possible feline herpes. help me understand...

[my3grrlz]

forgot about this until a little bit ago.....

i am a bit annoyed and scared at the same time.

i have read a couple threads on here about other cats having the virus. totally do not want to have my felines getting it.

HERE IS THE ISSUE...

i was not told until after i brought Ivee into my home..a few times thru the past 4 weeks, and now permanently..that there is a possibility that she may have the virus, contracted from her mother. (the subject came up when Ivee needed her eye boogies to be cleaned off. about 4 days ago.) the mother belongs to a neighbors daughter. she and her family lived on the east coast when momma cat was supposedly diagnosed with the virus..supposedly 1-2 ago. she got pregnant the week before they moved here. so my neighbor and i are not sure if momma actually had the virus at all. also beings that the daughter gave the wrong info about HOW the virus is contracted, is another reason i question whether the she actually had it. the daughter said it is only sexually transmitted.

which, in my research, i have come to believe that is NOT the case.

i also question it becuz i have seen the mother for about 3 months now. she has NO SYMPTOMS what so ever of the virus..neither do the kittens. AND she is not on any meds for anything..as far as i know.

(altho all the animals in both household were treated for worms recently. becuz momma had em before they moved here. all animals are okay now..at least mine are. that is the only known med that momma has had in the past 3-4 months.)
as i have read..the cats have to be on a daily med for the virus..or very often. did i understand that correctly?

i also know that a way of preventing the virus is by getting regular vaccinations....
WELL...i know some ppl will not agree with me on the...i don't get my cats vaccinated. (i don't get vaccines either..and neither does my daughter. plz do not look down on me about that. this is about the cats.) but i just may consider vaccines for the prevention of this virus.

should i look for any specific signs from my grrlz to catch it in the beginning stages?..IF they even have it at all.

of course i am a little paranoid at the fact that i have researched the virus and know it CAN be passed on to other cats by them using the same food/water bowls..using the same grooming items..litter box..etc. well it is too late to worry about preventing that. i have been letting them eat/drink from each others bowls, for the past couple of weeks. and they use the same litter box too.

is there any specifics that i should look for in all my grrlz..IN CASE it was true that the momma had the virus?

 

 

[ln6271]

Feline herpes is not at all like human herpes--it is definitely not a sexually transmitted disease. Most cats in North America would test positive for the virus if they were tested (nearly all shelter cats have it), but a lot of cats never show symptoms.  I have two cats with feline herpes who do occasionally show symptoms, but those are triggered by stress so we do have some control over that.Neither of my cats have shown herpes symptoms in a couple of years.

If you believe your cat has the herpes virus, it is important to keep an eye on any symptoms you see like sneezing fits (especially if the discharge has a color) and goopy, watery eyes (especially if the discharge has any color). If your cat has any discharge that is anything but clear, they should go to the vet for a check. The vet may recommend antibiotics, but it is not to cure the virus because antibiotics will not work on a virus. The antibiotics would be recommended to prevent a more serious infection from occurring while your cat's immune system is depressed.

 

[my3grrlz]

Feline herpes is not at all like human herpes--it is definitely not a sexually transmitted disease. Most cats in North America would test positive for the virus if they were tested (nearly all shelter cats have it), but a lot of cats never show symptoms.  I have two cats with feline herpes who do occasionally show symptoms, but those are triggered by stress so we do have some control over that.Neither of my cats have shown herpes symptoms in a couple of years.

hmmm...still a bit worried about it. but thank you for sharing your experience.

i do have a question tho. has your cat needed to be on meds thru the past couple yrs for the virus even tho not showing symptoms?
 

If you believe your cat has the herpes virus, it is important to keep an eye on any symptoms you see like sneezing fits (especially if the discharge has a color) and goopy, watery eyes (especially if the discharge has any color). If your cat has any discharge that is anything but clear, they should go to the vet for a check. The vet may recommend antibiotics, but it is not to cure the virus because antibiotics will not work on a virus. The antibiotics would be recommended to prevent a more serious infection from occurring while your cat's immune system is depressed.

i don't actually believe that Ivee has it. she has never had any symptoms. i will definitely keep an eye out for any. of course if i do notice anything out of the norm, i will take her straight to a vet.

