Treatments For A Cat's Feline Herpes
Feline herpes is a viral illness that can spread easily among cats, which means that your pet may be at risk of this disease if it frequently spends time around other cats in the neighborhood. While you can arrange to have your local veterinarian vaccinate your cat against feline herpes, it's possible that you could have recently acquired a cat that hasn't been vaccinated — and is showing signs of this condition before you're able to set up a vaccination appointment. There are several ways that a veterinarian can treat feline herpes, which can range in severity from mild to very serious. The following are some treatment options that can be useful.
Eye Drops
One of the challenges that your cat faces when it has feline herpes is an infection of its eyes. This infection causes considerable itchiness and overall discomfort, often resulting in discharge coming from this part of the body. You can expect that your veterinarian will treat the infection in the eyes with medicated eye drops. They'll administer the first round of the drops during your initial animal clinic visit and send you home with a bottle and instructions on how often to give subsequent eye drop doses.
Antiviral Medication
Antiviral medication will be instrumental in battling the herpes virus that is in your cat's body. There are various forms of antiviral medication that are available, and the veterinarian will prescribe the best one based on the severity of the feline herpes. Antiviral medication for feline herpes can be either in a tablet or liquid form. Similar to the eye drops, the vet will give you instructions on how to give this medication to your cat for a predetermined amount of time. Over this time, you'll see the symptoms begin to clear up.
Nebulizer
Many humans use a nebulizer to help with various respiratory conditions, and this type of device can also be a part of the treatment for your cat's feline herpes. This disease affects not only the eyes but also the respiratory system. A nebulizer produces a medicated mist that the cat can inhale in an enclosed space, which will help with its respiratory system blockages and other symptoms. This is a treatment that occurs in the animal clinic, and your veterinarian may request that you have a few of these appointments if the cat's condition is particularly severe. Together, these treatments can help your cat recover from feline herpes.
For more information, contact a veterinary clinic near you.