Routine pre-anaesthetic testing uncovered a hidden FIP diagnosis, giving this young cat a life-saving chance at treatment.
Gorgeous Ragdoll kitten, Rocky, came into our Invercargill clinic last year for what should have been a routine desexing procedure. As part of his admission paperwork, his owner opted for a pre-anaesthetic blood test.
It’s a simple step we strongly recommend before surgery, as it helps identify hidden health issues that could affect how a pet handles anaesthetic drugs and recovery. In Rocky’s case, that decision may well have saved his life.
Prior to this test, everyone thought Rocky was a perfectly healthy young cat. However, the blood work showed he had an abnormally high total protein level which raised concerns from our team.
Upon further investigation, we discovered that Rocky unfortunately had Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). This condition used to be fatal, but it can now be treated with an aggressive medication called Remdesivir, which is giving affected cats a chance at survival.
Rocky was given this medication daily for an initial course of 12 weeks, and he’s recently reached the amazing milestone of 24 weeks since the end of treatment with normal blood results. This means he doesn’t need another course of medication and is now officially in ‘remission’. A wonderful outcome!
Rocky’s thankful owner Victoria says, “We are so lucky that his diagnosis was caught early with that blood test and that there is now medication available to treat FIP, when in the past it was a death sentence for cats.”
Rocky is now over a year old, and has a whole lifetime of mischief and cuddles ahead of him. All because of a simple blood test.
“Despite it being a stressful time of unknowns, we felt very supported by VetSouth,” noted Victoria. “All the staff that assisted in the diagnosis and treatment of Rocky provided thorough information about our options and we never felt pressured. We particularly appreciated Vet Lisa’s dedicated care – she would even ring after hours to check on Rocky and organise medication for him.”
This is a great example of how pre-anaesthetic blood work can be really beneficial and, as it did in Rocky’s case, can enable us to discover hidden health conditions in time to treat them.
Talk to your vet about pre-anaesthetic blood tests or other preventative diagnostic testing for your pet.
