FCoV / FIP RT-PCR
FCoV / FIP RT-PCR is a test that looks for the genetic material (RNA) of feline coronavirus in a cat's effusion fluid, blood or faeces. Many healthy cats carry this virus, so a positive result on its own does not mean the cat has FIP.
- Sample
- Effusion fluid, EDTA blood or faeces
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Feline coronavirus (FCoV) RNA - the genetic material of the virus linked with FIP
- Virus in effusion fluid from the belly or chest, which gives the most useful result
- Virus in blood or faeces, where it can also be found in healthy cats
- Whether a cat is passing coronavirus in its faeces, which matters in homes with several cats
Benefits of this test
- Adds useful information when your vet suspects FIP, especially when fluid is present.
- Works on effusion fluid, blood or faeces, so your vet can choose the sample.
- Can show which cats in a multi-cat home are passing coronavirus in their faeces.
- Fits with other FIP tests, such as the Rivalta test and blood protein tests, to build a clearer picture.
When your vet may advise it
- A cat with fluid in the belly or chest, when your vet suspects FIP.
- A young cat with a fever that does not go away and poor appetite.
- Weight loss, yellow gums, eye changes or wobbly walking without a clear cause.
- Blood or fluid test results that point towards FIP.
- Checking which cats are passing coronavirus in a home or cattery with several cats.
About this test
Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is common in cats, especially in homes with several cats. It usually causes mild diarrhoea or no signs at all. In some cats, the virus changes inside the body and leads to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious disease. FIP can cause a fever that does not go away, weight loss, a swollen belly or breathing trouble from fluid, yellow gums, and eye or nerve problems. It is seen most often in young cats.
RT-PCR is a type of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) used for viruses whose genetic material is RNA. The test looks for FCoV RNA in the sample. Effusion fluid, the fluid that can collect in the belly or chest of a cat with FIP, gives the most useful result, and your vet draws it with a needle. Blood or faeces can also be tested, but healthy cats often carry the virus in their faeces, and sometimes in their blood, so these results are harder to read.
Vets usually diagnose FIP by putting several findings together rather than relying on one test. A registered veterinarian reads this result with the cat's age, signs, blood tests and fluid tests such as the Rivalta test. Feline coronavirus is not the virus that causes COVID-19 and is not known to infect people. In Bhopal, call or WhatsApp the lab to arrange the sample, and from other districts your vet can send it by courier or bus parcel after calling the lab.
How to prepare
Your vet collects the sample, and if your cat has fluid in the belly or chest, a small amount of that fluid drawn by the vet usually gives the most useful result. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the cat's signs, age, blood tests and fluid analysis. Many healthy cats carry feline coronavirus, so a positive result, especially from blood or faeces, does not on its own mean the cat has FIP. A negative result also does not rule FIP out, so your vet looks at the whole picture.
Questions about FCoV / FIP RT-PCR
Does a positive FCoV PCR mean my cat has FIP?
Which sample gives the most useful FIP PCR result?
Is cat coronavirus the same as COVID-19?
Can FIP be diagnosed with one test?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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More RT-PCR tests
FCoV / FIP RT-PCR: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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18 Oct 2026