My cat has feline herpes. Will she have flare-ups her whole life?

In an uncomplicated case of feline herpes, cats will mount and immune response to it so the infection is minimal if it even occurs again. Their vaccines also protect them against it also. Cats with severe cases and poor immune can be chronically infected. Even though yours is not symptomatic with it anymore and has a good immune system, they are a carrier for life. They do make anti viral such as Lysine treats to help with viral infections such as this

It's probably not a "cold". It is most likely herpes virus. If it is herpes virus, it will never go completely away. They will have recurring episodes. All you can do to minimize future episodes it is to reduce stress. You can try some Feliway diffusers, they may help. You can continue with the lysine but it has not really shown to be that effective in studies. There is another immune booster you can try though that seems to work pretty well. The link is below. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-herpesvirus-infection-or-feline-viral-rhinotracheitis ) ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( https://www.petwellbeing.com/products/immune-sure-for-feline-immune-system-support )

No, feline herpes will not kill Meika but it has the potential to make her quite sick. It is the most common cause of respiratory infections in cats, and it can be treated symptomatically. If she shows signs of a respiratory infection, I would take her into the vet for treatment. Check out this website for more details on the virus: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-herpesvirus-infection-or-feline-viral-rhinotracheitis I hope this helps!

Hello, and thanks for using PetCoach. This is a great question! Yes, future vaccinations still have benefit, even if a kitten becomes infected with feline herpesvirus and it's "too late" to completely avoid the virus. Giving the vaccine booster can help decrease the flare-ups of symptoms, and decrease viral shedding from the kitten. Here's a link with more information on the virus and the vaccination, with the key excerpt listed below: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-herpesvirus-infection-or-feline-viral-rhinotracheitis "A cat that is a carrier of FVR may benefit from periodic boosters with the intranasal herpes and calicivirus vaccine (up to 2-3 times per year), which may stimulate local immunity against reactivation of the virus, thus decreasing the likelihood of recurrent infection and of viral shedding." Hope this helps!

Hello. Many kittens will harbor this virus, a form of herpes virus. Not all will have problems their entire lives & many go on to have normal, healthy lives. Good care, a stable home, routine veterinary care & appropriate vaccinations, & the best quality food you can feed Momo will keep him as healthy as possible. Most of these viruses will take several weeks to a month to completely clear, so I would not be worried that he is still doing some sneezing. As long as he seems playful & is eating well, he should continue to do just fine. I can not tell you to rehome Momo, but if you love him, then he will probably do best to stay with you. There are other things that can affect the health of a cat as they age, so as long as you are aware of that, & can set aside some funds for future care, you will be in a good position to continue caring for him. If not, then this is a good time to rehome him, as he is still very young. I hope you can keep him, but it is good that you are thinking more about him than yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I agree with your vet! Herpes virus is a very common cause of sneezing (and that sneezing can be pretty noticeable!). The fact that she is eating and playing is great! This will likely go away on its own with time but if Asia does stop eating, becomes lethargic, or gets squinting eyes, head back to the vet as these could be signs of a secondary bacterial infection or other co-infection. Congrats on the new kitten!

Hello there! Feline herpesvirus (AKA FHV) is very common in cats coming from shelters, and the key clinical sign of the virus is watery, goopy eyes that recur during times of stress or other illness. It lives in the body forever, but goes dormant until something challenges the immune system, and then it rears its ugly head again. While there is a diagnostic test for FHV, it's not commonly performed as the virus is not usually clinically significant (it's not usually a big deal once cats leave kittenhood). Some cats will only have one bout with it, and then you'll never see symptoms again. The treatment that your veterinarian prescribed was likely to prevent or treat any secondary bacterial infections that Oliver may develop/may have developed - viruses have no treatment, but they can make an animal susceptible to bacterial infection, particularly when the eyes are irritated with all the goo they make during a viral break. Conjunctivitis (a bacterial inflammation of the conjunctiva) is a common secondary infection that this virus can cause. If you'd like to confirm that he has FHV, you can definitely request the test for it (this usually involves sending out samples of the eye discharge to the lab), but it will likely be expensive, and the treatment would not likely be different regardless of the test results. I hope this helps, and please feel free to contact me for a consult or post a follow-up question if we can assist further. Best of luck to you and your kitten Oliver!