FIP treatment

[unicorn95]

One of my cats (Finn , 11 years old) has FIP. I'm treating him now. I know it's a costly treatment but I was willing to give the money. Because he's a big cat and a lot older they suggested we give him a bigger dose. The whole treatment is around rk euros. I paid 500 euros until now.

I've been keeping him isolated but his brother also 11 years old is starting to show some signs of FIP.
I'm taking him to the vet on Tuesday. I just can't afford a second cat being on the treatment. I can't even afford the current treatment. I'm trying to find a second job. I don't like begging for money and I don't like hand outs ...despite that I did put up a fundraiser but had no luck.


The reason I started treating my cat instead of euthanizing him it's because I lost my dad a few months ago due to covid. I thought if I had a chance to save a family member from Corona I would do my best to do so.
I don't know what to do if my second cat is also sick.
I'm thinking of euthanizing them both which is heartbreaking to say the least. But I really don't have any support. My dad didn't leave us with anything.

Sorry for the long post. I'm trying to vent in a way. To anyone whos reading this , th

ank you for your time.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so sorry for all that you are going/have gone through. Your cats are very pretty!

How was FIP confirmed? Generally speaking, there is no 100% accurate way to confirm it. The wet version has a greater chance of being confirmed because the abdominal fluid that accumulates can be drawn for analysis. I do know there have been some advancements in testing protocols but am not aware any of them can be considered fully guaranteed to confirm diagnosis. FIP is not contagious, so while one cat may have the coronavirus mutate to FIP, that doesn't mean it can then be transmitted in its mutated form to another cat. There are other contagious viral conditions that can mimic FIP in terms of some of the symptoms. Have either of your cats been tested for other things besides FIP?

It isn't necessarily impossible for two cats in the same household to have the coronavirus mutate to FIP, but it does seem odd. A vast majority of cats carry the coronavirus, but only a small percentage ever have it mutate. (Also, I presume you know that the human coronavirus and the cat version are not affiliated with each other. I only mention it because of your comment about saving at least one member of your family from Corona.)

Have you consulted with this group - FIP Warriors - to see if they can help give you some guidance? I am fairly sure this group is not just for folks in the US. If they are, perhaps they can advise of sister organizations outside the US.

Perhaps, this article might be of value to you.
Update on Antiviral Therapies - Abstract - Europe PMC

 

[unicorn95]

Oh yes of course. I'm a biologist I know they're different I just found it a bit ironic the coincidence of these two events happening not far apart... I know that I'm trying to heal my grief with correlating the two incidents..but that's a whole other story.

So Finn's abdomen was swollen ,he looked pregnant but was also skinny/bony because he stopped eating and was lethargic. We took him to two different vets. The second vet took fluid from his belly for testing but even before getting the results back she could tell from the color of the fluid that it was wet FIP.

I'm in touch with the local FIP warriors , they helped us by getting the drug fast. We monitor his weight , appetite, eyes and blood work. We're halfway there. Finished with week 6, started week 7 today and have 5-6 weeks to go.

But his brother seems kinda weird to me. I really don't know if he's belly is swollen or he's just fat and he is a bit lethargic but we live in Cyprus and it's getting hot these days. However, there's a lot of cases of FIP in Cyprus at the moment...that's what's worrying me.

It's Easter now so I'm just waiting for the vet to open on Tuesday so I can bring Lee for a check up.

Due to Finn's size and age we're giving him a dose of 10mg/kg which is higher than the usual dosage.
So we need more vials of the drug (GS-441524) which are 120€ each.

Seeing him getting better is worth every penny (well euro) . I just don't know how to financially recover if Lee gets diagnosed with FIP as well.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

What type of fundraiser did you do? Was it a GoFundMe? We've had others with FIP cats share their fundraisers on our SOS forum, some with great success. I don't know why some get a lot of attention and others don't I guess it's all in how they are written. But it might be worth a try if what you did was something local and not on the internet where millions of people could see it.

 

[Antonio65]

Hi, and welcome, though in such a sad circumstance.

I'm in the same boat right now. I'm treating a cat at the local shelter. He was diagnosed with FIP (through a lot of blood works that gave a differential diagnosis of FIP) about 5 weeks ago. He's a former feral cat, I rescued him from my colony in 2019 and took it to the local shelter hoping to find a family for him, but his rough character didn't help.

Because I rescued the cat and I took it to the shelter, I thought it was fair that I was the one who had to pay for the treatment.
Yes, it is expensive, very expensive, but I don't think I'm going to pay what you mentioned (I guess 4 or 5 thousands euro, there's a typo in your post, but I guess this is what you wanted to say), because my cat is lightweight.
My cat at the shelter is 4 weeks into the course of treatment, and so far I have spent €260 for the drug. Of course, it depends on the weight of the cat, and if he would weigh much more, I would have spent much more. This cat is 3.2kg, he lost weight due to the disease, he was around 4, I think.

