There's no need to give tablets, so definitely, don't put your cat thru that. Key for an asymptomatic Felv+ cat is to keep stress at a minimum so always keep that in mind- you don't want the treatment- in an attempt to keep your cat symptom-free- to be worse than no treatment at all!! L-Lysine in powder form is readily available at health food stores like Whole Foods. Get it from a health food store because you want to make sure you get Preservative-free L-Lysine-- no added substances- which can be especially dangerous for cats. This is pretty routine at a health food store, but still read the packaging to be SURE it says Preservative Free. I buy a container of free-form powder. It has a tiny scooper and you just sprinkle it on top of canned food and mix in a little. Cats don't even know it's there. Or, get capsules- usually in 500 mgs- and open the capsule and sprinkle the powder on the food. I give about 250 mg a day per cat- it's not an exact science tho. If you are giving to multiple cats, split the 500 mg capsule between all of them. If feeding one, use part of the capsule, close it back together, and use the remainder the next day. I have used both the free-form powder and capsules filled with powder. Also, some health food stores do have L-Lysine in a liquid dropper form that you can add to food; however, I don't like this as much because usually other things are added to the concoction like Shitake extract, etc- things I am not sure are safe for cats- plus the dosing is off a lot because 1 dropper doesn't equal any easily identifiable mgs b/c it's a liquid- so I would avoid that route (altho it looks tempting). The easiest for me is the container of free-form powder. Also, your vet may have a product called "Viralysis" that is a liquid/jelly-like L-Lysine, so you can get it from the vet. I have used this also and you measure it with a teaspoon and add to wet food. I don't know if it is any better/worse than just getting it from the health food store and I have used it sometimes only because I get it free from vets through the foster care I do for a no-kill agency. L-Lysine is a natural combatant of the feline herpes virus- one of the bazillion culprits that can cause reoccurring upper respiratory infections in cats, as well as the actual herpes ulcerations (sometimes they form on the actual cat's eye). But if your cat is not having ulcers, don't get too hung up on whether it's herpes or not and just go ahead and start the L-Lysine. It's a wonderful supplement and great for all around immune boosting and every Felv+ cat should be on it. I have no Felv+ cats and mine are still on it anyway in an attempt to keep their immune systems healthy and URIs at bay. I take it myself everyday (that's why the free form powder or capsules are good b/c then my cats and I "share" it!). You should also get your cat started on Colostrum for immune support- VITAL for an Felv+ cat. Comes in free-form powder and capsules also. The best is the "New Zealand Colostrum" that is all-natural and comes from NZ cows-- NO PRESERVATIVES-- again, make sure it's Preservative Free. You can probably order NZ Colostrum online, but don't quote me. I get mine from a Holistic Veterinarian (it should be pretty routine for all Holistic vets to have this is stock), so you could get it that way. Last resort is to just get it at a health food store like Whole Foods. I don't think they carry the NZ brand which is the best, but as long as it's Preservative Free, it's better than no colostrum at all. I also take this myself! You can follow the same dosing as the L-Lysine for Colostrum- again, not an exact science, but that is how my Holistic Vet said to do it- 250 per cat, or a 500 MG cap split between all fosters. For a symptomatic Felv+ cat, you can increase colostrum per day significantly to 500 mg/day. Hope this helps! caroline
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:03:52 -0600From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: l-lysineI've been looking into l-lysine to start giving to Athena - from what I've read, it would help. She's periodically got slightly runny eyes (like just eye boogers, nothing more) that the vet says could be allergy related but some sites I have read said if it clears up with the l-lysine it's something else. If we are even considering bringing another cat into the household I want o have her as healthy as physically possible.Anyone use l-lysine and what form do you use? I've seen tablets (which I would HATE to have to administer) and powder forms... also, any specific type/brand to go for that is OK for felines ?Generally, what other supplements/therapies do you give consistently to non-symptomatic felv+ cats?-- Beth [EMAIL PROTECTED] Bless!!! _________________________________________________________________ Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail®-get your "fix". http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx
