FCV treatment help!

So my poor boy Nacho seems to have FCV. His foster carer didn't update his shots, and didn't inform me that he was due, so for the past few months he's been dealing with severe gingivitis, ulcers on the back of his throat, sneezing (not as bad as it was, though), terrible breath and puffy eyes/eyelids.

He's had 2 vet visits so far - first visit he was prescribed with a week's worth of liquid antibiotic (I cannot remember the name of it at all though, argh) - which helped instantly, but as soon as he finished he was back to being unwell again.

Second visit he was prescribed 2 weeks worth of Vibravet paste - again, it did the trick until he finished his dose and it came back again. 

I'm at a loss with what to do next. The vet told me that as soon as his symptoms are under control we can vaccinate him and it should stop it from being so bad, but I don't know how correct that information is. I was also told that he should be on at least 3 weeks worth of Vibravet to get anywhere - is that true?

Anyone give me any insight to this? It's driving me mad, I just want him to feel better (and his breath not so be so dangerous haha)

Please and thank you! Oh, and he's almost 10 months old if that helps.

I haven't had any experience with the calicivirus.  Everything I have read about it has said that it doesn't last nearly as long as your cat has been sick.  There is an especially virulent form of it that is rare but it doesn't last longer than the other strains of it.  I only know the little bit that I have read here and there but I would be wondering if this is calicivirus.  The symptoms sound the same but it's a virus that normally runs it's course in less than a month.

I think you need a second opinion!  The virus should be under control by now.  

Thank you! I'll definitely try another vet!

Is there anything else that he could be suffering from that I could research before calling around for vets? I like going in knowing a few options!

What are his symptoms?  If it's chronic diarrhea, he could have worms.  If it's diarrhea, definitely have him tested for tritrichomonas foetus.  It requires a special test.  

I have personally dealt with Calicivirus. Did your vet do a respiratory panel test to confirm diagnosis or just going based off of symptoms?

My Tyson (who was/is up-to-date on vaccines) can down with a horrible case of Calici (coupled with mycoplasma) about 1.5 yrs ago. Within 12 hrs, he went from being "fine" to critical condition. He had ulcers/blisters form on his upper mouth/nasal area initial and a fever. He progressed rapidly (we initially thought he had been burned by something.) By the 12th hr, the front portion of his nose had sloughed off. He spiked a 106.4 temp and went in to renal failure due to a mucus plug. We were already pushing fluids due to the temp and he was able to pass the plug. He had horrible sneezing and congestion.

He was treated for 12-ish weeks with doxycycline and famcyclovir. I also believe he was on steroids for part of the time.

At the same time, Tyson's brothers contracted the Calici also, though none near as severe. They only had an ulcer either on their upper lip area or on their tongue. 2 were treated with famcyclovir, the other 2 recovered on their own. No other cats in the house contracted the virus. (All with symptoms were isolated at on-set.) Even 3 other kittens with low immune systems and chronic herpes never contracted the Calici. All cats had been vaccinated at the same clinic within 3 months of each other.

His symptoms are swollen glands, 3rd eyelid showing/squinting of his eyes, terrible death breath, bright red gums, ulcers on the back of his throat, occasional sneezing, and occasional diarrhoea. Temp and weight is normal, there were no tests done really, he was just going by the symptoms. 

Should I possibly go back to the same vet and ask for more extensive tests, or try somewhere else?

I would look into doing further diagnostic testing. I would have them do a PCR respiratory panel. It tests for several different respiratory diseases. It is a very sensitive test. An actual diagnosis can help determine the best mode of treatment.

Here's more info about the PCR panel from the IDEXX website....

Feline Upper Respiratory Disease
URD in cats can be caused by one or more of the organisms listed below. Of the more than 7,000 samples submitted and tested with the Feline URD RealPCR Panel during a 12-month period, 71% were positive for one or more of the six infectious agents. Coinfections were identified in 42.4% of positive samples, which highlights the benefit of testing for multiple pathogens in a single sample.1

Bordetella bronchiseptica can infect the airways and lung parenchyma, leading to lower airway disease and/or pneumonia. Exposure to dogs may increase the risk of infection in cats.

Chlamydophila felis, formerly known as Chlamydia psittaci, can cause a persistent unilateral or bilateral conjunctivitis, often with marked chemosis.

Feline calicivirus is a common cause of URD. Vaccination does not prevent infection but reduces severity of infection.
Most cats with feline calicivirus become silent carriers, shedding the virus continually. More virulent strains can cause serious systemic illness and death. More commonly, this virus causes acute URD. Oral ulceration is a common clinical finding.

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), also called feline rhinotracheitis, is a common cause of URD. Vaccination does not prevent infection but reduces severity of disease. Most cats with FHV-1 become silent carriers, shedding the virus after times of stress.2 In addition to causing URD and conjunctivitis, FHV-1 can cause more severe ocular disease, including various types of keratitis, corneal ulceration, corneal sequestrum, keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), symblepharon and anterior uveitis.

H1N1 influenza virus was first confirmed in cats in November 2009 and is thought to have been contracted from infected owners. It is the same strain that is responsible for the worldwide pandemic in humans.

Mycoplasma felis has been associated with unilateral or bilateral conjunctivitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, pneumonia, pleuritis and arthritis.

Thank you so much for the info!

So! He's been tested for AIDs and was cleared, yay!! No aids! He's having his tests sent off tomorrow for everything else - he had a throat swab, and eye swab and some blood taken. He also was given an anti inflammatory and a shot of antibiotics as his gums were bleeding and had some build up on them, which the vet thought she'd treat with antibiotics just in case.

So close to finding out what is wrong finally!