Will You Be My Valentine?

We have been fostering 5 kittens for Shuswap Paws Rescue since October 25th. Like the previous group of adorable fur babies we fostered over the summer, we figured we would be looking for furever homes for these babies after about 6 weeks, so sometime before Christmas...but that has not been the case. 

Our only little girl went to her furever home on Christmas Eve, leaving her 4 brothers with us. At one of our vet check ups, we learned that two of the boys (Jack & Shadow) both have heart murmurs. Due to this, they both will require an ultrasound of the heart prior to being neutered. Unfortunately, the wait time to see the specialist is a month & the cost is close to $650 each. 

In early January we noticed that Jack seemed to be a bit lethargic & was looking a bit thinner than his brothers yet his belly was quite pronounced. A trip to the vet sent us to Urgent Care at Canada West (a specialized animal hospital) & then a devastating diagnosis. Jack has FIP. 

Nobody wants to hear those words. Up until around a year ago, FIP was a death sentence. The vet discussed euthanizing Jack & told us that he didn’t have much time left. After absorbing this, I did some research & found that Dr.Pedersen & his team out of the University of California, Davis had discovered an anti-viral treatment that has cured cats in field trials. In desperation to find out more, I reached out and was put in contact with an amazing group of cat parents all over the world who have gone through or are going through FIP with their cat(s).

What is FIP? Feline Infectious Peritonitis is a viral disease caused by certain strains of a feline virus. Most strains do not cause disease. Cats who are infected with this feline virus generally won’t show symptoms and will produce antiviral antibodies. In some cats, the virus can mutate or the immune system produces an unusual response and the infection can become FIP. There are two types of FIP, commonly known as Wet & Dry. Wet refers to symptoms such as the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen or chest, fever, weight loss, lethargy. Dry FIP has many of the same symptoms, as well as anemia & depression, but lacks the fluid build up. 

The good news is that there is treatment that has proven a cure! The bad news is that it is not yet available in Canada & it is very expensive. As a foster mama of these amazing babies, I was determined to try this medication for sweet little Jack. Within the first two days of treatment, we saw a difference in Jack...he had more energy, he was eating & drinking & using his litter box! After a week, his belly was shrinking & he is now chasing his brothers and playing! The medication will need to be given for 84 consecutive  days, at the same time each day, by injection at a formula determined by his weight. As his weight increases, so does the amount of medication that he will need injected. Along with this, he will also need a couple of blood tests - one halfway & one at the end of treatment. Upon completion, he will need to wait 3 months to see that the virus has been killed. After that, he will need an ultrasound to check his heart murmur & finally, his neuter.

I have already purchased 3 bottles of meds for Jack, but I am asking for any help that you feel led to give. Each bottle is roughly $358 US and at this point lasts us 5 days. In order to make it to day 84, little Jack needs your help. Thank you for your consideration, much love to you all.❤️