FIP treatment costs vary widely, typically ranging from $1,000 to over $4,000 USD for a full 84-day course, depending on the cat's weight, FIP type, medication (GS-441524 or EIDD-1931), form (injectable or oral), and supplier, with injectable forms often costing more. While upfront costs can seem high ($2,000-$3,000+ for initial diagnosis and some meds), affordable options exist, especially for tablets, and pet insurance might cover significant portions.
With the introduction of GS-441524, the cure rate for FIP has risen to over 80%. However, factors such as misdiagnosis, improper dosage, additional health conditions and potential drug resistance can influence a cat's survival outcome.
Research has shown that about 85% of cats will respond to antiviral treatment. Many of these cats appear to be cured and long-term follow-up over 4 years has shown they remain healthy in most cases. Some cats with FIP are so unwell that even with intensive treatment they will sadly not recover.
In Australia, the tablets come with a 50mg concentration. The cost is currently $600 for 10 x 50mg tablets. The cost to treat a 2.5kg cat with effusive FIP for 12 weeks with GS-441524 (25mg per day or HALF a 50mg tablet) requires approximately 42 tablets at a cost of approximately $2500.
One prospective study of 37 cats with confirmed FIP assessing the efficacy of feline interferon omega reported a median survival of 9 d, with the longest survival time reported to be 200 d (12).
It is not recommended to euthanize a cat, even with FIP, as long as it looks and acts fairly normal. Miracles do happen, but they can't happen unless they are provided time to happen. However, some owners choose to end suffering at an earlier stage, given the grave prognosis.
Meet the cats who have overcome FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis. These cats and their caregivers have incredible stories of survival after facing a once-incurable disease. Over 15,000 cats have already been treated.
Ways to help cover veterinary expenses
Negotiate a payment plan with your veterinarian. If you're a client in good standing, they may be able to work out a weekly or monthly payment plan. Some veterinarians also work with third-party billing services, such as VetBilling, which allow you to pay over time.
Pet Insurance May Cover Costs for Cats With FIP
The costs of diagnosing and treating a cat with FIP can easily mount. However, if you have pet insurance, your policy may cover many of these expenses, such as the costs of diagnostic tests and medications.
Yes, a veterinarian can refuse to euthanize an animal, especially if the request is for convenience or the animal isn't suffering, but they must typically refer the owner to another practice, as they have an ethical duty to ensure euthanasia is humane and necessary; refusals often stem from moral objections to ending a healthy or treatable animal's life, or client pressure.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a painful, previously untreatable disease that causes the immune system to overreact. It impacts a number of crucial organ systems, and has almost always been fatal. But over the past few years, thousands of cats have been cured of FIP with a newly-approved antiviral drug.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus. Most strains of feline coronavirus are found in the gastrointestinal tract and do not cause significant disease. These are referred to as feline enteric coronavirus (FeCV).
One of the most difficult decisions is to determine when to stop treatment. Although some cats, often younger ones with wet FIP, can be cured in as little as 8 weeks and possibly sooner, the usual treatment time is 12 weeks. Some cats may even require dosage adjustments and even longer treatment periods.
In most cases, worms begin dying within hours, and visible improvement is seen in 2–3 days. However, it can take up to three weeks or longer for a cat to be completely free of worms, depending on the type of parasite and severity of the infestation.
Recovery and Management of Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Cats who do not get treatment for FIP will die of the disease within 10 days or less in most cases. The survival time of cats with wet feline infectious peritonitis is generally days to weeks, while dry FIP has a longer survival time of weeks to months.
While the medication has been effective in treating the disease, it may cause pain during administration. The composition of GS-441524 includes Ethanol, Propylene Glycol, PEG400, and water with a pH of 1.5, which can cause pain and discomfort when injected into living tissue.
Cats infected with FIV may live for months or years. On average, life expectancy is 5 years from the time of diagnosis depending on how active the infection is. There is a FIV vaccination given twice initially, then yearly thereafter for outside cats or cats exposed to outside cats due to the potential of cat bites.
The signs of feline infectious peritonitis vary depending on which organs are involved. Many organs, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, CNS, and eyes, can be affected. The length of time between infection and mutation of the virus and development of signs varies between cats.
A veterinary prescription will be required to obtain GS-441524 therapy for an FIP-infected cat, and we recommend that you consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions about how to obtain this game-changing novel therapy.
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The cost of pet surgery can swing wildly, running from a few hundred dollars for routine procedures to over $8,000 for complex emergencies. While a simple spay or neuter might land in the $150-$700 range, more advanced operations like orthopedic or spinal surgeries often start at $3,000 and can easily climb higher.
Signs That a Cat is in Pain
Litter box accidents, urinating outside of their litterbox. Tail flicking. Won't eat or reduced appetite. Limping.
Without treatment, if your cat has been diagnosed with wet FIP, they will sadly pass away often within 2 weeks of diagnosis. If your cat has been diagnosed with dry FIP, your cat may survive a few months.
However, seizures were significantly more frequent in animals with marked extension of the inflammatory lesions to the forebrain (P=0.038). Thus, the occurrence of seizures in FIP indicates extensive brain damage and can, therefore, be considered to be an unfavourable prognostic sign.
Cats with FIP can show in a variety of ways as the disease can affect any organ in the body. The most common signs are lethargy/tiredness, eating less and losing weight, and a high temperature.