To be honest, this month I chose a product primarily for Evan.
And why did I choose to try out VetriScience® Vetri Lysine Plus treats for my boy? Because when I first met Evan, he had some of the most severe ocular and nasal discharge I've ever seen in a kitten of 6 weeks. He was sneezing and was all shades of congested. Ever since then, Evan occasionally has mini flareups of these symptoms, which leads to the conclusion that he had and therefore still has feline herpesvirus (see our tip at the end of this post for more on feline herpesvirus).
Though this concept is sometimes debated and contested, lysine has been said to potentially aid in the resolution of respiratory issues and overall boost the immune system. For this reason, it is often used for cats who develop herpesvirus. Therefore, I decided to see if Evan would enjoy some treats that might help him during his respiratory flareups.
Aren't these VetriScience® Vetri Lysine Plus treats pretty darn cute? Though they may look like cute little fish, these treats are actually chicken-flavored. Since I typically choose to avoid feeding my cats fish, and since my cats most enjoy food of the chicken variety, this made me very happy.
But, did they make Evan happy?
The boy sure did lick at the treats, especially when I broke them into pieces. He licked and licked and licked at them, but he would not eat them. I found that strange, to be honest, as Evan is usually all in or all out when it comes to treats. He either loves them or hates them. Yet, for these, he sort of fell in the middle. He didn't like them enough to actually eat them, but he enjoyed them enough to lick them to a gooey mess.
I also offered them to our housemate Toby, the other primary kitty treat eater in the house. His reaction? He completely ignored them. Thimble batted them around (fly, fishies, fly!), but, unsurprisingly, she would not eat them. Also unsurprisingly, Eddy ignored them. The only one who ate them was pup Astrid.
So, Evan might give these treats one paw up or so, but I guess that's about it. If you think your kitty would like or might benefit from the VetriScience Vetri Lysine Plus treats, though, do be sure to give them a try, as the felines here are pretty darn finicky and therefore can't be considered all that great of a source when it comes to rating food.
(Disclaimer: As members of the Chewy.com Blogger Outreach Program, we received VetriScience® Vetri Lysine Plus cat treats in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own. We only review products that we believe will be of interest to our readers, and we never recommend a product that we do not believe in.)
Happy Tuesday to all!
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We're back again today to share some more of the art that Ann of Zoolatry and myself recently created for each today. Yesterday you got to see the magnet Ann asked me to create of her handsome feline furiend TK, and today you get to see the one I crafted up for TK's equally handsome buddy Pip.
I won't lie, I often get nervous when doodling up anything for any of our real life furiends. I always worry that I won't properly capture them, and that is something with which the perfectionist in me always struggles. Nevertheless, creating TK and Pip (and all of the furiends I've doodled!) still always brings me such great joy. Besides, who wouldn't want to gaze and admire and ooh and aww over photos of cuties like these?
I am of course also now sharing another of the gorgeous images Ann created for me. In case you missed it or forgot, I sent Ann one of my favorite photos of my Angel Rosie and myself. The original had a busy and not all that pretty of a background, and so I asked ever so talented Ann to work her magic on it. Below is the summery piece she created using that photo.
I was speechless when Ann sent me the images she had created. They are all beautiful beyond words (as are all of Ann's masterpieces, as I'm sure you all already know!), and I will always treasure them.
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Our Tuesday Tip of the Week:
Cats can develop what is called feline herpesvirus. This is not to be confused with the form of herpes that humans contract, and cats and human cannot contract herpes from the other species. In cats, herpes often manifests with symptoms such as sneezing, ocular and/or nasal discharge, congestion, fever, loss of appetite, and a variety of others. It can be transferred by way of the discharge of an infected cat, such as their nasal or ocular discharge, or their saliva. Though it can potentially arise in any cat, herpes most commonly develops in cats living in more stressful conditions, such as a shelter environment, or those with a compromised immune system. It can also occur due to other stressful events, such as moving to a new home. When adopting a cat from a shelter, when moving, or when going through any other stressful event, always monitor your cat for signs of stress-induced ailments such as herpesvirus. What's more, once a cat is infected with herpesvirus, they typically have it for life, and will sometimes have flareups throughout their life, something which you would also have to monitor.
