Sneezing, Congestion, Watery Eyes & Nose.... Has Your Cat Caught A Cold?

This virus is very common in the cat population

as 95% of cats have been exposed, but it is not contagious to people or other species of animals, such as dogs. Herpesvirus is easily passed from one cat to another, through sneezing, coughing, grooming, and/or simply being in close contact with an infected cat.

The herpes cat virus causes flu-like symptoms.

It's only contagious to other domestic cats, but there's no cure. If your cat contracts feline herpes virus, the most you can do is try to relieve the symptoms and lessen the severity of the outbreak. Here's what you need to know about feline herpes.

FVR is an acute upper respiratory infection caused by FHV-1.

Feline herpes is the most common cause of upper respiratory distress in cats. It's common in kittens, and in cats who must endure stressed or overcrowded environments, such as those found in animal shelters. Once your cat is infected with the virus, he'll have it for the rest of his life.

Clinical signs associated with infection can vary greatly between cats.

Some cats affected with FHV-1 may only have mild conjunctivitis(inflammation of the white part of the eye) of one or both eyes. While other cats with a more severe form of the disease may show ocular (eye) and nasal (nose) discharge, conjunctivitis), coughing and sneezing. Some cats may develop ulcers of the cornea (the clear "window" in the front part of the eye). Corneal ulcers can be very painful and serious enough to cause noticeable scarring on the normally clear cornea. An infected corneal ulcer may even progress to cause perforation of the eye.

The first outbreak is often the worst.

Once your cat recovers from this initial outbreak, his immune system will keep the virus under control most of the time. However, during times of stress or sickness, your cat may experience another outbreak. Corticosteroids may also trigger outbreaks in cats suffering from feline herpes.

Your cat can catch the herpes virus from other cats even if they aren't showing symptoms.

There are three means of contracting the feline herpes virus. They are:

In utero, when unborn kittens contract the virus from their mother.

Direct contact, when your cat comes into contact with the oral or respiratory secretions of a cat who is shedding the virus.

Indirect contact, when your cat comes into contact with the food bowl, litter tray, bedding or other belongings of a cat who is shedding the virus.

Once a cat is infected with FVR

there is usually a 2-5 day incubation period before it shows symptoms of disease. The cat can infect other cats during this incubation period. In most cases, once symptoms appear the active infection will last about 10-20 days.

The feline herpes virus grows in your cat's eyes, nose, throat, mouth, sinuses, and tonsils.

This causes inflammation and fever. Nasal discharge can cause a loss of appetite, which is dangerous, especially in kittens, who are especially prone to malnutrition and dehydration.

Secondary infections can occur due to tissue damage caused by the feline herpes virus.

Symptoms of feline herpes infection include:

*Sneezing

*Discharge from the eyes and nose

*Conjunctivis and sometimes corneal ulcers

*Fever

*Loss of appetite

*Lethargy

*Ulcers of the mouth and tongue

*Pneumonia

All cats that have been infected with FVR will become carriers of this virus

most carriers will be latent, meaning that the virus will survive in an inactive form within the cat's body. Stress will cause the virus to become reactivated, and if the virus becomes reactivated, the cat will again be infectious. In the majority of cases, the cat will show symptoms of a respiratory infection when the virus is reactivated. However, not all cats with a reactivated feline viral rhinotracheitis infection will show symptoms of disease. All cats that are actively shedding virus present a risk to other cats.

Once your cat has become infected with feline herpes virus

he'll remain infected for life; there is no cure. Treatment involves supportive care to help your cat's immune system suppress the virus once more; you can relieve your cat's symptoms and try to shorten the outbreak.

Treatment for FHV-1 is aimed at controlling clinical signs and reducing secondary complications.

It is important to note that there is no cure for FHV-1, and once infected your cat has the virus for life. Some animals will never have a clinical disease after the initial infection while others may have frequent recurrences. Cats that have recurrent outbreaks often have a stressful trigger that can be identified (i.e. new pets in the household, houseguests, etc). Avoiding the stressor can reduce the number of outbreaks.

Typically, therapy includes frequent antiviral drops or ointment applied to the affected eye(s).

Occasionally, oral antiviral medications are used in cases that do not respond to topical drugs alone. L-lysine is an amino acid dietary supplement that has been shown to inhibit viral replication in a laboratory setting. There are no studies proving that giving L-lysine as a supplement benefits cats with FHV-1, however, many owners feel it reduces outbreak frequency and severity. There are no known side effects at the typical dose of 500mg of L-lysine twice daily for adult cats.

Vaccination against herpesvirus infection is included in the typical feline vaccination schedule

provided by your primary care veterinarian. The vaccine minimizes the clinical signs of FHV-1 but does not prevent future outbreaks. Additionally, the vaccination does not cure cats already infected with the herpesvirus