Herpes Virus

dadamato

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I have been dealing with my feral cat's Herpes Virus for about three years now The vet has said there really is no cure. He did supply me with a prescription for eye drops that were $200 but my Bud would not allow me to administer them and I did not want to stress him any more. I tried the Lysine chews which he does not eat at all. I then found the paw gel which he accepts with no issues. Lately he seems to be more congested and drippy then usual so I tried two different products on him that were supposedly meant for Feline Herpes. They both did contain alcohol. I then found another article saying this would kill a cat. What to do? I do have Teramycin which I try to treat his eyes with. It is usually only his left eye that has the issues. He just does not look good. He has no energy. His appetite is fine, his water intake is fine, he is urinating and pooping fine. But he just seems so tired. He has lost weight mostly in his back hips and seems to not have a lot of energy at all. I do not know how old he is but have had him for 7 years. He was one of my 6 rescues who were all full grown when they found me. Bud has had vet check ups and shots since I have owned him along with my other five rescues. The vet did tell me that Lysine might help so he is aware of me administering the same. His last check up was in December and he hasn't really changed much. The vet said he is just the typical herpes kitty. I wish he could talk. Has anyone had any good luck with other treatments. It could be that he is just getting old and really just wants to eat and sleep. Any thoughts, or am I just worrying about nothing. I'm getting a bit concerned,which I tend to always do when something is wrong with my babies. Advice?
 

fionasmom

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Cat possibly has Feline herpes, what can i do to help?
Herpesvirus Infection in Cats (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis)

Welcome to The Cat Site! What products have you been using so far? Has the vet treated him symptomatically as needed over the years? You do mention having two prescriptions for him, although the first one is not successful? I was not sure if they were the same prescription for Terramycin?

You might find some help in reading the information from the links above. I used lycine only once and it was not for herpes, but I thought it was ineffective. There are various opinions from members about lycine, some having been happy with it, and some not.

Given that he seems to be lethargic and losing weight and that it has been several months since his last appointment, possibly he needs another checkup. Even estimating that he might be 10, there could be other medical conditions that he is facing that are not herpes related.
 
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dadamato

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I will see if I can find a FortiFlora® product for felines. Perhaps this will help.

Sorry, May have confused all of you. The eye drops were the only prescription I have used and it was near impossible to get them in his eyes. It was a while back and I don't remember the name.
Right now I am using
Vetoquinol Viralys Gel L-Lysine Supplement for Cats
The two I stopped using because of alcohol issues were:
Feline Her-pees All Natural Homeopathic Formula
HomeoPet Feline Nose Relief


One thing to mention, it is nearly impossible to either pill this kitty or try to put in eye drops. I do not know his history before he came into my life and he can get very aggressive when you try to mess with him. Probably due to something that happened in his past. The Vetoquinol comes in a paw lick which he accepts. Even when I used the other rememdies with alcohol that were drops, he would still smell it and refuse to eat it. He is a challenging one, but I do love him to death. Reading about the herpes virus, I find it hard to fathom that none of my other five cats have had issues. I did ask the vet when he diagnosed him, and he said it was not contagious.

Also, just to reinterate, his bodily functions seem to be fine. He just sleeps alot, but he has never been an active cat, so this is not anything new. His appetitie is off the charts. He eats more than any of my other cats who outweight him by at least 10 pounds. He is tiny framed. I would think if he were really ill he would not want food. All you have to do is say the word "eat", and he perks right up. I sure wish he could talk.

Anyway, I do appreciate the advice. I will try the probiotic and see if he improves at all. Again, the vet has just always said once a herpes cat, always a herpes cat. He said he used to have one and it would just snot all over the place but seemed to be totally comfortable with his lifestyle.

I just found this site so sure I will be on it again with my other five throw aways. I love them all to death. I had lost two of them within the past three years but sill always seem to be at a count of six since once one has lived off their life in my home, another one seems to wander in. I also have six chickens that someone just threw out to fend for themselves. I thought they belonged to the neighbor and they just came over her to visit, but the neighbors moved and did no take the chickens so...oh well. There used to be 7 but a hawk got one of them in my driveway. That was it...time for hubby and I to capture them and give them food and shelter. I don't know if you have ever tried to catch a chicken, but it is not easy, and they can fly quite well. Had the same thing with a couple of domestic bunnies someone just threw away. They were not easy to catch either. We finally did and give the a home in our basement unti each one passed on due to age. We don't even question it anymore. Just figure that is our purpose on this planet.

