Dear Dr. John,

A few months ago, we adopted a kitten from the local shelter. We were sent home with an eye ointment since the eyes were a bit red and producing a bit of discharge. We were told that the kitten had a slight respiratory infection and conjunctivitis but that it would clear up.

She has been doing very well ever since until about a week ago when she started sneezing and had the same eye issues. Our vet again gave us some eye ointment, but she added that our cat would have this problem for the rest of her life. Why is that and what would cause it to relapse repeatedly? How often can we expect it to happen?  K.R.

Dear K.R.,

Given what your veterinarian has said, and that the cat came from a shelter, I think it is safe to assume your cat has feline herpesvirus. This virus is known to cause symptoms such as those you describe, sneezing, squinting, conjunctivitis or redness of the eyes, and discharge. Other signs that can develop include cloudiness of the eye, corneal ulcers, inappetence, fever, and lethargy. This virus is known to affect more than half of the cat population yet many show no signs and are just carriers. In simple cases, appropriate eye ointments do a good job of resolving the clinical signs.

Feline herpes is known to recur repeatedly in those cats that do develop symptoms with varying degrees of frequency and severity. Some cats prone to more frequent and severe outbreaks require antiviral agents and supplements such as L-lysine. In general, herpes viruses in different species are known to develop recurrences of clinical signs in times of stress.

It is always advisable to have a veterinarian properly examine and diagnose the problem before treatment. Some eye ointments that get the red out have a corticosteroid in them and if a corneal ulcer is also present such medication would be the wrong treatment. I’m sure your cat will do well and if the problem recurs you might ask your veterinarian about the other options I mentioned.

Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.