Does lysine supplement really work for cats with herpes virus?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed
the pet md said that lysine supplement dosnt really work that good for cats with herpes virus is that true
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 29th, 2017
I would have to respectfully disagree with that statement. I have used Lysine for years and many cats have improved with it. The limitations are that it probably only works for Herpes infection (not other upper respiratory viruses in cats, and we don't often do testing to know for sure that it is Herpes virus causing the clinical signs), and it only works to slow down the replication of the virus (not eliminate the infection). I have attached 2 handouts below which discuss using Lysine in feline Herpes virus. (The first one discusses how Lysine works.) https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1327 https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=613 I hope that answers your question and was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 5th, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mimi. L-lysine is an amino acid supplement that may help with herpes virus infections in cats. Feline herpes tends to be exhibited as an upper respiratory tract infection with possible eye problems as well. It has been debated in current research as to whether it is effective or not. However, I have had some patients benefit from it. If it does not help, it will not be harmful to your kitten. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 22nd, 2018
Lysine supplementation for herpesvirus is controversial. The idea behind supplementation is that increasing lysine levels would decrease arginine (another amino acid) levels and since the herpesvirus needs a lot of arginine to replicate it would slow the virus down and improve clinical signs. Scientific studies have not shown any improvement in clinical signs when cats are supplemented with lysine. There was a review article published in 2015 that suggested that supplementing cats with lysine might be dangerous since it could lead to arginine deficiency in cats, but to my knowledge this has not been backed up by scientific evidence either. I personally don't recommend lysine because I have not had many success stories with it, however I also don't discourage people from using it.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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