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My cat has herpes. How can I stop flare-ups and do vaccines help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed

I am pretty sure my 5 year old cat has herpes virus. Is there any benefit to giving her the vaccine? What is the best way to stop flare ups? We put on calming collars and give her lysine but the flare ups are still bad

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 3rd, 2018

There is no harm in treating her as though she may have FHV but if you want a diagnosis you need to get her to a vet for an exam and testing. Many diseases mimic each other as far as clinical signs so the reason she is having "flare ups" may be because she doesn't have FHV and it is something else instead. Just a thought. There is not much you can do for prevention other than regular vaccination and reducing stress. Lysine has questionable benefits but it won't hurt so I always suggest it's use. If she has flare-ups despite these practices then she may have an issue with her immune system or she may a different issue entirely. If she has not been tested for feline leukemia (FeLv) and feline immunodeficiency viurs (FIV) I would suggest you have her tested. Both of those diseases will compromise the immune system. That may explain the flare-ups. Yes, there are benefits in giving the vaccine regularly. I would suggest finding a vet that has the intranasal version of the vaccine. Any feline only practice should have that vaccine. The intranasal vaccination stimulates local immunity inside the nasal passages against reactivation of the virus which reduces the likelihood of recurrent infection and of viral shedding. Hope this answers your questions. If not, feel free to post again. Best wishes!

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