February 23, 2024 |
Photo – The cat known as Milo – Courtesy Kasandra Ramsey
A Rawlins woman is asking for help finding a life-saving medicine for her cat.
When Kasandra Carpenter Ramsey adopted her cat Milo from Pet Partners of Carbon County in 2022, she couldn’t have known that her new best friend suffered from a rare, but fatal disease.
Ramsey said she took two-year-old Milo to a local veterinarian after he began showing signs of rapid weight loss and lethargy. Milo was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis. FIP, as it is commonly known, is a viral disease caused by the feline version of the coronavirus. Ramsey said FIP does not have a commonly available treatment and is considered 95% fatal. Milo’s owner said she contacted a friend who told her about an experimental medication that may save her cat’s life.
The medication is called GS-441524. In clinical studies, cats treated with the new drug had a greater than 80% of surviving FIP.
Untreated, Ramsey said Milo most likely has less than a month to live. She said a member of the FIP Warriors Facebook page has offered to supply Milo with a dose of the new drug. The catch is that the person lives 200 miles away, in Glendo. Ramsey said work is preventing her from going herself. She is asking for someone to go to Glendo and pick up the medication.
Ramsey said she is also searching for someone in the Fort Collins area willing to sell her a dose of GS-441524.
Milo’s owner said she ordered the drug herself, but fears the weather may prevent it from arriving in time to be effective. Ramsey said her cat needs one or two doses of the medication to hold him over until her shipment arrives.
Ramsey said time is running out to save Milo’s life. She asked anyone able to go partway or entirely to Glendo to call her at 321-5164 or message her on Facebook.