Thanks again.
 

fionasmom

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All of those animals you have helped have been very lucky. This is just my opinion, but I have never had much luck with homeopathic medicines. I did notice that the one product was 20% grain alcohol which was a little concerning.

I am still as concerned about the ravenous appetite, sleeping and weight loss. Those could be signs of another illness like diabetes or hyperthyroidism. I do understand that he is not easy to handle and I have a male feral who lives at my house who will allow help only up to a point but could not be pilled or have eye drops. In some cases a pill can be given in food, especially since he eats so heartily.
 

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Just be sure to check him for intestinal parasites such as worms. A ravenous appetite, weight loss and lethargy can be caused by something as simple as a tapeworm, and luckily is often easily treatable. You can even get spot-on versions of worm medication so you won't have to pill him. The other possible issues mentioned above may be worth checking out too.

Sometimes medicated eye drops can sting, and that is why they don't like it. You can try wiping his eye with some warm water (preferably distilled) or a green tea solution to see if it helps. Neither of these should sting.

I can understand him being hard to medicate, but unfortunately with his condition and age, the need for medical intervention will rise. You can try wrapping him in a towel, a cat bag or pill pockets. There is even a device called a pill popper, which is basically a small stick with a plunger to make pilling easier.

I also suggest maybe looking at getting a second opinion from a different vet...FIV is most definitely contagious. It can be transmitted from cat to cat through saliva entering the blood stream, such as from a bite wound. Feral cats, particularly males, spread FIV all the time, and infected mother cats can spread it to their kittens during pregnancy.
 

stephanietx

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I had a kitty with FHV. She was diagnosed at age 2 and she passed away earlier this year at age 15. This is what we did for her:

-grain free mostly wet diet
-powdered lysine (human grade) mixed into wet food with a bit of water added
-daily anthistamine (generic claritin, 1/4 -1/2 tablet daily, crushed in wet food)
-daily probiotic (ProviableDC)
-Duralactin (twice daily)

We also gave her nose drops as needed, but if your guy isn't going to let you do that, then that might not be an option. We she got really bad, usually associated with seasonal allergies in the fall and again in the spring, she would get an antibiotic (Zenequin)

If your guy is having flares frequently, he may have a secondary or underlying infection. My girl had a pseudomonas infection that was aggravting everything. Once we got that under control, she had fewer flares.
 
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dadamato

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All of those animals you have helped have been very lucky. This is just my opinion, but I have never had much luck with homeopathic medicines. I did notice that the one product was 20% grain alcohol which was a little concerning.

I am still as concerned about the ravenous appetite, sleeping and weight loss. Those could be signs of another illness like diabetes or hyperthyroidism. I do understand that he is not easy to handle and I have a male feral who lives at my house who will allow help only up to a point but could not be pilled or have eye drops. In some cases a pill can be given in food, especially since he eats so heartily.
Thank you for this. Yes...I did have another feral pass with diabetes at 13 so may be good to get some blood drawn.
 
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dadamato

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Just be sure to check him for intestinal parasites such as worms. A ravenous appetite, weight loss and lethargy can be caused by something as simple as a tapeworm, and luckily is often easily treatable. You can even get spot-on versions of worm medication so you won't have to pill him. The other possible issues mentioned above may be worth checking out too.

Sometimes medicated eye drops can sting, and that is why they don't like it. You can try wiping his eye with some warm water (preferably distilled) or a green tea solution to see if it helps. Neither of these should sting.

I can understand him being hard to medicate, but unfortunately with his condition and age, the need for medical intervention will rise. You can try wrapping him in a towel, a cat bag or pill pockets. There is even a device called a pill popper, which is basically a small stick with a plunger to make pilling easier.

