My foster cats eye just does'nt get better

Hello all,

I am new to these forums. I have a foster cat with an eye problem that does not get better.

Her backround is as such:
I rescued her back in August of 2004. She was an abandoned mother with 4 nursing babies at the time living in the hot weather under a stair well. She was approximately 2 years old with probably NO previous vetting b4 I rescued her. Who knows what she was exposed too.

When I brought her home her right eye was squinty and alittle pink around the edges(and slight discharge, but Not green or yello, just like a dirty brown color in the corner of her eye). Her babies all seemed fine...they were about 3 weeks old at the time.( and they were fine all the way up until they were adopted out into new homes)

I have had this cat fully vetted...i.e. Tested for FELV/FIV and she is Negative, Spayed, up 2 date on shots(plus the rabies vaccine)...etc...

I have had her to the vets about 10 different times the last 7 months for her right eye and have had her treated with Clavamox, Amoxicillin, a boat loads of eye ointment to no avail

Beside her eye being a problem , she also sounds slightly conjested within her nose all the time. The vets just keep giving me these meds for her but it seems like she will be fine one week and the next her eye is inflamed again.
One vet I took her to thought that she may have Feline Herpes and just told me that this will be a re accuring problem through out her life and that there was nothing she could be treated with that could help her. But the regular vet I use doesnt agree with that and just has me treat her with different meds and this and that.

All of her babies were healthy and none had eye problems, or URI or any symptoms like their mother.

All of my other fosters that are around her are perfectly fine and have been for months(all of my fosters are vaccinated and tested before being exposed to the other kittys). She is the only one with this problem.

She is a normal healthy cat besides her chronic eye problem and nasal stuffyness from time to time (but more often than not).
What could this be? Does any one else have a cat with similiar problems and advise?
Thanks

It sounds like chronic herpes virus to me from your description, and when a cat is a carrier of this virus post nasal drip is part of the package. I would start giving this cat about 4 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract in some canned food at every feeding, while continuing with the antibiotics from the vet. Herpes virus is not the end of the world, but it is a pain to get under control.

Originally Posted by hissy

It sounds like chronic herpes virus to me from your description, and when a cat is a carrier of this virus post nasal drip is part of the package. I would start giving this cat about 4 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract in some canned food at every feeding, while continuing with the antibiotics from the vet. Herpes virus is not the end of the world, but it is a pain to get under control.

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Thanks....I agree this is a pain to get under control. I just want her to be happy and healthy. She seems happy and is by far one of the most loving cats I have ever been around.

If this is the feline herpes virus...I have heard that it is very contagious...wouldnt all of my other cats have it as well???

I mean she has been here since August and I have had a few others since around that time and they are still fine. I have had fosters come in and out and most have been here for 2 months or more and again...they were always fine with NO symptoms.
This is what puzzles me.

For a multi cat household and only one has symptoms and the rest are perfectly normal ....how can this be explained?


any more advice would be great!

I have 12 cats in my house and one with a chronic case of feline herpes. Emma's showed up at about 3 1/3 months when I got her spayed. At the time Emma was number 4 of 5 and the youngest. She had a buddy at the time a month or two older he never showed any sign of developing herpes, but I lost him to an injury. I put all the cats on a high quality cat food at the suggestion of the vet and none of the older cats every developed anything and my oldest is 13 now. Emma is almost three and since then I have added five of her half brothers and sisters and a few unrelated others. None of the others have every developed herpes and Emma still has problems with one of her eyes, congestion and a runny nose. Emma just needs her eyes wiped out everyday and if I forget she lets me know!

Regina

I have 1 of 14 with recurring herpes virus. My vet (and the shelter vets) recommend Lysine. It's a dietary supplement that you can buy over the counter. Nothing is going to prevent the herpes, but if you give it to them daily, it helps control flair-ups. I have heard mixed reactions from it - it will help some and not others.

The pills are sold for humans, are HUGE and must be cut to dosage size based on your cat's weight. If you want to try this route, talk to your vet to get the exact dosage for your cat. Don't just buy and dispense - it can make them ill if the wrong dosage is used. My vet had to look it up in his vetrinary's handbook for me.

Poor baby - I know how frustrating it can be! Muddy hates his daily pill.