FHV? Please Help!

[-felix-]

Hello, about a year ago my two kittens had FHV, and one fully recovered while the other didn't because the medicine the vet prescribed had run out. However, the kitten was almost fully recovered so I left her alone, but unfortunately a year has past and nothing has changed. The cat that I have now, which is infected with the virus, seems alright, but seems to be constant discharge of clear liquid all the time. I didn't think anything of it, because that's the only problem, however recently I found out she's pregnant, and I'm not sure on what I should do..

1) Are there any home remedies to treat the problem?
2) Is my cat's condition bad, will this effect her litter?
3) Must I take her to a vet, and if so, how much should it cost to get her treated?
Note: Last time, she was treated using eye drops, and antibiotics.

Please Help.

[14+kitties]

1) No
2) Most likely
3) YES! Why should it matter about cost if you love her? Schedule an abortion at the same time as the kittens will be unhealthy as well. So then you are looking at meds X 4? 5? 6? Please have her spayed at the same time.

[Marty11]

I was waiting for that answer. The cost of spaying is sooooo cheap right now at the OSPCA!!

[Love4himies]

Ditto 14+'s response. You are going to end up with a huge vet bill due to sick kittens.

[-felix-]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

1) No
2) Most likely
3) YES! Why should it matter about cost if you love her? Schedule an abortion at the same time as the kittens will be unhealthy as well. So then you are looking at meds X 4? 5? 6? Please have her spayed at the same time.

Thank you so much for replying, but I have a problem with taking he to a vet.
Yes, I do love my cat very much, but at this point I really can't take her to a vet because my parents are against it, you see their don't really aprove of spending 300-400 dollars treating a cat they don't really care for.
I've read on the internet l-lysine helps cats a lot, and I was wondering if I should buy some and perhaps also purchase some cat supplements to boost her immune system...

Also are their any foods that I could feed her to boost her immune system.

[Masha]

felix -- how old are you? are you old enough for a part time job? If so, than even if your parents dont approve of spending this money, you can earn some of your own and put it to great use.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by -felix-

Thank you so much for replying, but I have a problem with taking he to a vet.
Yes, I do love my cat very much, but at this point I really can't take her to a vet because my parents are against it, you see their don't really aprove of spending 300-400 dollars treating a cat they don't really care for.
I've read on the internet l-lysine helps cats a lot, and I was wondering if I should buy some and perhaps also purchase some cat supplements to boost her immune system...

Also are their any foods that I could feed her to boost her immune system.

If this cat is yours then set up a repayment plan with your parents or even with the vet. Depending on who you see the bill won't be 3 or 4 hundred. What will you do if you go ahead with letting her have this litter and something happens during delivery? Will you phone the vet or would you let your cat die? Sorry to sound harsh but that is reality. It's something you have to be aware of. Not all births go smoothly. Then I can assure you the bill would be much much more than 3 or 4 hundred.
L-lysine never hurts.
The best food you can feed her is Wellness, Nature's Instinct, Innova Evo, any food that is grain free, by product free. They cost about $3 a can and she should be eating at least one can a day while pregnant. After that she should be eating more in order to keep her and her babies as healthy as possible. Then when the kittens get old enough to eat solid foods they should also get the best food available. Wellness kitten formula is great. It costs approx. $2 for a very small can. So say 5 kittens times five to ten cans a day plus mom's 1.5 to 2 cans a day............. adds up right? You keep the kittens till they are at least 8, preferably 10 weeks old. Then you find them the best homes possible. That means not a "free to good home" advertisement in the newspaper. That means checking out potential homes very very well.
And that is if the kittens are healthy. If they aren't then you will have the cost of meds on top of it all. Realistically you will have to take them to a vet or risk them dying............

Originally Posted by Masha

felix -- how old are you? are you old enough for a part time job? If so, than even if your parents dont approve of spending this money, you can earn some of your own and put it to great use.

Wonderful idea Masha!!

[-felix-]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

If this cat is yours then set up a repayment plan with your parents or even with the vet. Depending on who you see the bill won't be 3 or 4 hundred. What will you do if you go ahead with letting her have this litter and something happens during delivery? Will you phone the vet or would you let your cat die? Sorry to sound harsh but that is reality. It's something you have to be aware of. Not all births go smoothly. Then I can assure you the bill would be much much more than 3 or 4 hundred.
L-lysine never hurts.
The best food you can feed her is Wellness, Nature's Instinct, Innova Evo, any food that is grain free, by product free. They cost about $3 a can and she should be eating at least one can a day while pregnant. After that she should be eating more in order to keep her and her babies as healthy as possible. Then when the kittens get old enough to eat solid foods they should also get the best food available. Wellness kitten formula is great. It costs approx. $2 for a very small can. So say 5 kittens times five to ten cans a day plus mom's 1.5 to 2 cans a day............. adds up right? You keep the kittens till they are at least 8, preferably 10 weeks old. Then you find them the best homes possible. That means not a "free to good home" advertisement in the newspaper. That means checking out potential homes very very well.
And that is if the kittens are healthy. If they aren't then you will have the cost of meds on top of it all. Realistically you will have to take them to a vet or risk them dying............



Wonderful idea Masha!!

Actually, I'd saved up 200 dollars for just this occasion, but my parents are still against the idea of spending money on a so called "useless" thing. I'm sorry to say it, but I think I just have to let nature take it's course. Thank you guys for all your advice.

[Love4himies]

How is your kitty doing?

I love Masha's idea of helping pay for the spay.

14+ is right, not getting her spayed now will probably cost more in the long run or hurting your cat and her kittens, hopefully your parents will agree.

What where your plans with the kittens?

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by -felix-

Actually, I'd saved up 200 dollars for just this occasion, but my parents are still against the idea of spending money on a so called "useless" thing. I'm sorry to say it, but I think I just have to let nature take it's course. Thank you guys for all your advice.