I also suggest maybe looking at getting a second opinion from a different vet...FIV is most definitely contagious. It can be transmitted from cat to cat through saliva entering the blood stream, such as from a bite wound. Feral cats, particularly males, spread FIV all the time, and infected mother cats can spread it to their kittens during pregnancy.
Yes. My cats have been with him almost as long as we have had him. We just added a new one who was very young two years ago. None of these cats have ever shown any signs of this. He is on Cheristin for flea treatment (all six are on this) so would think that may take care of parasites, but maybe not. This morning his eyes were clear. He gets a kitty wipes bath every day and seems to really like it when I wash his face. Thank you so much for your advice.
 
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dadamato

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I had a kitty with FHV. She was diagnosed at age 2 and she passed away earlier this year at age 15. This is what we did for her:

-grain free mostly wet diet
-powdered lysine (human grade) mixed into wet food with a bit of water added
-daily anthistamine (generic claritin, 1/4 -1/2 tablet daily, crushed in wet food)
-daily probiotic (ProviableDC)
-Duralactin (twice daily)

We also gave her nose drops as needed, but if your guy isn't going to let you do that, then that might not be an option. We she got really bad, usually associated with seasonal allergies in the fall and again in the spring, she would get an antibiotic (Zenequin)

If your guy is having flares frequently, he may have a secondary or underlying infection. My girl had a pseudomonas infection that was aggravting everything. Once we got that under control, she had fewer flares.
This is a great regimin. I did not realize you could use peple antihistimines. If I can get him to take the human powered lysine, may also try this. I have tried just a saline baby spray. Can't snort it up his nose but put it on cotton and hold it against his nose until he breathes it in. Also have tried zarbees soothing saline mist.
Based on what you are saying, it is going to take more than one thing so I will see how this works. He does get grain free dry cat food now. This is so helpful. Thank you.
 

StanAndAlf

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Yes. My cats have been with him almost as long as we have had him. We just added a new one who was very young two years ago. None of these cats have ever shown any signs of this. He is on Cheristin for flea treatment (all six are on this) so would think that may take care of parasites, but maybe not. This morning his eyes were clear. He gets a kitty wipes bath every day and seems to really like it when I wash his face. Thank you so much for your advice.
Aw, that's so great he enjoys getting his face washed, I can imagine how adorable he is.

If your flea treatment doesn't include an intestinal wormer (it will say on the packet what it covers) then it won't cover worms, as they are quite different parasites :)

Oh, and when I mentioned that he is contagious, it doesn't necessarily mean he will spread it to your other cats, unless they fight frequently or he bites them quite hard.
 

CindyH66

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aw, poor baby ! my kitty Bella had that nasty herpes virus her whole life ( she lived to be 13 ) the eyes would act up if she was stressed , and it was also seasonal.. like allergies seemed to trigger it somewhat. I got Lysine Powder ( from the vet) and mixed it with wet food or Purrfect Creamy treats 2X a day. the lysine breaks the viral cycle and it worked really well for her. since it was flavorless , you can mix it with about anything they like. Good luck !!
 
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dadamato

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Aw, that's so great he enjoys getting his face washed, I can imagine how adorable he is.

If your flea treatment doesn't include an intestinal wormer (it will say on the packet what it covers) then it won't cover worms, as they are quite different parasites :)

Oh, and when I mentioned that he is contagious, it doesn't necessarily mean he will spread it to your other cats, unless they fight frequently or he bites them quite hard.
Thank you I'll check the box. I have the next box to be administered September 10th. Great info.
 
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dadamato

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aw, poor baby ! my kitty Bella had that nasty herpes virus her whole life ( she lived to be 13 ) the eyes would act up if she was stressed , and it was also seasonal.. like allergies seemed to trigger it somewhat. I got Lysine Powder ( from the vet) and mixed it with wet food or Purrfect Creamy treats 2X a day. the lysine breaks the viral cycle and it worked really well for her. since it was flavorless , you can mix it with about anything they like. Good luck !!
Thank you. I may try to get the powder. Can't hurt. I used to get one from VetriScience. It was a paw gel and that really controlled his symptoms but apparently they don't produce this any longer as I can't find it. Thanks again!
 
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