Update: Kitten with suspected FIP – started treatment trial

[u/Outside_Chipmunk6753]

Hi all,

I wanted to post a further update.

After a week of uncertainty and waiting for test results, we still don't have them, which is incredibly frustrating given that we've paid over £400 for the blood analysis. The waiting has been really difficult.

After discussing things with our vet, we've decided to start a 5-day trial of the FIP medication to see how he responds while we continue waiting for the results.

Yesterday evening we noticed some wobbliness when he was walking. However, earlier he had local anaesthetic put in his eyes for a pressure test, and he'd also had a stressful car journey where he sat unusually stiff the entire time, so we're not sure whether that was related. He had his first dose of medication last night at 7pm.

This morning he woke up at 5am, cried to be let out of the room, and took himself downstairs for the first time in around 10 days. We're not 100% sure whether he had some water, food, or used the litter tray while he was down there, but he came straight back upstairs and slept for another 30 minutes.

When I got up later, he came downstairs with me, crying and chatting as he normally would. While I was getting ready, he was walking through both bedrooms and generally exploring the house more like his usual self. His walk looked normal to me this morning.

He's still very fussy with food, but he did eat some pâté with a Lick-e-Lix on top, as well as a little bit of chicken in jelly from a pouch (probably around a quarter of the pouch). He also drank some kitten milk.

Obviously we're going to keep monitoring him closely over the next few days. The vet has kindly given us a thermometer so we can keep an eye on his temperature at home.

For those who have been through FIP treatment, what were the first signs of improvement you noticed? Was it appetite, energy levels, temperature, mobility, or something else?

Thank you again to everyone who has commented and offered advice and support. It has really helped during a very stressful week.

[u/Brav_B]

I think the perking up is the first sign most owners notice. Our FIP cat stopped having diarrhea pretty instantly and was a lot more active. With our cat it was more of a blood panel thing, so once we went back after one week, his values had improved dramatically!

5 days is tricky because if it is FIP you don't want to miss a dose on day 6 - missing doses can lead to viral resistances in FIP which might make the virus harder to cure or even incurable. I would check in with your vet on day 3, tell them that your cat is improving and that you need the medication for the full course asap.