Feline Infectious Peritonitis was until recently a near-universally fatal diagnosis in cats. The development and approval of antiviral treatments represents one of veterinary medicine's most significant welfare breakthroughs, transforming a death sentence into a treatable disease.
The transformation of FIP from a fatal diagnosis to a treatable disease represents veterinary medicine at its most welfare-positive: decades of research resulting in a treatment that can save animals who would previously have died. Before antivirals, a young cat diagnosed with FIP faced a death typically within days to weeks of diagnosis, often preceded by significant suffering from fluid accumulation, neurological signs, or systemic inflammation. Now, with appropriate antiviral treatment, over 85% of treated cats achieve sustained remission and can live normal lives. The welfare story of FIP antivirals illustrates why investment in veterinary research, including clinical trials and regulatory pathways for new treatments, translates directly into reduced animal suffering. It also illustrates the welfare cost of barriers to treatment access including cost and regulatory delay.