wet noses on my kitties

[Jearlebrown1]

I have tiger striped cats about one year old that have developed wet noses and recently one (male) started coughing a guttural (even a painful sounding) cough. My vet says it's a cold but I'm here to tell you, this "cold" has been going on for over six months. Any suggestions besides the usual "second opinion"? Thanks guys, I just want "Tatum" to be well. My cats are my healers, they walk with me when I exercise, etc. Because 3 &1/2 yrs ago I underwent chemo for cancer, the kitties stayed by my side night and day. It's as if they knew I needed their company for comforting. They are very good at that; comforting. I believe they make themselves comfortable no matter what. LOL But I learned what they wereall about in that era of my life, Even breaking the language barrier, (of sorts). Are tiger striped cats (black on gray and black on brown) Malaysian? Just curious because I'm barely an expert. Comments welcome, James

[opus88]

guess we crossed there Jade......I know you haven't had good luck with the treats version, is the gel(viralys) powder full of additives?...you'd think the Vets would know better...in any case the 'human' supplement would be much cheaper too......
ps you can order from iherb.com  if these brands aren't avail to you locally....their prices are excellent and shipping is very low....♥

[Jade59]

Thanks, Opus.  This saved me going back to the PM you sent with this info.  I think it's much better for kitty to have the human Lysine since the additives in the animal formula is outrageous!

Jearlebrown1...buy the human Lysine.  I shouldn't of even steered you to what the vets sell.  

[opus88]

hi, Nancy has had much more experience with this than I have so she can add more info for you. I just wanted to send this link for you...and answer your question that NO this virus ISN'T transmissible from cat to human or visa versa.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_herpes_viral_conjunctivitis.html

I would highly recommend the supplement L-lysine avail from a health food store, its affordable and very effective. I recommend the following brands that contain NO soy or other harmful additives therefore they are safe for kitty use....500mg for a week than down to 250mg for maintenance dose...
NOW FOODS powder
CARLSON powder
JARROW L-lysine 500mg capsules
SOURCE NATURALS powder
or LEF capsules.
if you buy the capsule form be sure to open first and sprinkle the powder onto their food.♥

[Jade59]

No possibility of human contraction nor could YOU pass on herpes to your cat (if you had it).  Now the science of *why* this is not possible - you will have to wait for Nancy or someone else to answer that : )

You have quite the beautiful menagerie there.  I'm glad they were of comfort when you were going through that awful chemo.

Get your kitties started on L-Lysine.  Comes in gel (Viralys) powder or treats if you get it from your vet.  

[Jearlebrown1]

Thank you very much for the 411 on FHV1, but of course this raises an eyebrow about the possibilities of contagiousness. Human contraction possibilities there, or no? I googled with negative findings. Shall I pester you for another response? Terrific!

[nancyjac]

They may FHV1 positive.  If they are all from the same litter, odds are they are all positive.  One of my cats is about the same age as yours and he has had a runny nose for the better part of 9 months.  

Tiger striping is a pattern and has nothing to do with the breed.  Malaysian cats are not a recognized breed, but generally they are considered to be a close cousin to Siamese, so a tiger striped cat would not be Malaysian.  Most tiger striped cats are probably domestic short hairs.