Hello all! I read a thread from 2 years ago on here recommending grain-free cat food diets for cats with feline herpes. Is this still true? Also, some people said they gave l-lysine supplements. I do not know where to get this or if it is still believed to help. Does anyone have experience and answers? Thank you!!
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Kittens with feline herpes; nutrition? Grain free? L-lysine?
- Thread starter avarmenio
- Start Date
Grain free diets are often recommended for all cats, not just those with herpes virus. It's based on the fact that cats are obligate carnivores, and aren't able to process grains very efficiently.
As far as l-lysine goes, the jury's still out. So far, there is no clinical proof that l-lysine supplementation is beneficial, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence. Too much l-lysine can definitely cause problems long term, so it's best to only use it during flare ups instead of as a preventative measure. If you want to try l-lysine, the best thing to do is talk to your vet. They can advise on appropriate dosages etc. [article="22329"][/article][thread="309898"][/thread]
As far as l-lysine goes, the jury's still out. So far, there is no clinical proof that l-lysine supplementation is beneficial, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence. Too much l-lysine can definitely cause problems long term, so it's best to only use it during flare ups instead of as a preventative measure. If you want to try l-lysine, the best thing to do is talk to your vet. They can advise on appropriate dosages etc. [article="22329"][/article][thread="309898"][/thread]
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Yes, grain free, low starch is advisable for cats in general. Grains contain arginine, an amino acid and arginine feeds the herpes virus.
Lysine is an amino acid also and it does appear to help minimize some of the FHV symptoms, specifically, reducing arginine, however, cats do need arginine in their diet, you wouldn't want an arginine deficiency as that could be dangerous. The key is finding the right balance.
Our vet recommended lysine several years ago, we were using about 250 mg per day for maintenance, 500 mg for a flare up, temporarily, however, you should consult with your vet first.
I have a five year old, FHV cat, Mikey, he does well on grain free and minimal vegetables (although I do mostly raw with him), however, he does eat some grain free, low starch canned food. I have since minimized the amount of lysine b/c he is getting more natural lysine in his diet so his symptoms are under control (he had horrible, runny eyes and frequent sneezing).
When I use lysine, I use Carlson's, it's reasonably priced and 100% pure lysine powder with no additives, you just mix with food. There are lysine chews available for cats but these generally tend to be less potent and include fillers.
Lysine is an amino acid also and it does appear to help minimize some of the FHV symptoms, specifically, reducing arginine, however, cats do need arginine in their diet, you wouldn't want an arginine deficiency as that could be dangerous. The key is finding the right balance.
Our vet recommended lysine several years ago, we were using about 250 mg per day for maintenance, 500 mg for a flare up, temporarily, however, you should consult with your vet first.
I have a five year old, FHV cat, Mikey, he does well on grain free and minimal vegetables (although I do mostly raw with him), however, he does eat some grain free, low starch canned food. I have since minimized the amount of lysine b/c he is getting more natural lysine in his diet so his symptoms are under control (he had horrible, runny eyes and frequent sneezing).
When I use lysine, I use Carlson's, it's reasonably priced and 100% pure lysine powder with no additives, you just mix with food. There are lysine chews available for cats but these generally tend to be less potent and include fillers.
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Various studies have been conducted on lysine / FHV cats, however, with mixed conclusions:
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.75.6.572
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12518876
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4647294/
http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-015-0594-3
http://vetoquinolusa.com/Studies/FHV/EffectOfOralL-lysine.pdf
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.75.6.572
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12518876
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4647294/
http://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-015-0594-3
http://vetoquinolusa.com/Studies/FHV/EffectOfOralL-lysine.pdf
