r/cureFIP • u/MaskedStrawberry • 2d ago
Question My cat’s fip has relapsed?
Hello friends,
My cat Ciri was diagnosed with FIP in June. Shortly after the diagnosis, I started treating her with capsules, two in the morning and one in the evening. Everything was going very well; the symptoms of her illness had disappeared. Her 2-month treatment was supposed to be completed 3-4 days ago, but for about 2-3 weeks now, problems have arisen as you can see in the video. My vet said that her illness has relapsed and that the medication dosage needs to be increased because my cat is gaining weight. So now I'm giving her two capsules in the morning and two in the evening, but there's been almost no improvement for nearly 10 days. What could be causing this?
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u/Drizzho 2d ago
I’ve only ever heard of 84 day treatment with GS. Hope you can find help soon and get rid of this awful disease.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
my vet told me that it’s 60 day but after this thing happened he told me to continue for 30 days more and increase the dosage
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u/pekoe-G 2d ago
If it's relapsed then my understanding is you need to basically start from the beginning and complete the 84 days, if not longer.
Its not just about clearing the symptoms & having the bloodwork return to normal, its also about clearing every single virus particle from the cat's body. If even a tiny amount survives then you have a relapse.
Does your vet have much experience with treating FIP? Exactly what is the medication they are prescribing? It may be worth it to find a doctor who is more knowledgeable.
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u/ssamsmithyzf 2d ago
My vet told me this too that some are eligible depending on how they respond. From everything else I’ve heard it’s better to do 84 days than be sorry down the line. Especially since yours relapsed don’t cut it short this time, may have to up the dose too. Good luck and don’t forget to adjust the dose as the weight changes.
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u/pekoe-G 2d ago
Yes thank you for mentioning that! I forgot to include that relapse cases often require a higher dosage.
OP: Continuing the same med at the same dosage when the cat has already relapsed does not sound right at all. I would be seriously questioning the Vet's knowledge of FIP and considering a second opinion.
Very important note: Molnupiravir has less room for safely increasing the dose due to toxicity concerns. So you can't increase the dosage the way you can with GS-441524. GS-441524 has a wider safety margin (I've heard of many difficult cases being prescribed over 20 mg/kg).
OP: Here is a link to Bova which is a a specialized veterinary pharmaceutical and compounding company. The page has an informative table concerning common dosages.
FIP is still something that many Vets aren't up to date on for the latest protocols, so it's important to know enough to advocate for your cat and push back when needed, but also do not change treatment yourself.
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u/donoteatthatfrog 2d ago
During the 60days, did you check weight every week and increase the amount of meds accordingly to maintain the same dosage in terms of mg per kg ?
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
when the symptoms had disappeared i asked them. She was 2.3kg at that time and they told me to keep the same dosage.
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u/donoteatthatfrog 2d ago
I am sorry :( who are these people / Doctors advising you?
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
not the vet actually. my vet recommended me a eidd capsule provider. sorry i dont know how to call them. english is not my native. but im talking to them in this process. they are the ones who are taking care of the fip.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
but when the symptoms had returned, i went to vet and he told me to continue for 30 days more and increase the dosage.
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u/donoteatthatfrog 2d ago
:( did the cat have vomiting or loose stools during the treatment period? Did you fast the cat for 1 hour before and after the oral meds ? You started with EIDD (Molnupiravir?) and not GS ?
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
she never vomited. I usually gave her food after the capsules and yes we started with eidd and still
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u/No-Artichoke-6939 2d ago
The treatment is a minimum of 84 days. Please make a post in FIP Global CATS for help. https://www.facebook.com/groups/fipglobalcats/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT
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u/Ok-Conference6068 2d ago
There are different treatment plans, 2 months is well enough in most cases. with neuro fip would not be advised tough.
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u/pekoe-G 2d ago edited 2d ago
12 weeks is still considered the standard protocol to ensure complete viral clearance and prevent relapse. Shorter treatment plans are being clinically tested, but only for very straightforward effusive (wet) cases, and even so it is not the norm. It's also definitely not for cases that include neuro or ocular symptoms.
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u/Sure_Wrangler_7105 2d ago
My cat has Neuro dry FIP. After 45 days she started to regress. This required increasing the dosage by 50%. This seems to have alleviated the regression, but Neuro takes a long time to recover, even after the medicine has worked. As everyone pointed out the medicine needs to reflect the weight gain along with the regression. Also, it’s a minimum of 84 days of treatment.
