Herpes in Feline Eyes

Symptoms

• The herpes virus grows in the tissues of the body that make contact with the environment. It grows in the upper respiratory tissues and conjunctival membranes, which are the pink areas under the eyelids and the lining of the eyelids. The herpes virus, the usual cause of conjunctivitis, causes irritated, red, itchy, dry, uncomfortable eyes that might even become cloudy or ulcerated, according to VeterinaryPartner.com. Other signs of a the herpes infection include a runny nose, lack of appetite and dehydration. Kittens generally display more symptoms than adult cats with mature immune systems.

Identification

• To confirm a case of herpes infection, bring the cat to a veterinarian and have him do a physical examination on your cat. He will diagnose your cat based on his clinical presentation rather than a clinical test. This is because the test for herpes virus, the polymerase chain reaction test, is too sensitive for some laboratories to perform, according to VeterinaryPartner.com. The test involves swabbing the conjunctival area for sample, amplifying the viral DNA, and detecting the virus.

Treatment

• A case of herpes eye infection can be treated topically, orally or by vaccinations, according to VeterinaryPartner.com. A veterinarian might suggest topical antibiotics to relieve the discomfort or topical antiviral eye drops. Oral medications include the oral interferon alpha and oral lysine. The former oral medicine suppresses the herpes virus symptoms, while the latter stops the virus from reproducing. Nasal vaccinations can also treat herpes virus infections by boosting the immune stimulation in the affected area and reduce infection symptoms.

Complication

• Common complications of herpes infections include eye scarring, corneal ulcers, chronic tearing and inward rolling of the eyelids, according to Northwest Animal Eye Specialists. If the cat's cornea degenerates and turns brown, he might require surgery. If left untreated, conjunctivitis could become so severe that the cat cannot open its eyes, according to VeterinaryPartner.Com. Kittens especially could produce so much eye discharge that it seals the eye openings. In some cases, the eye could rupture, causing permanent blindness.

Prevention/Solution

• The Herpes virus never goes away, according to Northwest Animal Eye Specialists. Instead, it lays latent in the cat's body, displaying symptoms when his immune system weakens, for example after stressful events. To control the symptoms, minimize stress from events such as illness, surgery or new pets in the house. Because the virus can be contagious to other cats, you should consider separating the sick cat from kittens and old cats. Use willard water, water that has molecular changes, for your cat to drink and feeding supplements to enhance his immune system, recommends CatsofAustralia.com.