FIP Treatment Experience in Ireland

Hello, everyone! My boy is nearing the end of his treatment (only two more days until he enters the observation period!), and I wanted to share our experience in symptoms, progression, diagnosis, and treatment in Ireland(ROI) in case the information is helpful or reassuring to anyone seeking treatment for their baby.

I adopted him from a shelter in mid-January, when he was approximately 4 months old. He was neutered at the beginning of March, and he recovered very well. A couple weeks after his procedure, he started to feel unwell. He was quite lethargic and his appetite started to decrease, so we went back to the vet. He had a high fever and slightly elevated globulins. He was prescribed antibiotics, and I was advised to monitor him. He greatly improved over the next couple weeks, and then in early April, he began to slow down again. He was less active and his appetite decreased again. I noted that he seemed slightly bloated on a Thursday, and weirdly enough what stuck out to me and made me concerned was that he began sleeping curled into a ball, which was not like him at all. By Sunday morning there was no improvement, and I called the emergency vet. The emergency vet advised me to monitor him but there was likely nothing to worry about as he was a young and healthy cat. As the day progress, his abdomen seemed to swell more, so I booked him an 8 am appointment with his regular vet for the next morning. Monday morning his abdomen was significantly bloated and he developed severe diarrhoea.

At the vet, he was once again running a fever. His vet (an absolute angel) performed a blood panel, ultrasound, and fluid analysis. She informed me that in her opinion, there was a 99% chance that he had developed FIP. She explained that in ROI, the drug is heavily controlled, and in order to gain access to it here we would need to submit a sample of his abdominal fluid to the department of agriculture and await their findings, and if they were satisfied that he could conclusively be diagnosed, we would then be sent the drugs. We were sent home with corticosteroids under advisement that it may be a better option to seek treatment from outside of ROI, as awaiting the testing and shipment of the medication may result in him receiving treatment too late. The next morning (Tuesday) contact was made with the vet again as I was in a panic, and she referred us to a veterinary clinic in Belfast. They responded VERY quickly, and on Wednesday morning we made the trip up to the vet.

Upon examination with this vet, she agreed that FIP was extremely likely and advised that if it were her cat, she would begin treatment immediately, but he would have to stay in Belfast for a few days to begin treatment and be monitored for side effects or decline. So he began treatment with GS-441524 (50mg tablet dose) that afternoon (Wednesday), and he was kept in Belfast until Saturday. When I went to pick him up, he was almost a different cat. He was very alert and happy to see me. The second I got him home he was begging for food, and his appetite had already fully returned. The following Monday I took him in to see his regular vet, and his lungs were still all clear and there was a reduction in his abdominal effusion. Results from the department of agriculture did not arrive until later that week, after he had already been on his treatment medication for more than a week.

Within a week and a half of beginning treatment, his abdominal effusion was no longer visible, and he was seemingly back to his old self. His energy GREATLY improved, his appetite was crazy, and he was back to his usual ludicrous sleeping positions. He didn't seem to have any side effects from the medication at all, and he hasn't had any setbacks or declines since. Despite being terrifying and difficult to obtain, the treatment itself has been a literal lifesaver and has gone so smoothly.

Dosage:
GS-441524 50mg tablet administered crushed up in a churu style tube treat (the vets both advised that this would be perfectly fine for the tablet he was administered). He had NO qualms about devouring it every day for the full treatment course. :D
For his diarrhoea, I gave him Purina Pro Plan Fortiflora probiotics ordered from Amazon. I used one sachet per day spread out in his meals with an extra little bit of water mixed in, and it worked a treat.

Cost:
Insurance covered the majority of the cost, but it was very expensive. His insurance covered €4000, and I had to pay €850 out of pocket, so treatment total was very near to €5000, which is ofc prohibitively expensive for most people without insurance. I use Allianz pet insurance for €15 per month, and it is truly a godsend. He's maxed out for the year, but I don't even care.

If there are any questions, please ask away! This shit is so hard. It's a long, terrifying, EXPENSIVE process, and it feels very isolating when people are aghast that you paid that much to treat "just a cat", but it's truly so, so worth it.

cat tax :D