Save Mica's Life: Lifesaving FIP Treatment
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My beautiful, sweet kitten, Mica deserves a long, happy, and healthy life. I hope she can have that.
TLDR: Mica has FIP which is a very serious illness and it used to be fatal for all cats. A new medication seems to be highly effective and could save her life. Her treatment seems to be working and we are hopeful. However, the expenses are high and unexpected. I could use some help.
The long version: Mica fell very ill on Thursday, October 3rd and was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
On Saturday the vet was discussing euthanasia if she were to spike another fever (which she did).
Fortunately, she was able to start treatment and is showing improvement, but our bills are piling up. We have already spent nearly $2,500 on vet visits, ER, hospital stays, blood tests, and medication. Her treatment is nearly 6 months long with regular blood tests and vet visits.
Though Mica has pet insurance, it won’t cover FIP because 1) this is considered a pre-existent issue as she likely acquired the feline coronavirus that later turned into FIP very young + had mild/invisible symptoms since, 2) she is on non-FDA approved medication, and 3) she is also in the ‘waiting period’. We certainly didn’t expect her to acquire such as serious and expensive illness so young and something that her pet insurance can’t help with.
We are currently on one income (mine) and have been for years and I also have my own dental and medical expenses. I’ve also lost some work as a result of needing to take care of her, not to mention having started grad school in September (I would have to pay the tuition even if I quit now).
While I’m ready to go into debt and risk it all just to save her life, I would also appreciate some support to afford this without going bankrupt or homeless by the end of it all.
Expenses we spent so far:
Vet visit, hospital stay #1 + testing: $961
ER visit #1: $239.21
Vet visit, hospital stay #2: #235.25
ER visit #2: $206.25
Vet visit + blood testing: $257.25
Medication for the first 2-3 weeks: $226
Gas money, specialty foods, and other things are not included
Expected expenses:
A minimum of 6 vet visits and blood tests the next 6 months: $1,674 total ($279.00 each)
Medication cost: Between $600 and $1,000 estimated on the low end IF we stick with non-FDA approved options, depending on dosage, her weight, brand, etc + if she needs to continue treatment after the minimum of 84 days, it can be more; switching to the FDA-approved brand is a lot more
Stool testing + treatment, if her loose stool doesn’t improve soon: $300 - 500
Any other testing recommended during her monthly vet visits or needed throughout her recovery
Any other unforeseen vet visits, hospital stays, and ER visits: Unknown (one vet visit is $67 without any testing, treatment, or medication; one emergency exam fee at her is $104 without any testing, treatment, or medication; one ER visit is $200 without any testing, treatment, medication, or hospital stay depends on the testing + services provided but in the hundreds on the low end)
Any additional blood testing: if her treatment needs to continue longer than the minimum recommendation another blood test will be added each month ($279.00 each minimum)
+ there is specialty food, supplements, gas, and whatever else that may enter the picture
+ We are keeping her pet insurance for $30/month in case another unrelated accident or illness pops up, it has a $250 deductible + covers 90%, but again, it will not cover anything FIP-related, including treatment or related complications
More about FIP and her condition:
We adopted Mica and her sister, Cica on Labor Day. She suddenly fell extremely ill on October 3rd. Since then she was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
FIP is a very serious illness. Most cats get the feline coronavirus in their lifetime. It's very common, minor, either asymptomatic or causes mild diarrhea for a short time. In 99% of the cases, it's fine. However, in some cats, the virus mutates into FIP.
Chances are, Mica, had FIP at the shelter already and most of her life with invisible symptoms, but it didn't turn into an actual severe illness until now. It took her body a while to completely break down. It's not something she acquired while with me.
For the longest, FIP was deemed deadly in 100% cases. A few years ago an antiviral drug named GS-441524 was developed by Gilead sciences that turns out can cure FIP. This medication is extremely effective.
However, Gilead refused to allow it to be used for veterinary purposes so the drug was not FDA-approved and not available through vets.
However, it's been used by people through underground/black market sources and many have been curing their cats through 'non-traditional' (not FDA-approved/vet-prescribed/legal ways).
Recently in June, pill versions of the drugs were FDA-approved and are available through limited resources. However, though your vet can prescribe it, it's not a drug they will hand it to you. Ordering it through prescription is tricky and takes a very long time — and time is what you don't have.
Though my kitten got her prescription right away, getting the drug would've taken a week at least. Mica was on the brink of death and we were talking about euthanasia on Saturday. She didn't have a minute to spare.
We were able to start treatment through aforementioned, non-FDA approved sources on Saturday (Oct. 5th) night.
And she is doing so much better. My kitten so close to death is not walking around and eating and playing. This medication is sorcery and it IS working. However, we have a LONG way to go.
What does this mean? Her bloodwork is awful. Her body is very weak. She is STILL very sick.
FIP treatment takes 84 days (or in some cases longer) and then 84 days of observation. Besides medication, it involves regular complex bloodwork, regular weighing, etc + she needs to eat a lot.
Though we can see that the meds are helping her and it gives us hope, we are far from certain that she will survive this. A lot of things can happen in the next 6 months and there are a LOT of things that have to go right.
And a lot of money that needs to be spent.
If you know anything about me, you know how much cats mean to me and how much my two kittens mean. I wanted cat my whole life and it took 41 years to get my wish. Only for one of them to get so sick within less than 5 weeks of us.
But it's not about me. She is the sweetest cat you will ever meet. She is so curious, so loving, and such a good biscuit maker. It's not fair that she got so sick so young. It's not fair she has been sick most of her life. She deserves a happy, beautiful, and healthy life.
And we are hoping she can have that.
I also added some information here about FIP and her medication:
GS-441524: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS-441524
Treatment with blackmarket meds by the Kitten Lady:
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Kat Gal
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Milwaukee, WI