ugh, I think we have a ringworm outbreak...

[sirrahved]

I noticed a couple of days ago that Iris' ear looked a little balder than it should. I made a mental note to watch it.

Tonight I noticed Muffin has a round bald patch on her leg.

Can people who have dealt with ringworm tell me what to expect? Do I have to be worried about catching it? Will using an anti-fungal shampoo prevent me from catching it on my scalp? Is it hard to treat in animals?

Thanks!

[Craftlady]

Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet (athlete's foot), or the nails.
People can get Ringworm from: 1) direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet, 2) indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person or pet has touched, or 3) rarely, by contact with soil.
Ringworm can be treated with fungus-killing medicine.
To prevent Ringworm, 1) make sure all infected persons and pets get appropriate treatment, 2) avoid contact with infected persons and pets, 3) do not share personal items, and 4) keep common-use areas clean.

Here's a source of good information for treatment
ringworm (http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=2023&articleid=223)

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Before doing anything, I would get them to see a vet asap!

[sirrahved]

We have a vet appointment for 9:45 this morning. So glad they could get us in that early, as the rest of our day is jam packed! I couldn't even sleep last night because I was so creepy crawlie. I mainly posted here for some piece of mind until we could get them to the vet. It's not the end of the world, right?

[sirrahved]

Suggestive of ringworm. *groans*

Back to one of my original questions... if you use anti-fungal shampoo can it prevent you getting it in your hair? That's the only place I couldn't bear to have it.

[jazzcat]

When we adopted Jazz from the shelter she came in with ringworm (we didn't find out until she was already home). Because she also had a severe URI we had to keep her quarantined in the guest room for 5 weeks until the URI and ringworm had cleared. The vet gave me an ointment to put on her spots twice a day and some kind of liquid med for the ringworm to give her which I found out later from my regular vet that she shouldn't have been on because she was too young. Thank goodness it didn't harm her and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it but I had to get it from a compounding pharmacy in another town and have it mailed to me.

I spent most the time caring for her and never caught it and neither did my dog or other cat but Richard got a suspicious place on his forehead. He freaked out and jumped in the swimming pool and held a chlorine tablet to it for several minutes and the spot dried up and went away the next day. I'm not recommending it as a treatment but... :p

I think the main reason I didn't get it was because I used Clorox wipes to wipe down everything in the room with her every time I went in - especially the door knob. I washed my hands immediately upon leaving the room with antibacteria soap. I was extremely careful and it paid off.

Good luck. Ringworm is no fun to deal with and you have my sympathies.

[Catsnclay]

Your mom gave me a BUNCH of sites to look at, I know she still has them bookmarked ;)


As to the shampoo for you, don't bother wasting your money. Just keep your hair clean and the rest of you clean, too!

Wash your hands often - and then do it again!! I also found that a solution of a capful of bleach in a spray bottle (fill the rest with water) and spray down all the areas where the cats have been: beds, litterboxes, etc.

Make sure not only that the cats get Rx's but you too. You will have to see your doctor for one that is much better than OTC drugs.

I have a brand new tube of antifungal cream (they gave us 2) - PM me your address and it is yours! And just remember that:

Ringworm is very contagious

Be extremly careful and if you possibly can, seperate the cats with it from the others - unless it is too late. You will just have to let it run its course, but once it is through your entire house, the 'bright' side is you may not get it again for a long time.

Do you know how you got it?? Is the cat indoor/outdoor?

[Catsnclay]

I almost forgot.......


Ringworm is just the name of this, there are NO worms in this at all!!! Who ever named this should be shot!! :rolleyes: ;) The mere mention of the the word makes you want to itch all over!!

This is a fungus, and fungus' are mostly topical - meaning on top of your skin - NOT IN there!!!

I know how you are feeling, and for the next few weeks any time something brushes up against you, you will - in a panic - look there and look for that dreaded red patch!! Every time you have a simple itch.......you will look !

Don't worry, that feeling eventually will go away too!

Hang in there, help is on the way. Don't itch, and wash your hands!!!!

[sirrahved]

I knew it was a fungus... and fungus weirds me out just as much as internal parasites! lol I'm such a wuss.

[sirrahbed]

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=125411&highlight=ringworm

all of my best links are here Devon. Try not to freak (hard I know!) You probably would have it already if you were going to get it. Mild bleach solution in a bottle is great for everything - no need to even rinse or wipe it down. Clorox Anywhere product is good also - but your own bleach solution is just as good and cheap. Handwash like a fanatic and go on with your days. It is not the end of the world - just feels like it at some moments. :p It will go away eventually - the "ringworm" gameplan in the above link had some really thorough and no-nonsenes advice.

I don't have any idea if using special shampoo on yourself would prevent the spread though what could it hurt? I doubt that you need to worry though - your hair will be fine.

(((hugs)))

[Lizzie]

I have it again in my household, one cat I've had in isolation for several days on suspicion and now confirmed by my vet. I also have a house full of foster kittens. Fortunately, the possibly immune suppressed ones (tested weak positive to FeLV), a litter of nine, are in isolation on a different floor of the house. But I'm still in deep despair. Reading that battle plan did help because it was very focused.

One question, I am about to use Program for the first time. I didn't last year because my vet pooh-poohed the idea. Would the 409.8 mg. tablet, advertised for a 45-90 pound dog, be the right one for Taranis, she's about 15#. I know it's "safe" but it worries me to give her these without my vet's approval.

