A young kitten suffering from a potentially deadly virus has cheated death and made a remarkable recovery thanks to the expertise of vets at a Wiltshire animal hospital. The six-month-old Devon Red cat, called Jester, was referred to Linnaeus-owned Eastcott Referrals in Swindon with worrying neurological problems and was unable to walk.
Owners Shauni and Jack Lane, from Swindon, were shocked to learn their pet was suffering from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), that can be deadly to young kittens. Shauni said: “We were stunned when our beautiful Jester was diagnosed with FIP. It had all come out of nowhere and happened so fast. “It is a viral disease found in cats but is more likely to develop into its potentially deadly form in kittens around four to 12 months old. “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 heartbreaking. Her tiny body was exhausted, but she was fighting so we couldn’t give up on her. “Thankfully the amazing intensive care and internal medicine teams at Eastcott Referrals came to our rescue with her diagnosis and emergency treatment. “In just 72 hours Jester had already started responding to the FIP treatment, a human antiviral called Remdesivir, and 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.”
The pair are full of gratitude to the Eastcott team for their life-saving intervention, particularly the hospital’s head of internal medicine Matt Best and resident in referral medicine Amy Norman. Amy 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 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.”
Eastcott Veterinary Referrals offers expert care in cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, diagnostic imaging and CT, anaesthesia and analgesia and has its own emergency care centre.
For more information about Eastcott Referrals, which is part of Linnaeus, visit www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or search for Eastcott on social media.