Lysine for Cats

L-lysine is a naturally occurring amino acid which inhibits the growth of herpes virus in cat's body. Feline herpes is one of the extremely common Upper Respiratory Infection (URL) in cats, caused by herpes virus. This virus spread through the air and replicates in the upper respiratory tract of the cat. It is highly contagious, and most cats get this infection either as kittens from their mothers, or by living in an environment where there are multiple/stray cats or new cats interacting constantly. The clinical signs of this infection include eye discharge, squinting, sneezing, and sinus congestion.

This feline infection is not contagious to dogs or humans and only affects cats. Almost every cat gets infected by this virus at some point or the other, hence, it becomes extremely important for every cat owner to know about this infection and its methods of cure and prevention. One of the most effective way to treat feline herpes virus is feeding your cat with l-lysine supplements. But how much lysine should be given to cats or are there any side effects associated with it, we will try to know in the coming section.

L-Lysine for Cats

As said before, lysine is an essential amino acid found in the proteins, which is used to treat feline herpes virus. Hence, to treat herpes symptoms in cats, many cat owners prefer giving their cats lysine supplements, which are nothing but amino acid dietary supplements. Although most cats are able to suppress herpes virus with their immune systems, some cats suffer chronic or recurrent feline herpes virus which can be suppressed by lysine to a large extent. Hence, despite many antibiotics and antiviral medications available in the market, many veterinary ophthalmologists recommend oral lysine for cats suffering from herpes virus. The lysine pill is either added to the cat's food or is placed directly far back into the cat's mouth.

Side Effects

Though lysine is quite effective in treating URL, there are a few possibilities of it causing adverse effects on the cat's health. Some cats are highly sensitive to this drug and may exhibit symptoms like facial swelling, hives, diarrhea, persistent scratching, vomiting, pale gums and seizures after having lysine. Lysine is also known to react with vitamins, and other supplements. In fact, if the drug is given in large doses, the cat can develop toxicity to other antibiotics like gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin and other penicillin-based drugs. Hence, if your cat starts vomiting or biting its stomach, it should be instantly taken to a veterinarian as this can be a case of an upset stomach or some severe infection.

Though lysine is quite effective in curing feline herpes infection and is available over-the-counter, it is still recommended that before giving it to your cat, consult a veterinarian as the dosage varies as per the size, cat's medical history or even eating habits. During the cat's treatment phase, keep it isolated from other cats to limit the spread of the virus as well as wash your hands properly with soap and water after touching or feeding the cat.

However, if you see no change in your cats condition and with time the condition worsens, take the cat to a good veterinarian to diagnose other causes of sneezing, vomiting, infection, etc. and prescribe necessary medications. Remember that there are always chances of infection recurrences, hence, periodic cat checkup and treatment is necessary.