I have to skip the other systemic treatment because I simply can't afford it. I'm paying for the high-quality food I'm feeding my many fosters and it's costing me a fortune. A friend suggested topical treatment of clortrimazole over the counter (lotrimin cream). Have others found this effective? I can't remember what my vet gave me last year but I have to focus on low cost this year.

Guess I have to get used to the smell of Clorox again, something that makes me feel sick.

Sorry to take over your thread, Sirrahved, hope you don't mind. Despair shared, if not halved, might at least make it easier to bear.

[catmandu]

No Technical Knowledge But Lots Of Prayers From All Of Us Here At The Found Cat Paradise Hotel.

[Catsnclay]

One question, I am about to use Program for the first time. I didn't last year because my vet pooh-poohed the idea.


A friend suggested topical treatment of clortrimazole over the counter (lotrimin cream). Have others found this effective? I can't remember what my vet gave me last year but I have to focus on low cost this year.




#1 - my vet also didn't agree with the Program pill, so she gave us pills that had the right amount for each cat - it wasn't that expensive either. But it was something that had to be done each day for 3-4 weeks. It worked, too!


#2 The topical treatment, is this for you?? If so that should work - any OTC product for fungas should work, if not it is time to visit your doctor for the stronger stuff.

I do not recommend you use OTC anything for the cats. Their dosages must be to their weight and anything OTC would most likely be too strong for them and then there is the possibility you can poision them too!


Ringworm is not something you can get rid of quickly, but if you keep things clean and wash your hands a lot you will eventually get it under control and it will go away. Be patient.

[critters]

One question, I am about to use Program for the first time. I didn't last year because my vet pooh-poohed the idea. Would the 409.8 mg. tablet, advertised for a 45-90 pound dog, be the right one for Taranis, she's about 15#.

A friend suggested topical treatment of clortrimazole over the counter (lotrimin cream). Have others found this effective? I can't remember what my vet gave me last year but I have to focus on low cost this year.

Guess I have to get used to the smell of Clorox again, something that makes me feel sick.


That's the size Program we used, also OTC antifungal cream. And yes, bleach is your friend!!!

[Lizzie]

Thanks, critters, I'll order some. I bought OTC Lamisil which was recommended by the pharmacist who also said it was fine to use on cats as long as it wasn't an area that they could lick easily.

Now I have another in isolation. I notice that Wild Thang, a one-time feral foster with lung damage from lungworm, had the tell-tale signs on her head last night. Trouble is, she needs to free-feed high protein food because she is very young and thin. Taranis is on SO and overweight. It's a bad mix.

I just moved three foster kittens upstairs to another bedroom and caged them. They were about to go out for adoption this week and now I have to keep them under observation for two or three more weeks. In total I have 12 kittens that were due to go back to the shelter for adoption by the end of next week. The amount of work this is causing is appalling and it's miserable for the cats also.

The vet said I have cats with ringworm because I had three with it last summer, even though I tossed furniture, stripped out all the carpet and washed every wall and other surface with bleach repeatedly. Does that really mean that you can never, ever get rid of it?

[critters]

Now I have another in isolation. I notice that Wild Thang, a one-time feral foster with lung damage from lungworm, had the tell-tale signs on her head last night. Trouble is, she needs to free-feed high protein food because she is very young and thin. Taranis is on SO and overweight. It's a bad mix.

The amount of work this is causing is appalling and it's miserable for the cats also.

The vet said I have cats with ringworm because I had three with it last summer, even though I tossed furniture, stripped out all the carpet and washed every wall and other surface with bleach repeatedly. Does that really mean that you can never, ever get rid of it?

With the megadoses of Program we had a bit of diarrhea, but, on the bright side, we had NO fleas. :D

Yeah, it IS a lot of work.

Was the RW this past summer, or a year ago? We seem to have gotten rid of it; we last had it almost 3 years ago. Buddy didn't catch it when he came home almost 1 1/2 years ago, and he was immunosupressed from pred (spinal cord injury). If you had it this last summer, I'd agree; if it was the one before, I'd suspect it somehow got brought in again.

[Lizzie]

It was the summer of 2006. The vet I saw is the gloomy-gus one who likes to harp on about all the problems that face multi-cat households, and by that he means over two.

I found another with it last night, Wild Thang's brother, Boy Blue has it on his side. He is only two but has bad stomatitis from the same poor upbringing, so another challenged immune system.

On the plus side, the shelter I volunteer with has said they might be able to get me systemic treatment wholesale, and may help with the cost because they are sure a foster brought it into my home. Since Wild Thang won't let me cream her after the first time, it's either systemic or live with it for many, many months.

For something that doesn't make cats sick, it sure is a major problem.

[sirrahved]

My problem is that our cat gave it to a DOG. We can't separate the dog, because she sometimes gets destructive when left alone for long periods. *sighs* We'll just see what happens. No more spots yet!

[Lizzie]

From my experience last year, I'd say hope for the best but expect the worst. Several times, I thought I was seeing the end of it only for another lesion to appear on one that looked almost ready to leave isolation. But, it does go away in its own good time.

The shelter is recommending lime sulphur dips. That's fine in a location where they have deep sinks and help, but I dread doing it myself.