My cat might have herpes. How do vets test for it and what's the cost?

Question

How do I get my cat tested for herpes virus? And if you had to guess how much would an average cost be? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 2 months old | 12 lbs

Laura Johnson VMD · Accepted Answer

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diagnostic tests are not readily available. The tests can be involved and expensive and have a high incidence of false negative results. The different tests include conjunctival smears for cytology and indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFA), virus isolation (PCR), and serologic tests for serum neutralizing antibodies procedures have proven to be the most reliable. It is more sensitive and has fewer false negative results than the IFA test. Its drawbacks include the fact that few laboratories do the test, I do not know of one, and false negatives are still possible. Response to therapy and clinical signs may be the best diagnostic test. If you still want to test I recommend discussing the pricing with your Vet, but PCR and IFA will likely cost around $200. And I am not sure what "knowing" by a test will change for Winston. I hope this helps and have a great day!

My cat might have herpes. How do vets test for it and what's the cost?

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