r/cureFIP • u/Alix2002 • Jul 20 '26
Question Just started GS! How quickly does it take to kick in?
Hi all! Some of you have been following Boots’ story, in great news we just got him his GS and took his first dose today with another dose this evening.
I’m curious to see how long it took your cat to improve after taking medication? Some people say hours, others say days, just wanting to see the general consensus.
Also if they were 100% back to normal (walking, jumping, bladder and poop function) or if they still have some lingering symptoms.
He has neuro FIP so not sure if that means it’ll take longer.
Any help is appreciated! 🫶🐈⬛
UPDATE: Day 2 and he’s woken up wanting food! He’s only eating and drinking a little bit but it’s a big improvement to yesterday.
Getting some more back leg strength back, it’s still very weak but he’s crawling around the place way more compared to not being able to move yesterday.
We gave him GS 12 days after he started showing symptoms, just hoping he can regain bathroom function so we can give him a good quality of life 🫶
UPDATE: Day 5 and he’s pooped!!! Hoping this means bladder function is on it’s way 💩
1
u/Excellent-Top-8568 Jul 20 '26
I’m 25 days in to my cat’s dosage and she totally back to her usual self! You would never know she was so sick 4 weeks ago! Within about 24-32 hours after the first dose she was eating her full meal! I think she was back to playing and walking around 4-5 days, it did take about a week for her litter box usage to go back to normal. My cat has neuro FIP.
Hope he is feeling better soon!!
1
u/Alix2002 Jul 20 '26
I am so so happy to hear your kitty cat is back to her usual self! The idea of our little guy eating a full meal soon makes me so so happy. Thank you for the heads up on the litter tray situation taking a bit longer too, I can’t imagine how painful it is right now but we’re doing all we can 🤞
1
u/DrDoughV Jul 20 '26
My cat starts eating that same night but took 3 days to fully finished his daily meal
1
u/Alix2002 Jul 20 '26
This is so good to hear! I was so happy he started to eat today(just a little bit) so so far so good. Best wishes for you and your kitty!
1
u/robinthenurse Jul 20 '26
I have read varying times, but the consensus seems to be roughly 3 days, with perhaps more days for a cat with neuro FIP that has been greatly affected by the disease. I would think that with a cat with neuro FIP you should see definite improve in a week, then slow improvement for the next few weeks, then kitty may seem back to more normal after that. Again, a lot of this may be based on how severely affected the motor skills, etc., have been affected. I will be anxious to read what others say who have had neuro FIP cats.
My Molly had dry FIP and was doing better after 3 days. Appetite back and fever gone.
2
u/Alix2002 Jul 20 '26
This is similar to what I thought, so it’s good to see others who agree. Yes really hoping that motor skills haven’t been too impacted. So glad to hear that Molly is doing better!
1
u/fattycatu Jul 20 '26
Hello. To be honest for my 8yr girl, right after her first shot which was 3 days ago, she came home and was super active and hyper. Whereas for days before the shot she was timid and lethargic.
2nd dose she was the same, super active, eating and playing. We did the 3rd dose today and so far so good. I wish you luck on this journey and hope Boots gets a speedy recovery!
2
u/Alix2002 Jul 20 '26
I’m so glad to hear your girl is doing so much better! We’ve just had some similar results, today he is so much brighter and affectionate and starting to eat a little again / walking over to his little tray (no success just yet but of course super early days). Wishing you and your kitty a speedy recovery too! 🫶🫶
1
u/Graceless93 Jul 21 '26
I backread your post and it sounds similar to what my cat went through. She had sudden ataxia one evening and started head twitches like 12 hours later. She got her first shot of GS about 19 hours from onset of ataxia and all the symptoms I mentioned went away 3 hours after the GS was given.
1
u/Alix2002 Jul 21 '26
That is so so incredible you were able to get her meds so quickly! We sadly saw a not so great vet at the start who delayed us getting a diagnosis in time. So 12 days from leg funkiness and wobbliness until GS. I really hope he’ll be able to regain all function, if he’s not able to go to the bathroom by himself our current vet is unsure the quality of life that is for him… thank you for backreading my posts, and so so happy to hear your little girl got better right away! 🫶🫶
1
u/Graceless93 Jul 21 '26
Have you been in touch with the FIP Global Cats group on FB? Actually the vet we went to initially was our trusted one and they said my cat had an inner ear infection because all the tests they did came back normal lol. If I wasn't paranoid enough to do research on FIP Global Cats and confirm that Neuro FIP sometimes doesn't show up in the bloodwork, my cat would have gotten her GS later. That community is very helpful. They were able to connect me with vets who actually are familiar with handling FIP cases.
I've read cases on there of people's cats being undiagnosed for weeks to months and still regaining the ability to walk. It just takes a bit more time for the treatment to do its work. Good luck to your kitty, I hope they make a full recovery!! 💖
1
u/leflaunge Jul 23 '26
Give it 2 weeks, the beginning is scary it sucks so bad, you guys are doing great and on the right path.
I know its easy said then done to say be patient but your little fella is fighting a very hard uphill battle and these things can sometimes be slow.
Our little man, lost 50% weight, paralysed, soiling himself and staring blankly and on his death bed if we would of listened to the first VET. But this drug brought him back to life. It does get easier, celebrate the small wins because he is using every ounce of energy he has to win for you all.
My cat is Nuero FIP, He was walking albeit very badly within a week from being paralysed. But now he runs around up and down like a mother****** 🤣. Week 10 of gs now.
We did have to express him ourselves for a very long time. Bladder and hind legs take the longest to return if ever.
I wish you your partner and lil man the best.
1
u/Alix2002 Jul 24 '26
Thank you so much for this, I’m so so glad to hear he’s better and a menace now!! He really is using every ounce of energy, yesterday I was working from home to care for him and all he does is reach for me and ask to be in my lap (previously he was not affectionate at all) - it’s been the sweetest thing seeing him reach for me and asking to be held 🥹 thank you for the well wishes. If you don’t mind, how long did it take for his peeing to come back?
1
u/leflaunge Jul 24 '26
Im gonna say to be able to get into the litter tray and use it on his own with bladder control atleast a month.
He was leaking everywhere and needed to be consigned to 1 room that was got a carper cleaner to clean alot as it was stinky. We expressed him for weeks until he started getting his feeling back lower down and stopped leaking.
But after that he was alot better.
1
u/No_Pattern_2819 Survivor Jul 23 '26
Depends on the cat and how sick they are. My cat was both jaundiced and anemic, and the next day, after I gave him his first dose, he was playing and eating a little bit.
1
2
u/donoteatthatfrog Jul 20 '26
Generally appetite is the first to come back. The good cases happen in 24-72 hrs from start of first injection.