Oh no..... ringworm!!!!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Oh no.... we are in serious trouble here!!! Last week I saw a pink round spot on both my arms, and also on Bernards cheek. So I went to the doc. He said that we had a fungus from one of our cats.
Yesterday I saw a raw spot on Inka's lip. The vet looked at it and found another bald spot.... . Sooooooooooooo, somebody here brought ringworm in the house..... . We guess it is Zazou. She doesn't have spots, but she must be the carrier.
I must medicate all 3 cats now, and I must give them a bath every 4 days too! OMG that will be a show!! I must be VERY careful not to get scatched, because I take bloodthinners.... .
Please wish us good luck....

[Sonia59]

Oh no Lut! The whole family, humans and cats! It will be terrible bad time to bath the girls! You must get help from Indra or Bernard...
Does it mean Zazou probably had it since her adoption? How long is the treatment?
Good Luck everyone!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

The vet says 4 times for each cat. The meds are to be given till the bottle is empty! I got 3 bottles............
I hate to do this to my cats, especially Maya, as she is such a gentle cat; but better be sure than be to late!!!

Wanna come and help, Sonia

[jenluckenbach]

OH no Lut! I feel for you. I wish I lived there to help you with the bathing.

Ringworm is so scary. I wish you luck.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I wish I lived there to help you with the bathing.

.

Thanks Jen!! But, there are planes to Belgium,you know (hint hint)
Lol, just kidding .
Washing my cuties won't be fun. Inka doesn't mind the water, so she might be the easiest. But Zazou and Maya......?? Maya is VERY strong, and if she WANTS to get away, she will . I don't know how Zazou will react though; she is very handy in escaping too.....! However, I may not start washing her yet, as her scar from spaying isn't healed yet.

[Sonia59]

Lut, I wish I could help if I'd live closer and had more time to drop in! I am not sure Inka would let me help for the bathing, but Maya and Zazou for sure...! But when a cat wants to go away, it goes away!
I am supporting you morally, is it OK

[TopCat3]

Oh no.... we are in serious trouble here!!! Last week I saw a pink round spot on both my arms, and also on Bernards cheek. So I went to the doc. He said that we had a fungus from one of our cats.
Yesterday I saw a raw spot on Inka's lip. The vet looked at it and found another bald spot.... . Sooooooooooooo, somebody here brought ringworm in the house..... . We guess it is Zazou. She doesn't have spots, but she must be the carrier.
I must medicate all 3 cats now, and I must give them a bath every 4 days too! OMG that will be a show!! I must be VERY careful not to get scatched, because I take bloodthinners.... .
Please wish us good luck....

This is bad news. I wish you all the best of luck and safe and speedy healing. Good luck with the bathing. Wear thick clothes!

[sasvermont]

Lut, although it is going to be a pain to treat everyone, there are a couple of things I have learned in the past.

1. Tinactin (used for jock itch) will kill the fungus on the human population.
2. Revolution (a flea treatment) when given to the cats will kill their infestations too. I don't know if you can find that drug/treatment where you live.

When I first got Chloe, I do believe, or maybe JuniRose, the breeder I got them from was having an outbreak of ringworm, brought in from a carrier cat, and I had a couple of months worth of Revolution to give to the kitten. I don't recall much beyond that.

Also, my first Aby, Mandy, must have been a carrier, as I got ringworm from her. I had a spot on my leg. Mandy never had any visable signs. It took my doctor a couple of visits to figure it out, but eventually, I went to the drug store and bought Tinactin, a fugus killer. All gone.

Some other folks may have better advice. You will get through it. It is all part of having pets. It reminds me of the same stigma when kids come home from school with head lice. Everyone panics and gets the creeps from just the thought of little bugs..... Ringworm is not really a worm....but a fungus. I guess you know that.

Keep us posted. Get the pocketbook out!

[TopCat3]

Brilliant post, Sasvermont

[lvpets2002]

OH NO Lut == boy have you got your work cut out for you.. The bathing would not go to well with my girls.. Hey I am getting out the Scuba Gear & be right there; but hey feel free to start without me.. Good Luck

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Just back from the store: bought me one pair of those garden-gloves that cover your arm all up to your elbow!! All little bits help!

Thanks for the tips Sasvermont! Those products do not exist here, but my vet says that the products she prescribed are similar. I have an ointment called DAKTACORT for us humans. The itch is gone already!

This is poor Inka's lip:

[Craftlady]

Ouch that soar looks icky.
Do you have a pet groomer near by that could bath for a reasonable fee? Pay for the first bathing and watch how they handle them so you can copy.
I dont envey you having to bath. Good idea to get the garden gloves. I need them outside for my yard to keep poision ivy off me.

[Sonia59]

Just back from the store: bought me one pair of those garden-gloves that cover your arm all up to your elbow!! All little bits help!

...ahem, sorry, actually this is not funny!

Poor Inka, I did not think it was so big and ugly!

[sirrahbed]

awww Lut!! From what I read here - ringworm among the kitties is hard to treat - but many do it and it does go away. I have not had my turn yet, at least not with the cats. They sometimes get sores that look sort like that under their chins but I think it is feline acne. But, poor Inka looks like she would be so uncomfortable with that one right on her lip.

When my oldest son was in wrestling at school - we had it for about 4 months out of each year for six years The wrestlers traded it back and forth the whole season. It is same as having athlete's foot only on the body and like Sallyanne said - it is just a fungus and really common. We also used Tinactin for hoomans and it worked really well. The generic is called tolnaftate and maybe this is what you used already.

I know you already have good advice from others here about the cats. I don't envy you one bit about having to bathe the cats FOUR times And YES, with your bloodthinners - you sure don't want a scratch. Wow - gardening gloves that go high up sounds like good things to have!

Good luck! Sorry you are having to put up with this - now you can give the rest of us good suggestions for when our cats get it.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

We just finished washing Maya and Inka! OMG, what a job....
First I prepared the bath: add product to water, put towels ready, at last but not least: get myself properly dressed for the job!
Oh my, I looked like an armored knight, lol!!

Then came Inka. She is NOT shy of the water, so I could wash her all on my own. Of course, I got wet all over, but no scratches, thanks to the gloves .
Then I put my hubby in charge of the "rubbing dry"! Piece of cake, that is what he thought . He he, I heard him swearing from the livingroom all the way to the kitchen . Now Inka is walking around, shaking her legs and body like a doggie .

Okay, second victim: Maya . WOW:
That was a real hassle. She absolutely HATES water, so she was fighting really hard to get away. Bernard had to hold her firmly in the water, while I washed her with a cloth. She was OH SO SCARED!! She wrecked my favorite apron, left the kitchen soaking wet (yes, the kitchen was wet), and she is now gone into hiding under the coach, licking her "wounds" . She is a very strong cat, and wow she is like a devil in a box....

I took pics of both cats, they look like drowned chickens now....

Phew, next time is tuesday! OH NO, I will have to do it all alone......

ps. I forget to tell that I gave them their medicine yesterday , and my son Jo helped with holding them! Phew, was NOT easy eather!!