My cat is sick

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Last week I mentioned how some bloggers like to post pictures of their cat. Then on Friday I came back from PubCon and one of our two cats, Frank, was really listless and not interested in eating. We took him to the vet the next day. To make a long story short, it looks like he has a very serious illness called FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). There is no cure, and it’s almost always fatal. Right now we’re doing what we can to keep him happy and healthy, so don’t expect much blog/email communication from me this week.

112 Responses to My cat is sick (Leave a comment)

  1. Aww, sorry to hear about your cat Matt. I was wonder what was up with your recent hiatus from posting, but didn’t think the reason would be something like this. It is a tragic irony for something like this to happen 🙁

    I hope all goes for the best.

    Regards,
    Daniel

  2. Hi Matt

    Sorry to hear about Frank’s illness. I know how it feel to see those small frinds suffering.

    We have now 2 canaries. For a year ago there were 4 of them. But suddenly 2 of them got ill and left us within a week. The family felt sad just like loosing two happy friends.

    Still hope a speedy recovery for little Frank.

  3. sorry to hear that Matt
    Just been in a similair situation, wish all the best and strength

    Regards,
    M.

  4. Sorry to hear that Matt – it’s amazing how we get attached to our pets – we’ve always had dogs – so know what you’re going through – it’s a tough time for both of you – hope the vets wrong!

  5. So sorry to hear about your cat, Matt. 🙁 Here’s hoping for the best…

  6. It was nice to meet you at Pubcon and I’m very sorry to hear about your cat. I hope Frank pulls through, I definitely know how it feels to lose a pet.

  7. Sorry to hear this Matt. I hope Frank beats the odds.

  8. Matt – so sorry to hear about your cat. I was on a cruise a year ago and got an email from my mom saying that our cat was very ill. My mother had taken her to her vet but he said there wasn’t much he could do and didn’t expect her to live. I gave Mom my permission to put the cat down if needed, but she decided to try to hold out until I got home. The cat was horribly emaciated from not eating, but I brought her home and took her to our vet and had more xrays done. Her whole thorasic cavey was filled with fluid. He finally was able to draw out most of the fluid, we put her on anti-biotics and also force fed her with some mushy canned food. It was messy and we got a few scratches (even though she is declawed in front), but in the long run, she surprised everyone and is a very healthy cat today!

    So, I don’t know how this compares to what your cat has, but it might give you some hope. But I have to warn you. By the time we combined what my folks had spent and what we spent with our vets, it came to over $1000. That is one EXPENSIVE CAT! But we love her!

    BTW, we learned that the best way to force feed her and to get the meds down was to roll her up in a towel so she couldn’t fight back with her legs.

    Colleen

  9. Matt,
    I’m sure sorry to hear about your cat. I lost my 16 year old calico last year to kidney disease, and it nearly put me in the hospital from the hurt. People don’t understand that pets are no less a part of the family than a child is sometimes, and it rips your heart out when something happens to one of them. You’re a sweet guy…I am not surprised that you’d care so deeply for a pet. I’ll say a prayer to “Bastet” for your baby, and I hope you can pull it through the illness. Good luck to both of you.

    Jan

  10. Sorry to hear about your cat.
    I have a cat myself so I know how that feels.

    Best of luck.

  11. My cat died of FIP this year (on my birthday). It’s a horrible illness and seemed to come on all of a sudden, although it was a little over a week before he died.

    As you may know the symptoms can be similar to a brain tumour; odd behaviour unusual vocalisation, pounding, appearing lost and losing spacial awareness. And that’s what we thought he had. Fortunately he was insured, so we were planning a trip to Cambridge University for surgery that we thought we would solve the problem

    He was hospitalised for a couple days for tests and that’s when things shifted towards FIP. There’s nothing you can do, except try to make him comfortable.

    On the day he went (and FIP was not certian) I took him outside for a walk (he was too confused to be alone) when he slipped and fell. He didn’t even try to get up and just looked me in the eye. When we got him to vet the FIP was confirmed and we had to let him go.

    You’re in for a tough few days.

  12. Best Wishes to Frank and his Family.

    Noticed a couple of websites about FIP and Homeopathy treatment:-

    http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/14889/

    and :-

    http://www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/fipcase.html

    Dont know if any use – but sometimes alternative medicine can at least help ease some sypmtons.

