L-lysine for rhinotracheitis - how long can I use it?

[Molli]

My 9 month old kitten, Tenkon, has been dealing with bouts of rhinotracheitis. We have given her idoxuridine for the flare ups, and our vet suggested daily supplements of l-lysine to help inhibit viral replication. Right now she is fine, and we are continuing with the l-lysine, but how long should she be on this? I don't have a problem giving it to her indefinitely, but I don't want to cause any harm. Any advice?

[davet]

i i personally have no idea so suspect your vet knows the details and this should definitly be directed to himn/her---sorry

[Traci]

Your vet will need to check with a resource available to him to be able to answer your question. While I believe L-lysine is relatively safe to use as a supplement for Herpes-infected cats, in a young kitten, your vet will need to determine long term use vs short term use depending on frequency of reoccuring symptoms, degree of or severity of symptoms, etc. If your vet has not tested further to rule out other possibilities of bacterial or viral infection, it would be prudent to opt for further testing to ensure the condition is accurately diagnosed and not confused with something else. Also, keeping stress reduced at all times is crucial to aid in preventing flare-ups.

I would be more concerned with the use of the idoxuridine, as it would seem more trouble than it's worth, unless your vet feels it is truly targeting any corneal involvement or keratitis. Studies have indicated it is effective against FHV, but some vets question it's efficacy. The product is marketed by at least three manufacturers, and your vet needs to determine which is the safest for a young kitten to use.

There is a new L-lysine product for cats, called Enisyl-F, by Vetoquinol/Evsco. Ask your vet about it, he can request research abstracts from the company, if he hasn't already read the new information.