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My cat's been sneezing for months. What can I do to help her?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed | 1 year and 5 months old | 8.6 lbs

Hi, my cat has been sneezing for about 3 months. I brought her to the vet and he noticed also red gums and little yellow things on the internal eyelid but only cured the gums and doesn't want me to spend money on the test because he is convinced it's a virus and he wouldn't give her medicine anyway as the cat is still eating and generally looks ok. I feel stuck and very worried of not doing anything to improve her situation Please help thanks

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on April 3rd, 2017

I would recommend talking to your vet about supplementing Lola with the amino acid lysine. I'm not sure of the exact virus your vet thinks she has, but if he suspects herpes virus, lysine can be very useful in helping to control the clinical signs of the disease, including sneezing and watery eyes. If Lola does have herpes (and many cats do) she will never completely be cured, but lysine can help her get over the symptoms faster.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 5th, 2019
Hello. It could be allergies, but most likely this is a flare up of the feline herpes virus. If her symptoms are relatively mild, then I would not be too concerned. You could try her on the amino acid L-lysine, many forms are available at most pet retailers, but for the most part the results of using this has been unimpressive. You could also start her on an immune boosting probiotic. Again, the results of using this are mixed, but it is certainly not harmful. The one I recommend is Purina's FortiFlora. Hope if you decide to do these you see some decrease in her sneezing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 29th, 2020
Duralactin with Lysine can help with viral herpes flare ups, which are common in cats. I would also recommend taking her in to be examined by a veterinarian so that any other additional treatment / diagnostic recommendations can be made. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on October 16th, 2018
Poor Pumpkin! Unfortunately in cats, many respiratory diseases are caused by viruses, so antibiotics will not work. In addition, it's illegal for us to prescribe or recommend using any drugs without seeing the cat in person first. I would make her an appointment with the vet. The vet can prescribe any medications she needs. Best of luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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