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Entry 548Filed under Breeding

Remdesivir for Cats: Overview, Dosage & Side Effects

Remdesivir is discussed for feline infectious peritonitis, but there is no single cat dose. Here is how published ranges, routes, side effects and trial evidence fit together, and what to ask your veterinarian.
5-minute read By Animalso Team
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Remdesivir is discussed as one treatment option for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a serious disease caused by a mutated feline coronavirus that has historically been fatal. There is no single dose for cats. Published regimens differ by route (intravenous, subcutaneous or oral), by the form of FIP, and by how the individual cat responds, and any dose is set and monitored by a veterinarian. Current professional guidance generally favors oral GS-441524, the compound remdesivir is converted into in the body, because remdesivir injections can be painful. Remdesivir is a veterinary-managed treatment, not a medicine to buy and give at home.

What remdesivir is and where it fits in FIP treatment

Remdesivir is a nucleoside analogue and a prodrug of GS-441524, which means the body converts it into GS-441524. The Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) guideline describes remdesivir in exactly these terms and notes that human-licensed preparations and veterinary-compounded products are available in some countries.

The same guideline says oral GS-441524 is generally favored to avoid painful subcutaneous injections. Intravenous remdesivir may be needed in two situations: when remdesivir is the only antiviral available, or when a sick cat cannot tolerate oral medication.

Availability and legal status

  • Access depends on where you live. Some countries have human-licensed preparations, others rely on veterinary-compounded products, and the rules differ. This article does not map the regulations of individual countries.
  • In the University of Sydney case series described below, compounded medicines were obtained by veterinary prescription.
  • The authors of the 2026 randomized trial discussed below state that no FDA-approved medication for FIP was available in the United States at the time of their study.

Dosage: why no single number applies

Published dose ranges are summaries of guidance and of individual studies. They are not instructions. The same drug can call for a different amount depending on four things: the route (intravenous, subcutaneous or oral), the formulation, the clinical presentation (effusive, non-effusive, or neurologic and ocular disease), and the cat’s response. Doses are expressed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg), so a figure from one study cannot be transferred to another product or to another cat without a veterinarian doing the calculation.

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Source Route and form Reported regimen Context and limits
ABCD guideline (professional guidance) Intravenous or subcutaneous, various preparations 6–20 mg/kg every 24 hours, and 15–30 mg/kg every 24 hours, in different studies and contexts Higher doses may be used for ocular or neurologic disease. A summary of reported protocols, not a directive. Intravenous doses are usually given slowly.
University of Sydney prospective case series (2023) Intravenous or subcutaneous for induction; subcutaneous for maintenance Effusive protocol: 10 mg/kg every 24 hours for four induction doses, then 8–10 mg/kg subcutaneously every 24 hours. Treatment lasted at least 84 days and at least two weeks beyond remission. One study’s historical protocol. Its non-effusive and neurologic or ocular protocols used different doses, not stated here.
Randomized double-blind non-inferiority trial (2026, 20 cats) Oral 38–42 mg/kg for 84 days in non-effusive FIP. The trial’s methods and its conclusion give different dosing intervals, so no frequency is stated here. Small trial limited to non-effusive FIP. Compared against oral GS-441524 at 18–22 mg/kg.

How to read these figures

  • A mg/kg figure is only meaningful alongside the product’s concentration, the route, and the interval between doses. Do not multiply the numbers by your cat’s weight and treat the result as a home dose.
  • Doses in these protocols were adjusted during treatment according to response and monitoring. A dose is a starting point set by a clinician, not a fixed schedule.
  • The Sydney protocol and the 2026 trial are single studies with their own populations. They show how regimens have been structured, but they do not establish the correct dose for your cat.

Side effects and monitoring

Two effects are consistently reported with remdesivir: pain at the injection site and transient increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a liver enzyme. Neither is guaranteed in every cat.

Pain with subcutaneous injection

The ABCD guideline says injection pain depends in part on the preparation. International Cat Care’s July 2025 update reports pain on subcutaneous injection in about 50% of cats. That is a reported proportion from that update, not a prediction for your cat or for a particular product. It is the main reason guidance favors oral GS-441524 where it is suitable.

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Liver enzyme (ALT) increases

The ABCD guideline reports transient ALT elevations, and International Cat Care’s July 2025 update describes ALT increases among the effects of antiviral treatment. A 2024 retrospective study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine looked at 307 cats treated with legally sourced compounded remdesivir, GS-441524, or both. Among the 250 cats in which ALT was measured, it increased in 71 (28.4%). Because cats in that cohort received remdesivir, GS-441524, or both, the figure describes that mixed group and should not be read as a remdesivir-only risk.

Ask your veterinarian when ALT will be checked during treatment and what result would change the plan.

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What the trial evidence does and does not show

The 2026 randomized trial reported that its oral remdesivir regimen was safe and effective in the cats studied, and that no serious adverse event required stopping treatment. Long-term follow-up found that some cats developed medical problems 1.5 to 2 years later. The authors state that further study is needed to establish the long-term consequences. With only 20 cats, all with non-effusive FIP, the trial supports the regimen it tested in that group. It cannot set a regimen for every cat or every form of the disease.

The ABCD guideline frames the practical choice as route and tolerance rather than a single best medicine. Oral GS-441524 is often preferred to avoid injections, while intravenous remdesivir can be useful when oral treatment cannot be tolerated or when the available antiviral options are limited.

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Questions to ask your veterinarian

  • What form of FIP does my cat have, and does that point toward remdesivir, GS-441524, or another approach?
  • Is oral or injectable treatment more suitable for my cat, and can my cat realistically take tablets or liquid?
  • What is the exact dose for my cat’s weight, how often is it given, how long will treatment last, and who calculates and adjusts it?
  • Where is the product sourced, and is it legally obtained in my country?
  • When will bloodwork be checked for ALT, and what will prompt a change in treatment?
  • What injection-site reactions should I watch for, and what should I do if they occur?
  • Whom should I call if my cat stops eating, vomits, or becomes lethargic during treatment?

Do not stop, skip, or change a dose on your own. Changes to any FIP treatment should go through your veterinarian.

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