Have you cat shows flu like symptoms such as running nose, cough, tearing eyes, ulcerated eyes, constipation, show very small size, even a closed eye ?  It might be herpes virus.

Herpes virus is a kind of virus happen very common on feline, only domesticated cats & close relatives can catch feline herpesvirus and it will NOT transfer to human. It is also known as "feline viral rhinotracheitis", feline herpes (FVR) is an acute upper respiratory disease of cats caused by the feline herpesvirus type 1 or FHV-1. 

Feline herpesvirus is the most common cause of upper respiratory disease in cats, it is more common in kittens, cats in stressed/overcrowded environments such as animal shelters & multi cat households.   Kittens & older cats are more at risk than healthy adults, once your cat becomes infected with the feline herpesvirus it will have it for life. In the healthy cat the immune system usually manages to keep the virus in check, but there may be the occasional outbreak at times of stress (pregnancy, overcrowding, poor nutrition, new family member etc ) or sickness.

One a cat recovered from Herpesvirus, it become Herpes carrier.  Antibiotics can cure the virus but many vets appear to not think that chronic use of antibiotics is good idea.  When a cat gets older, the immune system and possible tolerance for stress gets higher so we need to give supportive care by build up the cat’s immune system.  L-lysine has been shown to stimulate the feline immune system.

There is a capsule form of 500 mg.  If you feed wet food you can sprinkle it on or give the whole capsule to the cat by using a pill plunger.  (This is a syringe-like tool that takes the pill on one end and lets you "inject" the pill deep down the cat's throat).

How much Lysine should you give your herpes cat ? Supposedly the advisable dose is between 250 and 500 mg but some people give as much as 1000 without seeing any negative side effects. You can also buy it in the powder for which is really cheap but you have to bother to measure each time. If you use the tablet, you can always buy a pill popper. Most of the cat owners feed their cat lysine and see a very positive affects !

The medical articles on this site have not been written by a veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only.

Always seek immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or behavioral) in your pets.