FIP Treatment for Tango

Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I am the foster mom for Tango who was adopted through The Cat's Meow Café. Tango arrived as a neonate to Miami-Dade Animal Services with his sister Tulip and brother Tucker at only 3 weeks.

They were fostered along with two other kittens and became such social and confident kitties! These three are also the most affectionate and sweetest kittens that I have ever raised. Tulip is extremely affectionate and is a total shoulder cat, Tango is super gentle and such a chill dude, and Tucker was the wild child! Tulip and Tango always seemed to have a greater bond, so when they arrived at the Cat Café, we knew that they had to go home together.

And when it was time to go home, they found their purrfect match with dedicated parents, Nicole and Eleazar. They followed up through their entire process and even arrived early to adopt these two precious angels. They also have their own TikTok! Give them a follow @tangoandkitana ❤️

Unfortunately, Tango was recently diagnosed with FIP, which is a serious disease caused by a feline coronavirus variant, though not the one that causes COVID-19. The virus will spread through a cat's body causing systemic inflammation. Up to 95% of cats diagnosed with FIP die without treatment. Feline infectious peritonitis has traditionally been divided into 2 presentations: effusive (wet) form and non-effusive (dry) form. Both forms of FIP have been associated with clinical signs affecting the neurological system, but the non-effusive form appears to more commonly involve nervous tissues. The effusive form of FIP is more common than the non-effusive form and FIP has been diagnosed histopathologically in the brains of cats without neurological clinical signs. Tango was diagnosed with the effusive, or wet form, which causes him to have an extended abdomen filled with fluid.

BUT, there is hope! We know that there are treatments available and we know of success stories of cats who have survived FIP after receiving this treatment. Through the cat community, we were able to get our hands on the medication which costs over $1,000 and paid out of pocket with no hesitation. I'm even having it shipped overnight. But I am here to help Nicole and Eleazar because Tango has been hospitalized for over 24 hours now after confirming his diagnosis. Their vet bills have now exceeded over $4,600 and it's possible that he may need to stay hospitalized for another night. They are also moving forward with a plasma transfusion.

The first estimate is above.

We all want nothing more than for Tango to get better and come home! We will start his FIP treatment as soon as the vials arrive. We are giving it all we got! We love you Tango!