Episode 3: FIP Diagnostics in 2025: What’s Changed, What Works, and How Sure Do You Need To Be Before You Treat?
Five years after FIP became treatable, diagnosis is still the trickiest part.
This episode brings together Dr. Sally Coggins (University of Sydney), Prof. Danielle Gunn-Moore, and Dr. Sam Taylor for a 2025 update on FIP diagnostics: what’s new, what’s practical, and how to balance certainty with urgency when a sick kitten is in front of you.
Dr. Coggins explains the current gold standards: immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, and PCR testing, and clarifies what “confirmed FIP” really means in research versus clinical settings. Prof. Gunn-Moore and Dr. Taylor then discuss real-world diagnostic strategies: how to decide when to treat before PCR results, how to avoid false negatives, and which tests actually give the best diagnostic bang for your buck.
The discussion also compares diagnostic approaches in Australia and the UK, and closes with a clear summary of testing pathways, what to do with ambiguous results, and a practical explanation of the differences between immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry methods. (It sounds nerdy, but it matters!)
Created by the Vet Vault
Topics Covered:
- What confirmed FIP means in research vs. practice
- When to treat before the results come in — balancing confidence and cost
- Gold-standard tests: immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, PCR, and which one to use
- Testing in Australia – without the middle man
- False negatives and sample handling pitfalls
- When AGP, bilirubin, A:G ratios, and POCUS actually help
- The diagnostic traps vets still fall into in 2025
- Key differences in testing access between Australia and the UK
- When to escalate to biopsies or advanced imaging in non-responders
- Clarifying immunoHISTOchemistry and immunoCYTOchemistry
If you’ve ever faced a wobbly FIP case, this episode will sharpen your instincts and help you avoid costly detours.
About The Vet Vault
There’s a common thread that runs through the stories of the vets who still love what they do after 5 years, 10 years, even 20 – a secret sauce: ENGAGEMENT. The Vet Vault is the perfect place to engage with YOUR veterinary career.
Stay sharp and build confidence in your day-to-day practice with The Vet Vault’s clinical podcasts, delivering practical, up-to-date knowledge straight from the experts. Beyond just information, it’s about insight.
Because it feels good to know your stuff.
(And yes – we talk about more than FIP! Try out this masterclass on Cushing’s disease for a taste of what we do.)
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Speakers
Professor Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore
BSc(Hon), BVM&S, PhD, MANZCVS (Feline), FHEA, FRSB, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine
Host
Dr Hubert Hiemstra is a practicing veterinarian and host of the Vet Vault and Vet Vault Clinical Podcasts. His veterinary career has spanned 2 decades and 3 continents, including starting and running his own emergency practice for the better part of a decade. When he’s not making podcasts or working in the clinic, he loves to run through the forests of the Sunshine Coast or surfing the warm Queensland waves.