    Also read that cats may develop FIP due to stress (like territorial stress) and it might be worthwhile keeping your cats in seperate rooms to see if any improvements. (I guess the Vet probably recommend that)

    Of course these are gathered from the web so dont know how reliable etc.

    There does seem to be some reports of wrong diagnosis too.

    Anyway – be strong Frank

    Stephen

  13. Hello Matt,

    one of our cats had FIP last year and there was nothing to cure her. Hope Frank wiil survive.

  14. Sounds like Cat Aids. We had a cat that had that illness and indeed totally fatal. She was a persian cat which is a very weak race so much more sensitive to these illnesses.

    I also heard it is contagious so perhaps it is a good idea to keep your other cat away.

    Good luck!

    Peter

  15. Sorry to hear the bad news, you and Frank have a lot of well wishers sending good vibes that way. Take care and we all hope that things will take a turn in Frank’s favor.

  16. Sorry about your cat.
    I do not have a cat, but my dog is like a son to me. My best friend.
    I can imagine how you are feeling.
    ltedesco

  17. Hey Matt!

    Sorry to hear about your Cat.

    For those of us that have cats, they tend to end up becoming just like a member of the family so an event like what your experiencing can really be a bummer.

    My cat sits in it’s basket on my desk and watches me work all day. We both wish you the best and hope your feline family member pulls through.

  18. Hi Matt,

    Good luck with the little guy. My cat died a couple of years back from the feline version of AIDS. It was a really sad experience having to have him put down. I hope yours gets better.

  19. Sorry for your cat, I hope gets better.

  20. Darn. This blog is not supposed to make me cry. It brought back memories of my own cat that died 8 years ago. Hope Frank makes it through. Keep us posted on his progress.

  21. Colleen – glad to hear your cat pulled through but your post may make it into the “way more gross info than anybody needed to know” department.

  22. Hi matt,

    If the time comes, make sure he has a place to crawl away in or to … It’s somehow very important to them…

    Good luck,

    JC

  23. Matt,

    I have always had a clan of cats in my house. When one gets old or loses it’s battle to illness the worst thing you can do it try save it. Sounds crazy but I believe it is true. Cats are righteous when it comes to death, they are fearless and honorable, you can not help but love the hell out of the little buggers.

    Keep your little friend comfortable as you can, I believe it is more hard on us then it is on them.

    Kind regards,

    -Aaron

  24. Sorryt to hear it Matt, my two cats say “Meow” to yours. They are purring for your cat and hope things can get better.

    Take care…

  25. Man, that’s rough; my sympathies.
    Seeing one of your “four footed kids” sick is always hard.

  26. Sorry to hear about this. I Thought you are busy with some other work, I pray the god to get evertthing alright.

  27. I’m sorry to hear about your cat, Matt. I hope there’s some sort of cat miracle to heal the little guy.

  28. Hopefully your cat beats the statistics. I was never a cat person until I had cats. Now I would literally throw myself in front of a moving truck to save them if I had to.

    Yashi and Wiggly (my cats) made something for your cat… 🙂

    http://www.digitalpoint.com/~shawn/images/get_well.jpg

  29. Colleen speaks of what we call the kitty burrito. It’s the only way we can give our cats medicine or clip their claws.

    Hope your cat gets better Matt.

  30. Matt:

    Sorry to hear about your cat. If he goes I hope Frank goes fast with little pain. But I really hope he gets better and beats the odds.

    Last year we found out that one of our cats has diabetes. He really hated going to the Vet. We would have to stuff him into his carrier every time; if we had a film of this trauma it would have won America’s Home Videos.

    I was totally flipping out and didn’t think the cat would take insulin shots. But he doesn’t seem to mind and he’s recovered from the brink.

    What can I say, our pets really matter, best of luck to you and Frank.

    Jordan Glogau

  31. Sorry to hear this Matt. So there still may be hope, and if not–my sympathies.

  32. The kind words really mean a lot to me; thanks everybody.

  33. I wish your cat gets healthier soon. When our cat was ill.. I remember the feeling. I hope everything will be fine soon. Please, don’t post if it will allow you to spend more time with the cat

  34. Very sorry to hear that, maybe this can help Frank and he can get better

    Mega-doses of vitamin C administered intravenously, in amount of half a gram (500 mg) of the vitamin per pound of animal body weight twice a day. Vitamin E and selenium are added, as well as zinc, the B-complex, pantothenic acid (B-5), and B-6 (pyridoxine). The treatment must be done twice daily without missing a single treatment for a period of about 5 days in cases of upper respiratory diseases in cats. This has achieved remission of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), usually considered fatal, if treatment is started early enough.

