Haley - My Jazz has herpes as well. When she gets stressed, blammo, ugly eye that's heartbreaking. She's gotten corneal ulcers that were a bit stubborn to clear up. We've had her less than a year and have learned a LOT since bringing her home and struggling through 3 boughts of virus flare-ups so bad she got ulcers (changing homes, getting fixed, then finally, bringing a third cat into the house are all stress-inducers and can bring on flares. Below is what we've found to work for her:
First thing is to get the virus load down. Famciclovir helped a lot (oral antiviral drug). Human drug, had to cut it in tiny bits, but she had NO side effects. A little pricey, but if you shop around at different drugstores, you can find the best price. Our local CVS had the best price, even over Target's so-called discount price. 2 wk supply was under $40. This can help knock the virus down to levels that can be managed in other ways.
Since she had corneal ulcers, we were given a variety of drops and ointments. Antiviral drops hurt her eyes horribly - even one that started off ok, she ended up getting sensitive to it. The vet actually ended up using blood plasma drops (draw blood, centrifuge it, and they gave us the clear liquid). That finally helped the ulcer and was not painful. (Our vet was following the guidance of a pet ophthalmologist after all the other drops weren't working or hurt too much.)
Antibiotic ointment only helps with secondary infections which you may have with your kitty.
We also gave her Lysine throughout vet treatments.
Now that the virus is in the background, we give Jazz Lysine snacks for cats as a daily maintenance. She loves the Vetri brand (amazon's cheapest - u can also buy powdered lysine for cats online) and for her it's a treat that she gets VERY excited over when I crinkle the bag. I believe they've helped keep the virus managed, but the vet warned us that at times of stress, it'll probably flare again. Some cats get seasonal flare-ups. The vet offered famciclovir for when we go on vacation, which can be stressful (hard enough leaving our "girls" without worrying one will have eye trouble!!).
Please consider seeing a vet for help getting the virus under control, and for an ointment if necessary. Prolonged eye infection (viral or bacterial) can lead to permanent damage, blindness, and even loss of an eye.
I hope this is helpful. Jazz is chirping and bouncing around me right now and she says "you can do it!". I agree - you'll get a handle on this - stay determined! Cheers to you for caring so much for your little buddy!
First thing is to get the virus load down. Famciclovir helped a lot (oral antiviral drug). Human drug, had to cut it in tiny bits, but she had NO side effects. A little pricey, but if you shop around at different drugstores, you can find the best price. Our local CVS had the best price, even over Target's so-called discount price. 2 wk supply was under $40. This can help knock the virus down to levels that can be managed in other ways.
Since she had corneal ulcers, we were given a variety of drops and ointments. Antiviral drops hurt her eyes horribly - even one that started off ok, she ended up getting sensitive to it. The vet actually ended up using blood plasma drops (draw blood, centrifuge it, and they gave us the clear liquid). That finally helped the ulcer and was not painful. (Our vet was following the guidance of a pet ophthalmologist after all the other drops weren't working or hurt too much.)
Antibiotic ointment only helps with secondary infections which you may have with your kitty.
We also gave her Lysine throughout vet treatments.
Now that the virus is in the background, we give Jazz Lysine snacks for cats as a daily maintenance. She loves the Vetri brand (amazon's cheapest - u can also buy powdered lysine for cats online) and for her it's a treat that she gets VERY excited over when I crinkle the bag. I believe they've helped keep the virus managed, but the vet warned us that at times of stress, it'll probably flare again. Some cats get seasonal flare-ups. The vet offered famciclovir for when we go on vacation, which can be stressful (hard enough leaving our "girls" without worrying one will have eye trouble!!).
Please consider seeing a vet for help getting the virus under control, and for an ointment if necessary. Prolonged eye infection (viral or bacterial) can lead to permanent damage, blindness, and even loss of an eye.
I hope this is helpful. Jazz is chirping and bouncing around me right now and she says "you can do it!". I agree - you'll get a handle on this - stay determined! Cheers to you for caring so much for your little buddy!
