FIP Georgia > treatment info > read first
This treatment is twelve weeks of daily injections administered at home (with some cats needing to extend beyond twelve weeks). The drug is GS-441524 ("GS" for short), and was tested initially by Dr. Niels Pedersen at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Since Dr. Pedersen's original trials, thousands more cats have been treated, and GS has proven to be highly effective, curing over 90% of all cats that undergo the treatment.
Following the treatment period is another twelve-week period of "observation," during which you'll monitor for a return of any symptoms. At the end of observation, if no symptoms have returned and the bloodwork is good, your kitty is considered cured.
GS is available both in vials for injection and in pill form; the two forms are equally effective for most cats, but we do prefer to begin with a week or two of injections if your cat isn't eating well or has been vomiting, as inflammation of the digestive tract can interfere with absorption of oral meds.
Dosage depends on the form of FIP, with higher dosages needed for cases with ocular or neurological involvement. We’ll provide a cost estimate once we learn enough about your cat’s situation to determine the appropriate dosage.
Although veterinarians are not legally able to dispense GS, they can help the treatment succeed by providing supportive care to stabilize your kitty until the GS is able to take effect, prescribing other medications that may also be needed during treatment, and performing periodic lab tests to help us monitor your kitty's progress. We will therefore want to work in close collaboration with your vet. If you need a more supportive vet, we may be able to help you locate one in your area.
See the Supportive care section of the "Treatment protocol" page for details on the kinds of supportive care that may be needed at the beginning of treatment. Of those topics, two particularly critical ones are repeated here:
Pleural effusion (chest fluid, in the lining around the lungs) should be drained as fully as possible; abdominal fluid should be left in place, but up to 30% may be removed if there's so much that it's causing breathing difficulty or interfering with other organ function.
Steroids like prednisolone can be very helpful at the beginning of treatment, slowing the symptoms and stabilizing the kitty until the GS can kick in. Because steroids also suppress the immune response, if your kitty is on steroids we'll want to wean them off as they become healthy enough to survive without them, so the immune system can get back into the fight and eliminate the FIP virus. We do try to avoid injections of depo-medrol (methylprednisolone), because of how long it remains in the body. Note that steroids are contraindicated in cats with certain health issues; your vet can advise whether that applies to your kitty.
We will try to connect you immediately with someone nearby who can provide you a startup supply of GS; see the Startup procedure section of the "Treatment protocol" page for more details. You'll then mail order the rest of the GS (we'll provide info on how to do that).
You will need syringes and needles, a baby scale, and a rectal thermometer. See the Other supplies page for details.
Bloodwork (CBC and a Chem panel) is needed near the beginning of treatment, and again after four weeks, after eight weeks, and during the twelfth week (in time for us to review the results before Day 84). Please post the original lab reports in your treatment chat, along with the tracking spreadsheet; see the Bloodwork section of the "Treatment protocol" page for more details.
Your dose is calculated based on your kitty's weight, and needs to be increased as the kitty gains weight. Weigh your cat regularly, and ask us for any help you need adjusting the dose accordingly. See the Dose adjustment for weight section of the "Treatment protocol" page for more details.
Please place orders for resupply of GS in time to receive the resupply before you run out, to ensure there are no gaps in the treatment.
See the Doing GS injections page for details on where and how to inject. Remember to inject in the areas shown on that page (not in the scruff), and to rotate the location for each injection, to give each area of skin time to recover between injections.
See the Other supplies page for details on obtaining syringes and needles. Remember always to change to a fresh needle for injecting, because the needle you use to draw from the vial will become dulled from being pushed through the rubber stopper.
If your kitty becomes difficult to inject as it regains its strength, you may wish to ask your vet for a gabapentin prescription. See the end of the How to inject—basics section of the "Doing GS injections" page for more details.
If some of the injection leaks out, do another injection to replace the approximate amount that leaked out. See the Injection issues section of the "Frequently asked questions" page for details on avoiding leakage, and on how to respond if it does happen.
Injections are recommended for the first week or two of treatment if you kitty shows signs of inflammation in the digestive tract. See the Eligibility for pills section of the "Giving GS pills" page for more details on when it's okay to switch.
For effective absorption, a fasting period is required before and after giving the pills; see the Fasting section of the "Giving GS pills" page for more details.
If your kitty has not yet been spayed or neutered, please schedule the procedure about two weeks before the end of the treatment period. That way, the remaining treatment will help with any stress caused by the procedure.
The treatment is a minimum of 84 days, with some kitties needing to be extended beyond 84 days. Please do not stop treating until your admins have reviewed the final bloodwork and cleared your kitty for observation.
FIP Georgia > treatment info > read first