 

[txcatmom]

Symptoms would be either a "kitty cold" (sneezing, coughing, congestion, etc....) or eye problems (squintiness or weepiness.)  There may be others but I'm working off what we have experienced at our house.  I think 2 or 3 of my cats were probably exposed to the feline herpes virus as kittens before they were vaccinated.  All it means is that they get kitty colds and occasional eye flare-ups.  In my experience it hasn't been a big deal at all.  I just sprinkle a supplement called l-lysine on their food twice a day.  It helps their bodies fight the virus and lessens the frequency and severity of flare ups.  I've also had to do some research and develop guidelines for myself to know when a cat cold requires a vet trip.  Luckily, my cats have not had severe colds and usually recover without vet treatment. 

 

[my3grrlz]

Symptoms would be either a "kitty cold" (sneezing, coughing, congestion, etc....) or eye problems (squintiness or weepiness.)  There may be others but I'm working off what we have experienced at our house.  I think 2 or 3 of my cats were probably exposed to the feline herpes virus as kittens before they were vaccinated.  All it means is that they get kitty colds and occasional eye flare-ups.  In my experience it hasn't been a big deal at all.  I just sprinkle a supplement called l-lysine on their food twice a day.  It helps their bodies fight the virus and lessens the frequency and severity of flare ups.  I've also had to do some research and develop guidelines for myself to know when a cat cold requires a vet trip.  Luckily, my cats have not had severe colds and usually recover without vet treatment. 

thank you very much for sharing your experience. i do have a few question for you..that my friend brought up....

how much do you have to sprinkle on their food? is it daily? and do you give it to them separately..in each bowl?

reason i ask is becuz there is possibly 8 cats that may have it..becuz all were exposed in a way. that is IF the kittens DID for sure get it from momma.

BUT.....we are not actually SURE that the momma actually had it. (i keep repeating myself. sorry.)

we found out a few mins ago that THE ONLY symptoms she had was a runny nose and a little boogies in the corners of her eyes. that..to me..doesn't mean she had the virus. and..as i stated above...beings that she said the vet told her that the way it was transmitted thru sexual intercourse.

all the info i have read and been given states that is BULL! so that makes me question whether momma ACTUALLY HAD THE VIRUS AT ALL, or not.

it's very frustrated not knowing for sure.

becuz now 8 cats may possibly have it. UNLESS the cats..like my 2 older ones..had to be in the same home and in contact with the momma..which they never were..and never will be. one other cat was not either.
but as i understand...if the kittens have it and have eaten/drank from the same bowls and used the same litter box as the adult cats, then it is a sure thing that the adult cats have it now.

is that true?

i am actually going to contact a vet as soon as i can..after posting this..to see if they will give me the exact info i need.

but if any of you know for sure...please do not hesitate to help me understand further. for my 3 grrlz sake.

 

[erillyn]

First off let me say that there is a simple test that all of the cats can have to determine if they have the virus. It's a super simple test that only requires a bit of blood. I am a vet tech (student, 2nd year) and I have done what seems like hundreds of these tests. I HIGHLY suggest that you and/or your neighbor have the cats TESTED before you start willy-nilly supplementing the cats and giving yourselves heart attacks worrying about it. The supplementing can actually result in more harm done to the cats than the actual virus. You can throw off the cats’ very delicate vitamin and mineral requirements that can have drastic effects on their bodies.

 

As far as you asking what the clinical symptoms are of the virus, you cannot rely on that alone. Some cats can simply be carriers of the virus. They will not show ANY symptom or be sick at all, but are still able to pass the virus. The clinical symptoms that you will see as said before is like a 'kitty cold'. These symptoms are actually from FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis) which can be caused by the herpes virus. 

 

I know you have stated before that you are against vaccinations, and I completely respect that in the highest regards. But unfortunately, there is very great attributes to getting them vaccinations that they may need if you are bringing other cats into your home. Especially if one or more of your cats now have the virus, it is essential to keep up on vaccinations because there immune system will be weakened.

 

 I am not going to try and shove it down your throat because that I know is disrespectful and not what my intentions are. I apologize a thousand times if I have “urked” you at all. I just want to say that you should talk with your vet about the pros and the cons, and even what simple vaccines that your cats may require. Trust me, the vet and vet techs are truly there for the health of your pet. If they were in it for the money, they would have gone into the human medicine world And as I am sure you know, we are our pets protectors, and we should consider the things that will aide in their protection too  

PS. Please please please if you have anymore question just ask.

 

[my3grrlz]

First off let me say that there is a simple test that all of the cats can have to determine if they have the virus. It's a super simple test that only requires a bit of blood. I am a vet tech (student, 2nd year) and I have done what seems like hundreds of these tests. I HIGHLY suggest that you and/or your neighbor have the cats TESTED before you start willy-nilly supplementing the cats and giving yourselves heart attacks worrying about it. The supplementing can actually result in more harm done to the cats than the actual virus. You can throw off the cats’ very delicate vitamin and mineral requirements that can have drastic effects on their bodies.
thank you for that info. i do appreciate your knowledge.

i will definitely contact a vet in the morning to see how much the test would be for my 3.

