Older cat with URI and herpes, idea for making Lysine palatable

Catstina

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Hi everyone,

I always get so much great advice on here for my cats, now I need some for my moms cat. he’s an older guy (no idea how old he was rescued from an awful hoarding situation) and lately he developed an URI, he’s always been a little stuffy with one watery eye, but this is much worse.We aredoing all we can but having trouble getting him to eat his Lysine powder. I even bought my mom the tasteless kind. So basically, any ideas on foods that are irresistible to sick cats that we could sneak the Lysine in would be very
 

dragonlady2

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How much powder are you giving the cat? I use capsules that are human grade and just divide it in the wet food. You could also try tuna or baby food.
 

Mamanyt1953

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ANYTHING smelly! Probably fish-flavored cat foods that have been heated slightly so that the smell is even stronger. MOST of getting cats to eat when they have URIs is that they can't smell the food. SLIGHT heating makes the smell even stronger, and may get through that stuffy nose. If all else fails, you can use a pate food, dilute with water, mix in the meds, and syringe feed him, but that's last resort.
 

MissClouseau

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Just in case you haven't seen them, there are also lysine pastes. They make the taste more appealing. I remember seeing a few on Amazon too.

If the vet says it's OK to split the dose to throughout the day, you can also give like half of it with one meal wet food, and the other half with the second meal wet food.
 

nado

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My cat has a chronic URI, and takes his lysine powder in baby food.

If you try mixing the lysine in powder and your cat still does not take it, try a different flavor of baby food. My cat LOVES the ham and turkey flavors. He does not care for the chicken flavor.

Also, try to give the powder in a relatively small amount of baby food, perhaps about 1/2 Tablespoon. That way if he won't get too full and leave some of the baby food uneaten along with the lysine in it.
 

RangersMom

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Lysine paste/gel is MUCH better than powder. I have a herpes kitty and she licks it right off a spoon. But you can also put the gel on their paw and they'll lick it off. But almost everyone tells me lysince does nothing (also there are studies saying this).
Half a tablet of cetrizine (zyrtec allergy medicine) works the best for my cat. She has SO much snot without it.
 

dragonlady2

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If your cat still won’t take the lysine....we have a snotty runny cat that the vets can’t seem to figure out what is wrong. After different meds, teeth extraction etc there was no improvement. We took a medium sized dog crate and covered it with towels. The opening was clear. We put the cat in the crate and held a hand steamer for clothes in front of the crate for7 to8 minutes 2 times daily. We fed her right after each steam treatment and she started eating her food with the lysine. We did that for approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Although she still has a runny eye, she is having no problems with eating her food with the lysine.
Although there are some who don’t believe lysine will address this issue...better tell my cat that. It has made a world of difference for her that the vets couldn’t.
 

stephanietx

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We use the powdered Lysine from Vitacost. Comes in a 1-pound jar. It dissolves easily in water and has no scent or flavor. I mix it in with wet food and add a teaspoon or so of water to make it a thick oatmeal consistency. Kitties never know it's in there.
 

syzygycat

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Hi everyone,

I always get so much great advice on here for my cats, now I need some for my moms cat. he’s an older guy (no idea how old he was rescued from an awful hoarding situation) and lately he developed an URI, he’s always been a little stuffy with one watery eye, but this is much worse.We aredoing all we can but having trouble getting him to eat his Lysine powder. I even bought my mom the tasteless kind. So basically, any ideas on foods that are irresistible to sick cats that we could sneak the Lysine in would be very
I'm late to chime in here with an FYI,

A very common myth exists L-Lysine was believed to prevent and fight viral URI's. This idea was allwats a theory unyiloywas finall scienticically tested in 2009 and a few more times by 2016. all studied found that lysine has Zero anti=viral properties, z
Giving to a cat with FHV or other viral URI get no benefit from taking lysine and in is even a small but real risk taking lysine will make URI worse. And in general taking lysine supplements long term can cause anemia.

Since 2017 many veterinary research groups recommend an immediate stop of lysine supplementation.
 
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Catstina

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Wow. I had no idea. Unfortunately he had to be euthanized. So if Lysine doesn’t help...what does?
 

syzygycat

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Wow. I had no idea. Unfortunately he had to be euthanized. So if Lysine doesn’t help...what does?
I'm really really sorry to hear that.
The best treatment for a URI in a cat is the same as a cold/flu in a human. Once a cat/dog/person has most viruses good nutrition and living conditions, high quality foods, getting rest, keeping warm, keeping hydrated, keep stressors away. If they have that 98% of the time the body can fight it off (just like the coronavirus-we have no treatment but 96+% of people recover)

Viruses are harder to treat than bacteria, in severe cases interfurons and anti-viral medications are given, they are slow working each has a small range of virus it can fight, and the side effects can be harsh. Most just suppress the virus, make it so weak a healthy body can fight it off.
Famciclovir is the most effective and relatively safe antiviral for FHV. Interferons are a synthesized form of our own white blood cells, there are many of types, gives a boost to the patients ability to fight a specific virus.
 

stephanietx

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Lysine works for us, but we also give a lot of other supplements to help her overall health.
 
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