10/28/2026
What can bloodwork tell us about a cat being treated for FIP? 🩸🐱
Yesterday, I shared the wonderful progress Rosie has made since starting treatment for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). Today, her bloodwork results came back, and I wanted to share what they tell us, and a little bit about this disease.
FIP develops when feline coronavirus changes inside a cat’s body and triggers a serious inflammatory response. Most cats exposed to feline coronavirus do not develop FIP. The disease can affect different parts of the body, and its signs can vary from cat to cat.
Rosie has wet FIP, which can cause fluid to build up in the abdomen or chest; for Rosie, it’s in her abdomen.
Here are a few of the changes we saw in Rosie’s results over 11 days:
🩸 Her anemia improved. Anemia means there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. One measurement of Rosie’s red blood cells went from 22% to 29%, reaching the bottom of the lab’s normal range!
🧬 An important protein returned to normal. Rosie’s albumin, a protein that helps keep fluid in the bloodstream, went from 1.6 to 3.1, back within the lab’s normal range.
🐾 Her white blood cell results improved. One type of white blood cell that was very low on her first test is now within the normal range.
FIP was considered a death sentence, only a few years ago, but antiviral treatment has changed what’s possible for many cats. Treatment takes time, consistency, and veterinary monitoring, and every cat’s journey is different.
We’ll continue to follow Rosie’s progress as she receives her daily treatment. For now, it’s incredible to see the improvement we’ve noticed in her reflected in her bloodwork, too. ❤️🐾