 

As far as you asking what the clinical symptoms are of the virus, you cannot rely on that alone. Some cats can simply be carriers of the virus. They will not show ANY symptom or be sick at all, but are still able to pass the virus. The clinical symptoms that you will see as said before is like a 'kitty cold'. These symptoms are actually from FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis) which can be caused by the herpes virus. 

i will inform my friend of what you have said here.
 

I know you have stated before that you are against vaccinations, and I completely respect that in the highest regards. But unfortunately, there is very great attributes to getting them vaccinations that they may need if you are bringing other cats into your home. Especially if one or more of your cats now have the virus, it is essential to keep up on vaccinations because there immune system will be weakened.

 

I am not going to try and shove it down your throat because that I know is disrespectful and not what my intentions are. I apologize a thousand times if I have “urked” you at all.
you have not urked me in any way. no prob there.

i know how it goes.
i worked for a Chiropractor for 2 yrs..and i was always informing patients as to why vaccines are not good.
my docs always ask me if i want to get vaccines for myself and/or my daughter. doesn't bother me. i just stick to my beliefs.
I just want to say that you should talk with your vet about the pros and the cons, and even what simple vaccines that your cats may require. Trust me, the vet and vet techs are truly there for the health of your pet. If they were in it for the money, they would have gone into the human medicine world And as I am sure you know, we are our pets protectors, and we should consider the things that will aide in their protection too  
i understand your point and concerns.

PS. Please please please if you have anymore question just ask.

oh believe me...i definitely will. i have found that there are some great ppl on this site that have some good advice, tips, and share experiences.

 

[stephanietx]

I have a feline herpes positive kitty and didn't know it until we'd had her for almost 2 years.  FHV is usually transmitted via air as a respiratory infection (rhinotracheitis) and usually kitties who have poor upbringings are most susceptible to catching it and having life-long complications.  Kitties who are malnourished, in close quarters with other kitties, in stressful environments, and exposed to all sorts of things as strays are the ones who usually contract the disease.  Many cats can be carriers and never show symptoms.  Other kitties have a severe case of it and have severe outbreaks.  They can range from weepy eyes, sneezing, snotty noses to eye ulcers, vision loss, loss of eyes, and granulomas/cysts.  The biggest trigger is stress and malnutrition.  The key to keeping your herpes kitty healthy is to build up their nutrition and keep the stress level down. 
 

The herpes virus means that your kitty's immune system is compromised and if s/he gets sick it will take it longer to recover.  Prevention is the best medicine and there is a lot you can do to keep your kitty healthy.  Feeding grain-free diet, providing a regular routine and cutting out stress helps as does running a Feliway diffuser.  You can have your kitty tested using the IDEXX Real PCR-URD test.  It's very accurate and can give you a lot of peace of mind.  Your herpes kitty and others can live harmoniously together. 

I don't vaccinate my herpes girl.  This is on the recommendation of our vet.  She's not big on annual vaccinations anyway, but especially if an animal has a chronic health condition. 

 

[my3grrlz]

I have a feline herpes positive kitty and didn't know it until we'd had her for almost 2 years.  FHV is usually transmitted via air as a respiratory infection (rhinotracheitis) and usually kitties who have poor upbringings are most susceptible to catching it and having life-long complications.  Kitties who are malnourished, in close quarters with other kitties, in stressful environments, and exposed to all sorts of things as strays are the ones who usually contract the disease.  Many cats can be carriers and never show symptoms.  Other kitties have a severe case of it and have severe outbreaks.  They can range from weepy eyes, sneezing, snotty noses to eye ulcers, vision loss, loss of eyes, and granulomas/cysts.  The biggest trigger is stress and malnutrition.  The key to keeping your herpes kitty healthy is to build up their nutrition and keep the stress level down.
 

The herpes virus means that your kitty's immune system is compromised and if s/he gets sick it will take it longer to recover.  Prevention is the best medicine and there is a lot you can do to keep your kitty healthy.  Feeding grain-free diet, providing a regular routine and cutting out stress helps as does running a Feliway diffuser.  You can have your kitty tested using the IDEXX Real PCR-URD test.  It's very accurate and can give you a lot of peace of mind.  Your herpes kitty and others can live harmoniously together. 
~ thank you for sharing this info. i am just really scared that ALL 3 of my grrlz may have it.

becuz the owner of the mother of my kitten was told that the mother cat had it.
i am going to call a vet tomorrow and find out about getting them tested..just in case. i want to catch it before they have any serious problems...if in fact they do have it.

