Physical
Covered hair
FIP cat fur images reveal disease progression, helping in diagnosis, monitoring, and understanding visible health changes in Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
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Hair loss
Pathogeny
1.Immune-Mediated Dermatitis
Pathophysiology: FIP triggers an exaggerated immune response, which can lead to immune-mediated dermatitis.
Mechanism: The hyperactive immune system may mistakenly target the skin and hair follicles, leading to inflammation and hair loss. The immune complexes deposit in the dermis, causing folliculitis and subsequent alopecia. This process often results in patchy hair loss, particularly in areas of frequent grooming or friction.
2.Vasculitis-Induced Hair Loss
Pathophysiology: FIP can cause systemic vasculitis, affecting the skin’s blood vessels.
Mechanism: Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) can compromise blood supply to the skin and hair follicles, leading to ischemia and subsequent hair loss. This condition often presents as well-defined areas of hair loss with underlying skin changes, such as purpura or necrosis.
3.Nutritional Deficiencies
Pathophysiology: Cats with FIP often experience malnutrition due to decreased appetite and gastrointestinal disturbances.
Mechanism: Poor nutrition, particularly deficiencies in essential nutrients like proteins, fatty acids, and vitamins, can lead to weak, brittle hair and increased shedding. The hair follicles become less robust, leading to diffuse hair loss, and the coat may appear dull and lackluster.
4.Stress-Induced Alopecia
Pathophysiology: The chronic stress and discomfort associated with FIP can lead to stress-induced hair loss.
Mechanism: Prolonged stress and the physical burden of chronic illness can lead to over-grooming, a common behavioral response in stressed cats. Over-grooming can result in self-inflicted hair loss, often manifesting as symmetrical thinning or bald patches, particularly on the flanks, abdomen, or legs.
5.Secondary Infections
Pathophysiology: FIP can compromise the immune system, making the cat more susceptible to secondary infections.
Mechanism: Secondary bacterial or fungal skin infections can exacerbate hair loss. The infections cause localized or widespread inflammation, folliculitis, and subsequent alopecia. These infections are often accompanied by other signs such as redness, scaling, or pustules on the skin.
6.Endocrine Disruptions
Pathophysiology: FIP can indirectly affect the endocrine system, leading to hormonal imbalances.
Mechanism: Hormonal imbalances, particularly involving the thyroid or adrenal glands, can disrupt the normal hair growth cycle, resulting in hair thinning or alopecia. These changes are often diffuse, with the hair coat becoming thin and sparse, particularly along the back and flanks.
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Dull coat
Pathogeny
1.Nutritional Deficiencies
Pathophysiology: FIP can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal disturbances, including malabsorption and maldigestion, which in turn can cause nutritional deficiencies.
Mechanism: Malabsorption occurs when the inflamed intestines cannot effectively absorb nutrients from food, particularly proteins and fatty acids that are critical for maintaining a healthy coat. Additionally, FIP-induced anorexia (loss of appetite) can exacerbate these deficiencies, leading to a dull, brittle coat due to inadequate nutrition. A deficiency in essential fatty acids, like Omega-3 and Omega-6, or in vitamins such as biotin and vitamin E, which are crucial for coat health, can cause the fur to lose its luster and become coarse.
2.Systemic Inflammation
Pathophysiology: FIP is characterized by widespread systemic inflammation, which can impact various organs and systems within the body.
Mechanism: The persistent systemic inflammation associated with FIP can alter the normal hair growth cycle, leading to telogen effluvium—a condition where hair prematurely enters the resting phase and subsequently sheds. Inflammatory cytokines may disrupt the normal function of hair follicles, resulting in a lack of healthy hair growth and a dull appearance. Additionally, inflammation in the skin can lead to dermatitis, further contributing to the lackluster condition of the coat.
3.Dehydration
Pathophysiology: Dehydration is a common issue in cats suffering from FIP, particularly due to fever, anorexia, or fluid loss associated with effusive FIP.
Mechanism: Dehydration reduces the skin’s elasticity and moisture content, which is essential for maintaining a healthy coat. When the skin is dry, the fur becomes less shiny and more prone to breakage. The lack of adequate hydration also affects the sebaceous glands, which produce sebum that naturally conditions the hair, leading to a dull and rough texture of the coat.
