Home > News

Feline Eye Herpes
Article featured in City Kitty's April 2011 Newsletter

One of the things I see quite often in the salon is Feline Herpes Viral Infection. It is an ocular infection very common in cats.

Most cats are exposed as kittens, sometimes infected even at birth and before their eyes are opened. What is most common is a flare up of a latent infection. Your cat most likely had it before you got her. In many cats only one eye is affected. You could compare this to "Pink Eye" that most of us had as kids. You may see discharge from the eyes, with irritation. The lower lids will be very red and inflamed.

Certain medical conditions can trigger this, especially in very young and very elderly cats. Minimization of stress is important. A suppressed immune system, allergies and several other factors can bring this on. Eye herpes is most common in Persians because of their head type, but adopted cats from shelters have it quite often because of the stress factor.

There is no cure but there are things you can do to get it in a state of remission and prevent corneal ulcers that can form if left untreated. This can happen naturally because the eye is trying to defend itself from the infection to protect the eye. Corneal ulcers can lead to blindness, surgery, expense, and discomfort for the cat, so it is important to keep this relatively minor issue under control.

What you can do:

• Clean your cat's eyes daily with a warm washcloth to remove debris. There is also an herbal formula available from any health type store called Eyebright. It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that nourishes and eases irritated eyes. Mix five drops of the extract in a cup of saline solution. Put a few drops in each eye daily, even if only one eye looks affected. This is a simple home remedy. I also like Terramycin ointment which we sell in the Salon. This is an ophthalmic antibiotic that is very effective. 
• Adding 1/2 capsule of Lysine to your cat's food daily will help fight herpes. It is very effective but is also an amino acid blocker so use for two weeks on, two weeks off.

Make sure that your vet has seen your cat and has been diagnosed properly to make sure there are no other issues causing this problem.   It is important to realize this form of herpes is species specific. It will not be transferred to you, family members or dogs. Other cats may be susceptible. Fortunately, it is rare for an "outbreak" within a household of adult cats. Most cats have already been exposed and have mounted an immune response to the infection.