Update On Olney Kittens 10/09/06

[Reachoutrescue]

Well, I have not posted in a while. I have been going crazy here! Now, every cat/kitten here has ringworm except for four of my cats. I am so overwhelmed with vet visits, cream treatments, baths, and taking care of my own ringworm! I will post ebay links as soon as I can. I am sorry for not posting sooner, just been in hiding while dealing with these poor babies. We have a total of 14 kits that have the "ringworm"...they should call it the "stubborn worm"! I will be around.

[Lizzie]

Goodness, Tracy! How are you staying sane? I went to the vet tonight to see if I could put the kittens (all three of them now have it) on a less toxic lotion since they'd developed diarrhoea. The only response was that I should fill the prescription for oral medicine that they'd given me (which is harsh on their digestive system). I searched online but realized that I have no option but to either put them on the oral med or keep up with the shampoos and lotion. Every site I visited, both traditional veterinary medicine and alternative said that it's extremely difficult to get rid of ringworm, the lotions and potions are all going to less than gentle and mild, and that if you don't get rid of it completely if just gets worse and worse. The isolation room is now stripped nearly bare. The carpet and unlerlay is gone and a tarp laid down. The sofa was stripped of upholstery material and padding and then the frame dragged out into the garage. The room echoes as I type on this keyboard because it's so empty. But I'm lucky, very lucky compared to you. And there's nothing I can do except commiserate.

Thank you for updating. I've been wondering and worrying.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

14 cats with ringworm??? OMG!!

You must be exhausted! I was when my cats had it, and I had only 3 then :D

[jazzcat]

I'm so sorry Tracy. I wondered how you and the kitties were doing.

I only had to deal with one (Jazz when she was a kitten) with ringworm and that was enough for me. Lots of (((HUGS)))).

[Donnaj4962]

Oh my.... ringworm everywhere! :eek: You poor thing. Many (((hugs))) to you and the kits from Indiana!

[catmandu]

We are so sorry to hear that all your Cats have those awful pests.
We are praying that they can get rid of them ASAP.

[kt_luvs_kitties]

You know how sorry I am Tracy. You are doing the best you can. I know it can be overwhelming. Please know you can call me anytime and I will help when I can. *HUGS* Katie

[rg_girlca]

Oh Tracy, my heart is breaking for you girl. What an ordeal you are having to deal with. I am just at a loss for words. All I can say is that prayers are on the way that this will all end for you very, very soon.

[kimlovescats]

You poor thing! Hang in there, it WILL go away eventually! :rolleyes: ;)

[Reachoutrescue]

I just want to say "THANK YOU" to everybody. I so appreciate your kind thoughts and words. Please pray for Jackson. He in not an Olney kitten, but one of our other rescue kits that has caught the ringworm. He is very bad. Out of all the kits, he is the worst case yet. Jackson is almost bald and is not feeling well. We pray he will be okay.

Lizzie- I know I have to put them on oral, but I can not afford the meds. They are costly. My ebay fundraiser is on pause because I have not had time to snap picture and post. I am so busy with work, my boys, Dave, and the rescue. I am going to try again this weekend to post on ebay. Thank you for your help.

All I can do is my best....and that is what I am doing. Thank you again everybody.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Tracy, I'm so sorry to hear that the ringworm problem has spread so much.:( I sure hope that all of the kittens will recover soon and that Jackson will also recover. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent your way.

[Lizzie]

We know you are doing your best, Tracy, and your best far exceeds most people's "best". I'm staggered that your rescue cats have ringworm so very badly, especially Jackson. If I'm ready to tear my hair out in frastration at what you are going through, I don't know how you manage to cope.

I don't know about you, but what I find even more discouraging than the constant cleaning, laundry, medicating, etc. is the isolation we have to put these kittens through. Cattalus, in spite of being with his brother and sister in isolation, is so utterly desperate for me to give him more constant and closer affection that he rubs his head hard against the bag of food as I hold it over their bowls. I have to hold the bowl and bag in the air to pour out the food because anywhere I put the bowl down, he jumps up to bang against it. He does, of course, equate feeding with mom and comfort. Ashley, as I dreaded, got it last and so the isolation will continue for at least another month. She has it in one of the worst possible places, right across her nose and into the corners of her eyes. I can't shampoo the area, it's too dangerous for her eyes so have to rely on q-tipping lotion onto the lesion. She is one that I would put on oral med if I could but it looks like she also has IBS so her system couldn't cope with that harsh medication.

Please continue to keep us updated. We are all going to worry about Jackson, about you, and about all the Olney kittens.

Here's an idea. Can you find out how much it would cost for a course of oral medication for each cat and post it. Perhaps some of us can sponsor one cat's medication. Broken down like that, we can keep chipping away at the problem.