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We are reaching out to you all to share our beloved Nutter Butter's story. Nutter Butter was recently diagnosed with Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which until 2017 was a death sentence. FIP is a devastating disease but now there is hope through a new medicine. We need your help to give Nutter Butter the fighting chance he deserves.
About FIP-
We are lucky that Nutter Butter was diagnosed two weeks before the FDA allowed vets to prescribe a compounded version of the new medication, making it legal to obtain even though the underlying drug is not FDA approved. Since 2017, rescues and cat owners have been getting our FIP drugs from where we can to save lives. The medication is approved in the EU and in Asia but is not in the US.
Nutter Butter's FIP is described as Ocular FIP because his eyes were where the FIP showed its first signs of hitting his system. Within weeks of showing eye irritation, his retina became detached and he developed glaucoma. That eye is blind and is causing him pain. He started showing signs in the other eye including increased eye pressure. Without access to this new medication, the disease will progress throughout his system and is almost always fatal. Studies demonstrate that this drug has around a 90% cure rate.
FIP is caused by strains of the corona virus!
The newest drug uses a metabolite of Remdesivir, known for treating cases of COVID-19. If you want to read more, this Atlantic article is truly fantastic even though things have changed a bit now:
About Nutter Butter-
Nutter Butter came into Feral Change as a 2 day bottle baby whose mom is a serial kitten abandoner so this lucky boy was bottle fed by fantastic neonate fosters. At 3.5 weeks he came into our lives as a ringworm foster and he never left our house! He was transitioning to wet food from formula and he was such a silly boy.
My partner, Matt, fell head over heels for this kitten and is still obsessed with him at one year old.
Nutter Butter is an amazing mentor and friend to our foster kitties. We foster 16 longer term kitties on average each year plus have regular guest appearances in our bathroom. We love working with undersocialized and medical case kitties just like Nutter Butter.
Nutter Butter recently got diagnosed with Ocular FIP and we are working to see if our pet insurance will cover the legal medication but in the meantime we are paying for the meds out of pocket in addition to the amounts not covered by insurance. We just paid for the first month of treatment so am asking for help with the next two months worth of medication (*around $900/month).
Most importantly we want him to live but we are also hoping we can save his other eye because he loves playing fetch!
Even with FIP treatment, there is a high liklihood we have to have his right eye removed as the retina is detached and his new glaucoma is not staying in the recommended guidelines, even with eye medication. We will be discussing this surgery as we progress through FIP treatment.
I really hate asking people for financial support because this is our cat and our responsibility. It is just too much financial burden right now with the other factors in our life.
As I mentioned, the FDA just allowed vets to prescribe a compounded version of the lifesaving medication. My insurance company has a requirement that medicine must be FDA approved, which is normally a reasonable requirement. Several other pet insurance companies have publicly stated they will cover the new compounded legal version of the drug but mine has not yet. I submitted an initial estimate approval for the medication which was rejected. On June 3rd, I submitted for receipt for 30 days of meds for around $900 so fingers crossed. I can't send in receipts for the meds he has taken so far for obvious reasons.
If the insurance does come through for the meds, any extra money from this go fund me will go towards Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) and cat welfare efforts or I will forward on to another FIP cat. Thank you! Any support is appreciated.