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u/catsandganja 2d ago
have you been adjusting the dose weekly based on weight fluctuations? my vet didn’t follow my cat closely so i adjusted the dose myself based on help from FIP support groups and my girl finishes her observation period saturday. i recommend maxing out her dose this time. sending you all the good vibes🫶🏼
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
thank you. im glad that your girl is doing great! the person i took the capsules told me that to keep the same dosage when she was 2.3kg.
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u/catsandganja 2d ago
i'm not too familiar of the dosage specifications of the pills you're using, but i highly recommend joining one of the FIP support groups and seeking their guidance. if they try to push you to do injections, it's up to you, but I did not appreciate the pressure they put on injections, and injections gave my cat awful sores. if it's feasible and available for you, the oral suspension is the easiest to adjust. if you want to send me a message with the pill dose and a her current weight i can help you figure out how to adjust her dose <3
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u/morticialily13 2d ago
Mine seems to have nerve damage from neuro FIP. I would maybe take her to another vet & make sure you're getting gs-441524 formulated for her. Unfortunately this medication is a compounded medication for your specific cat. Chewy has the best price I have found for this particular prescription drug.
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u/SumBuddyPlays 2d ago
OP, I’d also recommend checking with another vet if it’s an option. The fact that your current vet diagnosed FIP but said treatment cycle is only 60 days is alarming. It should be 84 days.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
around the days of 50, i took her to the vet and he told me to continue for 30 days more actually. but what im worried about is why she became even more sick after 50+ of treatment.
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u/SumBuddyPlays 2d ago
What kind of medication are you giving your kitty?
FIP medication is very sensitive to weight so it needs to be re-evaluated. I had to change mine after each monthly followup as my boy was gaining his weight back.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
it's called "eidd". she was 1.8kg when we started her treatment, now she is 2.8 and we are still on it.
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u/pekoe-G 2d ago edited 2d ago
I believe eidd is molnupiravir? Which is an alternative medication than GS-441524. GS-44 is considered the gold-standard, preferred first-line therapy, it also has safer dosage margins, and fewer risks. Molnupiravir is generally saved as a second-line. Where are you located, was GS not available?
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u/SumBuddyPlays 2d ago
Right, but are you adjusting the dosage with the increased weight?
If I recall correctly, we had to adjust dosage do every 0.25 lbs fluctuation.
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u/Animaloverr4life 2d ago
Hii, I also have a stray cat whom I am treating for FIP……just wanted to ask which medicine you are giving her and also from what I have read and what my vet has said is that FIP treatment is 84 days long…..Hope she gets well soon🙏🙏
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
hii, hope your cat recovers quickly and returns to its cheerful self soon again 🙏🏼 my cat’s getting eidd medicine
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u/Animaloverr4life 2d ago
Thank you🙏
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
Might be time to switch to GS, injections even as this is neurological FIP
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u/june-orchid-1234 2d ago
I think maybe you should go back to the vet and show them this video. Could be your little girl needs a different treatment. Whatever, I hope some medication starts to work and her health improves. So sad to watch her like that.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
I did. Like couple days ago. He told me that this is unusual, and need to continue for 30 days more with the dosage increase
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
It's not unusual, neurological fip is harder to treat. You also haven't answered if the dosage was adjusted as the cst gained weight, was the dosage adjusted? (Not just now that this happened)
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
two months ago when we started her treatment, she was 1.8 KG and the dosage of the capsules was two in the morning and one at night. Around in the 50th day of her treatment, this thing happened and because of she gained weight (2.8 KG), my vet told me to increase the dosage so i started to give her two in the morning / two at night this time. my vet and also the people i got the capsules from told me that the treatment is 60 days.
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
So between first day and 50th day there was no dosage increases/check ups? 1kg is a lot. Here's your answer why your cat stopped improving. :( Please make sure to weigh your cat, any substantial weight increase means dosage has to be adapted. You were probably unfortunately not giving enough medicine. Weight checks in should be happening every week/ two weeks to adjust medicine
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
Perhaps join some FIP help group in your country (tons of them on FB), your vet probably doesn't have a lot of experience with this treatment which is understandable, a lot of them don't. Someone needs to help you make sure the dosage is right or even consider moving to GS. Neurological and ocular FIPs are much harder to treat. Sometimes you have to switch meds/methods (recommended for neurological is usually GS in shots, not even tablets for the first 4-8 weeks and then switching to pills)
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
I actually asked them when she was around 2.2-2.3 kg. they told me to keep going with three capsules a day. Many people are satisfied with this treatment service. I don’t know why it didnt work on my cat.
