akane 370 @+4 on .2
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dosgatos
Member Since 2010
Took him to the vet as I was a bit concerned with his sneeze and lethargy as well as higher BGs. He eats all right but his meows have become hoarse and weak. He did not have fever and there was sound around his upper bronchial tube, the vet said. She told me that it might be FHV (feline herpesvirus) and dosed him interferon and prescribed anti virus medicine called "Aciclovir" twice daily for 5 days. I have searched FHV in this board and found some threads saying that L-lysine will work well for sneeze, cold and FHV, FIV and URI etc. I searched Aciclovir on the internet and found one site that refers this med for FHV but I would rather give him L-lysine and see..not this med as it has not been tested if he really has FHV or not. Has anyone heard of this medicine ?
pamela and tigger
Member Since 2009
dosgatos said:
But that is typical with levimer and Lantus as well. People will oftentimes see an increase in bg numbers before the dose settles. Give it time.
dosgatos said:
Yes, I don't think there is any worry about giving lysine safely for a herpes virus for the short term. I have done it myself and it worked in a couple of days and Tigger felt better. If I remember correctly the capsules I had were 500 mg and I would split one from the morning and then give the other at night crushed in his food for 250 mg total. Since I had the tablets on hand I just used those, but this site describes how to do it in other ways:
http://www.ehow.com/way_5846249_lysine- ... -cats.html
I can understand not wanting to use a prescription drug if there is something that is more natural without all the side effects. But your vet may have had a good reason for prescribing the Acyclovir so I can't say you shouldn't go that route too.
One thing about herpes is sometimes they can't breathe well with the congestion so can't smell their food, so they don't eat well. Not a fun scenario with a diabetic who has to eat.
Maybe you could post on the Health forum and get some more feedback from others who may have used this medication and/or the lysine?
I hope this is a mild case and Akane feels better soon.
Also, remember his numbers might be a little 'wonky' (for lack of a better word), for a while until he gets this virus out of his system.
Let us now how he is doing and what you decide.
Sheila & Beau GA & Jeddie GA
Member Since 2009
Were the higher numbers around the time you took him to the vet? Going to the vet always raised Beau by over 100 points, even when we had been home a hour or so. But also raising the dose can sometimes cause higher numbers for a cycle or two.
And being sick can cause the numbers to rise. If he has been feeling unwell, with any type of infection in the past few days, that could raise the BG, so after her is treated with medicine his BG may come down again - so just watch for that since you just raised the dose.
And being sick can cause the numbers to rise. If he has been feeling unwell, with any type of infection in the past few days, that could raise the BG, so after her is treated with medicine his BG may come down again - so just watch for that since you just raised the dose.
dosgatos
Member Since 2010
Thank you, Pamela and Shiela. It seems I need to get L-lysine from US (couldn't find one here) and it takes several days to arrive so I gave him Acyclovir even though I still do not know if it is FHV or just a cold. He still eats well so hope it continues..
It is good to know that lysine worked for Tigger! Thank you for the info.
I did not know BGs will often rise with an increased amount. Hope it ends soon! I know I worry a lot - it is just because I am so used to seeing his bgs (on PZI) under 200 and it is still hard for me to accept the current higher numbers. He has been trying very hard to adjust himself and I feel very sorry for him..
I tested him 30 mins before going to the vet (377) and 1.5 hours after we got home (365). Akane and Rin, my other cat and Akane's brother, do not seem to go up by the stress to go the vet. Rin is always very frightened and he shakes and growls and screams a lot (and keeps shaking & growling after we get home) but his bg was 69. :roll:
It is good to know that lysine worked for Tigger! Thank you for the info.
I did not know BGs will often rise with an increased amount. Hope it ends soon! I know I worry a lot - it is just because I am so used to seeing his bgs (on PZI) under 200 and it is still hard for me to accept the current higher numbers. He has been trying very hard to adjust himself and I feel very sorry for him..
I tested him 30 mins before going to the vet (377) and 1.5 hours after we got home (365). Akane and Rin, my other cat and Akane's brother, do not seem to go up by the stress to go the vet. Rin is always very frightened and he shakes and growls and screams a lot (and keeps shaking & growling after we get home) but his bg was 69. :roll:
Melissa&Paul-Kyle
Member Since 2009
If these higher BG's are unusual for him- you wrote PZI kept him around 200- then it may be partially the illness causing the higher BG's.
Now that you have taken him to the vet and have medicine in him, the illness may subside as well as the BG's.
So while BG's are "wonky" in part due to insulin change and getting used to new insulin, it may also be b/c of illness.
When illness is taken care of, you *may* see a sudden drop in BG levels. Just keep an eye out ;-)
You are doing great! :thumbup
Now that you have taken him to the vet and have medicine in him, the illness may subside as well as the BG's.
So while BG's are "wonky" in part due to insulin change and getting used to new insulin, it may also be b/c of illness.
When illness is taken care of, you *may* see a sudden drop in BG levels. Just keep an eye out ;-)
You are doing great! :thumbup
Vicky & Gandalf (GA) & Murrlin
Member Since 2009
dosgatos said:
My thinking on cat stress is that it's the ones who do not howl and react that have higher BGs as they are internalizing their stress. I have seen a 200 pt. difference from the vet's office to back home a couple hours later. Gandalf sits quietly, only gets grumpy when someone messes with his feet, and never fusses but you can tell he does not want to be there.
pamela and tigger
Member Since 2009
dosgatos said:
I think basically feline herpes virus and a "cold virus" are pretty much the same in cats.
Mami, are you sure you can't find Lysine in Japan? That seems strange since it is a natural amino acid and people take it all the time for herpes virus so it should be in health food stores there. You just have to adjust the dose like I said previously. Here is some more info:
http://www.catster.com/forums/Cat_Health/thread/697543
Again, just make sure you measure so it is just 250 mg twice a day. Most tablets and capsules come in 500 mg. So you can split this BID.
It is safe to give but there have been studies on its effectiveness if given long term. But that is when it is given as a preventative - you should be just fine to give it to Akane.
dosgatos
Member Since 2010
I see!! Gandalf must be a strong guy, not like my two scaredy boys. How is he doing now..?Vicky & Gandalf said:
Thank you for the info, Pamala. So there is another Japanese person looking for lysine! I searched on the internet and found out I could get it from online shops in Japan but the products are all made in US. I cannot go to a nearby drugstore today because of the snow (only 20 cm but we are not prepared for this!) so I cannot check if they have it but we do not have a great selection of supplements as in US and I have not seen L-lysine only type before. So I ordered it to iHerb. It should arrive here within a week. I chose a Now brand powder form and according to the description, 250mg will be 1/8 level teaspoon. Hope that's good. I dosed him acyclovir twice..half trusting, half doubting.. :? I do not want to give him any more so hope his voice becomes clearer soon!
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