My parents' kitty died. What could have caused it?

[Romandub]

I am so sad. My elderly parents (80 and 81) adopted a new kitten about a month ago. They put theid 17-year old dog to sleep last Thanksgiving and then their cat of 13 years died a few months ago. After a few months of grieving, they were finally ready to consider getting another pet. A friend of mine was driving to work in a thundestorm and saw a kitten fall out of the car in front of them. The kitten at the time was only 3-4 weeks old. My friend nursed the kitten back to health for a couple of weeks, but couldn't keep her due to cat allergies in the household. So my parents adopted and fell in love with her. She was so playful that she brought life back into their home. She was thriving and almost doubled in size during the month or so she was with my parents. Then for some reason a little over a week ago, the kitten quit eating. My mom took her to the vet, they ran a bunch of tests for leukemia, HIV, everything else and everything came back normal. The vet prescribed antibiotics, but they didn't help. In fact, they made her worse, because she kept throwing up. So on Friday, the vet said stop the antibiotics and bring her in on Monday. Then yesterday afternoon, she started losing the function in her paws, then legs, then she couldn't lift her head and then around 10 o'clock last night, she died in my mom's arms. My parents are heartbroken. They are taking the kitten's body to the vet tomorrow, but does anyone on the BB have any clue of what could have happened? My dad (who is a retired M.D.) thinks it may have been some kind of neuro-muscular viral infection (like polio???) that shut down her nervous system. Anyone ever heard of anything like that? We are all sooooo sad and confused.

[wallycat]

OH MY,
I am just sitting here sobbing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't have any idea about what may have caused it or what it was, but my heart just ACHES for your parents and that poor kitten!! :( :( :( :( :( :(

[AZLorena]

my guess.....and this is from my years of fostering kittens (not from any veterinary background) is that it could have been a form of FIP. The tests for FIP are not very reliable these days (from what I understand)....especially in young kitties. We actually lost one of our cats to the noneffusive (dry) form of the disease. I am so sorry your parents are going through this.

This information below came from http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fip.html

What is feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)?
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease caused by a coronavirus infection. Many different strains of coronavirus are capable of infecting cats, but most do not produce serious disease. FIP-producing strains are distinguished by their ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells. The infected cells transport the virus throughout the cat's body. An intense inflammatory reaction occurs in the tissues where these virus-infected cells locate. It is this interaction between the body's own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the disease.

Infected cats shed coronavirus in their saliva and feces. Most cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus, either by direct contact with an infected cat, or by contact with virus-contaminated surfaces like clothing, bedding, feeding bowls, or toys.

Although the virus can survive for a number of weeks in the environment, it is rapidly inactivated by most household detergents and disinfectants. An inexpensive and effective disinfectant is one part of household bleach in thirty-two parts of water (4 ounces of bleach per gallon of water).

What are the signs of FIP?
Initial exposure to the FIP virus usually results in no obvious clinical disease, although some cats may experience a mild upper respiratory disease that is characterized by sneezing, watery eyes, and watery nasal discharge. Some cats may experience a mild intestinal disease. Most cats that undergo the primary infection completely recover, although some of them may become virus carriers. Only a small percentage of exposed cats develop the lethal disease: weeks, months, or perhaps years after primary infection.

The onset of clinical signs of lethal FIP may be sudden (especially in kittens), or the signs may gradually increase in severity over a period of weeks. Many cats have nonspecific signs such as intermittent inappetence, depression, rough hair coat, weight loss, and fever.

The major forms of lethal FIP are effusive (wet) FIP, noneffusive (dry) FIP, and combinations of both. The most characteristic sign of effusive FIP is the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen and/or chest. When fluid accumulation becomes excessive, it may become difficult for the cat to breathe normally.

The onset of noneffusive FIP is usually slower. Fluid accumulation is minimal, although weight loss, depression, anemia, and fever are almost always present. Signs of kidney failure (increased water consumption and urination), liver failure (jaundice), pancreatic disease (vomiting, diarrhea, diabetes), neurologic disease (loss of balance, behavioral changes, paralysis, seizures), enteritis (vomiting, diarrhea), or eye disease (inflammation, blindness) may be seen in various combinations. FIP is often a difficult disease to diagnose because each cat can display different signs that are similar to those of many other diseases.

[jeanrw]

I am so very sorry. :(

My vet always says that kittens can develop serous liver problems from not eating for even 2 or 3 days. Sometimes not eating can be a symptom of pancreatitis. One of my cats got very ill last year due to pancreatitis. She had antibiotics and an IV until she started eating again.

I'm so sorry for your parents. :(

[Romandub]

Thank you for the words of comfort. They are much, much appreciated!