Feline Herpes

[boney girl dad]

I adopted a cat from a shelter last week. (I have introduced her over on New Cats on the Block) Her third day home she became very congested---dry with a whistling sneeze. She hid a lot for 2 days before resuming normal activity. Still sneezing---wet and less congested. Took her to the vet yesterday. He is a new vet to us and I'm still trying to choose the right vet for us. Not sure if he is our guy. We got a free check up. He thinks it is feline herpes. Recommended no treatment at this time. Should clear up in a couple weeks, just monitor her condition. He believes she contracted as a kitten, but possibly got at the shelter.

Does this sound right? Should I have her tested to verify so I can definitely rule out allergies or other possible causes? If she does have this, does this mean I should not get a second cat? I'm sure there is some info on here, but I can't find the search window.

I sure would appreciate any input about feline herpes and choosing a new veterinarian.

 

[maggiedemi]

I can't leave my cat's herpes untreated, I have to give him lysine every day or it comes back. Does she have runny eyes that turn to a dark crust? Mine does. The FVRCP Distemper vaccine includes a vaccine for herpes, so I would make sure your second cat has that vaccine.

 

[boney girl dad]

She had just slight wetness in right eye for less than a day. No crusting. We are waiting to see how she does before trying lysine. She does seem a little better each day. The animal shelter paper work said no wet eyes, sneeze or cough observed. She was without symptoms when we brought her home. IDK about the vaccine, I have read they can still get the disease, but less severe. I definitely need more info from those with experience.

 

[stephanietx]

It's very common for kitties to get an upper respiratory infection when they come home from the shelter or rescue. Usually it's triggered by the stress of being in a new home, new sounds, new people, new routine, and all the new things that come along with a furrever home. Since she is improving, she most likely does not have feline herpes or if she does, it's very minor. If you notice the stuffiness, sneezing, and weepy eyes not clearing up, then I'd consider herpes as an option, but most likely not.

Herpes kitties can live very long lives and with non-herpes kitties. My oldest cat has feline herpes and she is the only one of my 4 who has it. Each of my kitties have been brought into the home since my oldest was diagnosed.

Your kitty will probably recover well. If you notice any change in behavior, hiding, loss of appetite, or no desire to play, then something's not right and she needs to go back to the vet.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I adopted a cat from a shelter last week. ... Took her to the vet yesterday. He is a new vet to us and I'm still trying to choose the right vet for us. Not sure if he is our guy. ... choosing a new veterinarian.

There is a great article on the home page about how to find a good vet:

How To Choose The Best Veterinarian For My Cat?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

If you ever do decide to test for feline herpes (FHV-1), so that you can rule in or rule out anything, ask for a Feline URD (Upper Respiratory Disease) PCR Panel. It can test for several diseases. I had one done for my rescue/shelter kitty, Milly, just to make sure I knew what I was dealing with. Below is a snippet of the results from that test, which I did when she was 7- 1/2 months old -- several months out from her series of kitten vaccines.

 

[boney girl dad]

Thank you stephanietx and PushPurrCatPaws. Ziva seems to continue to improve. Ask the vet if they have a cat---so obvious. Why did I not think of that lol.

 

[wealthy1]

If you ever do decide to test for feline herpes (FHV-1), so that you can rule in or rule out anything, ask for a Feline URD (Upper Respiratory Disease) PCR Panel. It can test for several diseases. I had one done for my rescue/shelter kitty, Milly, just to make sure I knew what I was dealing with. Below is a snippet of the results from that test, which I did when she was 7- 1/2 months old -- several months out from her series of kitten vaccines.

View attachment 190830

Thank you. I’m going to wait until the end of the year and get the test. MY kitties just had the vaccines about a month ago.