Vet services detail use of cat covid meds

The veterinary services on Wednesday detailed the procedure for getting cat-covid medicine, after cabinet last week approved the use of covid meds for humans to be repurposed for cats.

The move came after Cyprus gained international, seemingly sensationalist, headlines that the island was full of dead cats. That appears to have even prompted the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to issue a warning over travel to Cyprus.

It was explained that the medicine will be handed over to the veterinary services by the ministry of health, and their further distribution will be managed by each district’s veterinary office.

Those caring for cats impacted by cat covid – or, more properly, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) – must make appointments in advance by calling the contact details listed below.

Famagusta: 24 824 555, Larnaca: 24 821 275, Nicosia: 22 805 241, Limassol: 25 819 512, and Paphos: 26 821 261.

The medicine will be handed over to the applicant based on a prescription issued by their private vet who is overseeing the animal’s care.

The quantity of medicine will then be obtained by the district’s veterinary services office.

The announcement explained that the vet’s prescription must include both the cat’s caretaker’s information and the animal’s details.

That includes a lab test confirming the cat’s illness with FIP, the relevant assessment from the vet, and a declaration of true intent.

Finally, the medicine will be handed over at a cost of €100 per pack of 40 tablets (€2.50 per tablet), depending on the necessary amount specified by the vet’s prescription.