    I am a huge Animal lover. Stop farmers from stuffing, crowding, packing birds they raise into small cages for months on end just for a buck. It is simply cruel and unusual punishment. Who knows if this is one of the causes on Bird Flu?

  35. I’ve always divided bloggers into two groups: those who post about their cat, and those who have thoughtful and interesting content. I guess I have to add a third category for “both”. 🙂

    Good luck with your cat… I’ve got a 14-year old dog who’s starting to slow down, and it’s sad when you see evidence of your pet’s mortality.

  36. Hi Matt,

    I hope everything turns out ok. A few months ago one of my 2 cats died. We never figured out why. One day she was acting a little strange, and I mentioned to my wife that we should probably make a vet appointment. The next day it was too late.

    Good luck

  37. Matt – for me its things like this back bring us all back down to earth – and makes us see what things in life are REALLY important. I understand your distress – our new home in Auckland from Oxford only felt like home again once the cats arrives at 4.30AM in the morning. It was a fantastic day – we had already decided that we would not move if our cats were not able to join us. That’s how important they become in our lives. Take care

  38. I know what it’s like when one of your little one’s are ill, to me mine are like children. I wish Frank the absolute best.

    Best wishes.

  39. Matt, as a major cat lover, I belong to eight of them, my thoughts are with you… I hope Frank can make it through….

    marc

  40. I’m sorry to hear what you and your cat are going through and I hope that Frank can beat the odds.
    I lost my cat on Christmas day 2003 aged 13 and still miss him when I goto my parents house from university and he no longer greets me, he had been a part of my life since I was five and I’m sure he chose Christmas as it was the only time the entire family would be around him.

  41. Hey Matt,

    Sorry to hear about your cat. My dog died two weeks after 15 years of having him as my best buddy. Just seems really unfair that our most loyal friends can be taken from us like that.

    Hope the vets wrong too.

    Niall

  42. Sorry to hear about that Matt. We all understand not posting for a while. Somethings in life are just more important.

  43. My thoughts and prayers go out. Hopefully, Frank will beat it.

  44. Horribly sad. Life is what happens while you are making plans.

  45. Matt,

    I too am sorry to hear about your cat. At times like this I’m comforted by a wonderful poem called “The Rainbow Bridge.” Please, read it.

    http://www.newrainbowbridge.com/NRB/rbpoem.htm

    Mark

  46. Sorry to hear about your cat! We have two cats too, and one has not been doing too well either lately. But she is very old – they are both around 19 years old.

    I’d like to see pictures of your cats even if this is a technical blog.

  47. As a man, I told myself I would never get all emo over a pet, let alone a cat. Then my wife and I got two kittens right after we got married this Spring.
    I’m a changed man.

    I feel for you Matt, and I hope the best for your buddy. May he fight this one out, and last good and long.

  48. Anything I could say has already been said.

  49. Une pensée de France pour ton chat.

    “A thought of France for your cat”

  50. Hi Matt,

    One of my kittens had FIP when and unfortunately passed away within 6 months of contraction. It’s a horrible disease and it really just eats away at every bit of life the animal has. If you have another cat, then you’ll need to keep her away from the one with FIP at all times, and have her regularly checked for it. We searched high and low for a solution, but there is unfortunately nothing you can do at all.

    Best wishes, and if you need any advice on the illness, send me a mail via my site.

  51. Sorry to hear about your pussy. Cats are, in my opinion the best pet you could possibly have. They don’t require much attention, can keep themselves entertained with something as simple as a piece of yarn, easily potty trained never require any grooming due to them licking themselves constantly. 😉

    It’s never fun losing a pet. It’s like losing a member of the family. Best wishes.

  52. You and your cat are in our prayers Matt. Wishing you the best possible outcome.

  53. the blessing is that animals live for the minute, so you can truly make him happy today by feeding him turkey and making him purr, and he won’t be worried about tomorrow (unlike you I guess)

    My girls have their paws crossed for Frank and we hope you enjoy some happy ThanksGiving moments with him this weekend 🙂

  54. Hi Matt

    When you have time and feel to write.

    Any weather report about how its going with little Frank?

    Thanks.