Do not assume that because a cat is sick, the other will get sick too. FIP is not contagious, and like FeebysOwner said, not necessarily all cats in the same household have to get sick. Just focus on the one that needs attention now, and try to shop around and find a place that might sell you the drug at a lower price.
I'm paying €130 for a 10 ml vial at 30 mg/ml concentration.
I was told to inject 0.2 ml/kg of weight, and to go to 0.3 ml/kg after 6 weeks. I guess that you could ask FIP Warriors about this protocol.
I am based in Italy.

I hope you can find the funds to help your cat, ask some friends for a loan.
Fingers crossed.

 

[reba]

Oh gosh. I’m so very sorry. Looks like you’ve gotten lots of wonderful advice here. Here’s my two cents on making peace with deciding whether or not to treat in the face of serious, incurable, illness. It comes down to for me that it’s a zero sum game. The cat I’m keeping alive means I’m not adopting a cat that will be euthanized during that time. I’m also limiting the care of my other cats, by draining the well so to speak.

What I’m trying to say, is that I’ve been able to arrive at decisions that justify expensive treatment, and others that conclude keeping the cat alive at any cost (or just few a few months) is allowing a cat that could live for years to be euthanized at a shelter simply because they have no room.

These decisions are horrible, and there is no good one, they are all about making the best-bad choice.

They are all gorgeous BTW, It’s just so unfair.

 

[Antonio65]

What I’m trying to say, is that I’ve been able to arrive at decisions that justify expensive treatment, and others that conclude keeping the cat alive at any cost (or just few a few months) is allowing a cat that could live for years to be euthanized at a shelter simply because they have no room.

The kill-shelter mindset is something that happens to exist only a few countries, fortunately.
As far as I know, this doesn't happen in Europe. Shelters do not kill animals in excess over here.
So, keeping a cat alive at all costs only causes another cat to live longer in a shelter, not to die in that shelter.

 

[reba]

I was curious though, and I couldn't get a definitive answer, on why Europe might not have to euthanize as many animals. Do they have more shelters, do people just abandon their pets rather than taking them to shelters, are your spay/neuter programs better? Do they have pet stores in Europe that get their stock from puppy mills? Or is it just a lower percentage of Europeans (38%) versus Americans (68%) own pets so there's not as many people to abandon their pets. Or do the Europeans just take the whole responsibility more seriously?

It's a very interesting question with a complex answer I'm sure.

That said, I remember what you went through with your cat with oral cancer and how you went to great lengths to keep him with you. It was of great help to me when my cat developed oral cancer. But my impression was you were so plugged in to your cats day-to-day reality of his illness, you were not causing him any unnecessary suffering. I think you are one in a million and the cats who have crossed your path are very blessed.

 

[Antonio65]

I was curious though, and I couldn't get a definitive answer, on why Europe might not have to euthanize as many animals. Do they have more shelters, do people just abandon their pets rather than taking them to shelters, are your spay/neuter programs better? Do they have pet stores in Europe that get their stock from puppy mills? Or is it just a lower percentage of Europeans (38%) versus Americans (68%) own pets so there's not as many people to abandon their pets. Or do the Europeans just take the whole responsibility more seriously?

It's a very interesting question with a complex answer I'm sure.

I don't think I have a proper and straight answer to your question.
I just checked and saw that the last survey says that 44.7% of Italian households have at least one pet. The term "pet" includes dogs, cats, fish, rodents, birds, reptiles, etc.
Of course there are stray and ferals cat, but these are under the protection of the city council and are spayed/neutered according to local programs that each council has to adhere to. Feral and stray cats can organize in colonies, and when someone wants to take care of them and feed them, this person can ask the council and public health office to register this colony. From that moment, the council will pay for the fixing of those cats.

Abandoned dogs end up in council or private ponds waiting for an adoption. If this doesn't happen, the dog will spend its entire life at the pond.
Council ponds are funded by local taxes and donations. Private ones only from donations.

There are cat shelters too, and there are several people who foster cats in their homes for as long as it's necessary. These people are part of associations, organizations, rescue groups, and live on donations or self-funding.

I haven't seen a pet store for years now, I believe it is forbidden to sell dogs and cats in stores, but you can buy fish and birds.

I don't know if Europeans take their responsibilities more seriously. But we have severe laws for pet protection and welfare.

