Distemper-eye irritation

I have had a cat with distemper for 4+ weeks. His eyes have been irritated the entire duration and before he came inside (lived on a farm) he almost passed away. He can't breathe through his nose and sneezes frequently. His stomach is always very upset, but no diahrrea or constipation.

I took him to the vet weeks ago and they said the only thing I can do is wait it out. He had antibiotics for 2 weeks but they are out. I called the vet and asked what I should do, they said no more antibiotics and I should just wait for him to improve.

He was improving for quite a while and was practically back to normal. Just last week his eyes and breathing got as bad as before again. They are extremely irritated and seem to cause him pain. The odd thing is, they seem less irritated if the lights are on... When I leave for the day he is kept in one room with the lights off and his eyes seem to be very irritated when I get back. Is there anything at all I can do to help eye irritation? Should I get a second opinion from another vet? I will attach pictures of his eyes. I don't clean them because it seems to irritate them further.

Are you sure it was distemper?  Distemper is a disease related to the parvo virus that dogs get.  It usually presents with diarrhea and vomiting, usually if the cat survives it runs it's course in well under 4 weeks.  Distemper also doesn't have ups and downs.  The cat becomes very ill and then once he starts to improve he will continue to improve.

I don't understand the distemper diagnosis for the runny nose, sneazing and sore eyes. Has the vet said anything about a respiratory infection or virus?  It sounds much more like that.  

Your cat looks like he is in a lot of pain and not feeling well at all.  He is a lovely little white cat and I hate to think he is not getting help that could make him more comfortable and feel better.  Can you talk to your vet again to check what the diagnosis is, even if it was distemper and something else?  

Your cat needs to be seen by your vet or even better another vet for a 2nd opinion....The eyes are really inflamed and infected looking. I'm sure they hurt terribly...The best you can do is get to a vet ASAP...

I agree with going to a second vet, and soon (tomorrow if possible.) While I am not a vet, this *looks* more like the herpes virus (FHV) or possibly Calicivirus (both are upper respiratory infections.)

Is there a veterinary opthomologist in your area? If so, I would get a referral and go there. After my first experience with FHV with a litter of 2 wk old kittens, I always take my cats to the opthomologist when they have URI symptoms (I have multiple cats with chronic FHV.) They see so many cases where the eyes are affected and I know ours is on the forefront of new treatment options.

Please keep us updated; but, definitely go see another vet!

That doesn't look like distemper.  It looks more like Feline Herpes Virus.  If that's the case then you want to treat with an antiviral eye ointment and Lysine Supplement.  I think you need to get a 2nd opinion for your kitty.

Thank

Denice said:

Are you sure it was distemper?  Distemper is a disease related to the parvo virus that dogs get.  It usually presents with diarrhea and vomiting, usually if the cat survives it runs it's course in well under 4 weeks.  Distemper also doesn't have ups and downs.  The cat becomes very ill and then once he starts to improve he will continue to improve.

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Thank you! Vet said a strand of distemper.... They said just a common upper respiratory infection/strand of distemper. I will definetaly go and get a second opinion, his eyes look terrible and he hasn't gotten any better.

MServant said:

I don't understand the distemper diagnosis for the runny nose, sneazing and sore eyes. Has the vet said anything about a respiratory infection or virus?  It sounds much more like that.  

Your cat looks like he is in a lot of pain and not feeling well at all.  He is a lovely little white cat and I hate to think he is not getting help that could make him more comfortable and feel better.  Can you talk to your vet again to check what the diagnosis is, even if it was distemper and something else? 

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Thanks for your help! I will call the vet again and double check but I'm quite sure they said it was a form of distemper. I will let you know what I find.

CatPack said:

I agree with going to a second vet, and soon (tomorrow if possible.) While I am not a vet, this *looks* more like the herpes virus (FHV) or possibly Calicivirus (both are upper respiratory infections.)

Is there a veterinary opthomologist in your area? If so, I would get a referral and go there. After my first experience with FHV with a litter of 2 wk old kittens, I always take my cats to the opthomologist when they have URI symptoms (I have multiple cats with chronic FHV.) They see so many cases where the eyes are affected and I know ours is on the forefront of new treatment options.

Please keep us updated; but, definitely go see another vet!

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No opthamologist. I live in a very small town with only 2 vet clinics. I will definitely have him looked at again, wouldn't want my dear friend in any pain! Thanks for your help.

Good luck with talking to your vet again.  

Viruses like herpes  (FHV 1) are very common in all cats, and show symptoms most in cats with compromised immune systems or when they have been stressed.  My boy has FHV too and I agree it does look like that but it could be any number of things so you should get the vet to look at him.  As long as he has healthy liver and kidneys, if he does have FHV the L Lysine can work wonders and it isn't expensive to get unlike all the antibiotics and pain killers FHV kitties need when they get nasty bouts of the virus with secondary infections.  With the eyes they get tiny little ulcers on their eyes so you can imagine the pain, never mind the permanent damage and eye loss that can result if it isn't managed.  It could well be that your boy had distemper or something to start with and more upper respiratory and eye symptoms are showing now.

I am holding my breath waiting to see your boy well because I think he is a stunning looking boy and despite looking so sick he has a really inquisitive face.  

