FIP

[scorpius]

Sorry to hear this... Last September, my 7 yr old male Persian began developing FIP. He slowly ate less and less and got really skinny within 2-3 months (you could feel his backbone very well at the extreme of FIP). By December, I decided to put him down (hard to do). Within days I was Googling for a new cat...Googled hybrid, then Googled Savannah (believe it or not I never knew anything about hybrid or Savannah prior to this!). The rest is history. I hope the best for you... dj

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Our vet is pretty confident that we are dealing with the dry form of FIP in our 6-month-old f2 female savannah.

I am so very sorry, Abby :-(
I went through this a few years ago with one of my Savannahs (not my breeding) and it is still one of the hardest things I had to face. Dry FIP just is so difficult to diagnose then you end up with a cat that has had to suffer longer than they should...before one can finally eliminate all other possibilities. I personally made the choice when we had the diagnosis to euthanize, looking into my precious Aziza's eyes I just knew she had suffered enough and was ready to go. It still makes me cry thinking of that time. I read a lot of testimony from those using the PI and felt that it seemed the cats went through a somewhat cyclic process that included some bad times and just couldn't put my girl through that. It may be now that there is better understanding of the dosages to manage it better, so it is worth reading up on definitely.

I'm not sure it is true that higher serval content means more FIP, from my many years participating on forums and groups there is no indication that F1s and F2s suffer FIP more than F4s or F5s nor more often than completely domestic cats do. The only time I'd encountered FIP personally before my F1 Aziza, was an F4 female we had in Rescue and then a flamepoint feral kitten my friend adopted. Now that feral wouldn't have been diagnosed unless I'd personally paid for all the tests, because many pet owners don't go to that extent and just assume it is some failure to thrive issue and euthanize without necropsy. We may be more likely to do the extra testing with a more expensive kitty. It's possible with the F4 too, she was dumped into Rescue because she had unresolved uveitis (inflammation of the eye) and the owner didn't want to pay more vet bills.

I think that you will know when it is time to let your cat go, I firmly believe that they tell us without needing words. Look into her eyes and she will tell you if she wants to fight or if she is ready to go and needs your help to do so.

 

[Trish Allearz]

I have to agree with Brigitte- I've heard vets say it, but really- how many vets handle enough HP cats to even make that call? It would be the breeders who would note it well before the vets- IMHO.

Any which way, I am horribly, terribly sorry for you. We have not dealt with dry FIP, but we adopted a Selkirk Rex rescue who had wet FIP (full blown) within a week of coming home. It was heart breaking

 

[AbbyP]

Thank you for your well wishes. I have been in contact with Tanya Kuritz, a PhD with Sass & Sass - the maker of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant (PI). Although initially excited, I am less so now after looking at the study results. It looks like 25% of FIP cats made it to 6 months, and only 5% made it to a year. So this drug is not a cure, rather a way to slow the progression of the disease. And it won't even do that in 75% of the cases. 95% fatality rate after a year. True, there are cases where the cats survive, but there are also cases where cats naturally survive FIP. The cost is really steep. A rough estimate comes to several hundred dollars a month, and several thousand to get to a year. With those odds, that is a really big gamble for a disease that is still almost certainly fatal. It feels like the wrong thing to do to prolong misery. Tough conversation for sure. Thank you for the information.

 

[Trish Allearz]

Thank you for your well wishes. I have been in contact with Tanya Kuritz, a PhD with Sass & Sass - the maker of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant (PI). Although initially excited, I am less so now after looking at the study results. It looks like 25% of FIP cats made it to 6 months, and only 5% made it to a year. So this drug is not a cure, rather a way to slow the progression of the disease. And it won't even do that in 75% of the cases. 95% fatality rate after a year. True, there are cases where the cats survive, but there are also cases where cats naturally survive FIP. The cost is really steep. A rough estimate comes to several hundred dollars a month, and several thousand to get to a year. With those odds, that is a really big gamble for a disease that is still almost certainly fatal. It feels like the wrong thing to do to prolong misery. Tough conversation for sure. Thank you for the information.

We are here for you, regardless of any decision you make... It is really really rough.

 

[admin]

Thank you for your well wishes. I have been in contact with Tanya Kuritz, a PhD with Sass & Sass - the maker of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant (PI). Although initially excited, I am less so now after looking at the study results. It looks like 25% of FIP cats made it to 6 months, and only 5% made it to a year. So this drug is not a cure, rather a way to slow the progression of the disease. And it won't even do that in 75% of the cases. 95% fatality rate after a year. True, there are cases where the cats survive, but there are also cases where cats naturally survive FIP. The cost is really steep. A rough estimate comes to several hundred dollars a month, and several thousand to get to a year. With those odds, that is a really big gamble for a disease that is still almost certainly fatal. It feels like the wrong thing to do to prolong misery. Tough conversation for sure. Thank you for the information.

Abby, I have to agree with you...I feel terrible for you and as Trish said, we are here for you...prayers for you and your baby...

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Abby, that was my impression from reading about the treatment...that it really was a drug to prolong life but maybe not with the quality of life I want for my cat. The cost is difficult but I would do that if there was a good chance of a cure. It's a heartrending decision, I really feel for you :-(

 

[Lori Greer]

I am so sorry you are going through this. I hope you received my reply to your message and saddened to hear the success rates are so low.

 

[DocMac]

Contact the Winn Foundation for all the latest research and up to date information for vets.

 

[AbbyP]

Update:
Today we decided to euthanize Nala. Wow, that is a gut wrenching thing to do. She was down to only 4 lbs, and could no longer walk. In all that pain, she still wanted to nibble on my finger. The time had come. Enough said.

Here is the kicker and where I could use some help. Based on a hunch from the breeder, we asked for specific data on Nala's vaccinations. Turns out, she was given a modified live virus Purevax Distemper vaccination on 11/27/2012. I was shocked! I had a lengthy conversation with the vet about using only killed virus vaccinations to which she (the vet) agreed to do. I had her photocopy the care sheet from the breeder with this specific warning call-out to be kept in Nala's file. The vet cut a corner without informing me, and claimed today that it is "hard" to get the killed virus vaccines these days due to risk of cancer. The apex of Nala's health was that day. She started going downhill in the beginning of December. Is it related? I don't know for sure. I do know she did not follow my instructions, which of course voids any warranties.

Do any of you know of other cases where a modified live vaccine was used on an early generation savannah with a bad outcome?