If a cat develops herpesvirus or has a flareup, always be sure to consult a veterinarian as needed, as symptoms can sometimes be severe, especially in cats with other respiratory issues, in cats who are geriatric, or in cats who are in any way immunocompromised. Depending on the severity and progression of the virus, some cats will require antibiotics to clear infection. For congestion, cats can be given children's nasal decongestant drops, but of course this should first be discussed with a veterinarian. Another way to relieve congestion is through the use of humidity, such as from a humidifier, or by spending time in a steamy bathroom. Other potential treatments might include eye drops, lysine, and finding ways to reduce stress for the affected cat. If you have a cat with herpesvirus, do be sure to discuss with your veterinarian the proper treatment, and also recommendations for helping prevent future flareups.
11 comments:
Good review of those treats. Too bad Evan didn't like them. That is a good drawing of Pip. He is our LG's boyfriend, so she will be excited to see him. You all have a great day.
I know it's debated as to whether or not lysine helps with herpesvirus, but Carmine and Lita have been on it for years, and it really seems to help them have fewer flare-ups (they haven't had any in years!). I tried these treats with the babies some years back, and neither one of them would eat them. Carmine usually loves treats, but Lita is really picky. I wonder if they could make them more appealing to cats somehow... Thanks for sharing your review with us!
Maybe Evan didn't like the treats because he knew they were something that was good for him. We sometimes turn our noses up to stuff that is supposed to help us. :)
Great review, that is too bad Evan didn't want to eat them though. I bet your ferals would benefit from them. I adopted polar Bear as a stray and he had the herpes when I adopted him. It rarely lets up and when it gets very bad, he gets the antibiotic shot. I love the art you made for Ann and vice versa. :) Great tips too.
Incredibly good write-up on the feline herpes virus! I have a kittie with FHV, which mostly expresses in her left eye. We've only had one flair-up that was serious, and it took us months of antivirals to get it back under control. I watch it very carefully now, and she has done well since then.
One thing to keep in mind with Lysine and diabetic kitties (like my TK,) is that it does have an impact on blood sugars. One study found that
"Lysine ingested with glucose dramatically attenuated [reduced the effect of,] the glucose-stimulated glucose response, but there was no change in insulin response."
If you are starting your diabetic kitties on Lysine, you will want to monitor their blood-sugar for a period to make sure that you don't cause insulin shock.
Finally, we love our Pip magnet. Your artwork is amazing, and has somehow captured his goofy-self perfectly. Thank you for that!
Our outside cat Sweetie always has runny eyes, and she has these sneezing fits. It's probably herpesvirus, now that I've done some investigation upon reading your post. I stopped all L-lysine awhile back, upon hearing that it may not be making any difference, but I think I'll ease it back in again, if only to see if Sweetie's eyes get less watery.
This reminds me of the pill pockets we got for Ellie. The first time, she gobbled them down (I gave her a couple ... only one with a pill inside that she got last ... which she ate) ... but I guess she caught on and refused to eat them again. Ugh.
That's a beautiful picture of you and Rosie. By the way, you are just as talented as Ann ... the only difference is in the form it takes.
These look interesting. I definitely have the issue of feeding things to Beau that are good for him... he's pretty picky about it. Sometimes I have to hide it in his regular food.
Sorry your crew didn't like the treats :( I guess they figure treats that are supposed to be good for you must not be tasty!
TW didn't order these cos she knew I wouldn't like them. Were they like the soft, gummy type? I'll only eat the kibble-like hard treats. Too bad Evan didn't like them either.
Except lysine doesn't do what they claim it does. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284165356_Lysine_supplementation_is_not_effective_for_the_prevention_or_treatment_of_feline_herpesvirus_1_infection_in_cats_A_systematic_review
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