whisker breakage & eye discharge

Question
I have a fairly young (approx. 4 year old) cat who's whiskers break off.  I don't think she has a full length whisker on either side of her face.  Along with that I notice a slight discharge from her right eye.  When I say notice I mean that she has a dark crust at the corner and I can just wipe it away and this small little thing snores ALOT and loud.  I am wondering if this is something I need to have treated at the Vet or if she might just have a common cold.  I has been an ongoing thing for a period of time.

Answer
Hi MaryJo.  Do you have any other pets?  Whisker breakage like this is usually the result of another cat or a dog who chews them off while the two groom each other.  At times, brittle whiskers can indicate poor protein in the diet or a loss of protein caused by disease, such as kidney failure or internal parasites such as intestinal worms.  Feeding a high quality, high protein diet, preferably a grain-free one, or supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can help with the former.  A good skin and coat supplement is Dermaquin for cats.  If you have noticed any indications of a shabby coat, weight loss or vomiting, then something like kidney failure might be a real concern, and you should discuss blood and urine tests with your vet.  Dewormers against roundworms and tapeworms are available from your vet or over-the-counter.  Over-the-counter ones must be purchased separately for roundworms and tapeworms.

The crust in her eye may be caused by an upper respiratory infection or "kitty cold".  One common one is feline herpes.  This is a virus and can't be cured with antibiotics, but it responds to an amino acid called lysine.  Lysine is beneficial in the fight against all viruses, because it helps build antibodies the immune system needs to fight them.  But it has a special advantage in the fight against herpes, because it makes another amino acid, arginine, unavailable.  The herpes virus requires arginine in order to replicate.  Giving lysine to a cat who is suffering from herpes helps reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of the herpes flare up, although the cat will be a carrier for life and may suffer other flare ups from time to time.

You can buy lysine supplements for your cat online.  Search for Enisyl-F or Viralys products.  They come in gels, pastes, powders and even treats.  It's also okay to give your kitty lysine formulated for humans.  The dose for an adult cat is 250mg twice a day.  This is 1/4 the typical tablet (1000mg).  Even the quarters are quite large and are likely to cause esophagitis if you try to give them whole, so it's best to crush them and mix them into canned food.

Lysine is perfectly safe, and there is no harm in giving any kitty some lysine.  That said, if the discharge is caused by anything but a virus, it won't help.  There's a chance this could be bacterial in nature (although this usually causes a thick yellow or green, copious discharge with red, swollen eyes), or simply a blocked tear duct.  A vet would certainly be the one to best determine the source of her eye discharge and also the reason for her snoring.  Both could be residual effects of a bad herpes infection in her past.  Herpes can cause the deformity of nasal passages and tear ducts when severe enough, and even after the active infection is gone, it's possible for stuffy breathing and weepy eyes to remain as permanent reminders.

Best of luck!

Jessica