That said, I remember what you went through with your cat with oral cancer and how you went to great lengths to keep him with you. It was of great help to me when my cat developed oral cancer. But my impression was you were so plugged in to your cats day-to-day reality of his illness, you were not causing him any unnecessary suffering. I think you are one in a million and the cats who have crossed your path are very blessed.

Thanks, my Lola was so special to me, I had it since she was 10 days old, she was the first cat who lived with me for so long, and I felt I had to do my best for her.
As I did with my Pallina, when I took her to Belgium for the I-131 treatment, because it isn't done in Italy.
I'm glad I was of help to you.

 

[fionasmom]

unicorn95 were you able to get any more information on Tuesday?

Let's try to stay on topic and support this member with their concerns about FIP.

 

[unicorn95]

Sorry that I haven't replied.

I brought Marshall to the Vet and it was confirmed that he has FIP. His tummy/belly was super bloated.


I've contacted the FIP warriors and a lady was trying to find me the human pill

 

[unicorn95]

Sorry that I haven't replied.

I brought Marshall to the Vet and it was confirmed that he has FIP. His tummy/belly was super bloated.


I've contacted the FIP warriors and a lady was trying to find me the human pill

I pressed post by mistake

Anyway ...with no luck. I thought at first that "yay" we found a solution.
I started yesterday giving them both injections with the new vials I ordered for Finn that
Were supposed to last him until his 12th week.

Because they're both 11 years old and 5kg
The fip warrior told me to give them 10mg/kg , the vials I'm buying are 20mg/10ml so they last 4 days give or take for finn.
I'm 27 ...I found a night job alongside my regular job but it's killing me. I work work work, get no sleep and then I need to wake up at 7am for the injections which that is also a challenge by itself.
My family refuses to help out either financially or emotionally. I feel all alone so thank you everyone for your replies.

I don't want to lose them I've had them since I was a teenager.
I have a weird feeling that if I put myself in debt the moment they finish their treatment something will happen to them. I've lost many cats to the Cypriot drivers and to Cypriots that put poison out for "snakes".

 

[Kflowers]

In answer to your weird feeling that you'll get them through this only to lose them, Cats can be quite happy as indoor only cats, particularly cats with long fur. It may take a little while, but most adapt and some are relieved that they don't have to run the risks outside any more.

 

[unicorn95]

In answer to your weird feeling that you'll get them through this only to lose them, Cats can be quite happy as indoor only cats, particularly cats with long fur. It may take a little while, but most adapt and some are relieved that they don't have to run the risks outside any more.

I'm thinking of bringing them to my apartment, we have two other cats with my boyfriend but they're at my mother-in-law's.

They can't be locked up in a cage their remaining life.
My mum won't let them be indoor cats. She even insisted on me euthanizing them

 

[Kflowers]

I am so sorry, there are things that leave scars on the heart forever. Blood is not the strongest bond in life nor in death. The heart choses other hearts and makes forever bonds, not by birth, but by the songs of the universe.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Oh my goodness. TWO of your cats have FIP now? Plus your father passed from the Corona Virus? Man oh man, you can't catch a break . I'm so sorry about your father, and that now Marshall has also been diagnosed. And that your family is not being supportive.

Will your boyfriend's mother let you bring "the boys" to her house with the two other cats? Where are they now, since your mother doesn't want them?

 

[doomsdave]

unicorn95 welcome to our group!

Your kitties are lovely! And what a great picture of Finn in the perching cat photo contest. He's tied for No. 1 (I voted for him, too.) How serene and happy he looks.

I lost a friend of more than 50 year's standing to Covid a bit ago, so sorry to hear about your father.

Praying for your kitties and you.

 

[unicorn95]

Thank you guys for all of your support. Sorry for being gone for so long. I've been working non stop. One of you guys even donated to my fundraiser and didn't get a chance to thank them.

I can't catch a break honestly. Sometimes I think that if my life was a reality show it would be a fan favorite with so much drama.

My bf's mum lives in Paphos which is 1,5 hour drive from where I live , once their done with their treatment I'm thinking of taking them there.
Update for Finn, his bloodwork and biochem came back , he's doing awesome and we're currently on week 10 ^_^ !!!
2 more weeks to go !!!!!

 

[Antonio65]

I'm treating a cat at the shelter, he's at week 8, so 4 more weeks ahead, though I've been told to extend the treatment one extra week after the usual 12.

 

[unicorn95]

I'm treating a cat at the shelter, he's at week 8, so 4 more weeks ahead, though I've been told to extend the treatment one extra week after the usual 12.

I'm afraid that I will be also told to do that as well, and I don't mind if that means he won't relapse but my bank account is watching me with a SIDE EYE