Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was once invariably fatal but antiviral drugs now offer cure rates above 85%, transforming the welfare outlook for cats diagnosed with this coronavirus-related disease.
FIP causes severe suffering through fluid accumulation causing breathing difficulty, neurological signs, eye inflammation, and progressive debilitation. Before effective treatment was available, affected cats inevitably died within days to weeks of developing clinical FIP, often after prolonged suffering while owners sought diagnoses. The development of effective antivirals represents one of the most remarkable welfare advances in feline medicine in decades — a disease that was a death sentence now has a cure. The remaining welfare challenge is access: antiviral drugs for cats remain expensive and not universally available, creating inequities in which cats receive potentially curative treatment. Additionally, treatment requires weeks of sometimes stressful daily medication, and owners need support to complete the full course for the best outcomes.