FVR and Vaccine Question :)

Hello! Here's some back story- I have a 6 month old kitten and a 14 week old kitten. The 6 month old kitten has had 8 (i kid you not, 8) FVRCPs before the age of 5 months. The shelter gave him 1 vaccine every 2 weeks from the time someone dropped him off at 4 weeks old until I adopted him at 5 months old. This kitten was sick when we adopted him, he had coccidia, giardia, and an upper respiratory but was xrayed and poked and prodded and treated and has been absolutely fine since then! I brought the new kitten home and kept her in quarantine until tested and vaccinated and she has 1 more FVRCP due next week and she was spayed on Friday. She hasn't opened her eyes more then half way since her spay and she has a bump and a cut on her nose but no sneezing or coughing and still eating and playing fine. I called the vet and they said they don't know where the bump and cut came from and she could be still groggy from the anesthesia 3 days later. But now my 6 month old popped up with terrible upper respiratory symptoms- sneezy, watery eyes, super sleepy, the whole 9 yards. Vet says its probably FVR that the new kitten brought in.

My question is this- How does FVR react in a body thats been vaccinated with FVRCP? Does it mean that he will have symptoms but wont be a carrier? If he had FVR before his 8 vaccinations would it just stay in his body despite the vaccine? I know vaccines are not a cure, of course, im just wondering if the FVR in the vaccine is effecting their symptoms or the way they will carry it at all? Also, no antibiotics? Also, the vet said I dont need to bring them in and it it will run its course unless it gets worse then call back? Good thing I have a cool forum like this to make up for what my vet is lacking... LOL I know this is allot and I'm over thinking as usual but I just want to know as much as I can about FVR and how to help my babies in the future since they both have it now!

Now im off to pick up an entire stock of Lysine, because Im over thinking that now too...

Not sure I can answer your technical questions, but I'll give you what I can.  My thinking is that this is not really Herpes, but perhaps just an upper respiratory infection, aka a cold.  Possibly picked up by your female while she was at the Vet, who knows.  Is she still not showing any signs of it?  Why would your Vet thing the male would get FVR when he's had EIGHT vaccinations against it?  Does he know that?  And why would he think SHE would have it since she's been vaccinated (and showing no signs)? 

So, normally no antibiotics are given for a URI because it IS like a cold.  But, as he said, if it gets worse, then it's possible it's bacterial and then might need some.  Here's an article that might be helpful to you  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/identif...dopted-from-animal-shelters-and-rescue-groups   Look under Upper Respiratory Infections and it'll tell you a little bit about supportive care

I"d guess that the cut and bump on your female's nose came from being caged at the Vet...she probably tried to get our of that cage and caused a little damage to herself.  Not unheard of, that's for sure.  Now that fact that she's not opened her eyes fully since the spay...that's somewhat concerning to me.  Has that changed at all since your original post?  Three days for the anesthesia to wear off seems an awfully long time.  Does she still seem loopy? 

Again, sorry I can't answer the technical stuff.  Those are questions your Vet should be able to answer

Thank you! I have no idea why the vet jumped to FVR, she said it was the most common cause of upper respiratory symptoms. She said that the female kitten (Nilla) could be having some of the eye related symptoms to FVR. Nilla is acting absolutely normal, eating drinking running playing and her eyes are half open now so thats improvement. Tuna, the male is feeling much better after using Lysine last night and this morning. He was actually playing a bit this morning when I left for work. Your thinking about why on earth Tuna would get FVR when clearly fully vaccinated is my thinking exactly, but the vet said of course that vaccines are never 100%... which is true... but still lol.

I really appreciate your reply!