Meet Milo, our one year old, happy and almost 6 kg tabby cat. Full of life, Milo is one of the most loving cats I have ever had. Every cat parent knows their cat is special. Well, this one here is extra special.
Finding Milo
Riding my bike at Nakkhu road one evening, I saw this little kitten sorrounded by community dogs in the middle of the road. As I parked my bike on the side, this little kitten ran and took shelter behind me. I looked around and waited for its mother but she was no where around. And there you go, I got adopted by Milo right there.
Diagonised with FIP
Milo was a really active kitten in his early 4 months. It was pretty obvious something was wrong with him when he started making less movements. His tummy was starting to swell and he had started having breathing problems. A quick examination at the vet and there it was Milo was diagonised with Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
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. In approximately 10 percent of cats infected with FeCV, one or more mutations of the virus can alter its biological behavior, resulting in white blood cells becoming infected with virus and spreading it throughout the cat’s body. When this occurs, the virus is referred to as the FIPV. An intense inflammatory reaction to FIPV occurs around vessels in the tissues where these infected cells locate, often in the abdomen, kidney, or brain. It is this interaction between the body’s own immune system and the virus that is responsible for the development of FIP. Once a cat develops clinical FIP, the disease is usually progressive and almost always fatal without therapy that has recently become available.
Deciding What to Do
Being a pet owner in Nepal is a difficult thing. Having basic day to day things for your pets is hard, let alone finding medication to a terminal disease is close to impossible. Our vet started him on anti inflammatory and B12 supplement medicines. Milo’s movements were highly compromised and his stomach was really buldged up with fluid accumulation.
The only solution we got from an online FB community for FIP was an experimental medicine GS441524 which showed real promise in past cases. The catch was the dosage had to be injected for 84 days and the total cost would come around $2500 which was approximately NRS 3 lakhs then. We had a choice to make, either put Milo down or get the medicine and commit to those 84 days. Seeing how Milo was fighting back, eating his meals properly and trying to play even when he was lying down, we decided to go with the treatment.
84 days of Intense Care
The medicine was ordered from Thailand in batches and it was always lots of anxiety on whether they would reach here on time or not. The first batch arrived and the first week of treatment was really hectic. Milo had to be taken to the vet every morning. His litter box had to kept seperately as FIP is highly transmittable through feaces. He had to be on probiotics, immune boosters and B12 twice a day throughout the 84 days.
With constant care and timely blood check ups, those 84 days were tough on Milo and on us as well. But all of it felt worth the effort, when we saw Milo’s gradually improving health. The swelling in his stomach was gone, he had full mobility within the first few weeks. He had started gaining healthy weight. And after a month, the routine of taking Milo to the vet and giving him medicine became a part of life we were used to of.
Milo as of Today
6 months into being totally FIP free, Milo is one healthy and chubby cat. He is one of the most loving and demanding cats you will ever meet. Except for occasional use of probiotics and B12 medicine, he doesn’t need any extra support for his diet. He eats healthy, poops healthy, sleeps plenty and plays to his heart content. We didn’t know if he would make it then. And today he turned a year and half. Milo fought those 3 months, stayed strong, survived a terminal illness and now is as full of life as ever. He indeed is extra special.