Calicivirus

[ltlstarr1217]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this forum and could really use your advice. We got our oldest kitty, Willie (now 1 year old) back in January. She got terribly sick the day after we brought her from the shelter, was hospitalized for a few days, put on antibiotics and eventually got better. No diagnosis besides a bad cold. In June we got our youngest, Timmy (now 7 months old). Willie did not react well to Timmy, and was very quiet and moody, sulking in a corner. At first we thought she was simply not reacting well to the new addition but then we noticed she had no strength in her back legs, lethargic and just not herself. We took her to the vet and after two days of being hospitalized with a high fever and several blood tests later, she was diagnosed with the calicivirus. (Even though she was already tested and vacinated against calici at the same vet_After a week or two, she was much better and is now back to normal and the best of friends with Timmy. After doing some research, we were made aware of the fact that Timmy was also calici positive before we adopted him.

My concern is this, I noticed that Timmy has been sneezing a little the last day or so and I am concerned that a small cold could very easily lead to another relapse with the calici. Can anyone recommend things to try and avoid this? I was thinking vitamins are probably a good idea . . . any recommendations?

Also, I do not want to return to my vet as I have some issues as to how they acted throughout this entire process as well as their lack of effective communication and education on the calicivirus. If anyone lives in Los Angeles and loves their vet, please let me know!

These are my first cats and I am already so attached! The idea of them suffering breaks my heart. Any input is very much appreciated.

thank you.

[catlover]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about your kitties with Calici. I feel much the same way you do--hopeless to help them properly.
I am fostering a cat that was diagnosed with Calici and the Dr. recommended teeth cleaning and extracting, along with Calici vaccination, and x-ray of her lungs to rule out pneumonia.
It's going to be like $500 and I am just her foster! The shelter that was supposed to take her in, once they found out she had Calici, now won't even take her, but won't even help me with her fundraising medical bills! She should have had this operation 2-3 months ago, but I don't have all the money raised yet.
It is so sad and so frustrating for me watching her suffer like this. What are we supposed to do!?! I live in the LA area and when I read your post, my heart went out to you because I REALLY understand how frustrating this virus is for those that love our cats (even our foster cats!)
I do love my vet--I go to Gateway Animal Hospital in Atwater Village/Glendale. But to truly give this special needs cat the medical attention she needs to thrive, well, let's just say I'm not that person! It would take a person with a higher income to properly care for her, and I haven't had many bites on Petfinder regarding adopting her.
If you want to try Gateway for your babies, I highly recommend them, and in the meantime, if you find anything that works to take away their mouth pain and allow them to breathe easier, please let me know!
Thanks.
C

[peabody]

I am new to this forum. I discovered it while looking for a treatment for my two-year old cat that has calicivirus.

My cat was vaccinated when he was a kitten, however, his mother was a feline herpes carrier and passed the virus onto him. You may want to do a web search for "L-lysine calicivirus". I found that the calicivirus can be treated with an amino acid called L-lysine (available at health food stores - found mine at GNC). I have given my cat 500 mg (1 tablet crushed) every day for the past 4 days and have seen some improvement already. He practically tackled the food dish when I put food out, but screeched after one bite because of all the sores in his mouth before I started the treatment. He is now visiting the food dish regularly and does not appear to be in any pain while eating. I know that we have a ways to go, but it appears we are on the right track.

Good luck to you.