HERPES VIRAL CONJUNCTIVITIS ??

Hey all. Well as most of you know Snuffie is 8 months and 2 days old now. The day I picked her up from her breeder she was winkin at me and I had her to my vet within 2 days. She was treated for HERPES VIRAL CONJUNCTIVITIS, we used the Clavamox and Maxitrol eye ointment and I treated both eyes as she was starting to flare in the one that wasn't so bad. She took her meds like a champ and got all better. Now it is flaring up again in the eye that wasn't so bad in the first place. Is this common for it to come back so soon? Could the meds have only put it at bay and she was never really healed up from the first go around? Is this just common amongst the breed? I still have a tiny bit of meds left from the first go around but I can already tell I'll be taking her in for more meds Im sure. Is there anything I can add to her food to maybe up her immune system a little to prevent these occurances? If any of you could help me out or give me some advice I'd be so appreciative.
Thanks
Snuffie and Christina!

 

Many here use Lysine as a supplement me included. It is good for the immune system and helps with flare ups of respiratory type problems. The cheapest way is to get it at Walmart or such in the vitamin section. I crush 1 tablet with the back of a spoon then mix it with wet food. It comes in a gel I know and I know you can get it online. There are others out there with more knowledge on it and if you do a thread search you will find more info.

 

Thanks Marnasobsession! Is there a certain brand or is there only one kind I'll end up with if I go to WalMart? I don't want to accidentally get the wrong kind and hurt my baby girl. I've been using a Multi Vitamin gel and putting it in her food that is suppose to promote Immune Systems but I'm willing to switch to something with Lysine in it as I don't see any in the ingredients of this stuff. Thanks again for the info.

 

ckutkuhn7,

Something you must understand about herpes is that it's not a bacteria and it doesn't "go away". If your companion truly does have herpes, she'll be dealing with it for the rest of her life. As Marna has already mentioned, Lysine can be a life saver. I would recommend getting a sizable amount for your girl and keeping it in stock. You're going to need it.

So, to answer your questions:

1) Is this common for it to come back so soon? Yes. It has a lot to do with immunity. Remember, this breed isn't going to have a great immune system. We've bred their immune systems to be weak, because we wanted to have bald cats. Pure bred animals of practically any sort will never have the immune system of a stray or a mixed breed, for example. So, yes, this is to be expected. The less stress and the less change in her environment (that means everything from a change in food, getting new neighbors or adding another animal to the house) can cause a flare up. It doesn't have to be something you notice either, just something that affects her.

2) Could the meds have only put it at bay and she was never really healed up from the first go around? Again, there's no "healing", only putting the symptoms into dormancy until next time. Antibiotics can help, as well as eye medications, but they never fix the true problem. They only help what herpes allows to take over secondarily, such as a respiratory infection. In addition, you should be informed that, herpes also takes the form of upper respiratory problems. It's not uncommon for eye issues and upper respiratory issues to go hand-in-hand.

3) Is this just common amongst the breed? Herpes is common amongst cats. Unfortunately, it's also a major problem with breeders who have a high volume of cats in their cattery. And, to the untrained eye, an "eye problem" or an "upper respiratory infection" can seem simple. However, a single cat can pass on the herpes virus through contact to an unheard of number of cats. And, sadly, they don't have to be showing signs to pass the virus on. That being said, our breed doesn't have the best immune system anyhow...so, many problems can take hold and become aggravated with time, stress and age.

 

Gotcha! Thank you for the information. I guess I was a little confused because I had a similar issue many years back where my kittens got upper respiratory infections from their mother having them under my dusty bed etc, and I treated them with similar meds and I just wasn't thinking. You've triggered my memory tho. I'm currently suffering from new mommie syndrome tho and every little thing is scaring me. Thanks again ladies.

 

Hi Christina,
This is a good thread that talks about Lysine:

http://www.sphynxlair.com/showthread.php?t=1658

...and if you do a forum search for "Lysine" and also search for "herpes", you'll find tons of information. Many of us, including me, have cat(s) with feline herpes (and the ongoing eye and upper respiratory issues that come with it) and Lysine seems to be the best thing you can do for it. Like pitrottmommy said, it will never go completely away, but by reducing stress, giving Lysine every day, and with proper diet, you can manage it (by helping to reduce the flare ups) and Snuffie can have a very happy and comfortable life.

Just to be clear, though, if she's got conjunctivitis again, the Lysine is not going to take care of that and she will likely need more meds from the vet. Giving her Lysine every day will help to reduce the chance of it happening again in the future.

 

Awww poor baby I hope she gets all better xxxxxx

 

You make a very good point!

 

I did mention this to her actually. She gave me the Snuffies full medical history in writing from her vet and stated this was common for the Sphynx cats and told me how she treated it, etc. This is my first Sphynx so I had no reason to question her. I'm not upset and I'm willing to take on whatever is in Snuffie's future. She checked out with my vet (who is famaliar with the breed)other than having the conjunctivitus. If this is my only worry with Snuffie then I'm a happy Sphynx mommy. I've read many stories out there and realize it could be much worse.

 

I have another suggestion.
My Cleo got a very nasty eye infection from a cat show.
The vet gave me tetracycline to use for 3 weeks.

 

Ilovemysphynx makes a great point!

Make sure, in addition to searching herpes, to thoroughly make yourself knowledgeable about HCM and it's prevalence in this breed. What's worse than a breeder with a common viral affliction in their cattery is one that sells cats without doing annual heart scans on their breeders.
Responsible breeders scan!

I recommend that everyone with a PET sphynx have them scanned at least every 2 years to make sure their pet is not afflicted with HCM. It's the only way to be certain.

 

I hope Snuffie's flare-ups are brought to a minimal. There's lots of great advice in just this thread alone! I give Lysine daily to Stella because she also has the FHV.

 

Thank you all for all the advice - things to think about - and information. It has helped me a great deal. Many kitties live with this stuff and I'm confident in myself to keep it to a minimal as I've always had the special hand with animals that is needed to care for them. Thanks again all - have a great night!

 

I give Enisyl-F every day to both boys. I use Terramycin in Moosh's (Chip) eye.
They also get High Cal from Vet Solutions. Food wise they eat both hard and wet food but it is grain free and healthy. Good luck with your baby!

 

Thank you - you all gave great info and advice, I appreciate it. Her eyes are looking better already!