Interferon Omega For Cats

Feline interferon which is commercially available as virbagen omega is a treatment used for feline infectious peritonitis fip.

Interferon omega for cats.

Give the cat interferon injections for 5 days. Pinch some of the skin of your cat s back. It might also improve your cat s red and white blood cells counts. Interferon is most commonly given to cats as an injection under their skin.

Precautions and side effects. Interferon cytokines can be divided into two types. This is usually due to a disease which has compromised the immune system often a virus. In cats interferon is mainly used to improve strengthen and restore immune function.

Virbagen omega virbac is feline interferon omega produced by recombinant dna technology in silkworm cells. Efficacy is questionable at best and is considered controversial for treatment of certain viral diseases such as fip in cats. Type i interferon includes alpha beta and omega while type ii interferon includes the gamma protein. In some fiv positive cats interferon might reduce the virus ability to replicate.

It is licensed across europe for the treatment of cats with feline leukaemia virus felv infection and or fiv infection in the non terminal stages of disease and for canine parvoviral disease. Interferon alpha is a drug that may be used in cats to manage conditions such as the felv infectious peritonitis or fvh. Interferon is also used on an investigational basis in the treatment of various cancers and viral infections in dogs and cats. It was first studied for use in parvovirus in dogs.

Since 2004 uk approved for treatment of cats infected with felv and or fiv in the non terminal clinical stages from the ages of 9 weeks. Feline recombinant omega interferon virbagen omega has been under evaluation since 1998. Recombinant feline interferon omega is a licensed veterinary product virbagen omega. Uses of interferon for dogs and cats the primary use of interferon in veterinary medicine has been as a supplement in the treatment of the non cancerous feline leukemia disease.

Since 2002 uk approved for treatment of canine parvovirus infection. Research and studies show positive results of feline interferon treatment in cats suffering from fip. Interferons are substances that are formed in the body when the immune system detects the presence of viruses. Despite a lack of controlled studies confirming its efficacy recombinant feline interferon omega rfeifn ω is used in the treatment of feline upper respiratory tract disease furtd which is usually caused by feline calicivirus fcv or feline herpesvirus 1 fhv 1.