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Beau was referred to Linnaeus-owned DWR Veterinary Specialists with symptoms pointing to a deadly disease known as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).
When Beau, a Russian Blue cat, arrived at DWR, he was referred to its internal medicine department for investigations into marked lethargy, anorexia and rapid weight loss.
Once FIP was confirmed, the team at DWR began lifesaving treatment with the revolutionary medication remdesivir.
Will Bayton, internal medicine specialist at DWR Veterinary Specialists, said: “When Beau arrived he was extremely weak, he wasn’t eating and his blood tests showed many abnormalities including a significant anaemia.
“He was still very young and we were all concerned he might not actually survive given how rapidly he was deteriorating.”
Previously cats with FIP would almost always have died, but now with remdesivir about 80 per cent of FIP cases are responding and being cured.
Following his ground-breaking treatment at DWR Veterinary Specialists, Beau’s grateful owner Mark Byard from Frinton on Sea in Essex, said: “When Beau was referred to DWR Veterinary Specialists we thought he was going to die.
“He had stopped washing himself and really was awful. After you prescribed him remdesivir, the transformation was incredible. He is now the young cat he should be. I can't describe the relief as Margaret and I watched him get better and better.”
Will added: “This is an amazing step forward for cats in the UK and over the world.
“The remdesivir treatment can be given orally or via injection, and the cats need to be treated for a minimum of 12 weeks.
“Beau has recovered well and it’s fantastic news that we can now offer this potentially lifesaving treatment to cats suffering from FIP.”
DWR Veterinary Specialists is already recognised as a gold level cat-friendly clinic (CFC) by the International Society of Feline Medicine.
Steps the animal hospital has taken to be a cat-friendly clinic include a separate cat waiting area with benches for seating and raising cats off the ground.
There are also two designated cat-only consultation rooms and access to a large cat ward, which also houses two procedure rooms and a separate changing and isolation area.
DWR Veterinary Specialists offers specialist-led care in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiothoracic surgery, dentistry, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, diagnostic pathology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, interventional radiology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, physiotherapy and soft tissue surgery.
For more information on DWR Veterinary Specialists, visit www.dickwhitereferrals.com or search for DWR Veterinary Specialists on social media.