Solving HCM in Loved cats. Like Yours.
Felycin for Cats
Felycin FAQs
Is Felycin Available in the US?
Yes, Felycin is now available for cats in the US. However, there are some veterinarians– even cardiologists– who are choosing not to carry it, and there have been some supply shortages so you may have difficulty finding it.
Can Felycin For Cats be Shipped to Other Countries?
We currently ship Felycin every day to cats in the UK and Canada. However, at this time it appears that we CANNOT ship to the EU and to Australia, due to their stringent Customs regulations.
One workaround is that we are happy to ship to your friends or family as they pass through the US, and they can hand carry the Felycin to you.
Do I need a Prescription to buy Felycin for My Cat?
Yes, Felycin and rapamycin are both prescription medications, and thus you need to either send us a prescription from your regular vet or enroll in a Cat Longevity Consult with Dr. Kevin before we can ship Felycin your way.
Is Felycin Safe for My Cat?
In a word, YES.
I have been providing rapamycin, the ingredient within Felycin, to cat patients for almost five (5) years. We just haven’t seen any issues at the low doses we are using in Felycin or rapamycin for cats.
About 3-5% of cats may run into transient loose stool when they first start Felycin, but this typically resolves without treatment.
Although folks are very concerned about the use of Felycin in diabetic cats, to date we have seen no problems in diabetics with either Felycin OR rapamycin. However, we DO recommend that you check blood sugar levels at 6-8 hours after you give Felycin for at least the first two doses.
Just because we haven’t seen any problems does not mean that we aren’t looking for them. Updates will follow.
How is Felycin For Cats Dosed?
The original Trivium study showed that rapamycin provided best benefit for HCM study patients at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg body weight given once weekly.
We recommend that you give Felycin with food. A little oil — olive, tuna, fish — will enable better absorption of Felycin and rapamycin.
Felycin tablet strengths are as follows. Each is sold in a package of 12 tabs.
- 0.4 mg tablets for 1.3 kg for 3 lb cats
- 1.2 mg tablets for 4 kg or 8.8 lb cats
- 2.4 mg tablets for 8 kg or 17.6 lb cats
These tablets can be combined for most accurate dosing, but CANNOT BE SPLIT OR CRUSHED.
How Long Does it Take Felycin to Work?
In the Trivium study, they found that some cats did not respond until 6 months on rapamycin/Felycin. Thus you need to keep your cat on Felycin for AT LEAST 6 months to give them their best chance.
At this time, we believe that Felycin/Rapamycin should be given for life in HCM cats.
Like every other drug in the world, Felycin does NOT help EVERY patient. In my experience, Felycin/rapamycin helps 70-80% of cats with HCM.
My Cat is Diabetic. Can She Take Felycin?
Yes, diabetic cats can take Felycin. In my experience with 9 diabetic cats to date, all tolerated rapamycin without any issues. Only one needed an increase in insulin dosage, and this was only by one unit.
I DO recommend that you check blood sugar levels at 6-8 hours after you give Felycin for at least the first two doses. I make the same recommendation for ALL new meds with a diabetic cat.
More to the point, please understand that we have plenty of tools to deal with diabetes. We only have ONE tool, Felycin/rapamycin, to deal with progressive and fatal HCM.
My Cat is on other cardiac meds. Can he take Felycin?
In a word, YES.
There do not appear to be ANY interactions between Felycin/rapamycin and other meds in the typical HCM stack — atenolol, benazepril, clopidogrel, furosemide, pimobendan, and riveroxaban.
Having said that, use some common sense when starting Felycin/rapamycin (or any other med). Give it by itself for the first few doses, and do not make any other changes in diet or meds/supplements at the same time. This enables you to easily see if the new drug is creating any issues.
What Other Supplements Should I Give My HCM Kitty?
There are two supplements that make sense for ANY kitty who is dealing with HCM.
The first is our HCM CARDIO SUPPORT, which contains both Nattokinase and Rutin. Nattokinase is a natural “clot buster” and Rutin helps to reduce fluid accumulation in CHF. Please understand that this supplement will generally NOT replace drugs like clopidogrel, riveroxaban, or furosemide. However, this is a NATURAL and SAFE approach to doing everything we can for our loved cats with HCM.
The second supplement I recommend is our old friend FISH OIL, which has been shown to improve heart function and reduce blood pressure in numerous studies.
How Should I Monitor My Cat on Felycin?
Because I have been using rapamycin to help cats like yours for almost 5 years, I can tell you that rapamycin/Felycin is very safe.
The only side effect that I have seen is soft stool in about 3-5% of patients, which typically resolves without therapy.
ANY TIME you start ANY chronic medication, it is ALWAYS a good idea to get lab work done 10-14 days after you start. This should include a Complete Blood Count, a Chemistry Panel, and a Urinalysis.
For HCM kitties, my standard recommendation is as follows:
- the above tests twice a year
- Thyroid checks once a year
- Echo exams twice a year, or as directed by your cardiologist.
- Consider a pro-BNP blood test as an easier approach to monitoring your cat’s heart stress.
Where Can I Buy Felycin For Cats?
I’d love it if you bought it from me by clicking on the button below.
I’m Dr. Kevin. I’ve been a veterinarian for 40 years, and I am a Pet Longevity Specialist. I run www.HelpingPetsLiveLonger.com,
And I will help you if I can.
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Questions about your HCM Kitty? Email me.
I’m Dr. Kevin. I run www.HelpingPetsLiveLonger.com, and I am passionate about helping your cat live their best life.
If I can help you, I will. We are all in this together.
You are welcome to email me any time at DrKevin@TheLongevityVet.com.