My Pet World: New drug showing promise against once fatal FIP
TAMPA, FLA. -- Your questions are answered this week by experts attending the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Conference here, March 12-15, and a meeting of the Winn Feline Foundation Board of Directors directly following the conference.
AAHA is the only organization that accredits veterinary practices in the U.S. and Canada. To be AAHA-accredited, hospitals must pass on approximately 900 standards of veterinary excellence. AAHA-accredited hospitals are recognized as among the finest in the industry, consistently at the forefront of advanced veterinary medicine. Learn more at www.aaha.org.
The Winn Feline Foundation is a non-profit funder of cat health studies. Learn more at www.winnfelinefoundation.org.
Q: Barney, my Bengal cat, was diagnosed with FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) in May. We ordered the drug LTCI (Lymphocyte T-Cell Immunomodulator), and it seemed to work at first, but then the cat did poorly. We subsequently ordered another drug called Polyprenyl Immunostimulant (PI). Barney is still quite thin, but alive, and doing very well. Any further advice? -- Y.F., Switzerland
A: "LTCI is a drug licensed for feline leukemia and the feline immune deficiency virus (FIV)," says feline veterinarian Dr. Susan Little, a past president of the Winn Feline Foundation and editor of "The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management" (Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; $141). "There's anecdotal evidence of the drug helping some cats with FIP, but there's no published research to support its use for that purpose. PI does have a conditional license for use in one of the two forms of FIP (the dry form). And there has been research, with a soon-to-be published paper."
Little, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, adds that sometimes dry FIP is difficult to diagnose. It was once considered fatal, so if your cat truly has FIP, he's among a group of cats doing well on this reasonably new drug.
"It's wonderful, and demonstrates what funding cat health studies can do," says Little, referring to the Winn Feline Foundation's dedicated fund to support FIP studies, called the Bria Fund.
"Still, keep a close eye on your cat, and be proactive about even the most subtle changes in behavior, since cats are so adept at hiding when they're not feeling well," Little advises. "Hopefully, Barney will be around for a very long time to come."
Q: Our three dogs love car rides -- well, at least the idea of a car ride. When I put their collars on, they know they're going for a ride and they bark and bark. The problem is that the older dog, Patty, a Beagle-mix, just keeps barking. Eventually, she settles down and sits quietly, enjoying the ride. Any advice? -- C.H., Finlayson, MN
A: "You have a Beagle-mix, so step No. 1 is to adjust your expectations. Beagles just like to bark," says Dr. Mark Russak, past president of the American Animal Hospital Association.
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