My cat has URI and mouth ulcers. Is it FCV or FHV? What about the vaccine?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. Based on the picture in your description I would not think this is feline calicivirus. Feline calicivirus is mainly manifested as upper respiratory symptoms. I would think that this is an ulceration due to a complex disease associated with the immune system. Cats can develop ulcers on the lips due to a disease called eosinophilic granuloma complex. Many times these ulcers in the lips are due to an allergic response. If you are using plastic bowls to feed from I would switch to ceramic or metal to help prevent this. If you are already using ceramic or metal bowls then this may have been any different allergy trigger from the environment. Many times treatment with a steroid will help resolve this and sometimes this will only pop up once during the year or several times. If this is not getting any better or it is worsening I would suggest having your veterinarian take a look at this to recommend the most appropriate treatment. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns you may have

I'm sorry to hear that Memphis is having this problem. It is certainly possible that he has an upper respiratory infection even if he has been vaccinated with Felocell-4. I am attaching more information on upper respiratory infections below. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951489 Since most upper respiratory infections are viral, the only treatment option we have are products to stimulate the immune system (like your vet gave you). However, if Memphis stops eating or his congestion gets worse, I would certainly contact your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Silvester. Since he has FIV, the recovery period may take a little longer for this URI. If this was a suspected or confirmed herpes virus infection URI, I would advise using famciclovir if it doesn't start resolving. Famvir is an antiviral and helps to disrupt viral replication, thus directly treating the viral infection if that is the cause. Another thing I would try is humidified air treatments. Turn on a hot shower in a bathroom and let the room fill with the steam. Place Silvester in there for 10-15 minute treatments. This will help to hydrate his respiratory system. Sounds like everything else you are doing is exactly what I would recommend. I definitely prefer Doxy especially in these stubborn URI cases. You may also consult your vet about using some type of saline nasal drops also. Good luck with Silvester. I hope he gets over this soon. Another thing I always try to address is the intestinal parasite issue because intestinal parasites will affect the nutritional status of the pet, which will ultimately affect their overall health and their ability to fight off disease.

Poor Sabina! If she has nasal discharge or coughing, you may inquire with your vet about doing a culture and sensitive on the nasal discharge or doing a trans-tracheal wash to see if she has a resistant bacteria. Also if she doesn't have a high white blood count then you may consider steroids if she doesn't have congestion. I would talk to your vet in depth about steroids as these can make an infection worse if it isn't an auto-immune problem. I would also get her on a lysine supplement like Viralys or vetriscience lysine chews for cats. You can also request vitamins B12 injections and an appetite stimulant to help with her appetite. If she has been a long time without eating, make sure she has had her chemistry ( liver and kidney) values check to ensure she isn't have liver or kidney issues. You could have her retested for FELV/FIV. If she was recently infected before adoption then it may not show up on a test yet. The vaccines usually take effect within 5-7 days of receiving them so she should be protected. I hope this helps and she starts to get better really soon!

I'm so sorry that Sally is having this problem. We commonly see viral infections in young cats that have secondary bacterial infection that respond to antibiotics, but it is less common that older cats will develop viral upper respiratory infections unless they are exposed to other cats. I have attached more information on upper respiratory infections in cats below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=613 There are other antibiotics that we will sometimes try for some of the other upper respiratory infections we see, as well as anti-viral or Lysine treatment for Herpes virus. I would recommend discussing with your veterinarian if there are any other testing or treatment options that they would recommend for Sally since she does not seem to be responding to Clavamox. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is an undesirable situation to be in when adopting a new kitten. You did the right thing by leaving kitty there becuase upper respiratory infections are highly contagious. However, if your cats are up to date on their FVRCP vaccine, this greatly reduces the chances of them getting ill also. There is a small chance that the virus can survive on fomite objects, but typically it is spread through direct contact or through aerosolized droplets from oral secretions, similar to the flu or common cold. You can change your clothing just to be safe, before coming in contact with your cats and home and just wash your clothing as you normally would, and monitor your cats for any symptoms. However, like I said, there is a low chance of transmission this way. Upper respiratory infections are very common in cats, so once the kitty is free of illness, wait about 10 days before considering adopting him. He also should be up to date on his vaccinations. Once a cat gets infected, they are likely to get re-infected in the future and have upper airway issues as an adult. I hope this helps and best wishes with your prospect kitty. Take care.

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!