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Research overview

Research overview: ocular and neurologic FIP

FIP frequently involves the eyes and central nervous system, especially in the non-effusive form, producing uveitis, retinal changes, ataxia, seizures, behavioral changes, and other neurologic signs. These forms pose special treatment challenges because antiviral drugs must cross the blood-brain and blood-ocular barriers in adequate concentration, and clinicians have found that higher doses and longer courses are often needed to control central nervous system disease. This overview synthesizes the clinical literature rather than one citation, describing how the virus reaches privileged sites, why neurologic and ocular FIP historically carried especially grim prognoses, and how dose escalation in the antiviral era has improved outcomes even for these difficult presentations, reshaping expectations for cats that once had no realistic hope of recovery.

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