Cats are very susceptible to suffer ocular diseases caused by herpes. Some presenting conjunctival suppurative infection that later on advances to ulcerations in cornea of different form, size and depth. In other cases the virus is latent within the cat’s organism; when activated it affects the eyes. Initially, except for the discomfort that the cat manifests, the lesions are not very evident to the naked eye. Diagnosis requires the use of some dyes, study samples of secretions and observing the cat’s eyes carefully under a microscope. Cats with a herpes infection can also be positive for leukaemia virus, feline immunodeficiency or AIDS, and chlamydia.
The prognosis is not very good in cats with a poor immune system.
