they squirmed like worms to escape and spat out the mixture. The carpet and floors resembled a Jackson Pollock painting executed in spatters of white.
There must be a better and easier way to do this.
Perhaps a better solution would be to get a faecal test done to see if there are any parasites. And then dose if necessary. More later.
FIP or Feline Infectious Peritonitis was one of the topics that was discussed at the recent Novice Breeder Advice seminar.
A huge thank-you to Dr Susan Little, Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, Dr Leslie A. Lyons for sharing their wisdom.
The majority of cases of FIP are fatal. That’s why FIP is so feared by breeders. There is a very strong taboo in breeding circles against FIP, and I think what was good about the seminar was that it went a long way in demonstrating that FIP is a disease that many breeders will encounter, and that we should not ostracise those breeders who have been unfortunate enough to have cats who’ve contracted FIP.
There’s loads of information on the internet on this, so this is a quick guide.
1. What are the symptoms of FIP? There are two types of FIP – wet and dry. With wet FIP the cat tends to swell up with fluid. Progress of wet FIP tends to be quick. With dry FIP, the cat loses condition and it can take months for the disease to progress.
2. What causes FIP? FIP is caused by a mutation of the coronavirus (FCoV) in a cat. It occurs in many cats, both in pedigrees and moggies. It is common in multi-cat households. It is often spread through litter-trays.
The majority of cats with coronavirus remain healthy (about 90% or more). So, it’s not the coronavirus, but the mutation of the coronavirus that is the problem.
What causes the mutation of coronavirus? Three factors have been identified: Stress, genes, the presence of coronavirus shedders in a cattery and multiple-cat environments. Young cats (from 6 months to 2 years) and old cats are the most affected (possibly because in young cats the immune system is still not fully-developed, and in older cats the immune system is vulnerable).
3. How can FIP be detected/diagnosed? The problem is that FIP diagnosis is difficult. A cat can have a high titre of coronavirus but that doesn’t mean that it will develop FIP. And coronavirus titres can go up and down depending on the state of the cat’s health.
Testing for FIP does not always show FIP viruses. There is a problem with interpreting the test. The same FIP test can be sent to different laboratories and come back with different results. The only way to positively establish FIP is through post-mortem organ testing. Often diagnosis of FIP in still-living cats is through symptoms.
4. Is it possible to have a negative coronavirus cat? Yes, but there is no guarantee that it won’t pick it up later in life.
Yes, but only by taking very stringent hygiene measures such as isolating the cats and using separate changes of clothing for each group. The life cycle of the virus is such that it can persist in cat litter for three to seven weeks, so rigorous cleaning must be maintained. Most closed catteries with fewer than 10 cats will eventually eliminate the coronavirus. The cats will stop shedding the virus and the antibody titres will eventually decline. However, all cats must be tested every three to six months.
Pregnant queens have to be isolated and the kittens separated at the age of five to six weeks.
With recurrent FIP cases, it is recommended that breeding should be suspended for a period of approximately six months.
5. Is there a treatment for cats with FIP? If you have a cat with suspected FIP, and are reading this, please don’t read this and despair. Do research the web, and contact Dr Susan Little for help. I’m all too aware that this report can come across as blunt and like you, I would move heaven and earth to find a cure if any of my cats fall ill.
At present there is no known effective treatment for FIP apart from improving the cat’s comfort. Recombinant feline interferon and pentoxifylline are treatments that have shown some limited success, and you may want to discuss them with your vet.
Some holistic sites, like Holisticat, have some alternative therapies that may help boost the immune system of the cat.
A vaccine, Primucell FIP (Pfizer) is available in Europe and the US (not in the UK), but it has had a variable success rate. And once a cat is infected with the coronavirus, the vaccine is of no benefit.
6. What work is being done to eradicate FIP? Research is currently being conducted into sussing out the DNA of FIP (type 1 – the most common type). This will help in its detection. Work is also being done to establish the marker in cats’ genes that may pre-dispose the cat to FIP. Please also check out the web-site of the Novice Breeder Advice group who are throwing their support behind FIP research and who would welcome any help you can give.
For more information these sites are invaluable:
http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/FIP_Web.pdf
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=19
http://www.fabcats.org/fip_000.html
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