  55. Matt,

    I really feel for you after reading your post about Frank. It brings back some really sad memories of the day when we had to put down our family dog.

    I now have a cat myself. Your post reminded me that it has been far too long since I spent some time playing with him.

    My thoughts are with you in this tough time.

  56. Hi Matt,
    sorry about your cat. Maybe this site is of some use for you and your vet:
    http://www.dr-addie.com/treatment.htm

    Good luck.
    Thomas

  57. So sorry to hear about Frank – wish him well.

    I got back from PubCon to be told the news that my cat had passed away just hours before my return.

  58. Matt,

    Aw, man… My brother had to put his dog Ruby to sleep for stomach cancer earlier today. She’s only 4. It’s been a tough year. He’s had four dogs with life threatening situations in the past 18 months, and lost a second one about this time last year.

    All I can do is say I’m sorry and hope for the best.

    Rob

  59. Sorry to hear that Matt….. Hope for the best…. and hopefully Frank will get better.

  60. Matt,

    I am very sorry to hear about your cat. I know how you and your wife must feel. A couple of years ago our dog, a westie, bit into a buffo toad and went into siezures.He died the next day it was terrible having to break the new to our kids.

    I hope your cat gets better.

  61. Matt sorry to hear about your cat. We lost our cat 8 years ago to diabetes. Then I had to put my 12 year old dog down last month. I stayed with him while they gave him an injection and his breathing slowed, then just before he died, I had to leave the room.

    How people view animals and the value of their lives goes along way into how they view life in general.

  62. Sorry to hear about your cat..

    Saw this on Google and thought that it might cheer you up! All the best and crossing my fingers for the best!

    Ade 🙂

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5340773590415301685&q=kittycatdance

  63. Matt, very sorry to hear about your cat. Last year we had to put our cat Potsie to sleep. Like you we noticed he was not himself so we took him to the vet to find out that he had a form of cancer. That was one of the hardest decisions my wife and I had to make so I know how it feels.

  64. Matt,

    Sorry to hear about your cat, I have 2 persian hymilian cats, that are everything to me, an alligator and lots of animals, I know how hard it can be. Best of luck.

  65. Just a quick Thanks – It makes such a difference to have guys like yourself, Tim, Eytan and Rahul representing the major engines at PubCon. The stand-off that existed between the engines and webmasters just a few years ago, was so counter-productive.
    It feels like we are part of a real industry now – not just some shady underworld.
    Thanks again and sorry about the Cat.

  66. I am very sorry to hear that from you. I have a dog, and she is 5 years old now. I love animals, and I really hope your cat will be all fine and she will rest in peace.

  67. Man, FIP sucks. Go do your Googling, Matt, to find out what to expect.

    My Pusur gets his shots every year. I don’t remember if FIP is included. He gets the standard ones.

    He gets sick every year from the shots. He goes into a hiding place and sleeps it off most times. Last time he had a swelling where the needle had gone in.

    But he goes outside, so he needs to be innoculated.

  68. Matt,

    Its a cat, get over it.

  69. Oh man, sorry to hear about your cat. It is always best to think of the amount of happiness and joy the cat shared with you. But I guess it is still hard.

  70. Dear Matt,
    I send lots of love from my furry friends (Mysouff, Pesto and Chloé) to yours.

    All we can do in times like these is give them back the unconditional love they gave us all their life – and know to love them enough to let them go when their life is no fun anymore.

    Denyse

  71. Hey Matt,

    Very sad to hear about your cat….we’ve got three, and they really become family. Hang in there guy!

    Michael

  72. Hey everybody, just to close out this chapter, we had to put Frank to sleep today. He hadn’t eaten in a couple days, and he was just miserable. It seemed like the right thing to do. He was a great little guy, and I’m thankful that we had 2+ years to enjoy each others’ company.

    Frank’s sister (Emmy) is so far doing okay with no signs of FIP. Thanks again for the kind words, everyone.

  73. Matt, so sorry to hear about Frank. We had to put my first cat down last year and it was real tough. The vet said she had the highest blood pressure she’s ever seen and while she did eat pretty well, she just kept loosing weight. I used to volunteer at a shelter and we had a cat with FIV, and that guy was such a fighter. It took months, but I finally got him a great home. Best wishes to you and Emmy.

    Take care,
    John, Tigger & Buddy

  74. Hey Matt,

    About a year ago we used our honeymoon registry to raise money for a pet shelter in California, in conjunction with Cathy Guisewite (Cathy comic strip). We raised just over $25K for the Pet Orphans of So. Cal this way.

