Cat with Feline Herpes Virus isn't responding to L-Lysine. What now?

I'm wondering if there's anything, natural or pharmaceutical, that can help prevent flare-ups. Or if there's any medication that treats flare-ups once they occur. 

Thanks in advance!

Famciclovir (then followed by oral antibiotics)  worked for my "ferals" to get the herpes under control.   Before that I tried the eye ointments which  didn't seem to help at all and caused issues because they were feral.   After they were "clear"  I gave them  250 mg of lysine as a preventative for 6 months.  The next 6 months I gave them 250mg every other day.  Over a year and a half now, and neither one has had a flare up.

Maintaining a routine and decreasing stress using calming agents can help.  Switching to an all grain-free diet might also help.  You can also try a daily antihistamine and adding lactoferrin.  We tried the Lactoferrin and had no success, but many people have.  Here's a good thread on it.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/267703/stubborn-herpes-infection-add-lactoferrin-in-addition-to-lysine

One of the best things we ever did to help my herpes girl was to stop getting the FVRCP booster every year since the "FVR" is Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus, or the herpes virus!  The vet can order the other vaccines separately if you still want to vaccinate for them.  (We don't after consulting with our vet and doing our own research.)

Famciclovir (oral anti-viral), Idoxuridine (anti-viral eye drop), Cidofovir (another anti-viral eye drop), Doxycycline and Azithromycin are all options when treating herpes flare-ups.

If there is a bacterial infection occurring too, Veraflox is an antibiotic used specifically to treat secondary infections associated with FHV.

Another (much more expensive) option is the use of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. I save this for the kitties that either do not respond to other treatment, who have chronic flare-ups or who have flare-ups as soon as stopping antiviral/antibiotic regimes.

The two kitties I have used PI with had severe FHV and, after a combination of PI and Veraflox, no longer have issues.

Treatment with PI costs upwards of a few hundred dollars (price dependent on how much the cat weights). It's never been my first defense to-date; though, I am looking into possibly trying it on 2 of our rescues.

Theyremine said:

 
Famciclovir (then followed by oral antibiotics)  worked for my "ferals" to get the herpes under control.   Before that I tried the eye ointments which  didn't seem to help at all and caused issues because they were feral.   After they were "clear"  I gave them  250 mg of lysine as a preventative for 6 months.  The next 6 months I gave them 250mg every other day.  Over a year and a half now, and neither one has had a flare up.

Click to expand...

Sounds like it's worth checking into Famciclovir. Thanks for sharing what worked for you :-)

stephanietx said:

 
Maintaining a routine and decreasing stress using calming agents can help.  Switching to an all grain-free diet might also help.  You can also try a daily antihistamine and adding lactoferrin.  We tried the Lactoferrin and had no success, but many people have.  Here's a good thread on it.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/267703/stubborn-herpes-infection-add-lactoferrin-in-addition-to-lysine

One of the best things we ever did to help my herpes girl was to stop getting the FVRCP booster every year since the "FVR" is Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus, or the herpes virus!  The vet can order the other vaccines separately if you still want to vaccinate for them.  (We don't after consulting with our vet and doing our own research.)

Click to expand...

I didn't think about the calming agents- will have to look into that! Thanks for the link to the lactoferrin info :-) I agree that over-vaccinating can be problematic (even in healthy cats). My kitties from the same litter no longer get vax because one has an autoimmune disorder. The vet said vax *could* trigger a latent form of the same disease in the others, so no more vax for them.

CatPack said:

Famciclovir (oral anti-viral), Idoxuridine (anti-viral eye drop), Cidofovir (another anti-viral eye drop), Doxycycline and Azithromycin are all options when treating herpes flare-ups.

If there is a bacterial infection occurring too, Veraflox is an antibiotic used specifically to treat secondary infections associated with FHV.

Another (much more expensive) option is the use of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. I save this for the kitties that either do not respond to other treatment, who have chronic flare-ups or who have flare-ups as soon as stopping antiviral/antibiotic regimes.

The two kitties I have used PI with had severe FHV and, after a combination of PI and Veraflox, no longer have issues.

Treatment with PI costs upwards of a few hundred dollars (price dependent on how much the cat weights). It's never been my first defense to-date; though, I am looking into possibly trying it on 2 of our rescues.

Click to expand...

Thanks for all that detailed info :-) Will keep the Polyprenyl Immunostimulant in mind in case other meds don't do the trick.