Jacob’s Splendor: There Is Hope For Cats With FIP
Meet Jacob's Splendor at the age of eight weeks; that was to be my boy. He was born on November 23, 2020. Little did I know I'd quickly learn how to save this special boy from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) would change my life and my veterinarian's forever.
In March 2020, Jacob arrived as a frightened little bundle of spots by courier. I gave him a few days to adjust before we went to see his veterinarian, Dr. Alex Simpson, at Shawnee Animal Hospital. What I thought was an overeating kitten turned out to be two intestinal parasites: Tritrichomonas foetus and Clostridium perfringens. These nasty parasites can cause intestinal damage. It took time, but we conquered it with Dr. Alex's help.
At eight months, Jacob wasn't himself--the usual bundle of energy who never stops. He began sleeping more and lost his appetite. The vet said to go home and let him rest.
I noticed Jacob wasn't growing, and eating became a big issue--then I saw his belly was bloated. The next day, I took him to the vet again, standing there with Jacob in my arms. My face must have said it all because Dr. Alex said, "what's the problem now"? I said, "he looks like a bowling ball on stilts." The vet examined Jacob and gave me the deadly diagnosis of FIP. He said he'd remove the fluid on his belly but gave him just a few months to live. I wasn't mentally prepared to lose a third cat in less than five months.
Dr. Alex removed 800ml of fluid from Jacob's abdomen and said, "if you need me, call." Driving home, I said to myself, "there must be something I can do for this baby that loves life to its fullest." I called my friends at Cornell Veterinary Animal Hospital in New York. I got my answer, "yes, there's a cure, but it's expensive, still experimental, and not FDA-approved. But China sells it, and the FIP Warriors 5.0 group on Facebook was there to help.
I quickly drove back to the vet clinic, walked up to my vet, and said, "there is a cure," while waving my phone. My vet, who knows I'm on a limited income, immediately did the math, showed me his phone, and said, "can you afford this...about $7,800"? All I could reply was what my Grandmother used to say, "where there is a will, there's a way." I'm a 100% Disabled Veteran, so my income is minimal. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "OK, get the medication and pay your vet bill when you can."
I did just that, and Jacob received his first injection and preventative medications, including an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. One week later, the FIP medication called GS441524 arrived from NY. A DVM, Dr. Niels Pedersen of UC Davis in California, is the authority and has done clinical trials. One cat named "Luna" was in the first trial and today is over five years cured. Every day Jacob went to the clinic to be weighed and to get his shot according to his weight. Within one week, his bloated belly was gone! Jacob began to eat and play with his roommates. Every 30 days, on top of his daily dose (the dose increased as he grew and gained weight), he had X-rays and complete bloodwork to see how his body was doing with the treatment.
After 166 daily injections, additional medications, X-rays, and bloodwork, the Administrators of the FIP Warrior 5.0 declared Jacob cured. As a precaution, we monitored his bloodwork for the first year at the three, six, nine, and 12-month marks.
FIP is still a deadly disease for cats, and there are three forms: Wet, Dry, and Neurological. Jacob was lucky enough to have the wet/effusive form. The dry form is more harmful because it attacks the organs.
I want to help spread the word about FIP in hopes that cats no longer have to die, mentally destroying their owners. THERE IS HOPE!
I still have an astronomical vet bill to pay. I'm thankful to my friends for donating to his treatment. I still owe the animal hospital $1200. I plan to donate medication for others if I have some extra money. I have a fund on Facebook, and help would greatly appreciate any donation you can spare.
Dr. Alex Simpson is beyond willing to help spread the word. He's very proud of his buddy Jacob's Splendor, who's now over two years old, loving life, and chasing his roommates!
Shawnee, OK
The Facebook fundraiser is:
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