A young kitten which suffered from a potentially deadly virus has made a full recovery with the support of a Wiltshire animal hospital. The six-month-old Devon Red cat, Jester, was sent to Eastcott Referrals in Swindon when her owners noticed she was unable to walk properly, which was due to neurological issues. Her owners, Shauni and Jack Lane, from Swindon, were told their pet had feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which can be fatal for young kittens.
Ms Lane said: "We were stunned when our beautiful Jester was diagnosed with FIP. It had all come out of nowhere and happened so fast. "Jester had the 'dry' form of FIP which comes with inflammation and neurological issues, resulting in seizures, lack of balance and inability to walk.
"Seeing her so weak, uncoordinated, puffy-eyed, and malting was heart breaking. Her tiny body was exhausted, but she was fighting so we couldn’t give up on her." Eastcott Referrals gave Jester a human antiviral called Remdesivir to treat the virus.
Ms Lane continued: "In just 72 hours Jester had already started responding to the FIP treatment. We finally had some hope. “It was a 16-week course of medication, with us carefully monitoring her weight to ensure we gave her the correct dose, but we are so grateful that this was even an option for us, unlike so many other cat owners faced with FIP worldwide.
“Jester's fur has now grown back nicely, her balance has improved greatly, and she gives us so much joy, galloping around the house again.” Eastcott's head of internal medicine, Matt Best, and resident in referral medicine, Amy Norman, played a significant part in Jester's recovery. Ms Norman said: "When Jester arrived, she was unable to walk and was displaying severe neurological signs.
"We immediately suspected she was suffering from FIP, and blood tests supported this." She added: "She was started on Remdesivir, and this rapidly improved her clinical signs. "Within four days of starting this medication, Jester was able to walk again, albeit very unsteadily.
“She then continued on a course of medication for a total of 12 weeks and improved very well and her clinical signs were almost resolved during treatment. "Happily, Jester has now fully recovered, and she has no further neurological signs. "She has continued to grow well and is once again an active and happy kitten.
We’re all delighted.".