MServant said:

Good luck with talking to your vet again.  

Viruses like herpes  (FHV 1) are very common in all cats, and show symptoms most in cats with compromised immune systems or when they have been stressed.  My boy has FHV too and I agree it does look like that but it could be any number of things so you should get the vet to look at him.  As long as he has healthy liver and kidneys, if he does have FHV the L Lysine can work wonders and it isn't expensive to get unlike all the antibiotics and pain killers FHV kitties need when they get nasty bouts of the virus with secondary infections.  With the eyes they get tiny little ulcers on their eyes so you can imagine the pain, never mind the permanent damage and eye loss that can result if it isn't managed.  It could well be that your boy had distemper or something to start with and more upper respiratory and eye symptoms are showing now.
I am holding my breath waiting to see your boy well because I think he is a stunning looking boy and despite looking so sick he has a really inquisitive face.  

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Talked to the vet again, they said it is a strand of feline herpies and it flared up due to stress (new cat in the household). They prescribed a heavier antibiotic and said if it isn't wiped out to call. Do you think I should get a second opinion? That was my original plan but they were filled and I'd rather get something than nothing to help him!

haileey23 said:

Talked to the vet again, they said it is a strand of feline herpies and it flared up due to stress (new cat in the household). They prescribed a heavier antibiotic and said if it isn't wiped out to call. Do you think I should get a second opinion? That was my original plan but they were filled and I'd rather get something than nothing to help him!

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Oral antibiotics usually don't help herpes, so if that's what your vet prescribed I would get a second opintion. Herpes is a virus, you need anti-viral eye ointment (idoxuridine is the one that I use when my kitties flare) and need to put your kitty on Lysine (I use Viralys I give 1 scoop twice a day to my kitty.  When it flares he gets more.  Here is more information about it including treatment options. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1327   You can use topical antibiotics to help prevent secondary infections.

The antibiotics will help if there's a secondary infection, but to help the herpes itself, there's a lot you can do.  First, however, you do need to get the infection cleared up.  If you do go to a second vet, which might be a good option, ask for a culture and sensitivity test on any discharge.  This will tell you what kind of infection you're dealing with and which medication will best treat it.  Also, you could ask for a PCR URD test to determine if your kitty does indeed have herpes.

Herpes affects a kitty's immune system and is incurable, but very treatable.  My Hannah was diagnosed when she was about 3 yrs old and we've been managing her herpes for the past 5 years with no major outbreaks.  As you've discovered, stress is the #1 trigger of flare ups, so try to keep your home as stress free as possible.  Keep to a schedule and try to keep to your normal routine.  Any kind of big change can be stressful and potentially trigger a flare up.  I run Feliway diffusers in my house 24/7 and it helps all my  kitties.  It's an expensive investment, but you can find the diffuser and refills online fairly inexpensively.  Shop around!  I got my first diffuser at the local pet store because I needed one right away, but I buy all my refills online.  Feliway is a synthetic pheromone that helps soothe and calm a cat to make them relax and feel less stressed out. 

Changing to a grain-free diet will also help.  The arginine in the grains helps the virus to replicate, so cutting that out helps.  As a previous poster mentioned, adding Lysine daily to the cat's diet will also help.  It's an amino acid that helps block the replication of the virus.  Many of us who have herpes kitties use the NOW brand of Lysine that comes in a 1-lb container.  It's tasteless and odorless and dissolves easily in water, so you can add it to wet food with a bit of water and mix it into food.  For an active flare up, the dose is 1000mg a day.  For the Lysine to be effective, it needs to stay in the bloodstream, so it's best if you break the dose into 2 doses daily (500mg/2x a day).  Once things calm down and he's doing fine, then you can decrease the meds to 500mg daily (250mg 2x a day), but it will be something that he'll need to be on for the rest of his life.

For the eye problem, which I don't have much experience with, ask your doctor for some eye drops.  I have used Tobramicin and Gentimicin successfully with Hannah.  Gentimicin is my preferred eye drop because we also use it in her nose, but I use tobramicin as well.  You can use a warm compress on the eye to help soothe it.  One big no-no for Herpes kitties is steroids.  Try to avoid them if you can because steroids will suppress the immune system making the kitty more vulnerable to infections and illnessess, which your kitty doesn't need.  The eye drops I use have a bit of steroid in them, but not as much a dose as prednisone. 

To help with the congestion and breathing problems, you can run a vaporizer near where he sleeps most of the time.  If you don't have a vaporizer, you can get your bathroom good and steamy, turn off the water and bring the kitty into the bathroom with you.  Sit with him until the steam dissipates.  I call this the Spa Treatment!  LOL  The steam helps break up that congestion and hopefully, will help him sneeze it out.  Be sure he eats to keep him healthy so his body can fight the infection and get well.  If he can't smell his food, he won't eat and you'll need to syringe feed him.  Get some stinky wet food and warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave or in a water bath.  Warming the food enhances the aroma and entices him to eat.  If he continues to have low appetite, ask the vet for an appetite stimulant and some Science Diet a/d food.  One can should work for you.  That stuff is like kitty crack!  It's chock-full of nutrients and is very addicting to kitties.

I hope this helps.  If you have questions, post them here and/or feel free to inbox me.