Feline Herpes With Sneezing

As a virus, feline herpes causes sneezing in cats, as well as discharges from the cat's eyes and nose, loss of appetite and lethargy. Feline herpes can result in the development of an upper-respiratory infection, which is often life-threatening. Though no treatment successfully eliminates feline herpes, being aware of the virus's mode of transmission, as well as the various ways in which it can be treated, will help you deal with any problems an infected cat might have.

  1. Transmission

    • Cats transmit feline herpes to other cats through saliva and other bodily discharges. As cats tend to greet each other through sniffing and rubbing, cats living with or near other cats are more susceptible to the virus than isolated cats. Feline herpes cannot transfer from cat to human or cat to dog; only cats can get the virus. Similarly, herpes viruses prevalent in humans cannot transfer to cats.

    Prevention

    • Because feline herpes transmits from cat to cat through exposure and contact to saliva and other bodily discharges, the best -- indeed the only -- perfect method of prevention requires you to keep infected cats quarantined away from uninfected cats. If this is impossible, you must remain vigilant in cleaning the cat's eyes, nose and ears of any saliva through which the virus can be transferred.

    Diagnosis

    • The symptoms of feline herpes include sneezing, coughing and other respiratory issues. These respiratory issues arise because of an increased amount of inflammation in the sinuses, which in turn generates an excess amount of mucus. Consequently, experts can often diagnose feline herpes based on the buildup of mucus on the outside of a cat's eyes and nose, as well as an increased amount of drool. Additionally, cats with feline herpes can sometimes lose their appetites and become quite lethargic.

    Treatment

    • Though no cure exists for feline herpes, veterinarians recommend several methods of treating the virus's symptoms. Cleaning any and all discharge from the cat's eyes and nose will both alleviate some of the cat's discomfort as well as lessen the likelihood that the cat will transfer the virus to other cats. Additionally, because stress exacerbates feline herpes, vets recommend maintaining a quiet, stress-free home environment with little to no change or other stressors, such as moving, visitors or new pets.