Help Save Sammy

Ok, here I go: On Tuesday, April 28th I took Sammy to a pet ER because of symptoms that included lethargy, not eating, distended abdomen, and what seemed like pain in his hips or back legs. We visited the vet twice before the pet ER and all of the tests came back normal (or mostly normal). The vets were stumped but did mention a disease called FIP just before going into the ER. After an ultrasound and other tests, the ER vet told us his prognosis was very poor and made it clear that he should be euthanized and had no chance of recovery. They said that all signs point towards him having FIP. Anyone who knows me personally could probably guess that I was devastated. Sammy is not only my first pet as an adult on my own, but he’s also the most special cat I’ve ever met. I will admit that I occasionally get tired of him trying to wash my hair with his tongue or bite my ankles because I’m not actively feeding him at that moment. But he has so much personality and I wouldn’t want him to be any other way. Sammy’s primary care vet recommended I join a group on Facebook for more information about FIP. There is a treatment using an unregulated drug that has been curing cats of this previously incurable, 100% fatal disease. It’s hard to get and extremely expensive but can be life-saving. There’s currently no FDA approved cure in the U.S. so this group took matters into their own hands and is helping to save so many cats. I started the treatment Wednesday. It’s a daily injection that must be given for 84 days. The medicine alone is 60 dollars per day at his required dosage and it must be administered yourself. Thankfully, I have an amazing friend (Elisa Allen) who is a vet assistant and just as committed to saving Sammy. Wednesday night, we questioned whether he would make it through the night. Just after three injections, Sammy is eating, grooming himself, alert, and active. He is almost back to his healthy self. It’s been incredible but terrifying because I know he could crash at any moment. The total cost of the injections will be just over $5,000. It will be more if I have to switch the brand of drug at any point. He will also need bloodwork done every so often to check his progress and other meds as needed. I barely have any income as of now due to the current state of the world and I am graduating from UMBC this semester. Needless to say, it’s not the best time to be job hunting. This GoFundMe is a last ditch effort to raise any amount of money to go towards his treatment. I’ve had amazing support from my family and boyfriend that have gotten me this far. If you can donate, I can’t express how grateful I would be. If not, even just sharing this fundraiser would be so appreciated. Here’s to hoping Sammy can survive this. After the three injections, it really seems like he wants to. Thank you in advance and I hope this at least brought awareness to FIP. Despite what some vets may say, there is a treatment and so many cats are making it through this.