How common is FHV?
Infection with FHV is common and affects greater than 90% of the cat population. The virus cannot be cured, but it can go into latency, or “remission”, where it can become active periodically throughout a cat’s life. There are some cats that have FHV but never display active signs of the disease.
Is it safe to give lysine to cats with FHV?
Many cat caretakers, shelters, sanctuaries, and vets have recommended lysine supplementation in cats who have Feline Herpes Virus (FHV), a type of feline upper respiratory infection. I do NOT recommend it for the use of controlling FHV. Why? Because it doesn’t actually work and evidence suggests it makes things worse! Read on for my reasoning!
What are the symptoms of FHV in cats?
It is not as common as calicivirus, but it does account for a large percentage. Read more about feline upper respiratory infections here. FHV and other upper respiratory infections cause sneezing, congestion, runny or inflamed eyes, coughing, or other symptoms like fever, pneumonia and in some cases, death.
Can you give a cat lysine for conjunctivitis?
In fact, only ONE study noted that it helped cats with conjunctivitis symptoms from the herpes virus, but that was a seriously small study of EIGHT (8) cats. That’s 4 cats treated with lysine and 4 cats in the control group to compare the two.
Can a latent carrier of feline herpes show symptoms?
Some cats who become infected with feline herpes are latent carriers. Even though they will never display symptoms, they can still pass the virus on to other cats. Stress can cause these carriers to “shed” the virus, exhibiting mild symptoms, which clear up on their own after a few days.
Can a cat with FHV 1 get sick?
This may not prevent your cat from contracting FHV-1 entirely, but it can help reduce symptom severity should it become infected. If your cat has been diagnosed with FHV-1, it may get sick periodically due to flare-ups of the virus. Not all cats will experience flare-ups and symptoms, but they are common from time to time.
Where does FHV-1 live in a cat?
FHV-1 is an infectious virus that lives in the nerve cells of cats. The virus can cause what is known as feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), an upper respiratory infection that largely affects the nose and throat and presents like a head cold.
When do cats shed the FHV virus again?
However, some cats will intermittently shed virus again, and this is more common following episodes of stress or when the cat’s immune system is suppressed (eg, following the use of corticosteroids). When virus is shed again, some cats will also develop mild recrudescence of clinical signs.
How does FHV-associated dermatitis affect a cat?
FHV-associated dermatitis is a rare infection of the feline herpes virus that affects the skin. This infection can cause inflammation and ulcers around the cat’s nose and mouth and sometimes in other areas like the front of the legs. How Do Cats Get Herpes?