Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was once a death sentence for cats. The development of antiviral treatments has transformed it from a welfare catastrophe to a manageable disease.
FIP antiviral treatment represents one of the most remarkable welfare advances in feline medicine in decades. Previously, diagnosis of FIP was effectively a death notice - affected cats were euthanased within weeks to months. Owners now have a genuine treatment option with excellent prognosis in early cases. The welfare transformation is profound: cats that would have died are surviving and returning to normal life. The remaining welfare challenge is diagnosis - FIP can be difficult to confirm definitively, and treatment is expensive. Improving access to testing and making treatments affordable remains an important welfare goal.