Has anyone used echinacea or L-Lysine for their cat?

[Desley (booktigger)]

I had luck with eucalpytus oil in a burner as well as using the shower with them in the room.

[swampmaxmum]

thanks guys. I will ask him about the tincture on thursday when we go to the vet as Swamp is getting very tablet phobic; it's a mission to get his 1 zentonil down him a day and it's not a big tab either. I don't like my chances of the vet ordering it for me from America but I'll see if I can get hold of it somehow as a paste would be ideal.
I bought H&B lysine before and it didn't help much, but today a meal was vomited up just because of his 'globbing' (phlegm in his chest making him swallow with a noise like a dog gulping water) from his cold and I know it's just going to get worse and worse.
How long do you have to continuously use L Lysine for before it might help? Swamps is an extreme case as the vet says his CRF is making his cold worse too.
Sorry about thread mini hijack but I guess we have the same problems.

Btw am going to start the inhalations again and hope that it has some little effect (on him ,not the mould in the shower!). In France the vets were very keen on inhalations too with just a few drops of something like Olbas oil and a towel over an inverted plastic cat carrier. Plus fucithalmic eye ointment as the eyes and nose in cats are connected.

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

Swampmaxmum, I too have been looking for this gel and can't find it (not available curently in UK) but you can buy L-Lysine in a trincture (drops) or tablets. I am currently giving Layla the tablets and it's doing a good job so would recommend it. Luckily she is quite good and so I am able to split the tablets and give them to her (they are big!) but you could always crush them and mix in wth wet food. I got mine from Holland and Barrett but Gillian recommeded getting them from https://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk/details.php/p1723_chorley_health_foods_l_lysine.html   as the ones they sell don't have any extra ingrediants. They do powder or tablets there. I shall be getting the next lot from there. The recommended dose is 500 when they are having a flare up and 250 as an ongoing dose to keep the colds at bay. My vet suggested that I do 2 separate doses each day so am currently giving Layla 250 in morning and 250 in evening and as i say, the cold is definately shifting!!!
If you have trouble giving tablets or powder (if they only eat dry) then when Layla was reluctant to swallow the tablets (she's got used to it now) then I crushed the tablet, mixed it in water and syringed it to her which she didn't seem to mind at all so I assume they don't taste too bad! Just a suggestion.

[HaneyHarperIndyMum (Val)]

Hi swampmaxmum.  I got it through my vet.  He highly recommended using it when my cats were so sick.  The brand is Vet Solutions and is called Viralys.  It is a gel.  I just put a small amount on my finger and my cats lick it off.  They love the taste of it.

I live in America so I'm not sure if it is available in the UK?  I would imagine if this brand is not available that there must be something similar.  Check with your vet, I bet he/she can get it.

You could probably order it yourself through this link?  Shipping might be pricey though?

http://www.vetamerica.com/browseproducts/Vet-Solutions-Viralys-for-cats-Gel-5-oz.HTML

Good Luck finding it.

[swampmaxmum]

where did you get it please HH Mum?  I'm desperate to get Swampy some help with his cold with the winter coming; it's going to be a battle to keep him going as he just won't eat when his cold tunes up.
I've emailed Vetoquinel but can order through the vet or myself. thanks!

[HaneyHarperIndyMum (Val)]

I hope you are able to find it.  Maybe your vet can order it for you?  My cats love the taste of it so it is no problem to administer.

Good luck!

[Gillian Harvey]

Thanks for that. Yes I am using Lysine for Layla at the moment  so will see how it goes. The gel/ paste would definately be useful though and much easier to get down her but can't find a UK stockist but will keep looking! Thanks for the advice

The one I'd read about in paste form was this one:  Enisyl F   http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/pages/global_04.html but I emailed them to see if it was available here and its not - didnt say if it would be either   

[fluffybunny]

I use echinacea for one of my bunnies who has chronic snuffles and it definitely makes a difference.  When the symptoms flare up I give her the bisolvon mixed with 3 drops of echinacea and some water, to make about 2ml solution (she weighs about 1kg).  She loves the taste and drinks it straight from the syringe.  In those times I also put about 2ml of echinacea in the water bowl.  When she's healthy I tend to put it in the water about 1 week in 6.  I would definitely check with a vet (preferably one who has done some training in alternative medicines!) to check its safety for cats though - echinacea is part of the daisy family I think so it is probably ok.  I buy echinacea tincture from a health food shop - make sure you get the purpurae variety, the other type (angostifolia or something like that) isn't the type which has demonstrated immune boosting effects. 

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

Thanks for that. Yes I am using Lysine for Layla at the moment  so will see how it goes. The gel/ paste would definately be useful though and much easier to get down her but can't find a UK stockist but will keep looking! Thanks for the advice

[HaneyHarperIndyMum (Val)]

When my cats were baby kittens they both came down with a URI and ringworm.   They were adopted from a rescue and became so deathly sick within days of getting them home.  One of the things that my vet had me give them was L-Lysine supplement to boost their immune system.  Of course, they also had medications too, but L-Lysine is much like taking vitamins since it is really a supplement.  The one my vet gave me is by Vet Solutions and is called VIRALYS .

I'm sure it helped my cats.  If you could have seen how sick my cats were, I was so afraid I was going to loose them.  I used the gel which you give just like hairball remedy, but it also comes in powder too so you can sprinkle it on their food.

http://www.vetamerica.com/browseproducts/Vet-Solutions-Viralys-for-cats-Gel-5-oz.HTML

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

Thank you very much! It's a capsule one too so easy to use. I started it this morning and only gave a ery small amount so as to introduce it to her system slowly as she also had an AB injection yesterday which tends to give her a little bit of tummy issues anyway.
Thanks for the helpful advice

[Gillian Harvey]

Bought some L-Lysine today as it's supposed to be good. Does anyone know the dose. I have read that it's a dosage of 250-500 mg/day but not 100% sure. Has anyone given this?

