Feline Herpesvirus: Essential Information for Cat Parents. This article, approximately 2000 words in length, is designed to be read in 3 minutes. If your newly adopted kitten is sneezing and has conjunctivitis, with discharge that needs to be cleaned frequently, and in severe cases, the eyes cannot be opened due to the presence of brownish discharge, it may be time to rush them to a veterinarian for examination. It was discovered that this is a common occurrence due to the Feline Herpesvirus (FHV-1). Today, we will introduce this virus, which affects up to 80% of cats. Learn about the symptoms, treatment, and prevention methods of Feline Herpesvirus. We believe that after patiently reading this care encyclopedia, cat parents will gain a high level of understanding about Feline Herpesvirus. Understanding the symptoms, transmission, treatment, and prevention methods of Feline Herpesvirus will be opened in the article. Commonly referred to as a cat cold: What is Feline Herpesvirus? How is it transmitted? What are the symptoms? How does Feline Herpesvirus spread? The symptoms of Feline Herpesvirus are as follows: How is Feline Herpesvirus treated? Is L-Lysine truly effective? Care after treating the herpesvirus? How to prevent recurrence? How to prevent cats from contracting Herpesvirus? In summary, commonly referred to as a cat cold: What is Feline Herpesvirus? How is it transmitted? What are the symptoms? Feline Herpesvirus (FHV-1) is a virus that is not zoonotic, meaning it cannot be transmitted to humans. According to veterinary medical reports, up to 80% of cats have been infected with Feline Herpesvirus, indicating its strong transmissibility. It is important to note that infection with Feline Herpesvirus cannot be cured! After the symptoms of Feline Herpesvirus infection occur, if the virus is successfully suppressed, it will only go into a latent state. However, cat parents need not worry excessively. As long as the cats are well-fed and sleep well, and are in a stress-free living environment, Feline Herpesvirus is not a disease that easily recurs. How does Feline Herpesvirus spread? The primary route of Feline Herpesvirus infection comes from environmental contact, which can be divided into the following three major categories: Transmission through airborne droplets: When an infected cat sneezes, the discharge expelled contains the herpesvirus. Within a meter’s distance, it is possible to be infected through the air. The strong transmissibility of the virus requires special attention to the proximity between sick and healthy cats. Transmission through licking wounds or sharing utensils: Feline Herpesvirus can also be transmitted through licking wounds. Healthy cats that lick the wounds of sick cats or share water bowls with them are also at risk of infection. It is advisable to disinfect the cat’s environment and utensils to maintain safety. Vertical transmission from mother to kitten: The third mode of transmission is more difficult to prevent. If the cat mother has Feline Herpesvirus, and she comes into contact with or nurses her kittens, there is a possibility of transmitting the virus to them during the nursing process. It is more troublesome if kittens are infected with the herpesvirus, as their immune systems are weaker and may deteriorate into more severe conditions, such as conjunctivitis or keratitis. Symptoms of Feline Herpesvirus: Feline Herpesvirus is a chronic infection, and there are no obvious symptoms in the initial stage. It is only when the infected cat’s symptoms flare up that cat parents begin to notice the abnormality, such as discharge around the eyes and red eyes with bloodshot, leading to increased attention to the cat’s condition. Initial symptoms of infection: Similar to the early stages of a cold, which are relatively mild, there may be symptoms similar to a cold, such as sneezing accompanied by a runny nose, tearing, etc. At this time, cat parents need to pay special attention to the sneezing, whether it is accompanied by brown discharge.
