Help Gus Win His Battle Against FIP

Anyone who knows our family knows how much we love our pets and the dedication we put into their care. They truly are members of our family. This week we received a devastating diagnosis for one of our newest members, Gus. Who is only 9 months old.

We adopted Gus and his best friend, Frank this past Halloween. They both immediately filled our lives with so much love and laughter. Their antics and silliness have really helped us heal from the recent loss of prior beloved pets.

Recently we noticed Gus being less active and not his usual playful self. Then we saw that he had noticeably lost weight and seemed dehydrated. We immediately got him in to see our vet. After several rounds of testing and finally an ultrasound he was given a diagnosis of FIP.

FIP stand for Feline Infectious Peritonitis and is a coronavirus infection that will lead to death if left untreated. Treatment is only very recently available but is not yet FDA approved which means it’s hard to get and expensive. The good news is that this treatment is over 90% effective in completely curing FIP!

We are so fortunate that someone from Gus’s medical team was familiar with the organization FIP Warriors 5.0 and they were able to help us start his treatment process right away. Their volunteers were able to donate the first few doses of antiviral medication so Gus didn’t have to wait, as this is a rapidly progressive disease. They have also put us in touch with the right people to be able to purchase the medication to continue treatment.

Here is where Gus’s fight and our challenge arises. Initial protocol for treatment is 84 days of antiviral injections with blood tests every 30 days. Most of the time this is enough and after another 84 days of observation the cat is deemed cured of FIP. In some cases more injections are needed and in very few cases a cat will relapse and need to completely repeat treatment.

Thankfully for Gus we caught things early enough that he has a very good prognosis for a full recovery with just the initial treatment. Here’s where we need help! It’s estimated that our total expenses from diagnosing this disease and now treating it will total around $5,000.

We’re asking for help in lessening this burden so that we can ensure Gus has access to any and all necessary medications, medical treatments, and needed supplies during his recovery.

All donations will go towards Gus’s medical expenses. Any money not needed for his care will be donated to FIP Warriors 5.0 so that they can continue to help other kitties in need of treatment.

Donations, well wishes, and healing vibes are all greatly needed and appreciated. ❤️