Residual cat flu and lysine....

[cozietoesie]

Just to report.

Some of you may recall that Seniorboy has, for many years, had symptoms of residual cat flu - for which nothing conventional can be done really.

I heard about l-lysine treatment on this board and when he was last at the vets (a couple of months ago) I asked his vet about it. She didn't actually know much about it so only expressed interest.

As there appeared, from some research, to be no contra indications, I acquired some powdered lysine and he's been on it for 3 days now. Sneezing and snottery nose have both stopped. It may be coincidence but I give it to you for what it's worth.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Good grief, that was quick. Are there any side effects?

[cozietoesie]

None that I can see. As I said, it may be coincidence but hey!

(I've taken the tablet form myself now for a month or two and it really helps insomnia for some reason.)

I tasted the powdered form before dosing and it has no bitter taste or nasty flavour - just a slight saltiness. So Seniorboy will eat it in his (wet) food. You don't give them much, anyway.

[SoupDragon]

I remember SoupKitten being given some kind of powder which stopped her sneezing/snottiness (also cat flu related) but it was a PITA to get her to eat it at all and to stop FatCat eating it which was a shame.

[cozietoesie]

Maybe that was what it was? Seniorboy is pretty fussy about his food and has conventional meds in it twice daily anyway (for his arthritis) but he hasn't shown any particular reluctance to eat with the added lysine.

[SoupDragon]

It could have been - I don't remember being told exactly what it was, just that it could help with the sneezing/snottiness. It was given as part of her annual vaccination/health check. As it was difficult to get it into her and she wasn't bothered by the sneezing etc I left it in the end.

Great if you can get it into the cat though! SoupKitten was difficult to feed anyway - a small cat with a small snacky appetite coupled with an enormous cat who'd eat anything wasn't ideal for medication.:)

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

Hi cozietoes, it was me who mentioned giving this to cats, it's great for their immune system and my cats have also never had a problem with fleas since they have had it either.

Glad Seniorboy is feeling well

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

I have the l-lysine powder and it's added to drinking water

[cozietoesie]

She sounds like Seniorboy. I would love to have a cat who'd eat anything but Seniorboy being so elderly, I just have to scheme and try him with taste treats. (With his age and his meds, I can't use tough love in the food area.)

[cozietoesie]

Hi Diary

Forgot it was you - although I remembered it as being on Toffee's thread.

It seems to work.

[SoupDragon]

FatCat is considerably thinner now SoupKitten is gone as he only has his own food to eat.

Nether cat used to drink much water either, although it was always available. Clearly they got it from somewhere though.

Interesting that it seems to help with fleas. That's tempting - FatCat runs away as soon as he seems me approaching with the Advocate vial!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

A chap called Mike Lapin is your man Cozie he is a referral vet at Colarado State Uni and he has done nearly all the work on cat flu or Shnorking cats as he calls them. His recent work has found that daily dosing with Fortiflora Probiotic is even more effective than Lysine. He did the original lysine study. So he now recommends fortiflora over lysine.
It needs to be Fortiflora as it is the only one specifically formulated for cats.
I have had really good results with fortiflora reducing flares of herpes virus from once a month to once every 4 months in chronically infected cats.
Fortiflora is also more palatable and can be mixed in food or drink.

[cozietoesie]

Love that 'shnorking' cats - it's precisely the sound they make!

Thanks for that, Lone. I'll have a look see.

[SoupDragon]

Schnorking! It is the noise they make isn't it?! :o