4.Impaired Liver Function
Pathophysiology: FIP can affect the liver, leading to hepatic inflammation or hepatitis, and in severe cases, hepatic lipidosis.
Mechanism: The liver plays a vital role in the metabolism of fats and proteins, which are essential for the maintenance of a healthy coat. When liver function is compromised, the synthesis and distribution of these nutrients are affected, leading to poor coat quality. The buildup of toxins in the bloodstream, due to reduced liver function, can also contribute to the deterioration of the coat, resulting in a dull, greasy, or discolored appearance.
5.Endocrine Disruptions
Pathophysiology: FIP can potentially disrupt the endocrine system, particularly the adrenal glands, leading to hormonal imbalances.
Mechanism: Hormonal imbalances, such as those affecting cortisol levels, can lead to changes in the skin and coat. Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease), although rare in cats, can result from chronic stress or systemic disease and lead to a thinning, dull coat. Hormones like cortisol have a direct impact on the skin’s health and hair follicles, and any disruption can result in a noticeable deterioration in coat quality.
6.Secondary Infections
Pathophysiology: Cats with FIP are often immunocompromised, making them more susceptible to secondary bacterial or fungal infections.
Mechanism: Secondary skin infections can further exacerbate coat dullness. Bacterial infections can lead to folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles), which can cause the hair to become weak and brittle. Similarly, fungal infections such as ringworm can cause patchy hair loss and dullness in affected areas. The overall compromised immune system of a cat with FIP allows these infections to persist, further degrading the quality of the coat.
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Shaggy fur
Pathogeny
1,Nutritional Imbalance
Pathophysiology: FIP can lead to severe nutritional imbalances due to gastrointestinal involvement and reduced appetite.
Mechanism: Malabsorption or maldigestion due to inflammatory changes in the intestines can result in deficiencies of essential nutrients, including proteins and fatty acids critical for maintaining a healthy coat. Deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to poor coat quality, resulting in shaggy or uneven fur. Additionally, anorexia or decreased food intake due to illness can exacerbate these nutritional deficiencies, further contributing to a disheveled appearance.
2.Dehydration and Fluid Imbalance
Pathophysiology: Dehydration, often secondary to fever, anorexia, or effusive forms of FIP, can significantly impact skin and coat health.
Mechanism: Dehydration reduces the skin’s moisture content and disrupts normal hair growth. Insufficient hydration leads to dry, brittle hair and a lackluster coat, which can appear shaggy. Fluid imbalances, such as those caused by ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity), can also affect the skin and fur, making it difficult for the cat to groom itself properly and resulting in an unkempt appearance.
3.Systemic Inflammation
Pathophysiology: The systemic inflammatory response in FIP can affect various organs and impact coat quality.
Mechanism: Chronic inflammation associated with FIP can disrupt normal hair follicle function and lead to alterations in the hair growth cycle. The inflammatory process can cause hair to become brittle and break more easily, contributing to a shaggy or unkempt appearance. Inflammation of the skin (dermatitis) can also impact the texture and appearance of the fur.
4.Endocrine Disorders
Pathophysiology: FIP can potentially affect endocrine function, leading to hormonal imbalances that impact skin and fur health.
Mechanism: Hormonal imbalances, particularly those affecting cortisol or thyroid hormones, can influence coat quality. Conditions such as hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease) or hypothyroidism can lead to changes in the hair coat, including increased shedding and a shaggy appearance. These hormonal disruptions affect the normal hair growth cycle and skin condition, contributing to an unkempt appearance.
5.Impaired Grooming
Pathophysiology: Cats with FIP may experience decreased grooming behavior due to illness or discomfort.
Mechanism: The physical discomfort and malaise associated with FIP can lead to a decrease in self-grooming activities. Inadequate grooming can result in an accumulation of loose hair, dirt, and debris, causing the fur to appear shaggy and unkempt. Additionally, decreased grooming can exacerbate existing coat problems, making the fur appear even more disordered.
6.Secondary Infections
Pathophysiology: FIP can compromise the immune system, making cats more susceptible to secondary infections.
Mechanism: Secondary bacterial or fungal infections affecting the skin can impact coat quality. Infections such as ringworm or folliculitis can cause hair loss, changes in hair texture, and a generally shaggy appearance. The presence of these infections can lead to further disruption of the normal hair growth cycle and coat maintenance.
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