How can FIP be diagnosed?
The diagnosis of FIP is very difficult. The development of typical clinical signs may lead to a suspicion of the disease, but these alone are not diagnostic. On routine blood tests, FIP will commonly cause a variety of changes, including changes in haematology (red and white blood cell counts) and biochemistry (blood proteins, tests of liver and kidney function etc.). However, again although these changes may suggest or support a diagnosis of FIP, they cannot confirm a diagnosis as the changes seen are not confined to cases of FIP. Where fluid develops in the chest or abdomen, retrieving a sample of this fluid is a simple procedure and analysis of this fluid is very valuable. In cases of FIP the fluid has a very high protein and globulin (one type of protein) concentration. The finding of a fluid typical of FIP is strongly supportive of a diagnosis, although again there are some other diseases that can cause accumulation of fluid with similar characteristics. At present, the only way t
