11yo cat with feline herpes symptoms?

Hey Everyone

Thank you all so much for posting this info.  My cat is sneezing, has runny nose, eyes (clear & watery); and sounds slurrpy when breathing.  Did your cats have this?  He had it years ago (which is when my vet said he'd probably he'd been carring the virus all along); he has it again... i have him an anti-histamine... did your cats have the same symptoms?  I'm worried... he was only about 5 when he last had this.. he's 11 years old now...

My cats had this in the past also.  I add L-lysine to their food, which keeps the herpes virus in check.  I buy the capsule form 250 mg. capsules and empty the powder into their food and mix it.  It has little taste but is a bit salty.  They don't seem to mind if it's a food they like.  Since your cat has not had this in a long time, it may not be a return of the herpes but may be another upper respiratory infection.  If there is any yellow in the discharge, that would indicate a secondary bacterial infection and you should take him to the vet promptly.  For my cats, I give them about half a capsule's worth (125 mg.) at each meal, i.e. twice a day as a preventative, and if they were to have any ative symptoms, I would double that until the symptoms went away.  L-lysine works because the herpes virus requires Arginene to replicate, and L-lysine acts as an arginene antagonist, so the more L-lysine is available in the system, the less arginene is available, and thus the herpes virus doesn't have enough to grow with.  It doesn't kill the herpes virus, it just stops it from multiplying.

also, if your cat won't eat the lysine powder in food, there are lysine treats available. 

Thank you both!  I broke down and took him to the VET yesterday afternoon...  Due to the Chlortrimeton, 2mg/ twice daily;  started last Friday night, and through the weekend - he was doing much better.  He slept a lot.  I am also giving him 1,000mg of the Lysine daily.   Sick as he's been  -- he is still eating   VET said I over-did feeding (weighs 24 lbs -- Maine Coone).   But, he looked much better, eyes weren't tearing, no sneezing or runny nose... VET a approved of the regimen.  Said he looked good; eyes clear,  heart, lungs, checked for fever - all was good.  He looked pretty good, except for the lethargy from the meds and the illness.  But guess what?   We get back home, and he started sneezing again!   I called the VET right back - said give him more time to de-stress.  Now, he's gotten fed up with the Chlortrimeton (knows I'm putting it in his food).  Doesn't want the soft-treats, I even got him baby food, tuna fish, pate dinners, chicken bullion to flavor & moisten his food (which I serve warmed).  BTW, no no yellow or green discharges... I just wish his sinuses were clear.  VET said it's post-nasal.  Needless to say, cancelled his sedate & groom session for this Thursay.  VET said too stressful for him right now.  He is just sleeping a alot.  She did not give any antibiotics...  I am exhausted..

I don't know if it helped, but when Swanie had a bad flareup and trouble breathing I sat with him in the bathroom with the shower running to make steam. He was on antibiotics though.

Thank you, he's a little better today... ate with no prompting... but he is clearly letting me know, he's checking for meds   So, no more pills... just the Lysine powder - he's okay with that... keeping him @ 500mg now, and tapering off slowly... THANK YOU ALL