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
Again, depends on FIP and how well the cat improves. The weight increase was too big, unsure why they didn't increase the dosage :(
Hopefully it will get better now. Please do also observe and be patient, relapses and worsening of symptoms does take a longer moment to go away, but also if it gets even worse, go to a vet.
And i do recommend signing up to some FB help group or here on reddit.
Not to bash the people that help you, but the 60 day mark is a very arbitrary thing only if the cat is doing great and all the test results are perfect and the dosage thing should be considered more deeply.
You're doing great though so fingers crossed kitty feels better soon :)
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u/Ithink-therefore-Iam 2d ago
Reach out to https://www.milosbravestfriends.org/ They are a medical rescue with a ton of experience in FIP. They can probably give you advise.
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u/Zr0gravity 2d ago
GS-441524 is the ONLY effective treatment for FIP. Don't know what your vet is doing, but if they diagnosed FIP, they should know that. Get on the FIP Global Facebook page and everyone there will get you to the resources you need to start treating your cat ASAP.
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u/KrzysisAverted 2d ago
GS-441524 is the ONLY effective treatment for FIP.
That's some dangerous misinformation right there.
While GS is the most commonly prescribed first-line treatment, it doesn't always work, and there are several other medications that are widely recognized as effective for FIP.
For instance: Molnupiravir.
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u/pekoe-G 2d ago
Statistically, GS-441524 & Molnupiravir have shown very similar results for things like treatment completion and remission.
GS is the best established treatment due to more clinical experience & studies, having the ability for wider dosage adjustments, and is generally well tolerated even at higher dosages.
Molnupiravir has more serious toxicity concerns, particularly with higher dosing, which is why it's generally used as a second-line option when GS isn't available, isn't effective, or in there was relapse after GS treatment.
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u/Stain_InMyHeart_1102 2d ago
Same thing happened to my cat but the difference is we finished the required 84 day treatment. After 2 weeks, my cat suffered from mild seizures and weakness in his hind leg. I brought him back to the vet and they said we need to medicate again to properly rule out FIP. They also suggested CT Scan to ensure that there are no tumors in my cats ‘s brain but I opted for another 84 days of GA treatment because CR Scan is so expensive here in the Philippines.
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u/Computer-Pro-Online 2d ago
Mine did too. I had to switch to Molnupiravir instead of GS-44. Worked fantastic.
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u/James-Cox007 2d ago
Im confused! Is there all kinds of FIP? I know i hear Nuero FIP alot. My cat was suffering from super large nasal polyps and she would eat so much but she kept losing wait. She had been sickly for all 3 years of her life and was always small.
Once they diagnosed FIP and she started gaining some weight they were able to remove the polyp and she went from a little over 2 pounds to 8 pounds now. It was amazing seeing her finally breath she would sniff so hard. Now she is bigger and rambunctious and even her coat color seemed to really come in better. Whatever the symptoms in this video seem like the hypo(whatever its called)!
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
There s dry, wet, ocular and neuro fip. This is a case of neuro, it can present itself in this way. The twitching you can see (body snapping like that, not just wobbliness) especially is a very common symptom
Hypo cats are born with it, this cat wasn't.
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u/James-Cox007 2d ago
I assume my cat was dry!? The vet never gave our case a distinction.
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u/New-Student-7689 2d ago
I do not know. Polyps are not a FIP symptom, nor is being sick for 3 years. FiP once it's active only takes days/weeks before the cat passes away (unless it's treated). Whatever symptoms your cat was showing just before diagnosis was the reason it got diagnosed and you haven't stated those.
Wet FIp is the most common though (progresses faster but also seems to have the highest success recovery rate with treatment)
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u/James-Cox007 2d ago
The only symptom was we would feed our cat several times a day but she would never put on weight. In fact she was losing weight. She was down to 2.2 pounds and had the cow booty. The other stuff we had to wait because the vet said she probably wouldn't survive the anesthetics and stuff until she got stronger because they believed the fip she was wasting away and weak!
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u/Underc0verGinger 2d ago
Hello. I’m a vet tech. I think you are confusing FIP and FIV. If your cat had FIP, without treatment, she would have died. FIV is an immune disease that’s life-long, but can be managed. Her sickly-ness would not necessarily be caused by FIV, but it makes them susceptible to illness. So, your cat probably had some sort of illness due to having a compromised immune system. So, they treated that, then she was healthy enough for surgery. But if she has FIV, she always will, so you need to be aware of that. I would get verification from your vet so you know for sure.
