Feline herpes is a serious illness that can afflict kittens and adult cats alike. If you suspect that your cat has feline herpes, you should begin a rigorous treatment regimen immediately before more urgent medical attention is required.
What is feline herpes?
Feline herpes is a virus, also known as rhinotracheitis or FVH-1. Feline herpes has a variety of symptoms, depending on how and when it strikes. Kittens can contract feline herpes from mothers, or adult cats can contract it from other felines, as it's highly communicable.
The disease is spread through direct contact, traveling on the owner's hands, sharing a litter box, water bowls, cages and bedding. Sneezing, coughing, eye discharge and other bodily fluids all carry the virus, and, if a cat is exposed to infected bodily fluids, it can get feline herpes.
How to identify feline herpes.
Feline herpes tends to manifest in two ways: through respiratory disease, or through conjunctivitis in the eyes. Symptoms of the respiratory portion of feline herpes include sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge or inflammation. Feline herpes can also lead to secondary infections due to the weakened immune system of your cat.
Conjunctivitis is easy to spot through inflammation of the eye, a partially closed eye or eye discharge. Conjunctivitis can cause the tear ducts not to produce enough moisture to protect the eyes properly, or produce runny discharge; both of which irritate the eyes. If your cat has any of these symptoms, take it to a vet for a formal diagnosis.
Treating feline herpes.
When feline herpes is medically diagnosed by your vet, you'll get a specific treatment regimen, depending on your cat's symptoms and the severity of the infections. Your vet may prescribe treatments for symptoms, including eye drops for conjunctivitis, decongestants for the respiratory symptoms or antibiotics to treat any other secondary infections.
Your cat may not want to eat or drink while he's ill, but it's important that your cat remain fed and hydrated. If your cat isn't eating, the vet may want to prescribe a certain diet, or you may need to leave your cat with a vet for IV fluids and nutrients. Treatment for feline herpes is about managing the symptoms, as the virus itself is impossible to eradicate. It remains in your cat's bloodstream indefinitely, and it can flare up again in times of stress.
Prevention and protection.
Prevention is the best way to deal with feline herpes because, once your cat contracts it, he'll have it forever. You can get a series of vaccinations starting when your cat is a kitten that can protect your cat from feline herpes. Unfortunately, if your cat's mother has it, your kitten can contract it during pregnancy, and there's no way to prevent it. In that event, you can only protect your other cats by making sure they're fully vaccinated and keeping them away from your cat when your cat has a flare-up.
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