    If you want to set something up like this, let me know–we’ll do it for free, and we’ll eat the credit card transaction fees. Might be a nice way to raise money for your local pet shelter in Frank’s memory, if everybody who posts comments here will help out a bit 🙂

    Have a look at what we did with Pet Orphans:

    http://www.thebigday.com/ViewRegistry.asp?list=80269

    Cheers,

    Michael.

  75. Hi Matt,

    Sorry to hear about your cat.

    Peace,
    Dee

  76. Hey Matt,

    You should take Emmy for a couple of blood tests over the next year and not rely on visible signs of FIP. It may already been in her system, but she might be fighting it off. Our other cat, Buffy, caught it off the kitten who had it. It was in her blood for 6months but she fought it off 🙂

    Sorry to here about Frank.

    – Dean

  77. Sorry to hear about Frank

  78. Sorry to hear about your cat. At least he has had a good life with you and your family.

  79. That really sucks man, sorry about that. A couple months ago my mother passed away and the cat that she took care of went into the care of my sister, where it rapidly became sick with one thing after another up to and including total kidney failure. My sis had her put down the day after thanksgiving after deciding the cat was suffering too much, and learning of the kidney failure. The cat was in really bad shape, I won’t go into details, but it wasn’t pretty. Anyways, the cat was pretty much dead the day my mom passed away, that’s how I see it – they were housemates and friends for so long.

  80. Matt, I’m so sorry to hear about Frank. I thought I had posted a comment about the loss of my 16 year old cat to kidney disease last year, and how much I sympathized, but it didn’t seem to stay on here.

    I just found this today, and I wish we could broadcast this to every human in the world. If you can stand to watch the video, do. We can all do something about these Asian countries if we work on it.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4476664.stm

    This is simply horrific. I wish we could all blog it everywhere.

    But I am so sorry about your cat, too, Matt. Been there and done it, and it’s agonizing.

    Jan
    Myrtle Beach

  81. Matt,

    sorry to hear about Frank, but it sounds like that was the best thing to do. My two cats are no longer with me, but I go to Stuff on My Cat sometimes for a good laugh.

  82. Sorry to hear about your cat. I hope he/she gets better.

  83. Sorry to hear about your cat Matt

    As you are a pet lover, I would imagine that you must have done a lot of research online about your cats health issue after it was diagnosed with FIP. When doing your research I wondered if you noticed that usually the same 3 or 4 sites come up for popular key word phrases in the pet vertical.

    I would love to talk to you after Christmas about a new link building scheme that involves adding 5 to 25 links within banners & text links by breeder guides. This method of link building has fooled Google into giving #1 ranking to sites that have little or no information.

    This scheme is currently used mainly for dogs but has started within the cat vertical as well.

    To prove my point, search for “DOGS” on Google and check out the “links to us” pages for these sites, you will see that 4 out of the 5 sites add multiple links in their banners and text links.

    If you do further research you will see that the sites # 1, # 3, and #5 sites are usually at the top of Google for the keywords that are embedded in their banners.

    I will be more than happy to provide you full details on the link building scheme that is ruining true searches with in Google if you contact me directly in the New Year.

    Take Care,
    David

  84. http://www.dr-addie.com
    Great site with really good info on FIP. Also check out Cornell Univ site.
    One of mine Dx FIP on 11-22. Still here. Trying to get the feline interferon omega for him. Not FDA approved so trying to get it through their ‘compasionate use’ program…The FDA… bureaucracy.. need I say more. I figure my boy will be gone before we get the OK.

  85. my cat all of a sudden just got sick in 1 day. Shes breathing really badly sleeping all the time. Wont eat or drink and she has a fever. Shes also sticking her tongue does any body know what is wrong w. her pleaase help.

  86. Matt,

    I’m very sorry to hear you had to put your cat to sleep… I have two Ragdolls and they say I’m not supposed to give them the FIP vaccine because of their somewhat weak immune systems. They don’t go outside though so the vet claims it shouldn’t be an issue. Can I ask if your cats are outdoor cats?

