Feline Herpes Symptoms
Feline Herpes Signs of infection appear anywhere from two to 17 days following exposure and peak in severity approximately ten days after that. A severe bout of sneezing of one to two days’ duration appears first, followed by conjunctivitis and a watery discharge of the eyes and nose. Fever as high as 106 degrees, apathy and appetite loss appear anywhere from the third to fifth day of visible illness, and the eye and nasal discharges may also turn to mucus or pus.
Diagnosis of feline herpes is confirmed by either isolating the virus from the throat cells or by serologic blood tests specific to feline herpes. Veterinarians use the following tests most often to diagnose feline herpes:
- Immunofluorescent assay test of secretions from the nose or the conjunctiva (the mucuous membranes lining the inner eyelids) that uses special proteins to detect the presence of FHV-1 antibodies;
- Swab samples from the pharynx (the passageways from the nose to the larynx and from the mouth to the esophagus); and
- Smears from the conjunctiva.
