L-Lysine- is it useful to give to an aging cat?

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Jean and Charcoal

Jean and Charcoal

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Hi Everyone,

Just posting over here to ask if anyone here gives their cat/s L-Lysine, in the paste form? My oldest cat, Ketchie, has had a constant nasal drippage on her left side of her nose, plus her eye on the left is more watery than the right. She will be 16 years old if I can get her to make it to August 1st which is when she was born in my bathroom on August 1, 1995.

Sadly, her twin sister, Sloopy, who was adopted as a 10 week old kitten from me, has died yesterday. So, now my tortie, Ketchie is the last of the five cats, including the mother, that I had.
Gracie, the mom, Rudder, the diabetic died today two years ago, and Schooner died this past March 22, 2011.

They all had cardiomyopathy, and that is what just took the life of poor Sloopy, the adoptee.

I have had Ketchie to the vet quite a bit this past year, and she also has Interstitial Cystitis and CRF, and Hyperesthesia. I just never thought she would be the last survivor. I will miss her sooo much when she goes. But, they all had a good life while they were here.

Thanks for any info on the L-Lysine.
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
L-Lysine can help with sniffle-y problems. I don't think there is any danger to giving it, but haven't studied the "contra-indications"

(((((hugs)))))) so sorry for your losses. My cats are all older too -- between 13 and 15 -- I'm dreading the day that they begin to pass on.
 
From what I understand, L-Lysine is an amino acid that boosts the immune system, so it should help with the runny nose. I don't think it has any side effects with the normal dose. I think that is 250 mg per day.
 
It was prescribed for us for our older cats (both 13 at the time) when they got URI when we brought Avie home. She'd like us to just keep all the cats on it all the time since they have a chance of symptoms reoccuring so I don't think there is any indications that it is dangerous for older cats. Our cats just learned the smell of the paste and refuse to eat anything with it in it now.
 
Dr Lisa posted recently that l-lysine may have been debunked as being helpful with sniffles.

It may be that certain cats could benefit with a trial of it and others may not.
 
Thanks, everyone! I plan to try her on it, as soon as I get some. Can't hurt, I figured.

Have a great Sunday!
Jean and Charcoal (GA)
 
Hi Jean,
You can get the tablets at the grocery store in the vitamin department.
I got the 500mg tablet and crushed it into a fine powder and sprinkled it on
Smokies food and covered the powder with a tiny bit of food.
It is tasteless and odorless and Smokie eats it.

I don't know if it helped get rid of her sneezing or if she was just gonna get over it
anyway at that time; but the last time i used it the sneezing and watery eye were ok
in a few days. This has happened everytime i gave it.

Dr. Lisa posted recently in my post about L-lysine and you may want to read that.
With Smokie i'm always between a rock and a hard place when she gets anything wrong with her.

God bless and comfort you Jean in all your losses,
Hugs, maryjo
 
We give Truman L-lysine in the gel form from the vet when he starts getting 'winky'. He has herpeviral conjunctivitis in one eye. The L-lysine does make a difference when he starts showing that symptom, and usually within a few days it disappears. I don't give it daily when he's not winking as he doesn't like the gel and I have to really smear it into his shoulder to get him to not flick/rub it off.

I need to look into that powder to put in the food...if it won't cause any ill effects with a cat that doesn't need it. My boys share a food bowl, so Max would definitely get some if I started giving it that way.

Edited to Add: I just ordered some of that powder from Amazon. Definitely more affordable than that gel from the Vet! And he'll get it more regularly this way too. Can't wait to use it! :mrgreen: I also looked at the Enisyl-F powder since that's the gel the vet sold us, but they don't list the ingredients in it other than "l-lysine in a highly palatable base"...which makes me nervous to give to a sugar cat. Plus it costs more...
 
Mindy & Max said:
...I need to look into that powder to put in the food...if it won't cause any ill effects with a cat that doesn't need it. My boys share a food bowl, so Max would definitely get some if I started giving it that way....
Click to expand...

l-lysine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks in making protein. (In humans, there are 8 which our bodies cannot make and must consume in food). If it is not needed to make a protein, the body can break it down by clipping off the part that makes it an amino acid, leaving some carbohydrate chain behind which may be further metabolized into glucose.
 
Mindy & Max said:
Edited to Add: I just ordered some of that powder from Amazon. Definitely more affordable than that gel from the Vet! And he'll get it more regularly this way too. Can't wait to use it! :mrgreen: I also looked at the Enisyl-F powder since that's the gel the vet sold us, but they don't list the ingredients in it other than "l-lysine in a highly palatable base"...which makes me nervous to give to a sugar cat. Plus it costs more...
Click to expand...
The powder is really easy to use. We've been using it ever since we got the kittens - they came to us with feline herpes and the vet recommended l-lysine for them.

My only warning is that when you first open the bottle, and for a while after, the stuff flies everywhere! Very staticy.
 
Thanks BJ and Debby!

So BJ, what you're saying is that I should probably give it separately to Truman, or if I give it to both I should watch Max's numbers for a while and make sure his BG isn't going up? He's been OTJ for over a year now, but I've also been very strict about him getting no carbs/sugar other than what is in the regular food.
 
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