Uri Infection Spreading In House

[catmom1977]

I've been up most of the night in a near consistent panic attack. I have 3 cats of my own and I foster a couple of times a year. Last Sunday I started to foster a little black kitten from a high-kill shelter. He seemed perfectly healthy and is so friendly and loving. I even got him tested for FIV/Feline Leukemia before I took him. I kept him in a separate part of the house. After a couple of days, he started sneezing and it became clear he was developing a URI. I took him to the vet who said it was likely herpes virus and that over 99%+ of cats have it. She recommended against antibiotics for the time being as he had no temperature or signs of a bacterial infection.

Even though he was separated, I caught him and my Siamese cat Meeko interacting under the door. I moved him two rooms back with doors closed, but Meeko, my 1-year-old, started to sneeze. He is now sick and my cat Henri started getting sick last night. They are both sneezing and I can hear the congestion. Only my girl, Puma, has yet to show signs - but she will likely get it too with everyone sharing surfaces.

I am drowning in guilt and don't know what to do other than try and get everyone into the vet today. If this is a virus that 99%+ of cats have - why are mine getting sick? What if this is something really bad that I invited into my house? What if I really hurt my babies? Please give me any advice you have. I'm a wreck.

 

[Jem]

IF it's Herpes Virus, yes most cats already have it. The thing with Herpes Virus is that it never goes away, it only goes dormant. So sometimes during periods of stress or when the immune system is compromised, it can flair up. In some cases some cats are latent carriers that don't show symptoms but still shed the virus, so it is quite possible the the kitten got the Herpes Virus from one of your cats too. Herpes Virus is really contagious, but most cats will get it and you would never even know.
Are all your cats up to date on vaccinations? I have heard that even though most cats have the virus, it's still a good idea to continue with the vaccinations as it helps to keep the flair ups from happening. Of if there is a flair up, the symptoms are not as bad.
Now although antibiotics will not help if it's Herpes Virus, sometimes a secondary bacterial infection can take hold due to the lowered immune system. So keep a close eye on your kitties, make sure they are still eating as much as they usually do, try to increase their fluid intake (wet food with added water is a good way), and if you notice any changes in the severity of their symptoms, it could be an antibiotic and possibly eye drops will be in order.

 

[catmom1977]

IF it's Herpes Virus, yes most cats already have it. The thing with Herpes Virus is that it never goes away, it only goes dormant. So sometimes during periods of stress or when the immune system is compromised, it can flair up. In some cases some cats are latent carriers that don't show symptoms but still shed the virus, so it is quite possible the the kitten got the Herpes Virus from one of your cats too. Herpes Virus is really contagious, but most cats will get it and you would never even know.
Are all your cats up to date on vaccinations? I have heard that even though most cats have the virus, it's still a good idea to continue with the vaccinations as it helps to keep the flair ups from happening. Of if there is a flair up, the symptoms are not as bad.
Now although antibiotics will not help if it's Herpes Virus, sometimes a secondary bacterial infection can take hold due to the lowered immune system. So keep a close eye on your kitties, make sure they are still eating as much as they usually do, try to increase their fluid intake (wet food with added water is a good way), and if you notice any changes in the severity of their symptoms, it could be an antibiotic and possibly eye drops will be in order.

Thank you for your response. My boys have never been sick before. The kitten got sick first - so I'm sure he gave it to them (kitten to Meeko - Meeko to Henri). I'm doubting they ever had it before this - or why this response if it's in their bodies? My cats get their annual vaccinations but I've never heard anyone mention a herpes vaccination so I'll have to call my vet. I'm scared I just started a horrible cycle for my pets. I feel so bad.

 

[Jem]

If your cats have a decent immune system, and don't tend to be stressed out, I'm sure they will come thru this and may never have a flair up again.
As far as I know, (at least where I'm from) the standard vaccinations include FHV-1 (Herpes Virus) among other common viruses that afflict cats. The thing is, the vaccination is not a 100% guarantee that they can't get it. But, it will significantly reduce the risk and help ensure that if they did get it, the symptoms would not be as bad and they should come thru it faster.
And don't feel bad. As much as it sucks, it's not that uncommon in multi-cat households.
I currently have two cats with chronic FHV, who do get flair ups, but it seems that it will be managed well, the unfortunate thing is they currently have secondary infections that are very resistant to treatment, but it seems like FINALLY they are getting better. These two cats are recently adopted from a shelter so stress and immunity are playing a big factor in their current health.
I also had a cat who got a FHV infection as a kitten and never had a flair ups, except a runny eye that would last a couple of days every once in a while.
I also had one cat who was for sure a carrier, but was never sick himself. He was the one we suspect got my kitten sick that I mentioned.

Has the vet given you any tips on how to manage their symptoms? Are they pretty bad? Are your cats still eating and drinking, playing and so on?

 

[catmom1977]

So I called the vet. My cats should all be up on their vaccinations and the new kitten had his vaccinations at the shelter as well (although just the first round). At first, the secretary was told there is no herpes vaccination but then I looked up the one the main one they give - FVRCP: “feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia.” I think that first part would be herpes, right? I'm in Southern California.

What are the things you give them/do to help? I read about lysine so I ordered 3 different types to see what they would tolerate. The kitten isn't eating much but is still active. My boys seem a little more lethargic but are still eating.