    I know how hard it is when they get sick though… You feel very helpless and just want to make them better. Micio broke his hip about 1 year ago and the vet said we had to perform a FHO procedure (they cut off the head of his femur). My wife and I were terrified to say the least. Thanks to Google 🙂 we were able to read up on it and found that it is actually on OK procedure most of the time. It was awful seeing him after the surgery though…

    Jason

  87. I just put my cat down tonight so I sympathize with everyone who’s writing here. She had such a spunky personality, always climbing into and onto things she shouldn’t have (including jumping from the ground onto my shoulder to get her higher up), always running to greet me at the door when I came in. But she was in such bad shape towards the end, I couldn’t even wait until morning, so I called an emergency vet clinic and they did it for me, and for her, at 4:00 this morning. I know she’s not suffering anymore, I know it’s better for her, but I miss her so much.

  88. I am sorry to hear about you cat

  89. My cat is terably sick. She sits in the litter box for at least 5 min. she wont drink or eat. She sits there a drulls. She just got a runny nose. She doesnt even let the other cats near her. Can some one please give me some helpful hints to as of why shes like this.

  90. im so sorry to hear about your cat my cats have never been really ill i hope they never are there my best friends right now im a little worried because my cats have always been friends and now there fighting they cant even look at each other o’well probly nothing really bad
    BEST OF LUCK(fingers crossed)
    Rebecca

  91. I’m experiencing the same thing with my 1 year old Tabby. I’m waiting the test from the Lab if he is positive for FIP. I’m doing some research on the net and I have found some hope.
    There is a positive development in treating FIP on this page:
    http://www.2ndchance.info/fip.htm

    This is an excerpt from that article:
    “Newest Clinical Studies:
    There has been some very interesting work done on FIP by Dr. Diane D. Addie of Glasgow Veterinary School in Scotland. Her work documents extending the lives of FIP cats using corticosteroids to suppress the immune response against the coronavirus responsible for the disease along with administering vitamins and antioxidants. Cats that received immunosupressant medications also received antibiotics to ward off secondary infections. The immunosupressant used was prednisolone administered orally at 1-2mg/pound body weight. Prednisone should be equally effective. Another drug that was utilized was thalidomide, a drug that reduces inflammation and antibody to the feline coronavirus and given at 50-100mg in the evening. The most exciting drug used was recombinant feline omega interferon manufactured by Virbac Co. IFN omega was given subcutaneously at 0.5mu/pound every second day for fourteen days and then once every week. The cats also received a single 0.5mg/pound dexamethasone injection into the peritoneal or pleural cavity depending on the location of maximum effusion. Cats received oral prednisolone at 1mg/pound per day. The prednisolone dose was gradually lowered to 0.25mg/lb every second day as the cat’s health improved. Dr. Ishida of Japan performed the study (Ishida et al, 2004. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. Vol 6 Issue 2 pp 107-110). Four out of twelve cats were said to have completely recovered from FIP. Other veterinarians reported cures in approximately one third of cats with the effusive form of FIP. When using feline omega interferon it seemed important to begin treatment early in the disease. In some cases, fifty thousand units of IFN Omega was given orally per day. Once diluted, its shelf life in the refrigerator was approximately three weeks. Human alpha interferon, which is available in the United States, is much less effective because cats soon produce antibodies that destroy it.
    Some studies administered 200 iu vitamin A per day. Too much vitamin A is toxic so cats received the compound for a maximum of six weeks. Cats also received 100 ug/day oral vitamin B-1 and B-12 as an appetite stimulant. Although cats are known to produce their own vitamin C (ascorbic acid), these cats received 125mg twice a day orally as well as 25-75 iu of alpha tocopherol acetate. Other cats received aspirin at 5mg/pound given every two to three days in an attempt to decrease inflammation. All cats that received prednisolone or dexamethasone also received the antibiotic, ampicillin to fight infection. Several anabolic steroids were administered to encourage appetite and well-being. The drugs used were Laurabolin, Nandrolin, Nandoral, Retarbolin and Orandrone. The only drug in this group that I know of that is available in the United States is stanazolol (Winsterol). Two cats with the peritoneal effusive form of FIP were said to respond to the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, ozagrel hydrochloride given at 2.5-5mg/pound twice a day along with 1mg/pound/day prednisolone. Monitoring serum globulin levels and blood hematocrit were a good gauge of progress in fighting the disease.”

    I hope my Tipsy Noodle will overcome this sickness.

