Which Brand Of L-lysine Works Best For Your Cat(s)?

[cheeser]

Buddy's supply of Viralys is starting to run a little low, and before I place another order, I was just curious to see if anyone has had better luck with one brand versus another.

Sometimes I get into a rut and keep ordering the same stuff over and over out of habit, and every once in awhile I start to wonder if it still makes sense to do so.

 

[maggiedemi]

I use Pet Naturals of Vermont Lysine treats. I give one with breakfast and one with dinner. You get 60 in a bag, so it would last a month for one cat.

 

[cheeser]

I use Pet Naturals of Vermont Lysine treats. I give one with breakfast and one with dinner. You get 60 in a bag, so it would last a month for one cat.

Cool! Are the chews soft, or closer to being crunchy? We tried some from Petsmart a few years ago, but we quickly learned that we had to break them into smaller pieces or they'd get stuck on his canine teeth.

 

[maggiedemi]

They are soft. And yes, they are big! I have to break them in two or three pieces. You can buy Lysine powder if your cats don't mind having it added to their wet food. 1/8 Teaspoon in breakfast, then another 1/8 Teaspoon in dinner. It only stays in the body for like 12 hours, so that's why they have you do the two doses.

 

[cheeser]

They are soft. And yes, they are big! I have to break them in two or three pieces. You can buy Lysine powder if your cats don't mind having it added to their wet food. 1/8 Teaspoon in breakfast, then another 1/8 Teaspoon in dinner. It only stays in the body for like 12 hours, so that's why they have you do the two doses.

Soft chews might be a nice change of pace for Buddy, and possibly for me as well.

Thus far he hasn't liked the taste of any of the powdered forms of L-lysine that we've tried, and I've gotten to the point where it's just easier to mix it with water and administer it with the other supplements he doesn't like. Alas, I can only hide so many things in baby food.

 

[maggiedemi]

My cats are the same way, they don't like anything added to their food. I wish they did, because the powder is so much cheaper. I haven't tried the flavored powders yet, but they probably aren't any cheaper than the treats.

 

[_spadekitty]

My cat gets Vetriscience lysine treats. I think a bag cost $12 for 120 chews, I had to order mine from chewy tho so it cost me about $16. They're semi-soft and 125 mg each.
I was giving him 4 a day, two in the morning and two at night, for about a week and a half and his eyes look sooo much better. They were a goopy, crusty mess for a good two weeks beforehand because I thought he had an eye infection and not FHV.
Now he just gets two a day for mainteance and I may cut him down to one a day if I get his eyes back 100%.
Sometimes he'll eat them alone sometimes I have to break them up and mix em with his food.
Hes still a little light sensitive and maybe he has some goop he just cleans off (before there was so much he couldn't do it himself).
But I'd highly recommned the vetriscience treats. They feed them st my tech school and the clinic I work at and they do a great job

 

[cheeser]

My cat gets Vetriscience lysine treats. I think a bag cost $12 for 120 chews, I had to order mine from chewy tho so it cost me about $16. They're semi-soft and 125 mg each.

Great! Thanks.

 

[stephanietx]

We give our cats the powdered Lysine from Vitacost. Just a heaping 1/4 t equals 500mg. It dissolves easily in water, so I add a little water to wet food and mix to combine. I try to buy it while it's buy one get one half off of Vitacost brand items.

Vitacost L-Lysine Powder -- 435 mg - 1 lb (454 g) - Vitacost

 

[cheeser]

We give our cats the powdered Lysine from Vitacost. Just a heaping 1/4 t equals 500mg. It dissolves easily in water, so I add a little water to wet food and mix to combine. I try to buy it while it's buy one get one half off of Vitacost brand items.

Vitacost L-Lysine Powder -- 435 mg - 1 lb (454 g) - Vitacost

Whoa, that's a great price! We've been paying more than twice that for only about 3.5 oz. of Viralys. Honestly, I don't know why we've stuck with it as long as we have. I can't see that it's any more effective than the other brands that we've tried. Just habit, I guess. ;-)

 

[maggiedemi]

Stephanietx- I didn't know that Vitacost sold Lysine powder. How do you get them to eat it though? Mine always seem to smell it in their food. How much wet food do you use for the 1/4 Tsp?

 

[sandtiger]

Does anyone know or have thoughts on Felisyl lysine powder? Im thinking of that one versus Viralys. Ive spotted sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in Viralys and sugar. Not good for cats I dont think. Also is there a taste difference?

 

[cheeser]

Does anyone know or have thoughts on Felisyl lysine powder? Im thinking of that one versus Viralys. Ive spotted sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in Viralys and sugar. Not good for cats I dont think. Also is there a taste difference?

I've never tried Felisyl, but it's about half the cost of Viralys at Chewy, so it's something I'd certainly consider.

I've heard that L-lysine tastes pretty salty, so just out of curiosity, I always taste all of the tablets and powders that we buy for Buddy. Thus far, I haven't found one that's palatable to my taste buds, nor my cat's. But I'm hopeful that it's just a matter of finding the right one to tickle his fancy, and maybe one of the suggestions on this thread will do the trick.

 

[stephanietx]

M maggiedemi , when I feed them their wet food, I add some water. Then I add the lysine, mix and serve.

Also on the Vitacost site, they have a pet formula. I've never tried it, but was tempted once when they were out of stock.

 

[kittens mom]

I like the gel because once I put it in their cheek it's gone. They can't spit it out.

 

[sandtiger]

I was thinking the same about the gel, the only problem I have is the handling and stressing him out. Straight into food stops him fearing me coming at him with something in my hands.

Thanks Cheeser I noticed the price difference too. Felisyl has liver powder in it, always a good trick as its so strong and usually kits love it.

 

[kittens mom]

I powered a bute for a horse once when I came back every drop of that powered pill was in the bottom of the bucket After that I used a syringe and applesauce.
Adding anything to my cats food ends with food snubbing. I prefer to make it quick and painless and know that it's inside them.
If you're lucky enough to have any pet that will consume medicated food I envy you.

 

[krystab]

My cats are the same way, they don't like anything added to their food. I wish they did, because the powder is so much cheaper. I haven't tried the flavored powders yet, but they probably aren't any cheaper than the treats.

I’m in the same boat my senior kitty is a nightmare to pill ( think 500 pound furry octopus with daggers on his feet) and won’t eat his food if you sprinkle anything on it. So we have just started using the Head to Tail brand of hip & joint treats for the beginning of arthritis. He seems to like them but I do have to break them up as they’re a bit big. We’ll be adding L-lysine in next so we’ll probably stick with the same brand