Worsening Viral Infections: The condition extends to various inflammations and severe ulcers, with more severe infections manifesting as keratitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, or nasolacrimal duct blockage. In severe cases, facial ulcers and sloughing may occur. **Further Reading**: What to do about Feline Conjunctivitis? What are its causes and symptoms? Feline Herpesvirus infection often accompanies respiratory infections, leading to other complications. If not managed properly, it can lead to many severe symptoms. Special attention is needed if kittens are infected with herpesvirus, as their immune systems are weaker, and there is a possibility of death from the disease! How to treat the feline herpesvirus? Is L-Lysine really effective? L-Lysine has been studied and proven to be ineffective in inhibiting herpesvirus. The U.S. National Biotechnology Department has confirmed that L-Lysine cannot inhibit the herpesvirus, which contradicts common information. The advice is that L-Lysine has almost no side effects, and if you habitually supplement your cat with L-Lysine daily (500mg per adult cat per day) without exceeding the intake limit, it is fine. The treatment for herpesvirus infection must follow the instructions of a professional veterinarian. Below, the caretaker will list several treatment methods for feline herpesvirus: After infection with herpesvirus, it is essential to remember to disinfect the environment! The cat’s living environment and utensils must be thoroughly disinfected. Then, with the treatment of a professional veterinarian, the treatment for herpesvirus usually adopts supportive therapy, controlling secondary infections according to the instructions of the professional veterinarian. If the condition is more severe, antiviral drugs will be used. Controlling the cat’s diet to maintain normal feeding and nutritional status is important, as cats often lose their appetite during the illness. At this time, you can use food with stronger flavors to maintain feeding and prevent dehydration and malnutrition. **Source**: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4647294/ After treatment for herpesvirus, how to prevent recurrence? As mentioned earlier, 90% of cats will return to a latent state after successful suppression of the viral infection. At this time, as long as the cat is not under too much stress and its immunity is maintained, it is usually not easy to relapse. The caretaker has summarized several ways to prevent excessive stress in cats, hoping that all cats carrying the virus can live a relaxed and healthy life: Cats are sensitive animals with a strong sense of territory, and drastic changes in the environment are a source of stress for cats. Therefore, do not arbitrarily change the daily environmental layout and do not disrupt the cat’s daily living habits to prevent excessive stress. More petting, more health, if your cat likes to interact with you, then pet and massage it more, keeping it in a pleasant daily mood, but be careful not to forcibly pick it up, as this will put the cat on alert and cause stress. As mentioned earlier, cats are sensitive animals, so do not yell or scold it, and loud noises can also cause it to enter an alert stress state. If you can maintain a relaxed daily life for the cat, eat well, sleep well, play games, interact, and feed normally, cats are not prone to trigger herpesvirus again. And the herpesvirus in a latent state will not have any abnormal conditions, even if carrying the virus, it can still be a healthy cat.
Playing with cats and maintaining their activity level is also an important activity for maintaining their immunity. How can we prevent cats from being infected with herpesvirus? Vaccinating cats is very important for preventing various diseases! The core vaccines for cats include those for preventing feline panleukopenia virus, feline calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus. The trivalent vaccine can be administered once a year to strengthen immunity. Regular disinfection of household appliances can also prevent cats from being infected by viruses when their immunity is low. Keeping cats in a healthy and stress-free environment is the best policy. Avoid cats from contacting strange cats to prevent them from being infected with herpesvirus inadvertently. In daily diet, lysine can be supplemented to increase the immunity of cats. Although studies have confirmed that it cannot inhibit herpesvirus in symptomatic cases, proper daily supplementation to improve the resistance of cats is also a good prevention method. In conclusion, feline herpesvirus is a virus that cannot be cured after infection. However, cat parents don’t need to be particularly sad. As long as the daily environment and diet are properly arranged and the above care and prevention methods are followed to avoid stress sources well, furry kids can still live a healthy and happy life. As for the supplementation of lysine, current studies have confirmed that it cannot inhibit herpesvirus. However, as a health supplement for daily resistance improvement, it is still possible. But be careful not to overconsume and take it according to the instructions of professional veterinarians. Next time, the director will write another article about lysine and cats to introduce it in detail. Limited-time experience set, only 50 yuan, and there is also a free shipping coupon. Click to use it.?? petdaddy. Thank you all for watching. If you find the director’s article very useful, you can click the share button below to share it on LINE and FB to all those who need information. You are also welcome to join the LINE discussion group for cat parents and discuss pet experiences with 670 cat parents.