~ i actually just started transitioning my cats to a grain free diet. my two 3 yr olds have had cheap foods all their lives..up until just 2 weeks ago. still going thru the cheaper stuff tho. i can't wait until they are strictly on healthier/grain free food. the 8 week old was introduced to the cheap stuff in her previous home..but then was introduced to the same food that i am transitioning them all to. right now i am going thru the Purina brand into Simply Nourish. so far so good.

I don't vaccinate my herpes girl.  This is on the recommendation of our vet.  She's not big on annual vaccinations anyway, but especially if an animal has a chronic health condition. 
~ i don't do vaccines for any of my pets...period. my own preference. altho i will probably have the 8 week old get her first set of shots..then no more...just as precaution. my oldest cat has never been vaccinated.

 

[mrblanche]

The L-lysine supplement doesn't seem to have any downside, and it can prevent the virus from taking hold in the nerves of the cat.  About 250 mg, twice per day.  You can buy the supplement inexpensively at most pharmacies (even Walmart).  I usually buy the 500 mg pills and cut them in half.  Add them to the cat's food.  Most cats don't even show any signs of being able to taste it.

As to vaccinations, rabies is very important, although most animals are vaccinated for it more often than necessary.  Without a rabies certificate, most vets won't see your cat, or, if they do, they will vaccinate it first.  Also, you can't travel with the cat, and, in an emergency, you may be refused entrance to an emergency shelter.
 

 

[my3grrlz]

The L-lysine supplement doesn't seem to have any downside, and it can prevent the virus from taking hold in the nerves of the cat.  About 250 mg, twice per day.  You can buy the supplement inexpensively at most pharmacies (even Walmart).  I usually buy the 500 mg pills and cut them in half.  Add them to the cat's food.  Most cats don't even show any signs of being able to taste it.
thank you for this info. i will note that..in case they do have positive results. ugh!

 

As to vaccinations, rabies is very important, although most animals are vaccinated for it more often than necessary.  Without a rabies certificate, most vets won't see your cat, or, if they do, they will vaccinate it first.  Also, you can't travel with the cat, and, in an emergency, you may be refused entrance to an emergency shelter.
i actually had a vet that DID care for Bella without being vaccinated. he even spayed her without her having vaccines.
i am thinking tho..that the rabies should be a regular one since i am reading (all over the place) that it is illegal to NOT have that one.
(good point about the emergency type situations that may occur..never thought about that.)
 

 

[my3grrlz]

okay...so glad i called around to Vet offices.

got a call back and the lady gave me quote for the specific testing. $200+ per cat. HOLY MOLY!

no thank you!

she told me that we should wait and look for symptoms. if the symptoms ARE THERE, to buy L-lysine and use that..rather than see a vet, becuz that is what they recommend and would give us anyway. and it was very nice of the lady to tell me it would be cheaper that way anyway.

another office that i called said it would be $300+ for 3 cats.

better...but still can not afford that at the moment.
 

i do appreciate all the advice and help i have been able to get in TCS.

i know that a lot of ppl do not agree with others NOT getting their animals vaccinated....BUT...
i JUST NOW found out that my cats do NOT HAVE TO be vaccinated. it is NOT ILLEGAL to NOT get the rabies shot for cats..in our county..only for dogs. YAY! that totally makes me happy.

 

[txcatmom]

got a call back and the lady gave me quote for the specific testing. $200+ per cat. HOLY MOLY!

no thank you!

LOL.  Yeah, that is why my vet does not recommend the test.  Good luck with the kitties.

 

[my3grrlz]

i am just grateful that she was honest.

she also told me that it is NOT 100% sure thing that the kittens contracted it while in the womb.
she also informed me that the momma could have only had an upper respiratory infection..since the vet only gave the her eye drop and did not tell her that she would need to have a certain med for the rest of her like.

this whole situation is so frustrating.

still have to keep an eye out JUST IN CASE.

thank you.

that they DON'T have it.
 

 

[nekochan]

My vet thinks my cat Church has feline herpes, because when I rescued him as a kitten he had a nasty URI with his eyes involved and he had recurring URIs as a kitten and he always did this thing where he squints his eyes in an odd way which seems to be left over from when he had the really bad URI. However he seemed to "grow out" of the "flare ups" as he got older and he did not have them anymore after he became an adult.  I read that this sometimes happens with feline herpes though, although they may still have a flare-up in stressful situations but he has not had once since, not even when he went on a plane ride across the country...  He hasn't had to have any medication although I used to give him lysine daily, he is currently living with my brother and he doesn't get it daily anymore and he has not had any recurrences, so basically except for the squinting you would never know he'd had it.

