My kitten has stiff back legs, losing weight, won't eat. Is it FIP?

Poor Little Bit! In a young cat an infectious disease would have to be high on the list. I would be suspicious that she could have the dry form of FIP, eventhough the bloodwork is not showing typical changes that usually occur with the disease. Unfortunately, FIP is difficult to diagnose but you could ask your vet about doing an xray and ultrasound of her abdomen to look for changes. Hope she feels better soon!

I understand you are concerned about FIP. The reality is, if you don't have money for a veterinary visit (and in many cases even if you did), FIP is typically fatal and untreatable. The best thing you can do is separate your sick cat from your healthy one and see how things transpire over the course of the next few days. Typically, cats with FIP, regardless of the form, will be inappetant and not wanting to eat anything at all. The worst form of it will cause massive fluid buiid up in the chest / abdomen and result in difficulty breathing. The other form typically produce clinical signs that are both ophthalmic and/or neurologic, plus several other non specific clinical signs (a couple of which include what you are descrbing). Overall, FIP would not be near the top of my list. I would definitely make sure all three cats have been tested for leukemia and AIDS however in order to rule both of these life-threatening conditions. While not as rapidly fatal as FIP, both conditions can carry poor long term prognosis. It sounds like the one cat with a fever and swollen belly might benefit from pain management and a recheck for the presence of worms. While dietary indiscretion could be an issue, it is not likely to cause a fever unless an infectious organism was present in the food. Hope this is more helpful than my previous response.

More clinical signs and details are needed to determine the underlying cause, including details of the tests your vet have performed. When there is a suspcion of FIP, the underlying cause of the bloat (fluid, organ enlargement and so on) should be determine first, then if there is fluid inside her abdomen this should be ideally sampled and tested. Gastrointestinal worms should be rule out as they are commonly a possible cause of bloat in young kittens. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

These are all very concerning signs but not necessarily diagnostic of fip, they are common to many fevers, infections and severe injury. Please have gus assessed urgently by your vet to stabilise his breathing and determine the underlying cause

I am so sorry to hear that Messi isn't feeling well. With the protein levels being so high, I too, would be very concerned about FIP. I think the imaging next week should be helpful in making a diagnosis. Another possibility could be a severe abdominal abscess. This would also be very concerning. Certainly there is a possibility of finding a curable problem, but I would start to prepare yourself for the possibility of a life threatening diagnosis. I am so sorry you are experiencing this. Best of luck, and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kitten. I recommend that he sees a veterinarian today. His behavior is worrisome. Even if you are not able to locate his pain, it sounds like he is sore if he is limping. There is a viral disease in kittens that can cause a fever, lameness and ulcers in the mouth. His veterinarian will examine him and determine if this is the case or if he has another problem. I hope this information helps!

I am so sorry Shada is so sick! Because she had the fluid drained from her belly, she will be feeling better having that pressure off, and that's why she is eating, drinking, and using the litter box normally. Unfortunately, FIP is fatal, and the fluid will build up again eventually leading to the same problems. Due to the fact that FIP is fatal, letting her go with humane euthanasia is the best option, especially if she is experiencing fluid accumulation. You can, if you'd like, put off the appointment for a few days to enjoy some last quality time with her before the fluid builds up again, but it's certainly ok to say goodbye to her tomorrow. Again, I'm so sorry she is so sick!