Kittens Still Sneezing - Advice Needed

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CatNipped - 05 Jul 2007 15:00 GMT

Archer (10-week-old kitten) is still sneezing a LOT. I haven't heard Ozzy
sneezing lately even though he's in the same room with his brother. Tayla
(3-year-old cat) is still sneezing, though not as much as Archer - but her
right eye is "weeping".

I just got off the phone with my vet (the sainted Dr. French ;>), and he
said that they all have a herpes virus (which is what he diagnosed 10 days
ago). He said he'll going to prescribe another round of Clavamox for them
for me to pick up this afternoon, but the Clavamox is only given to stave
off secondary bacterial infections they might get because their immune
systems have been weakened by the herpes virus. He said he would leave it
up to me whether or not I want to give them another round of Clavamox, but
if they are otherwise healthy - playing, eating, and drinking - which they
are, it is not *imperative* that they get the Clavamox. He said he could
prescribe them nose or eye drops to take care of symptoms if they should
become bad, but that that won't get rid of the virus either. He said the
virus will just have to play itself out and that it could quite a while
before they are all symptom-free.

Dr. French also said that, even with strenuous cleaning (I wash their bowls
with hot, soapy water and we "wash" our hands well with Purell Hand
Sanitizer every time we leave on of their rooms), the herpes virus is
airborne and highly contagious and the fact that Demi, Jessie, and Sammy are
not showing any symptoms after 11 days in the same house is very good news
(I'm guessing that they have very healthy immune systems from being indoor
only, premium food fed, and are "throwing off" the shedded virus without
becoming symptomatic).

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Do you think I should go
ahead and treat them with another round of Clavamox, or as long as they're
otherwise healthy just let the virus run its course?

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Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters here: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

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Wendy - 05 Jul 2007 16:24 GMT

You could try giving them L-lysine. IIRC it interferes with the replication
of the herpes virus. We've used it on a number of cats and have seen
improvement. You can pick some up at a health food store. It comes in 500 mg
pills that can be split, ground up and put in wet food. It mustn't have much
of a taste as I've never had a problem getting it into the cats this way.

I don't think another round of Clavamox will do all that much good if the
kitties are eating and aren't running a fever. I'd watch that weeping eye
closely and if it appears to be getting worse see if you can talk the vet
out of some eye ointment.

If this goes on for too long you might want to ask the vet whether he thinks
something like benedryl might help. One of my former fosters had that help
with chronic weepy eyes and snuffles.

Wendy

> Archer (10-week-old kitten) is still sneezing a LOT. I haven't heard Ozzy
> sneezing lately even though he's in the same room with his brother. Tayla
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> ahead and treat them with another round of Clavamox, or as long as they're
> otherwise healthy just let the virus run its course?

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CatNipped - 05 Jul 2007 17:52 GMT

> You could try giving them L-lysine. IIRC it interferes with the
> replication of the herpes virus. We've used it on a number of cats and
> have seen improvement. You can pick some up at a health food store. It
> comes in 500 mg pills that can be split, ground up and put in wet food. It
> mustn't have much of a taste as I've never had a problem getting it into
> the cats this way.

I'm already using the L-Lysine - 500mg split into 2 250mg doses for Tayla
and 250mg split into 2 125mg doses for each of the boys. I'm wondering if I
should up the dosage.

> I don't think another round of Clavamox will do all that much good if the

I'm thinking that too.

> kitties are eating and aren't running a fever. I'd watch that weeping eye
> closely and if it appears to be getting worse see if you can talk the vet
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> thinks something like benedryl might help. One of my former fosters had
> that help with chronic weepy eyes and snuffles.

Thanks Wendy!

Hugs,

CatNipped

> Wendy
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>> ahead and treat them with another round of Clavamox, or as long as
>> they're otherwise healthy just let the virus run its course?

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Rhonda - 05 Jul 2007 16:32 GMT

CN, those viruses do have to run their course no matter what medicine
they get. We never had it in our house until a few years ago when we
brought home one rescue cat -- now everyone has the virus. Luckily,
other than the first time around (when everyone here got sick and I
thought I would lose my mind...) we've only had small sneezing flare-ups.

I wouldn't do more antibiotics if he doesn't seem to have a bacterial
infection. Save it for when they really need it.

Good luck,

Rhonda

> Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Do you think I should go
> ahead and treat them with another round of Clavamox, or as long as they're
> otherwise healthy just let the virus run its course?

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