I’m surprised. I did a clinical rotation through the Animal Control of Baton Rouge, LA, and while it was certainly low cost, the veterinarian in charge did everything she could to screen all the dogs for heartworms, and get some of them treated with donated supplies (the friendliest and cutest). Animals she cannot treat, though, are sent ASAP to the killing part.
Animals she cannot screen, though, are labeled “as is”, meaning it is up to the owner to pay for medical problems.
I’m surprised a facility in a place I thought had more resources, not to post that.
I’m surprised, too, that if they knew others in the litter had FIP, they didn’t tell the other owners about it. Unless, though, they learned the others had FIP AFTER that kitten was adopted. Still, I’d thought they’d keep a record of who adopted what, if only for a little while.
One thing, though. With FIP, even if the littermates got it, it is not certain that ONE particular kitten will get it. Even in a place with multiple cats, just because ONE had FIP, does not mean the others will come down with the disease.
AGAIN, I REPEAT: There are some diseases that have no reliable ante-mortem diagnostics. Screening for FIP pre-mortem, and even worse, pre-kitty getting sick, is a waste of money and a giver of false security. Feline panleukopenia has no good pre-kitten getting sick- test, and all I know only has a “use a dog test, see if it cross-matches” confirmation test.
I fostered a stray kitten for the same agency that I got #4 from, and they tested her for FIV/FLV first thing. The agency does at home fostering, and puts the kitties up at PetSmart and Petco, since they have no formal shelter. They just don’t have the resources to keep the FIV/FLV ones.
My FIP story: I got #1 from the animal shelter in Laredo. At the time he had a “kitty cold”, but would keep getting eye infections. When I came back from my annual two week vacation (my honey took care of him), he had a globule in his eye. The vet there tested him for FIP, sending the test to Texas A&M, and the vet told me he has FIP+, BUT to take him to the feline specialist in San Antonio. One two and a half hour drive in blinding rainstorm and a fifteen minute visit with the vet, I was told he DID NOT HAVE FIP!! #1 had cholangeohepatitis. His eye problems stemmed from environmental factors (dust, dusty kitty litter, etc). #1 is now almost seven.
