What is Feline Herpes Virus?
To clarify, feline herpesvirus isn’t a sexually transmitted disease. It’s a virus infection that is similar to the human virus that causes cold sores. Feline herpesvirus most commonly affects the eyes, the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Rarely, feline herpesvirus can potentially affect the skin, the reproductive tract, and the musculoskeletal tract.
Incubation period?
In cats, clinical signs can be seen within 2-5 days of exposure to the virus.
What is the symptom of the Feline Herpes Virus?
The most common clinical signs seen from the feline herpes virus include:
- Sneezing
- Runny eyes
- Pink eyelids (e.g., conjunctivitis)
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Not eating/anorexia
- Weight loss
- Drooling
- Dehydration
- Increased respiratory effort
- Loud, snoring-like breathing
- Severe ulcers on the eyes (less common)
- Rupture of the cornea (rare)
- Lameness (rare)
- Dermatitis
- Death (rare)
How long does the Feline Herpesvirus live in the environment?
The virus prefers damp environments but even so, can only remain active for 18 hours on a surface without a host and an even shorter period of time as an aerosol.
What disinfectant kills feline herpesvirus?
Virucidal activities of several disinfectants against FHV, compared with feline calicivirus (FCV), were studied and the following conclusions were reached:
1) Sodium hypochlorite, iodine complex, benzethonium chloride and chlorhexidine were effective against FHV at commonly used concentrations. The virus is labile and susceptible to most disinfectants, antiseptics and detergents.
How long does it take for a cat to recover from Feline Herpes?
How can I treat Feline Herpes?
- Quarantine: Keep infected cats in quarantine due to the contagious nature of this disease.
- Nursing care: If your cat is showing signs of nasal or eye, make sure to keep your cat kept free of discharge. Blot away any discharge with a damp paper towel or terry cloth rag. This is important to help prevent the nostrils from being blocked up from nasal crusting.
- Moisture: Take your cat into the bathroom while you’re taking a hot shower (Note: NOT into the shower, but into the bathroom). This way, the steam can help humidify the nasal passages and make your cat breathe better.
- Tasty food: With the herpes virus, your cats can eat whatever they want! Try to tempt your cat to eat with tasty canned tuna (in water), meat-based human baby food or any kind of tasty canned food.
- Seek veterinary attention: If you notice abnormal squinting, tearing, redness to the eyes, drooling, not eating, etc., get to a veterinarian immediately!
That’s because corneal ulcers or conjunctivitis may need topical antibiotic ointments (e.g., Terramycin, oxytetracycline, erythromycin, etc.). Topical, ophthalmic anti-viral ointments can also be used (e.g., cidofovir, etc.). In severe cases, where a secondary bacterial infection occurs (e.g., pus coming from the eyes or nostrils), oral antibiotics may be necessary (just like human colds, viruses typically don’t need antibiotics initially). Keep in mind that antibiotics can often cause cats to lose their appetite, or develop vomiting and diarrhoea.
But a bit careful with the dosage of L-lysine a to high does of it can have opposite effect and instead lower the immunsystem. Best is to find a food with L-lysin added to it so that you get the correct dosage.
Mix the powder in a small amount of food unless otherwise directed.
This medication can take up to a few weeks before full effects are noted, but gradual improvements are usually noticeable after a few days.
Make sure to keep the stress level down, make sure that you do not have to many cats, make sure that you got a stable group of cats, aviod things that might cause stress.
New studies shown that Probiotics or Postbiotics will help the immunesystem to shorten the time the cat shows symtoms and help the cat get well more quickly.
Sources:
https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/hubfs/VAH_Resources_/PDFs/Factsheet_FelineHerpesvirus_April2016.pdf?hsLang=en-ca
https://www.vetspecialty.com/feline-herpesvirus-fhv-1/
https://www.greatpetcare.com/cat-health/feline-herpes/
https://www.medicinenet.com/pets/cat-health/feline_herpes_symptoms_and_treatment.htm
https://www.postandcourier.com/features/herpes-virus-in-cats-highly-contagious-a-major-problem/article_6302b796-8f78-5f1c-a9ff-5480ed9b47ff.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19481034/
https://pets.webmd.com/cats/feline-herpes-symptoms-treatment
https://www.nomnomnow.com/learn/article/what-is-l-lysine-and-how-can-it-help-your-cat
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lysine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6281040/
https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/cat-health/cat-diseases-conditions-a-z/feline-herpesvirus-101-fhv
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19201238/ (Studie about Probiotics)
By: Malin Sundqvist
