The most common question we are asked is how much will treatment cost to treat my cat/kitten for 84 days?
Unfortunately no one can answer this question as costs depend on so many things:
- how old is your cat/kitten?
- how much do they weigh?
- what type of FIP do they present with?
- what symptoms do they have?
- are they eating?
- do they require hospitalisation?
And the list goes on.
FIP can in most cases be diagnosed by blood tests. Many vets want to do other diagnostic tests to get a positive diagnosis. If finances are a problem consider talking to your vet or your chosen treating vet and ask them to treat for 14 days.
If your cat/kitten shows no sign of improvement after this time it will not be FIP. It is perfectly safe to treat as the drug used is an antiviral.
As a guide normally when you take your kitten/cat to the vet, if they suspect FIP then they will either do blood tests in house or send them away for diagnosis. It is important to place your baby in the care of a treating vet for FIP or one that is willing to find out what they need to do.
Once FIP is diagnosed normally your baby will be hospitalised for two nights and three days whilst the drug Remdesivir is given via IV into a vein. This is the best way to have the drug administered for the best result. Diagnosis, blood tests, hospitalisation and Remdesivir together with with two weeks supply of medication should cost somewhere around $2500/3000.
Always ask for a quote before you start. Remdesivir vials from Bova should cost approx $280 per vial. The number required will depend on type of FIP. Remdesivir pills (GS) from Bova should cost approx $66 per tablet. Please ask for costings as some vets charge more than others and you need to check. Remember if you have Pet Health Insurance all of this should be covered other than your excess. With these costs you can see the importance of insurance.
Different types of FIP may require higher dosages which will add to your costs. Your baby may also require other medical services like a feeding tube or it may be necessary to drain the pleural cavity if fluid is on the chest and causing breathing difficulties. You will need bloods checked again at day 42 and most treating vets do these in house. This is to check that the dosages given are correct.
Treatment should finish on day 84 when again bloods are checked. Never be worried about asking your vet for prices. Sadly we have heard of some vets over charging. We fully understand treating a baby for FIP is not cheap. Many have to organise fundraising or GoFund Me pages to help. Again if your baby is pet health insured it takes all the worry out of treating even if you only insure your baby for the first two years of its life. FIP Cats Australia may be able to help with some funding however we can only make a donation to your treating vet to be put on to your account to help pay for some treatment. You will find a form asking for a donation on this website. Please remember we can only give you a guide on pricing as this depends on so many issues so please do not quote these prices as they are an estimate only. We fully understand that treating is not for everyone and suggest if this is the case please read our article on palliative care.