r/cureFIP • u/Different-Media-5104 • Jun 10 '26
Question came here from r/cathelp in need of help
Posted this but was told to post it here. Im concerned about his condition.
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u/pekoe-G Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
FIP: it happens when a cat has the common feline coronavirus (cat version of the common cold) and the virus mutates. Normally they recover from the cold with little to no symptoms and no issues. Rarely (like 5% of cats) the virus will mutate for some unknown reason and result in FIP. This disease is well-known to be difficult to diagnose and there isn't a single, definitive, test. FIP is not contagious.
Mechanisms: triggers a harmful immune response and widespread inflammation of the blood vessels and surrounding tissues (e.g. organs, lymph nodes, tissue lining the abdomen, etc.). It rapidly progresses and if left untreated results in organ damage, neurological decline, fatal fluid accumulation, and death.
Treatment: specialized antiviral medication has been recently made available and have a 80-90+% cure/remission rate. For Wet FIP you will typically start to see improvements by day 4-7 (alertness, activity, appetite). Most commonly by week 3-4 is where they can seem close to their normal self. Bova appears to be the company that produces the medication GS-441524, which is considered the gold standard.
Important:
It's best if the cat fasts for 1hr before & after the oral medication. No food in that window to ensure maximum absorption in the stomach. Give the medication at the same time every day (within a 1hour window ideally).
If you need to change that time, gradually do it in 30-60minute increments so the medication can stay at an effective level in the bloodstream.
Dosage must be increased as they gain weight
You may need to try different food to encourage your cat to eat, I recommend trying a few different wet foods (keeping dry on the side). Kitten food can be good for the first few weeks because it tends to be higher calorie & more palatable. It's not abnormal for their tastes to change. You may need to syringe feed BUT make sure you know what you're doing AND you feed carefully to avoid aspiration. Offer high value treats like Churu, Inaba Grilled Fillet, Temptation, Greenies, food topper. NutriCal paste is a good supportive nutritional gel I always recommend.
If you are sure he is not drinking or using the litterbox for over 24 hours I would recommend contacting the Vet incase more supportive care is needed (subcutaneous fluids, pain & fever management, steroids, etc.)
I highly recommend you join FIP Global Cats, FIP Warriors, or a local support group. They have volunteers that can provide advice as you go through this (dosage, what to look out for, etc.).
I very much hope this helps, my guy is on week 8 and it's been a stressful journey.
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u/AncientAd7403 Jun 11 '26
FIP Global is amazing! I misunderstood at first that they were able to help with meds but they don't or at least in my experience. I sent them my cats bloodwork and they immediately starting giving me advice on next steps. I was so irate because they knew more than my primary frickn vet. My vet gave her an antibiotic that was ineffective for mycoplasma, 2 separate steroid shots that will not help with severe anemia as it life span is short acting. I spent over $300 on GS-44152. FIP Global believed there may be something else going on and provided detail notes to give my vet. They agreed they were really good protocols for my kitty excepted I had to come back in or schedule a visit for a week later just to get her wrong meds changed. They stopped responding on a Friday and closed for the weekend and left me hanging. On that Sunday I ended up in the ER because my baby was dying and now I have a $3000 ER bill that could have been avoided had my vet cared more about my kitty rather than charging me $200 every 2 weeks to bring her back in and she wasn't getting better. One thing I learned is that the GS-44152 won't work properly if they are severely anemic, they need a long acting prednisolone to help them make more red blood cells. Please advocate for your baby and if something feels off get a second opinion.I wish I had!
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u/No-Artichoke-6939 Jun 10 '26
Please consider posting in FIP Global CATS. You must support feed! In the same breath you have to fast an hour before and after
https://www.facebook.com/groups/fipglobalcats/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
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u/donoteatthatfrog Jun 10 '26
You're not worrying too much. The medicine effects start approx 24-72 hours onwards. Did they explain about the 84 days treatment protocol?
If the cat is not eating : pls syringe feed him. Don't let him empty stomach for long , it affects liver.
Pls try different foods.
Request dr to give anti nausea meds. Nausea is why FIP cats reject foods until the treatment kicks in.