Awwwww, kitties are not useless , they provide us with unconditional love as I am sure you have experienced with your cat.

[kathryn]

Owner of a chronic FHV kitty here.

Number one, I've spent hundreds of dollars trying to "cure" or treat my kitty, nothing has helped that much. I currently use saline solution and lubricating eye drops to help soothe his eyes. Much better than throwing money at meds that don't work.

Secondly, the last thing we need in this world is more kitties Especially sickly ones. FHV is not usually fatal, but in newborn kittens it can cause a severe URI that can kill them or make them very sick, sometimes to the point where their eyes will rupture and need to be surgically removed. I can tell you as a shelter tech that within this summer alone we've removed ruptured eyes from about a half dozen kittens, and seen quite a few other cases as
well. This will cost you about 200-300 dollars for an enucleation.

(and my apolgizes for typos as I am borrowing someones computer)


If you can't afford to properly care for the kitty, it may be in everyones best interests to rehome her to someone who can afford to treat her and spay her. If you can't afford to spay her now, when will you be able to? After one litter? Three litters? Never? I wouldn't leave it to chance, as for every kitten she has that's one more unwanted kitty in the world.

[-felix-]

Originally Posted by kathryn

Owner of a chronic FHV kitty here.

Number one, I've spent hundreds of dollars trying to "cure" or treat my kitty, nothing has helped that much. I currently use saline solution and lubricating eye drops to help soothe his eyes. Much better than throwing money at meds that don't work.

Secondly, the last thing we need in this world is more kitties Especially sickly ones. FHV is not usually fatal, but in newborn kittens it can cause a severe URI that can kill them or make them very sick, sometimes to the point where their eyes will rupture and need to be surgically removed. I can tell you as a shelter tech that within this summer alone we've removed ruptured eyes from about a half dozen kittens, and seen quite a few other cases as
well. This will cost you about 200-300 dollars for an enucleation.

(and my apolgizes for typos as I am borrowing someones computer)


If you can't afford to properly care for the kitty, it may be in everyones best interests to rehome her to someone who can afford to treat her and spay her. If you can't afford to spay her now, when will you be able to? After one litter? Three litters? Never? I wouldn't leave it to chance, as for every kitten she has that's one more unwanted kitty in the world.

You see, her FHV isn't very severe, it's almost unnoticeable as it varies with the weather, a slightly runny right eye is all. I have saline left over from treating another kitten with FHV(fully cured and healthy), so I'll try treating hr with that. As for my mother and father, they are thinking about taking her to the vet, as I have been pleading with them.
I'm thinking about trying l-lysine, any tips or suggestions?

Do you know where I could purchase l-lysine?

Note: Her eye is getting much better the last few days, and I think it's because B.C. is having a lot of rainfall.

[Winston]

Felix welcome to the site and thank you for trying your best to help out this kitty. You have received some great advice and I am sooo soo happy that you have been pleading with your parents. May I suggest that you start making some calls to a low cost spay clinic or even contact your local SPCA for advice on a vet that will assist you with your kitty. I know it may sound harsh that we are advising you to abort the kitties but you really will be making the biggest difference one by one of kitties that dont need to be born. into this world...there are so many now that dont have homes! and actually doe everyday in shelters due to overcrowding.


You could also suggest to yor parents that if they get her fixed now it will be less costly in the long run and she will be a happier healthier kitty for you and your family. I dont have alot of experience with the FHV cats but perhaps if your parents knew what that was and the expense in treating it they may think twice about her having kittens..just something to ponder.

Please do what you can to have her checked out...I think L-syne can be purchased at any health food store.

[mikischo]

Hi, Felix

Yes, I agree trying the l-lysine is a great idea. Several people on this forum have used it with great success. You should be able to find it in any store that sells vitamins and supplements including drugstores, some supermarkets, or a health food store. It comes in tablets or powder form. I would look for the powder. The recommended dosage is 250 to 500 mg per day mixed with her food. You could start with 250 mg and see how that goes.

I agree with the others that you look into getting her spayed and aborted as soon as possible.

Please keep us posted on how things are going.

[kathryn]

My cats FHV is not too severe either, but when it is in a contagious stage it can be deadly to an unvaccinated or immunocompromised cat or kitten.

You can find l-lysine at any health food store, GNC or the like. It did not help my cat at all unfortunately, but it is inexpensive and it does not hurt to try.

[-felix-]

Originally Posted by Winston

Felix welcome to the site and thank you for trying your best to help out this kitty. You have received some great advice and I am sooo soo happy that you have been pleading with your parents. May I suggest that you start making some calls to a low cost spay clinic or even contact your local SPCA for advice on a vet that will assist you with your kitty. I know it may sound harsh that we are advising you to abort the kitties but you really will be making the biggest difference one by one of kitties that dont need to be born. into this world...there are so many now that dont have homes! and actually doe everyday in shelters due to overcrowding.


You could also suggest to yor parents that if they get her fixed now it will be less costly in the long run and she will be a happier healthier kitty for you and your family. I dont have alot of experience with the FHV cats but perhaps if your parents knew what that was and the expense in treating it they may think twice about her having kittens..just something to ponder.

Please do what you can to have her checked out...I think L-syne can be purchased at any health food store.

Great News! I think my pleading might pay off! You see, the vet said she might me able to prescribe a treatment under 50$ that's safe for cats during pregnancy! I don't think I can convince my parents to consider the abortion, but at least this is better than nothing!

[Love4himies]

I still think the money is better spent on a spaying. Pregnancy and nursing kittens is very hard on a momma cat, especially one that has health issues.

Perhaps you can talk to your vet about the situation and he/she can give you a break on the procedure , especially considering your kitty's condition.