Sorry that should read ' give it for life'
So sorry to hear your babies are sick! I adopted a 6month old kitten from a rescue a little over a year ago. To make a long story short, he had feline herpes (even though she said he was healthy- her vet couldn't verify who the cat was). I started all my cats on L-Lysine (the powder because it lasts longer and easier to put into food). I was using it daily as a maintenance up until a few months ago. I began working at a vet's office and one of the vets had recently read an article on the Lysine that said there were issues using it like that (that didn't show until years down the road). However, she said it was fine to use when they began showing symptoms. She could not remember specific issues that the cats had.Hi there! I really hope someone can help me. My hubby and I just adopted a kitten from our local shelter who had a URI a few months before we got him. We brought him into a house with 4 other cats who were perfectly healthy. A few weeks later he started sneezing really bad so I took him to the vet and he was put on Doxycycline... Which really helped him. The very next week, one of our cats started sneezing and doing this weird thing with her head, so I took her to the vet and they put her on Clavamox and Carafate. The very next day she stopped eating. I had to syringe feed her for several days and took her to a different vet who gave her IV fluids and switched her over to the Doxycycline. Then 2 more of our cats started sneezing, so I immediately started them on the Doxy. Then a couple days later, our last cat got it. I ended up taking the cat who want eating back to the vet and she put her on Mirtazipan... An appetite stimulant and also some other drug that is a antihistamine. Now she is at least eating on her own. This has all taken place over the last 11 days. I was reading online about L-Lysine, so I just went to Petsmart and picked some up and gave them all their first dose. How long does it usually take for the L-Lysine to take effect and really help their URI? After the URI is cleared, should I continue to keep them on the l-lysine as a maintenenc? As you could imagine, its been quite sad and stressful trying to care for 5 cats with URIs, so any suggestions on what I can do to prevent it from coming back, it would be soooo greatly appreciated. I just love my fur babies so much and it hurts me to see them sick. Thanks so much for your help!!!!!
Even if your vet hasn't brought this up, I urge you to. Herpes is not curable, but the symptoms/outbreaks are treatable. Please see my above post, if you'd like more info on the Lysine.
I am fairly certain my cat Yoda has the herpes virus and has passed it to my other cat King. Yoda shows much more severe symptoms than King, i.e. very bad eye discharge that causes his long fur to mat up and his eyes get crusted shut, very bad sneezing and congestion sometimes with blood and during a very bad flare up he wheezes. King has mild eye discharge and sneezing. I am certain it's not a bacterial infection because the vet has given many different antibiotics with no success, he gets better for about a week maybe 2 (not cured mind you, just better) then it's right back to the bad symptoms. Now I say that I am fairly certain it's herpes, but as the vet has not brought it up, I am not 100%. Though, seeing as Lysine is not harmful to cats, I figured I'd give it to them and see if they get better, especially Yoda.
Huh. I've accidentally stumbled across Enisyl-F before when ordering some Vetoquinol L-Lysine, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. ;-)No problem! I'm glad that my experience so far has been helpful. It has also been helpful for me to read everyone else's posts too! Here is a list of the mess my vet gave me for Sandy's herpes.... the l-lysine is called Enisyl-F (it's a paste they gave me at the vet)...
The Enisyl-F is l-lysine. It is a prescription brand given to me at the vet for Sandy (the one with the eye herpes). I give that to her only! The other Simply Nourish L-lysine treats are the ones I give to my other cats since i got it over the counter at PetSmart. I know all of this is very confusing. I'm really just learning as I go tooHuh. I've accidentally stumbled across Enisyl-F before when ordering some Vetoquinol L-Lysine, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. ;-)
Is that something you can give cats in addition to L-Lysine? Or is it an either/or kind of thing? *iz so embarrassed*
Thanks for the clarification. I'm easily confusable. ;-)The Enisyl-F is l-lysine.It is a prescription brand given to me at the vet for Sandy (the one with the eye herpes). I give that to her only!
Me too! So I totally understand! I literally asked my vet a million questions while I was there PLUS I had to call several times afterwards! So don't feel badThanks for the clarification. I'm easily confusable. ;-)
Just as I was typing my last message, FedEx came with the eye drops from the compounding pharmacy. The drops are called Idoxuridine AQ 0.1% Ophth Sol 5ml. Like I said... it's a prescription that was prescribed by my vet. I hope these drops help my Sandy's herpes.Me too! So I totally understand! I literally asked my vet a million questions while I was there PLUS I had to call several times afterwards! So don't feel bad
I was wondering which L-lysine you are using? I have been giving my feral cats just the regular people L-lysine in powder form and all of a sudden they will not eat the canned food as long as L-ysine is in it.For me, a flare up is excessive tearing, "winking", and/or excessive/consistent sneezing. If I see one or more of those signs, they get lysine
I use vetoquinol viralys powder. I get it on Amazon. Per my vet's instructions, I only use it during a flare up. It kinda smells like fish, so my cats love itI was wondering which L-lysine you are using? I have been giving my feral cats just the regular people L-lysine in powder form and all of a sudden they will not eat the canned food as long as L-ysine is in it.
I have been giving to them since 2012 with no problems. I know it tastes salty but what other kind could I use that does not cost a fortune and doesn't have the taste of salt?