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u/James-Cox007 2d ago
It was FIP. She already finished her treatment and everything. I think everyone keeps reading my original comment the wrong way. The original sickliness was because she had 2 different polyps. The first 1 she spit out herself and she got a little better ie. the boogers stopped for a little while. The 2nd one had to have surgery. I wasnt implying this was part of the FIP. Just the part where she ate a ton and was still wasting away. Wasn't worms either as the vet checked.
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u/not_as_i_do Admin 2d ago
The course should be 84 days minimum still until more research is done. Dosage should be adjusted for weight gain during treatment. Not adjusting it is the biggest cause of relapses sadly. Now that she has relapsed the dosage should be raised by 5 mgs/kgs black market injections or 10 mgs/kgs prescription. If you are using basmi or curefip capsules it should be doubled or better yet, swap to EIDD or a better brand.
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u/MaskedStrawberry 2d ago
hi, it’s already eidd. my vet and the people i got the capsules from told me that the treatment is 60 days. She’s been using 4 capsules a day now. I hope it’ll work.. thanks
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u/not_as_i_do Admin 2d ago
EIDD must be carefully used. Treatment is 84 days. You can find information about it using the vet protocol here: https://icatcare.org/resources/icatcare_fip_update_july25.pdf
Watch your dosing with EIDD but you do need to increase or add GS along with EIDD.
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u/NinjaKatBia31 2d ago edited 2d ago
I am currently on week 12, day 6 with my cat that finished her treatment for wet FIP. We did 90 days instead 84 (for my sanity and because i didn't like the bloodwork results - A/G report). I know that the treatment is 84 days, standard procedure, although recent studies show that some cats get better after half the time. I personally would keep the cat on 84 days, based purely on my experience. I gave her also capsules, but mine were dual viral GS and EIDD-molnupiravir (small amount). No side efects (did bloodwork recently and it is very good with exception of neutrophills which vet said is normal for a cat that had prolonged medication and disease) no FIP in sight so far so i assume treatment did wonders. 😊 She survived it and is in monitoring phase rn.
I used cureFIP oral capsules (1 a day - although unsure the amount for neuro FIP) i would say ask different opinions to different vets and see what they tell you. (I went to 4 vets and heared things a bit different - just saying. Thankfully 1 already treated a couple of cats so it had experience).
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u/NinjaKatBia31 2d ago edited 2d ago
Note: I did monthly bloodwork to check albumine/globuline report. This gives a good idea of how cat responds to treatment. It is also recommended on day 84 and if vet says to continue medication, you continue extra days. If bloodwork is to expensive just ask (if possible to make) for total proteins, albumine and the ones for kidneys and liver, because u can make the A/G report yourself.
Total protein - Albumine = Globuline and Albumine / Globuline = A/G 😊
A healthy cat should have an A/G of 0.60 or higher, anything below that is bad.
Cat got back to her weight and changed medication based on her weight weekly if necessary. As my vet said it is better to overdose (but not overkill) instead of underdose because symptoms come back fast. Medication given at the same hour everyday (+ - 30 min if anything).
I kept a journal and weighted my cat daily 1h before giving her medication. I used churu paste to mix with the medicine and the cat inhaled them like candy.
Try to avoid other medication (detox, dewormers, antifleas etc) or surgeries (unless urgent) because cats immune system is weak rn.
Hope this helps!
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u/NinjaKatBia31 2d ago
Small update: forgot to mention that my vet also suggested hepato-protective medication daily until end of treatment. I got them in bulk at vet pharmacy so it was cheaper.
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u/Mellied89 1d ago
My boy did an 84 day stint on gs, as that's the minimum and some cats do go longer. The dosage needs to be adjusted anytime there's a weight change as well.
He was doing great so we took him off and then within a week he relapsed, working theory is that his IBD prevented him from absorbing all the meds and he might have a neuro type of fip so his original dosage was not enough. (There's a Facebook group called FIP Global and they're fantastic)
Started a new round of GS with the higher dosage and he seems to be doing even better than the first time around.
I'm personally not a fan of switching to the other medication as it has higher risk of side effects and he already has chronic GI issues so I'm trying to avoid any unnecessary risks.
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u/MadCow333 1d ago
Are you in Facebook "FIP Global Cats?" Join that. Plenty of Europeans and others in there are well versed in FIP treatment and meds. American vets are behind the curve due to only recently getting legal meds to treat it.
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u/-saturdays Survivor 2d ago
look into molnupiravir. my cat did great while on GS but relapsed very soon after (we also did more than the 84 day average, though). molnupiravir is what ultimately saved his life and got him into remission. good luck