Thank you so much for your help!
Stacy

 

[Jem]

Well for us, the lysine did not help, but we were/are dealing with a bacterial infection as well.
We put our cats on the RC Calm formula cat food, as per our vets recommendation and it has help dramatically with the stress and anxiety, they are totally different kitties (well, Lily the little timid one is anyway) Bynx, was and still is a very well adjusted cat. Will I keep them on this food forever? I'm not sure, but until everything is completely under control, I'm sticking to it. Lily was also over-grooming herself raw but has since stopped when we put her on this food.
I have also tried probiotics, although I don't know if they did anything, I'm going to try a different kind and see how that goes.
When it comes to helping the symptoms...
Wet food with added water - hydration is super important to combating infections and it also tends to smell more so cats are more likely to eat it even if they are refusing food due to congestion. (a cat needs to smell his food to encourage eating)
I also used saline drops in their noses if the congestion seemed really bad. And within minutes after the drops they would sneeze out gobs of mucus that was stuck in there. The saline also helps with inflammation of the nasal passages. This was the brand I used as they are PURE saline, you need to make sure they do not contain any preservatives or medications that are toxic to kitties.

I put 2 drops up each nostril, then rubbed the bridge of the nose to encourage it to go up a couple of times a day.
Taking them into the bathroom with the door closed with the hot water running helps to create a steam room that opens up the airways as well as using a humidifier. I placed the humidifiers where they liked to hang out the most.
Keep their eyes and noses clean with simple warm water. And if their noses got irritated, I would also put Vaseline on them to protect the skin. The vaseline also helps the mucus from the runny noses from sticking as it dries to the fur and skin, making cleanup much easier and less irritating to them.

The biggest thing though is to create a nice calm environment, maybe get some "calming" treats and even play classical music which has shown to help calm cats.

I hope this helps, but if the symptoms do not show ANY improvement or get worse over the next few days, go back to the vet as this COULD be bacterial and an antibiotic may be necessary. And keep in mind that kittens are much more susceptible to complications, and things get worse in a kitten much faster than adult cats because their immune systems are not strong yet, so keep a real good eye on him for any signs that it's not getting better.

Good luck!

 

[catmom1977]

The test results for the kitten came back positive for both Herpes virus and for Calicivirus. I'm heartbroken. My cat Meeko is really sick. He's had his vaccinations but he's just over a year so I don't know if he hasn't built up the immunity of the others yet. My 3-year-old is a little sick and my 6-year-old hasn't shown symptoms yet. I wanted to adopt the kitten out - but don't know how to handle it now. I'm just heartbroken and guilt-ridden over this entire thing.

 

[Jem]

Are they showing any signs of getting better? Are they all still eating, drinking, playful, using litter box?
Now keep in mind that they may have these viruses, but it does not mean they are going have chronic issues. These are very common viruses in cats, especially multi cat households. As I already mentioned, sometimes it can develop into a chronic issue but for the most part a healthy, happy kitty will never show symptoms again. My one cat Chewy got sick when he was a kitten and never showed any recurrence of symptoms in his 18 years of life. And so far my new adopted kitty Bynx who is confirmed to have chronic Feline Herpes, now that we have the bacterial infection under control, only has a bit of a runny eye.

I wanted to adopt the kitten out - but don't know how to handle it now. I'm just heartbroken and guilt-ridden over this entire thing.

You can still adopt out the kitten if you were planning to do so, as I said, these viruses are so common that even if the kitten was in a shelter, it would probably have gotten it there also, just wait until all the symptoms are gone and the kitten has been caught up on all vaccines. Pay attention to this kitten's personality, and try to find a home where you think it will have a less stressful life. If kitty is rambunctious, playful and likes people be sure to give it to a home who won't just treat it like a piece of furniture. If the kitten is shy and quiet, try to find it a quiet home. If you can find the right home to fit the kitten's personality, then the chances of it having a recurrence are much lower. Stress is the major factor in chronic issues and flair ups.
I would also make sure that if the potential adopters have cats at home that you tell them to make sure their cats are up to date on vaccines and that they make sure that they continue keep their cats and the kitten up to date as well. It may take a bit longer to find a home for the kitten, but it's always best that you are honest that this kitten got the infection and there is a small possibility that it could have flair ups. But there are some people out there who will not care, because as mentioned, these viruses are very common, and usually it doesn't pose a problem in the future.

And although I would feel guilty about this whole thing too, I'm sure once the virus had taken it's course and things have settled, Meeko will make a full recovery. I would not worry too much about the other two, it seems their immune systems are pretty good, considering their mild and non existent symptoms, they will come out of this just fine.

Just stay in contact with the vet and if symptoms don't start to improve over the next few days, give them a call in case a secondary infection has taken hold.
Also, use some of the things I mentioned on my other post about helping their symptoms.

 

[catmom1977]

Thank you so much for your advice. I'm just a basket of nerves knowing that I exposed them to two viruses - as if one wouldn't be terrible enough. Every cough and sneeze just breaks my heart. Barely slept last night.

I just picked up antibiotics for the 1-year-old and I have appointments for the 1 and 3-year-olds on Monday. It seems like vets have all gone to the same "antibiotics are bad" conference this year. Considering they've never had them before (at least with me) - I have no hesitation using them to minimize symptoms and prevent them from getting sicker. I'm also concerned for outside cats that my cats have interacted with while they may have been getting sick. I feed three outside cats and my cats were being allowed outside before they got sick. It's very likely I exposed this to cats with no immunity. I'm also watching for symptoms from them. I hope I didn't start an epidemic.

I would definitely be honest about the kitten and I'll keep him if I can't find a home for him. He's a sweet and friendly kitty who would love kitty friends (my boys would adore him). I've said three is my limit - but that may have to change. He needs kitty friends and lots of attention. I think it might be harder to find him a home with someone reluctant to expose their cat to possible viruses.