FIP: Silent Killer No More
Jennifer Bledsoe-Nix DVM
Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). For decades, this diagnosis was a 100% fatal death sentence for cats and kittens. No cure. No treatment. Nothing cat parents or veterinarians could do to help these cats and kittens. As veterinarians, we would give the diagnosis and immediately explain that the pet would most likely not live more than 2 weeks. In some cases, days or hours were the best we could provide before quality of life became too poor.
FIP directly impacted me in 2012. After years of being a trusted resource for FIP diagnosis in my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, my own 7-year-old cat was diagnosed with effusive (wet) FIP. Symptoms were subtle, but his lab work and physical exam gave me the diagnosis of wet FIP. I had 7 short days with him from the time of diagnosis until I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to let him go. I had medical knowledge, cutting-edge experts as colleagues, and I was willing to pay anything to save him. There was nothing. I had to face the same realization that so many of my clients had faced. There would be no saving him. No matter how much I loved him, there was nothing I could do. JudoChop was my soul cat. To say losing him was devastating would be a drastic understatement. I was forever changed after losing him and never fully recovered from the loss.
A few short years later, there was a breakthrough in combating FIP. Multiple cases showed that the drug was effective not only in slowing the disease but also in curing it. The drug was not legally available for veterinarians in the United States. There were issues with drug patents, and the drug could not be obtained legally. As veterinarians, we were legally barred from providing this medication. An amazing underground organization of cat lovers was helping cat owners all over the country get this life-saving medication, but also taking major risks. Veterinarians were terrified of being involved and having their licenses revoked. Unfortunately, this led many veterinarians to misunderstand the medication and to refuse to be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of a curable disease.
In 2024, everything changed. A new policy from the FDA allowed the medication to be obtained from numerous compounding pharmacies in all 50 states. The cost of treatment remained high, but it was safe, legal, and available. In 2025, those treatment options became even more affordable with every compounding veterinary pharmacy in the US offering options.
I have been helping cat parents, shelters, and rescues treat their cats and kittens for years. Now, I provide webinars and online training, and I speak at conferences about FIP. In my 22 years of being a veterinarian, I watched a 100% fatal disease become treatable and curable. I’ve been the veterinarian of record for the treatment of hundreds of cats and kittens suffering from FIP. I’ve seen it in every form, including relapses. I have personal cats that were diagnosed and completed treatment. I know what the disease looks like, the varying signs and symptoms of early illness, and what response to treatment should look like. I want every cat or kitten diagnosed with FIP to have affordable treatment.
At Purrs and Paws, helping cats recover from FIP is our shared passion. Together, we can make diagnosis and treatment affordable, giving every cat a fighting chance against this once-fatal disease.
Freyja - diagnosed and successfully treated in 2023-2024
Yuki - diagnosed and successfully treated in 2025
JudoChop - lost to FIP in 2012
