I recently went through a difficult time after being told that my kitten Ronnie was thought to have Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a disease I had never heard of, and one that rocked me to my core because I was told that once a cat develops it, the outcome is almost invariably fatal.
Ronnie is only eight-months old.
FIP is a devasting disease that affects domestic cats. It occurs worldwide in cats of all ages but is most common in cats less than two years of age. It is not particularly common, but as I mentioned, once a cat develops the disease, historically the outcome is almost always fatal.
Fortunately, it seems my prayers have been answered, because it is now believed that Ronnie does not have FIP – but I am telling you this to educate. The fact that I had never heard of it means it’s likely many of you haven’t either.
Diagnosing FIP is incredibly challenging for many reasons. Unfortunately, there are no laboratory tests available that can definitively diagnose FIP, which is why it remains one of the least understood of all cat diseases.
There is hopeful news to report on the treatment of FIP, from a company in China, called Mutian.com. Their treatment for FIP is being heralded as a breakthrough drug. In fact, as I reached out to many vets to get to the bottom of Ronnie’s chronic diarrhea, vomiting and low body weight – and after being told that Ronnie most likely had FIP and I had begun the Mutian treatment – one vet told me, “Diana, Mutian is a miracle drug. I can’t tell you how many cats that I put down through the years because of FIP, but since learning about the drug I’ve brought back two cats from the brink of death.”
The drug is costly. It is an 84-day treatment and each vial costs $384. At Ronnie’s low weight, the vial would have lasted two weeks. For a bigger cat it may have only lasted a week. When I placed my order, I ordered two weeks’ worth of the drug.
After being on the drug for several days with no improvement, and because the vet from China evaluated Ronnie’s bloodwork and did not think it was consistent with FIP, further tests revealed a (“Thank you, God!”) different diagnosis. It does not seem that Ronnie is afflicted with FIP.
After further testing, Ronnie’s GI profile came back positive for two things: cryptosporidium (a protozoa/parasite) and clostridium (bacteria). He is now on two drugs and my daily prayers continue in the hopes that this nightmare will soon be behind us.
It is so hard to lose any animal that you love, but since Ronnie is only a baby, the thought of losing him to a horrible disease crushed me. I share this article because it seems that there is truly hope out there for FIP in cats and the days of saying that death is invariably the outcome may soon be a prognosis of the past.
I wish I never heard of this dreaded disease and my primary purpose in writing about it is because I wanted to share my knowledge of Mutian. The Company also has a Facebook page. Their representatives and the veterinarian associated with the company are truly amazing.
When I asked about returning the second vial of the drug after learning that Ronnie did not have FIP, they took it back and promptly refunded my PayPal account. Check out their website, Mutian.com.While I pray that you never have a need to research it, I wanted everyone to know about it.
Be well everyone, and please say a prayer for my little boy, Ronnie. That would mean a lot to me. God bless you and thank you, and Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Chocolates, a card, and flowers for the one you love will go a long way in lifting spirits for both the giver and the receiver, so don’t forget!
