Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment options for feline herpesvirus eye disease in shelter cats
By Mironovich, Melanie A et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of compounded cidofovir, famciclovir, and ganciclovir for the treatment of feline herpesvirus ocular surface disease in shelter-housed cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of shelter cats with eye problems caused by feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) were treated with different medications to see which worked best. The cats received either a placebo, a topical cidofovir solution, an oral famciclovir solution, or a topical ganciclovir solution for a week. The results showed that cidofovir significantly reduced the virus in the cats' eyes and helped juvenile cats gain weight, while famciclovir and ganciclovir did not show significant benefits for reducing the virus. Overall, 65%-75% of the cats improved, and most corneal ulcers healed in those treated with cidofovir.
People also search for: cat eye problems treatment · feline herpesvirus medication · cidofovir for cats · cat corneal ulcers healing · famciclovir for feline herpes
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of compounded cidofovir, famciclovir, and ganciclovir for the treatment of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) ocular surface disease. ANIMALS STUDIED: 132 shelter-housed cats qPCR positive for FHV-1. PROCEDURES: A masked placebo-controlled study design was utilized. Animals were enrolled in one of four treatment groups: topical ocular placebo + oral placebo (n = 32), compounded cidofovir 0.5% ophthalmic solution + oral placebo (n = 32), compounded famciclovir oral solution (90 mg/kg) + topical ocular placebo (n = 32), and compounded ganciclovir 0.15% ophthalmic solution + oral placebo (n = 36). Cats were treated with each medication twice daily for 7 days and were evaluated on Day 1 and Day 8 using an ocular scoring system, body weight, and qPCR for FHV-1 viral load. RESULTS: Cidofovir significantly decreased viral load from Day 1 to Day 8 compared with placebo (p = .024). Neither famciclovir nor ganciclovir decreased viral load compared with placebo (p = .14, p = .41). There was no significant improvement of ocular scores for any drug group compared with placebo (p = .62). In all groups, 65%-75% of cats improved from Day 1 to Day 8. Juvenile cats had a significant increase in weight gain compared with placebo for cidofovir (p = .025) and ganciclovir (p = .023). All corneal ulcers in placebo animals failed to heal whereas 77% of ulcers in antiviral group animals healed. CONCLUSIONS: Topical ophthalmic cidofovir significantly decreased ocular FHV-1 viral shedding and increased weight gain in juvenile cats. Ganciclovir increased weight gain in juvenile cats. Compounded famciclovir demonstrated limited efficacy for the treatment of FHV-1 ocular surface disease in shelter-housed cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36261852/