Our Savannah Kitten's Devastating Diagnosis of FIP and Some Hopeful News
Luna's battle with Feline Infectious Peritonitis and a long-awaited, life-saving drug trial GS-441524 EVO984 (2017)
Our new Savannah kitten, Luna, was due for her second feline distemper combination vaccine and a vet exam shortly after her arrival on April 13, 2017. After the vaccine, Luna immediately exhibited worrisome symptoms.
Luna refused to eat, slept continuously, and felt very hot. My husband and I thought she looked distended in her midline abdomen, and I mentioned it during this vet visit. The vet said the enlargement was a "normal kitten belly" and dismissed it. The only variance noted during her vet exam was a grade III heart murmur and thought to be benign--so she was deemed healthy. The vet planned to reassess the heart murmur in a few months and consider a referral to a veterinary cardiologist if it didn't resolve.
The abdominal distention was worsening, so on April 21st, we took Luna to a veterinary emergency clinic. I'd already researched the causes of abdominal distention in kittens and read about FIP, so this was already in my mind; however, it's not relatively common, especially with the Savannah cat breed. So, I wasn't worried and thought that, at worst, it was a parasite.
During the ER visit, the vet aspirated fluid from her abdomen during the examination and brought it to the exam room in a tube to show us. She was confident that given the fluid assessment, lack of appetite, lethargy, and a fever of 105 degrees, our precious kitten, Luna, had the effusive form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).
The vet told us about the grim prognosis and that we had a few days to maybe two weeks with our kitten at best. She said to come back in a few days to consult with an internist to discuss any life-prolonging options and get a second opinion or euthanize her if her condition further deteriorated over the weekend.
On April 24th, we opted for the specialist and second opinion. The vet gave Luna an echocardiogram, x-ray, and further blood tests, confirming the Wet FIP diagnosis. FIP is 100% fatal, with no treatment or cure. The wait was the longest, most grueling three days as we came to terms with the idea of losing our new kitten while scrambling to save her.
How could this be happening? We'd waited so long to get her and even had a terrible experience with another breeder three months prior. Now we were faced with losing Luna to FIP. There had to be a way to save her. As a large teaching hospital nurse, I'm familiar with clinical trials.
"Surely there's something in the works for FIP," I said. I called and emailed every major veterinary college I could during this long, grueling weekend as we waited to see the specialist.
Luna is stable on the Interferon and Prednisone; her abdomen is still fluid-retained, and she sleeps a lot. At least she's still eating and occasionally nosing around, "wanting" to get into things and play—she has very little energy.
I've been researching tirelessly, and I don't give up. I found a trial at the University of California, Davis, with past success with a trial. The researchers reviewed Luna's lab work, radiology, and vet exam summaries, making her a perfect candidate! I left them a message on Sunday and was shocked to get a call back on Monday morning with news they are pushing to get approval for a similar drug that is just as promising as the first trial.
The best success in kittens with FIP is under 18 weeks. Luna turned 15 weeks on Monday. The catch is if they get this pushed through their "powers that be" and approved, we need to get to Sacramento, California, and admit her to their clinic for 5-10 days of treatment and studies.
It's genuinely the best shot our little kitten has, as she WILL die, despite the medication pair she's taking now. We have limited time and can't enter the trial if the FIP enters her brain. FIP, Wet or Dry, has no current treatment or cure. However, their past trial has had a few successes in reversing the disease and giving the cat remission.
The UCD trial is at NO cost to us, and IF she does well there, she'll come home, and we'll continue to give her the drug at home until her labs return to normal and she's in the clear. A big IF. That said, even if Luna recovers from her Wet FIP diagnosis, she may not be one of the success stories. Though, at least her short life will have had a purpose and maybe put researchers closer to finding a treatment and cure for FIP.
