My kitten has FHV. Will future vaccines still help if it's a carrier?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
If my kitten catches FHV before full course of vaccinations will future vaccinations be effect if they become a carrier.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 10th, 2019
Hello, and thanks for using PetCoach. This is a great question! Yes, future vaccinations still have benefit, even if a kitten becomes infected with feline herpesvirus and it's "too late" to completely avoid the virus. Giving the vaccine booster can help decrease the flare-ups of symptoms, and decrease viral shedding from the kitten. Here's a link with more information on the virus and the vaccination, with the key excerpt listed below: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-herpesvirus-infection-or-feline-viral-rhinotracheitis "A cat that is a carrier of FVR may benefit from periodic boosters with the intranasal herpes and calicivirus vaccine (up to 2-3 times per year), which may stimulate local immunity against reactivation of the virus, thus decreasing the likelihood of recurrent infection and of viral shedding." Hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 4th, 2017
I am sorry to hear about Eliza! The herpes vaccination in cats does not offer 100 percent protection but it does decrease the risk and if a cat does contract the virus it decreases the symptoms drastically so it is unlikely for them to be as severely affected as an unvaccinated cat or young kitten with an immature immune system.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
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
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a cat with feline herpes virus in the eye. I put Idoxuridine in her eye everyday which keeps the virus under control. I would like to bring another cat into my house. If the new cat receives or has received the vaccine, will it be protected
I am sorry to hear about Eliza! The herpes vaccination in cats does not offer 100 percent protection but it does decrease the risk and if a cat does contract the virus it decreases the symptoms drastically so it is unlikely for them to be as severely affected as an unvaccinated cat or young kitten with an immature immune system.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I have a cat born with cat flu but no physical symptoms (carrier). Would I be able to get him the vaccination injections? And would I be able to get another cat as his brother recently passed? Thank you
I'm assuming that your cat has an upper respiratory virus like herpesvirus or calicivirus. It is fine to vaccinate cats who have been already infected, especially since this is typically a combination vaccine that covers other viruses as well. There is some evidence that the intranasal vaccine could lessen the severity of signs in a cat who is having an outbreak, but if your cat is already infected the vaccine will not cure him. If you introduced another cat and Frank became symptomatic again (i.e. sneezing, watery eyes or nasal discharge) the new cat could catch the disease. That being said, these viruses are extremely common and many kittens have been exposed even before they are vaccinated. If you are concerned you could always consider adopting an older cat who already has been vaccinated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We rescued a kitten a couple of months ago. We took him to the vet (he was 5 weeks old at that point) and she treated his bacterial eye infection and a respiratory infection with Clavamox which did help for the most part. It's now 2 months later and
Yes, it is possible he may have contracted feline herpes virus which can stay with him for life and often flares with stressful events. As long as he does not have a fever and is generally well then you may be able to proceed with vaccination which can help to reduce the severity and shedding of the infection
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I adopted a cat yesterday who has an upper respiratory infection they said problably feline herpes. They gave her antibiotic shot and weve kept her quarantined from my other cats. After she gets better can my other cats still catch it from her? How
Many cats have upper respiratory infections especially when they are coming from a shelter situation. There are several viruses and bacteria that can cause similar signs, and cats are usually contagious for two weeks or so from the onset of signs. Viral infections can sometimes cause recurrent outbreaks throughout the cats life (herpesvirus is the most common) so if the new cat becomes symptomatic again your other cats could be at risk in the future, but many cats do not have recurrent symptoms. The FVRCP vaccine protects against the most common viruses, so if your cats are vaccinated they are at less risk for infection. How serious a respiratory infection is depends on the patient - by far the vast majority of cats recover quickly without complications and do not have recurrent symptoms but very occasionally a young or immunocompromised cat can develop secondary pneumonia or chronic symptoms.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat Violet has Feline Herpes Virus 1. A few years ago, I had a cat that died from FHV-1. We would take him to the vet and they would give him a shot or something and he would feel better for about a month. He had a very severe case, but I think
I have to say that I have never heard of a cat dying from FHV. It is normally a very mild disease, producing only a mild upper respiratory infection and occasionally conjunctivitis. Rarely immunocompromised cats (i.e.those that have other illnesses, such as feline leukemia or feline AIDS) can get pneumonia from FHV, but again, that's rare. Most cats that are chronically infected do well with supplementation with the amino acid lysine, which keeps the virus from rapidly reproducing, and keeps most cats symptom-free. In comes in a variety of formulations that cats will readily eat - try the brand Viralys, which makes powder, gel, and treats.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I brought another older kitty home and snow got real sick . I called a cat rescue and they picked up the older kitty. The vet said it was feline herpes. He told me snow would have this for life and I shouldnt get another kitten. Is this true will
Hi there. I’m sorry Snow got sick! Yes, feline herpes virus usually stays in their system for life. Similar to people who get herpes virus cold sores. However, most cats do. Especially those who have been in a shelter. Most cats never have clinical signs after they recover. Some will have recurrence during times of stress, such as a move or boarding. Even more rare are cats that end up with chronic eye problems second to the virus. So, yes she will have it for life but unlikely that it will play much of a role in her life. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you and Snow! Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Last year my cat got sick with what the vet called feline herpes. She had watery eyes and her third eyelid was showing on one eye. She kept sneezing and wouldn’t eat so I took her and he said she had feline herpes even though no tests were done. She
In an uncomplicated case of feline herpes, cats will mount and immune response to it so the infection is minimal if it even occurs again. Their vaccines also protect them against it also. Cats with severe cases and poor immune can be chronically infected. Even though yours is not symptomatic with it anymore and has a good immune system, they are a carrier for life. They do make anti viral such as Lysine treats to help with viral infections such as this
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, multi-cat household, 2 seniors 14 and 16, a couple of feral rescue hand raised 3 year old siblings. All indoors only. Just lost one of my older boys 13.5 to FVR AKA FHV-1. Suspected cancer. He never recovered from the URI after 26 days went in
Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry you lost one of your kitties :(
If you ask 20 vets this question you would probably get about 10-15 different answers. So, there is not one "right answer". Personally, if these were my cats, I would do the FVRCP vaccinations on all of them immediately and to be extra safe, I would booster them all again 3 weeks later. After that, just keep up with them yearly.
Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
How does a vet diagnose herpes in a cat? I rescued a kitten from a shelter a week ago. We woke up and his eyes where super watery , no other symptoms. We took him to the vet, he was in perfect health orher than his goopy eyes. They told me he had her
Hello there! Feline herpesvirus (AKA FHV) is very common in cats coming from shelters, and the key clinical sign of the virus is watery, goopy eyes that recur during times of stress or other illness. It lives in the body forever, but goes dormant until something challenges the immune system, and then it rears its ugly head again. While there is a diagnostic test for FHV, it's not commonly performed as the virus is not usually clinically significant (it's not usually a big deal once cats leave kittenhood). Some cats will only have one bout with it, and then you'll never see symptoms again. The treatment that your veterinarian prescribed was likely to prevent or treat any secondary bacterial infections that Oliver may develop/may have developed - viruses have no treatment, but they can make an animal susceptible to bacterial infection, particularly when the eyes are irritated with all the goo they make during a viral break. Conjunctivitis (a bacterial inflammation of the conjunctiva) is
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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