Feline Herpes

Feline herpes is described as the acute upper respiratory disease of cats caused by a virus called feline herpes virus type 1 or FHV-1. Feline viral rhinotracheitis is another term for feline herpes. FHV-1 is one of the most common types of herpes virus found in cats. It is highly contagious in nature. It spreads quickly from cat to cat through direct contact, sharing food dishes, toys and litter boxes. This is the reason that feline herpes is quite common in cats living in stressed or overcrowded environment such as multi cat households and animal shelters.

There are some other factors as well that tend to increase the chances of FHV-1 transmission. These are physical or psychological stresses, poor sanitation, poor nutrition and poor ventilation. Kittens, pregnant or lactating, sick, unvaccinated and older cats are more vulnerable to feline herpes. There is an unfortunate thing associated with feline herpes. It is that the FHV-1 virus continues to exist in the nerve cells of the infected cat for life long. The treatment can only relieve the symptoms of herpes but cannot remove the virus from the cat's body.

Feline Herpes Symptoms

Feline herpes causes a lot of discomfort to the cat. FHV-1 affects the eye membranes of the cat, and thus, leads to conjunctivitis. In case your pet cat is suffering from feline herpes, you will find its eyes swollen and red. The eyes often release fluid that is filled with pus. Presence of pus indicates a secondary bacterial infection. The condition of the eyes of the cat may take a serious form and result in corneal ulcer.

Another prominent feline herpes symptoms that you will get to observe is frequent sneezing. The cat develops rhinitis or inflammation of the nasal lining. There is a discharge from the cat's nose. It begins with a clear fluid that may turn thick and green as the disease advances. It is believed that a cat infected with feline herpes loses its sense of smell. You will find an increase in the body temperature of the cat. It loses its appetite and tends to get dehydrated. Feline herpes may lead to abortion in expectant cats. Even if the kittens are born, it is certain that they will catch the disease from their mother.

Feline Herpes Treatment

You should take your feline friend to a veterinarian as early as possible. The veterinarian will perform physical examination on your cat. Apart from it, he will take a swap to send to a laboratory. Usually, the purpose is to run a PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The PCR amplifies the virus to a great extent. This confirms the presence of FHV-1.

As has already been mentioned, there exists no permanent cure for feline herpes. The medical treatment aims to reduce the severity of the symptoms. The veterinarian is most likely to give your cat antibiotics and antivirals to keep secondary infections at bay. He will prescribe medicines to keep the nostrils and eyes clear of discharges. If your cat is suffering from serious lack of fluids and nutrients, the veterinarian may give it intravenous fluids or subcutaneous fluids. It has been observed that L-Lysine is an amino acid which can suppress the replication of virus and cytopathogenicity. Therefore, the vet may prescribe your cat the given amino acid.

Since feline herpes cannot be treated completely, prevention is the best remedy. A vaccine has been developed to protect the cats from feline herpes. Get your cat vaccinated as soon as possible and help it lead a healthy life, free from this dreadful viral disease.