    Bye,
    Antonio Tarantino

  92. My cat is very sick. She keep on crying and crawly on her but and lick it to.She keep it high in the air.And if u try to rub it she cry more.She will not use her litter box or eat a lot.And she keep trying to get out of the house.She been like this for some time now.I don’t not know what wrong with her.And I try to read every thing about cat to see what is wrong with her.

  93. hey im beckie and i wanted to no if ne one would no wats wrong with my cat like he trys to go to da bathroom but cant and he is vomiteing and just laying there and meowing and he normaly is up and walking around and and being him self but now hes not so can some one help me by giving me some edvice or a vets number i can call for crown point. please help me please!!!!!
    thank you, beckie

  94. Sorry to hear about your cat…I know how you feel. My cat Julius died today, he was only 4 years old and I can’t stop cryin’.

    stay strong

  95. sorry to hear about your cat. I just adopted a cat from a rescue. He was very skinny. within a week he stopped eating. I took him to the vet and he had over 106 fever. I force feed him every 3 hr and a recheck showed that his blood work revealed high infection, but we do not know where it came from. the vet also said he might have a liver problem – yellowing ears and eyes. I had him back for IV and other fluids at the vet for a day and took him home again. His fever is to 104 but he is still not eating. I called the rescue place up and warned them that other cats may be sick also. I have 4 other cats and keep them currently separate from the sick cat until we know what kind of virus or bacteria infection he has. the vet told me that he thinks that the cat might not pull through. I hope I can proof him different.

  96. I lost my cat this week to kidney disease and I feel i failed her, I had been takeing her to the vet for a cat bite which i thought was the cause of her being ill. But on hindsight she was drinking alot and going thin. I am devastated now because I think i could have save her. she was 14.

  97. Ofcourse alternative medicine and homeopathy can help your cat – the thing is, you need to find a good homeopath, to get the correct remedy.

    A few doses of the right homeopathic remedy will save the cat – there is actually no limit to the conditions that can be cured, including FIP ofcourse.

    There are loads of websites, if you want to get accurate and credible information, i’d suggest you visit http://www.vithoulkas.com , Vithoulkas is the number one homeopath in the world.

  98. My cat is dying, too. I’m sorry that you, too, have to go through this painful process.

  99. Hi Matt,

    We put our kitten, Penelope, to sleep in December 2006 after she was diagnosed with wet FIP. I know exactly what you must have gone through. We only had our kitten for 1-1/2 months. When I read some of the the comments regarding homeopathic treatments that saved other cats, I wonder if we could have saved our little Penelope, but of course there is nothing I can do about that now. We are currently looking for a new kitten but are taking our time to ensure that our home will no longer carry any sign or danger of infection. Did you go through any extensive cleaning process to help safegaurd your other cat? I’m looking for any tips that might help us to make a better home for our future kitten.

    Thanks and I hope everything is well with your other cat

  100. We have recently adopted a stray cat she is freindly and seems to be energetic and in good spirits but she is very skinny we have been feeding her everyday for at least two weeks but she dosent seem to be gaining weight could somthing be wrong?

  101. Hi
    I recently had my cat newtered and had to watch his diet, i normally feed him whiskers kitten food but i found that if i mixed a little felix regular cat food in there he seemed to love it and perk up a little after having the opp.
    I decided to ween him from kitten food straight on to adult cat food and he has been sick a few times and looks generally down.
    Is it all about the food? Have i weened him too early (6 month old)?
    What should i do?

  102. My cat has crystals in her bladder what are they?

  103. My cat boots was sick last nite he threw up6 times,didn’t eat or drink.It was mukisey & had little blood in it.I gave him petialite to help him,because that’s all he did was throw up.He stoped after know he still won’t eat,drink,or go 2 bathroom.Been giving him water by dropper,tried soft food he ate it,but after he won’t eat he ate twice that’s it.
    I called my vet,but she nevered called back. what would couse him 2 get sick,can any1 help please.