 

[my3grrlz]

My vet thinks my cat Church has feline herpes, because when I rescued him as a kitten he had a nasty URI with his eyes involved and he had recurring URIs as a kitten and he always did this thing where he squints his eyes in an odd way which seems to be left over from when he had the really bad URI.
sorry to hear your little guy went thru that.

However he seemed to "grow out" of the "flare ups" as he got older and he did not have them anymore after he became an adult.  I read that this sometimes happens with feline herpes though, although they may still have a flare-up in stressful situations but he has not had once since, not even when he went on a plane ride across the country...  He hasn't had to have any medication although I used to give him lysine daily,

i was told by the vet here..and by others that have experience with their cats having herpes..that the cat has to have the L-lysine for the rest of their lives. the vet said that they may never have a flare up again...BUT as a precautionary thing, they have to be on the L-lysine twice a day for life. it will PREVENT the flare ups as well, in most cases.
i hope Church never has any other probs..but tell your brother to keep a very watchful eye open for the symptoms.
 

 

[joyce1]

I am a new member and have 2 devon rex.  Percy is my youngest at 6 months and has already has had 4 sessions of antibiotics for conjunctivitis associated with herpes virus.   He has also infected my Quincy who is a year old but he has only had one round of antibiotics and seems better at fighting off the virus on his own now.   I have them on Lysine, 250 mg twice a day.  But the little guy still gets outbreaks.   As soon as he squints I know we are facing an outbreak.   The vet wants to try famvir and have me give this to Percy on the first squint to stave off the virus before it goes bacterial.   I am praying that my little guy's immune system gets stronger and these outbreaks become fewer and fewer.   It is heartbreakig to see those sweet green eyes get puffy and gooey and crusty.   My boys get Natural Balance canned food with some dry Alpha Cat on the side and I believe this to be a good food choice.  They drink lots of water from their fountain and they share a litter box with no accidents.  My boys are not declawed and they have never scratched my furniture.  Although they do have sufficient scratching posts.      I want my Percy to be free of this virus but I am come to realize that I need to accept it and work with the vet to minimize the outbreaks.  

 

[txcatmom]

I have them on Lysine, 250 mg twice a day.

The lysine I use suggests 500 mg twice a day for cats over 6 months.  You might want to consider increasing the dose.  (Or ask your vet if you are more comfortable getting their opinion on the dosage.) 

Good luck with them and welcome to TCS.

 

[my3grrlz]

I am a new member and have 2 devon rex.  Percy is my youngest at 6 months and has already has had 4 sessions of antibiotics for conjunctivitis associated with herpes virus.   He has also infected my Quincy who is a year old but he has only had one round of antibiotics and seems better at fighting off the virus on his own now.   I have them on Lysine, 250 mg twice a day.  But the little guy still gets outbreaks.   As soon as he squints I know we are facing an outbreak.   The vet wants to try famvir and have me give this to Percy on the first squint to stave off the virus before it goes bacterial.   I am praying that my little guy's immune system gets stronger and these outbreaks become fewer and fewer.   It is heartbreakig to see those sweet green eyes get puffy and gooey and crusty.   My boys get Natural Balance canned food with some dry Alpha Cat on the side and I believe this to be a good food choice.  They drink lots of water from their fountain and they share a litter box with no accidents.  My boys are not declawed and they have never scratched my furniture.  Although they do have sufficient scratching posts.      I want my Percy to be free of this virus but I am come to realize that I need to accept it and work with the vet to minimize the outbreaks.  

sorry to hear your boys are going through that. i hope the outbreaks get fewer for the one too.
if my grrlz do end up having it i hope they don't have to suffer too badly either.
 

The lysine I use suggests 500 mg twice a day for cats over 6 months.  You might want to consider increasing the dose.  (Or ask your vet if you are more comfortable getting their opinion on the dosage.) 

Good luck with them and welcome to TCS.

that is what i was told by the vet too. i called to ask what to look for and to expect to do if they do come out with it.

 

[stephanietx]

Joyce, are those foods grain free?  Are you giving Lysine?  Have you tried the Eye See Clearly drops yet?  Have you tried a daily antihistamine?
 

Here's the link for Eye See Clearly  http://www.allergicpet.com/products/eye_see_clearly.html