I used to give 250mg as a long term maintenance dose, increasing to 500mg per day during a flare up. Which brand did you get? I used to use Chorley Health foods L-lysine because it doesnt have any other ingredients (some lysine brands have additional ingredients in them) apart from the usual magnesium stearate which most powders contain.  https://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk/details.php/p1723_chorley_health_foods_l_lysine.html  Its in capsule form which you can just break apart sprinkle on the food.

Just to warn you, don't start off with the full dose, amino acids like lysine can cause tummy upsets unless you introduce them gradually.

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

Bought some L-Lysine today as it's supposed to be good. Does anyone know the dose. I have read that it's a dosage of 250-500 mg/day but not 100% sure. Has anyone given this?

[swampmaxmum]

Swampy had cat flu twice as a kitten and has been left with cold symptoms all his life, mostly eyes (when younger) but now that he has CRF, the extra urea toxins cause wheezing, coughing and vomiting up phlegm. The vet suggested L Lysine but I can't say I really noticed any difference and it's another (big) tablet so I stopped. I think I tried echinacea but found it useless - both on me and him. If the eyes become a huge problem, there's an expensive eyedrop that boosts the immune system with Interferon. The veterinary one is Virbagen - Swampy had the human alpha interferon in drop form for years and it worked wonderfully on his cold.....but I do wonder if it didn't help to predispose him to liver disease eventually.
My ex vet in SA (brilliant vet) said to avoid the interferon injections as they are mostly a waste of time and money and can be harmful.

Mostly now that there's no treatment, I just control the eye infections with fucithalmic and try to keep the place warm and ventilated. Also steam inhalations (I put a bowl of steaming water with a few drops of olbas oil as near his nose as he will allow!) and keeping him for 5 - 10 mins in a steamy shower area is supposed to help. You can put them in a carrier covered with a towel with the olbas oil inhalation outside the carrier too (they don't much enjoy it!). Alternatively you can do what I dream of doing - move to a warmer, sunnier climate! Really helps with a cat cold.

[rachael1981]

I'm really glad this has been brought up - Audrey is exactly the same! She's had a couple of Ab's now and an anti-inflammatory but isnt any better.

My vet did suggest she had caught the flu before her 2nd vaccination, in which case the vacc was probably pointless but still..........

I'd be interested to know in other medications / remedies for an ongoing cold? 

[Desley (booktigger)]

I have had the same problem with echinacea, I got a cold a few weeks after taking it, so stopped it. not sure I Would use it on cats though, I dont even know if it is on the safe list for cats. L-Lysine can help their immune systems if they are prone to colds

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

No cats colds and people colds are very different except in their symptoms so I sympathise with how she's feeling! At least she isn't male, don't fancy living with cat 'man flu' as well as human! 
I'm sure she'd love the JD but i'm not quite sure it's cat-friendly! hehe

[Catbird]

  that's interesting.  Assuming they catch colds in the same way as we do (ie by infecting each other), hopefully Dot's fairly safe from them, as she's an indoor puss.  I can't imagine that the virus can jump species... can it?

I do hope your Layla feels better soon.  My preferred cold treatment is Lemsip augmented with Jack Daniels but I'm assuming that's not really appropriate for cats!

C.

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

sneezing and runny nose and eyes tend to be the main signs. I was really worried when it started with Layla and dashed ehr straight to the vet who gave her ABs but explained to me that colds/ URI (Upper respitory tract infection) are actually fairly common in cats and that I shouldn't worry too much.
I know they can lead to nasty flu but that isn't that common and apparantly tends to be when it's a kitten or frail cat who doesn't have much of an immune system. All mine are vaccinated so the boys haven't caught it and Layla isn't suffering too much, the sneezing is just a nusience to her.
The reason for my concern though is that I want her well and back to normal again as it is getting her down a bit cause it's been hanging around for ages. She's had treatment from the vets of ABs which will treat any secondary infections but won't actually treat the virus itself. I've had a few things recommended to me that ahve perked her up a little bit but nothing seems to be shifting it completely.
In Layla's case the current cold is most likley caused because she had cat flu when she was a baby (before we rescued her) and as a result whenever she gets stressed it can flair up again.

[Catbird]

Can I ask you a question?  I have never had a cat with a cold.  Are they common and what are the initial symptoms?  It may seem like a daft question but I do tend to think that Dot's at the point of death if she so much as sneezes.

C.

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

oh no! That's rubbish. Well I am at the point of trying anything to get rid of Layla's cold so will try almost anything! Saying that though as you have not had a good experience, I think I'll wait for some more voices of experience before trying the above. We're off to a new vet tomorrow morning so I am hoping that they can shed some new light on the subject.

[Catbird]

I haven't fed it to my cats but I have fed it to me.  I take medication that screws with my respiratory system and would do 'most anything to avoid getting a cold.  Started taking echinacea 3 months ago, as it is supposed to keep colds at bay.  The result?  I've had a cold that has now lasted 2 weeks and refuses to get off my chest and larynx  .  So, I'm afraid I'm not a fan and it having failed on me, I would not see the point of giving it to my cat.  Others may well have very different experiences tho', as with all medications the effects vary from person to person and presumably from cat to cat.  Perhaps they also vary from species to species?

[Debsymiller (Rufus' mum)]

I have just been reading some articles abouts how echinacea can help shift a stubborn cat cold. Has anyone tried this? What dose did you use?