  104. I was just googling stuff on FIP and found this blog….i had to put my kitty down today, she was only 7 weeks old. I’ve had many cats in my life but i swear this cat had a soul. She was meek and humble and loved people. She was attached instantly to my four year old son. Any chance she got she would climb in his lap to sleep , play, or just rub on his face with hers. When i would do my hair in the mornings, she’d come and climb in my lap and just purr, even while i used the blowdryer. She was my shadow. She was oh so playful too. I had never met a cat with her amazing personality in my life. She was a shelter cat. Four days after bringing her home she started sneezing and having a runny nose. Took her to the shelter vet where they said it was just a cold and gave me amoxil. Two days later she started hiding. She found a hole behind the cabinets we couldnt get to. We didnt find her for two hours. We were convinced she crawled somewhere and died bc all she had done the few days before was sleep. Yet when she was up, she still had her gentle loving way and purred as much as ever. We knew something was terribly wrong bc she could only breath out her mouth and she had a fever. Took her to a 24 hour emergency clinic this past sunday morning at 3 am. Gave her two shots and some other stuff and told us it was a bad upper respiratory virus that just had to run it’s course. We brought her back home and set her up in a room with a humidifier and some cozy quiet spots to sleep. Come sunday evening i could hear bad wheezing in her lungs and it took effort on her part just to breathe. I also noticed her stomach had become pot belly looking over night.
    So i took her to my private vet yesterday, and well she told me that without doing testing she knew my Zoe had FIP. I suspected it too. So i took her home last night and stayed up with her all night just loving on her and crying. And i’m telling you, she knew i was upset. She just stared at me and kept touching my cheek with her paw. I’ve never had a moment like that with an animal in my life.
    This morning, she was actually up and walking around the house and actually attemping to play………this made things even harder on me. But i listened to her lungs and they sounded worse. So i took her back to the spca like was planned and said goodbye.
    We haven’t even had this kitten very long, but i’m torn to pieces. I had a pomeranian that was MY SHADOW for two years and when i coudlnt keep her anymore, it didnt grieve me as bad is this now does. I have been sobbing all day, can’t eat and just keep expecting to see her coming down the stairs.
    They are offering me my pick of fostered kittens, so they are much healthier, but i dont know if i can get another cat right now.
    I just wanted you to know i feel your pain, and it’s amazing how they crawl into your heart and become family to you. You would swear i lost a relative. REading this blog has really helped me to cope. Thanks for letting me share.
    And everyone reading this, cherish your pets, love them……they are truly irreplaceable and bring so much to your life.

    Erica

  105. Sory to hear about your cat , my cat called T-Bag at a year old was told he had fip a week ago he was put down today (20min ago) and im extremely sorry if your feeling like me now

  106. my cat is fouteen years old I love her very much having had since ten weeks old, she has just been to the vets and they have told me she has plural effusion, they have given me some tablets and water tablets, will this help her? she is still mobile and asking me for food, can you advise me about this condtition. thank you.

  107. my dog had swallowed a wire which got struck between his tooth, which i noticed only after two days and removed the wire from his mouth.
    By these two days time my dog had struggled a lot that he could not take his meal and saliva started pouring from his mouth continuously.
    finally when i took him to a vet hospital ,they injucted him with dexamethasone+ampicillin 250mg +bcomplex.
    within half an hour after injuction my dog had a fatal death.
    my doubt is whether this medicine combination would have caused any side effect in my dogs metabolism?
    pls clarify.

  108. im sorry to hear about your cat… im sitting here waiting to hear if my cat made it through “surgery” she had to have fluid pulled off her chest… i hope she makes it…she is my baby and i love her! i guess no news is good news! i hope your cat gets better soon!

  109. I am soo sorry to hear about your cats illness…I lost a cat to that disease and was suprised at how much little knowledge there was about it… they have a vaccine for it ..but its not a routine shot or at least my vet never offered it and they said the chances of my other cat having it too were very high, but she didnt have it , its been 8 yrs and shes never came down with it. I dont know why they dont offer the vaccine if this is an illness that “they say is fatal” they talked me into putting my cat down and i trusted them and did it and wonder if i should have. I so hope that your cat gets better and proves them to be wrong, it can happen and my prayers are with you. Good Luck

  110. One of my classmates told me that her cat also has FIP last week. 🙁

  111. I just put my cat down a couple of hours ago. He had fluid in his lungs and was having a very hard time breathing. We did blood work and xrays and removed some of the fluid in his lungs for temporary relief. They told me my little sweetheart had FIP. I didn’t want him to suffer so I put him down shortly after. I feel absolutely devastated. He had just turned 8 months old. All we can do is remember the good times we had because cats with FIP only get worse and in some cases very quickly. My heart goes out to all the pet owners who had to deal with the same loss I just did! xoxo

  112. To the folks who are posting here for veterinary advice… get your pet to a vet right away. An exam and blood tests etc are necessary to determine what YOUR pet has and what medicines/treatment are needed!

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