Dear Members of the Public, Im sure many of you are looking for answers as to the recent allegations of the deaths of our cats. We would like to address your concerns by providing you insights to these deaths and hope that you will be able to evaluate them as fairly as possible. We have had 7 cats that passed away under our care; 3 of which passed away due to sterilisation & veterinary complications, and 4 of which passed away due to Feline Infectious Peritonitises (FIP). 1) Sterilisation Veterinary Anaesthesia for animals are at a significantly higher risk as compared to humans. This is according to Gaynor J.S.; Dunlop C.I. Wagner A.E. et al. (1 January 1995). Complications and mortality associated with anesthesia in dogs and cats.. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 34 (1): 13–17. PMID 9934922. A one-year study in a teaching hospital shows that dogs and cats typically experience a 1 in 9 chance of anaesthetic complications, with a 1 in 233 risk of death. For sick dogs and cats, it was 1 in 75 and 1 in 71 respectively. These are the 3 cats that passed away during the course of the sterilisation. Cookies: Cookies was a 9 month old male cat that was certified completely healthy for sterilisation in accordance to a vet. He had no pre-existing medical conditions but he unfortunately had a anaphylactic reaction to the sedation administered. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Common causes include insect bites and stings, foods, and medications. Puffy: Puffy was a 8 month old female cat that was also certified completely healthy for sterilisation in accordance to a vet. She had no pre-existing medical conditions but she died due to pneumonia/secondary drowning from fluids within the lungs. Secondary drowning – Inhaled fluid can act as an irritant inside the lungs. Physiological responses to even small quantities include the extrusion of liquid into the lungs (pulmonary edema) over the following hours, but this reduces the ability to exchange air and can lead to a person drowning in their own body fluid. Certain poisonous vapors or gases (as for example in chemical warfare), or vomit can have a similar effect. The reaction can take place up to 72 hours after a near drowning incident, and may lead to a serious condition or death. All our cats are fasted from both food and water more than 12 hours before the operation. Earl Grey: Earl Grey was a 4 month old female cat that was also certified completely healthy for sterilisation in accordance to a vet. She had no pre-existing medical conditions and her body weight and size of over 2kg was within the acceptable weight for sterilisation. As she was of a Maine Coon/Ragdoll descent, her growth, weight, and size, was faster than majority of cats of age. 2) Feline Infectious Peritonitises (FIP) We have 4 cats that passed away due to FIP. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal, incurable disease that affects cats. It is caused by Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus (FIPV), which is a mutation of Feline Enteric Coronavirus (FECV) - (Feline Coronavirus FCoV). Experts do not agree on the specifics of genetic changes that produce the FIPV. The mutated virus has the ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cells, namely macrophages. The immune systems response causes an intense inflammatory reaction in the containing tissues. This disease is generally fatal. FECV is very common, especially in places where large groups of cats are kept together (animal shelters, catteries, etc.). Cats become infected by inhaling or ingesting the virus. The most commonly cited transmission source is feces, although contaminated surfaces such as food dishes and clothing can transmit the virus as well. Despite the prevalence of FECV, most infected cats do not develop FIP. Often, exposure to FECV produces no clinical signs, but may cause a mild diarrhea. Therefore, a cat without clinical signs may still be an FECV carrier and may pass the virus to another cat. In any cat infected with FECV there is a chance that the virus may mutate into the FIP causing form. This chance is increased for cats that are immune-compromised, including very young and very old cats. There is also thought to be a genetic component to susceptibility to viral mutation. In a large group of cats, n, the epidemiological risk of mutation (E) is higher and expressed theoretically as: E = n2 − n. A house hosting 2 cats therefore has risk of mutation E = 2. When 4 kittens (6 cats in total) are born into this house, the risk increases exponentially from 2 to 34 (62 − 2). Overcrowding increases the risk of mutation and conversion from FECV to FIPV, which constitutes a major risk factor for the development of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) cases. FIP has been shown to develop in cats whose immunity is low; such as younger kittens, old cats, immunosuppression due to viral — FIV (Feline immunodeficiency virus) and/or FeLV Feline leukemia virus and stress, including the stress of separation and adoption. There are two main forms of FIP: effusive (wet) and non-effusive (dry). While both types are fatal, the effusive form is more common (60-70% of all cases are wet) and progresses more rapidly than the non-effusive form. Effusive (wet) - Munchy & Pumpkin: The hallmark clinical sign of effusive FIP is the accumulation of fluid within the abdomen or chest, which can cause breathing difficulties. Other symptoms include lack of appetite, fever, weight loss, jaundice, and diarrhea. Non-effusive (dry) - Foxy & Cream: Dry FIP will also present with lack of appetite, fever, jaundice, diarrhea, and weight loss, but there will not be an accumulation of fluid. Typically a cat with dry FIP will show ocular or neurological signs. For example, the cat may develop difficulty in standing up or walking, becoming functionally paralyzed over time. Loss of vision is another possible outcome of the disease. The peak ages for losses to FIP are from 6 months to 2 years old (with the highest incidence at 10 months of age). Age-associated immunity to FIP appears to be possible. Unfortunately, the majority of our cats fall within this age range, which explains why we have 4 cats that have acquired FIP. Accepted wisdom is that there is no cure for FIP; treatment is symptomatic and palliative only, i.e. typically the owner is advised to make the cat as comfortable as possible. Quarantine is not necessary as FIP is not truly an infectious disease. Feline Enteric Coronavirus is shed in the feces and can be passed on to other cats, however, it is the mutated form of the virus that leads to FIP. This form is only found in macrophages and is therefore not shed and not contagious. We love our cats a lot, and we want the best for them. None of us here at Cuddles would want any of our cats to pass away. We have consulted with experienced vets on the topics of sterilisation and Feline Infectious Peritonitises (FIP). Nonetheless, we apologize to the public for any upset caused. We understand that there are more publications and rumors being spread. We will do our best to answer each and everyone of these allegations in due time.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 07:14:57 +0000