Save Portia’s life ❤️

Portia is our 1 year old baby Devon Rex. Today he was diagnosed with Feline infectious peritonitis. FIP is caused by infection with a virus known as feline coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a common group of viruses that often infect the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) or gastrointestinal tract (intestines) in different animals. COVID-19 is a coronavirus but the coronavirus causing FIP is not the same and only infects cats.

On the 20th December at around 10:45pm, I rushed Portia to Perth Vet Emergency after he started vomiting and had anal prolapse (his colon came out of his bum about 6cm).

He stayed overnight and had an X-ray, enema and stitches in his bum so that he couldn’t prolapse again.

He was booked in to get his stitches out on the 28th Dec and in the week leading up to then, he was on laxatives, antibiotics and antibiotic topical cream and seemed to be doing well despite his loss of bowel control.

On the 28th I took him home from the vet after getting his stitches out, only for his anus to prolapse again later that night.

We rushed him to vet emergency for the second time and they put new stitches in.

The next day we chauffeured him to our usual vet where they monitored him all day and prescribed him sedatives and painkillers which he needs twice a day each.

Our vet then referred him to a specialist where they gave us the terrible news that they suspect Portia has FIP. He also has fluid outside of his stomach. The walls of his colon are very thick which causes him pain and makes it hard for him to poop.

Portia will need therapy everyday for the next 12 weeks so that he can survive this.

This means an injection everyday and then tablets in the last few weeks.

This medication is extremely expensive and the specialist advised us it will most likely cost $6,000 over the next 12 weeks. He is also on steroids while we wait to get the medication. He will need to get the stitches on his bum removed and replaced every week until we are sure his anus wont prolapse again but every time he tries to poop he strains so much that it looks like it might come out.

Portia’s vet bills have already accumulated to $7,500 for them to try figure out what was wrong with him. Now that we know, it’s another $6k on top.

Our pet insurance won’t cover anything as it’s considered a pre-existing medical condition.

We would never usually ask for help but Portia is our baby and our whole lives revolve around him. We just want to see him happy and healthy again

Portia is too young to succumb to this painful disease. If he doesn’t receive this treatment he will die.

We are seeking donations from anyone who is in the position to spare any amount they can ❤️ The total vet bills will be around $13.5k but we have put this fundraiser limit to $10k. We aren’t expecting to raise that much but any amount no matter how small would mean the world to us ❤️

Thank you to everyone who has already sent messages of support, we really appreciate it ❤️

Tülay, Kiel and Portia ❤️‍