RINGWORM at the Sirrah house...argh updated 4/11/07

[sirrahbed]

Update on Emily and the battle against ringworm:

We are giving Emily her griseofulvin doses twice daily at 1 teaspoon at a time. She HATES the medicine and I think that right now, she hates us also The medicine is supposed to be given with a fatty meal, but Emily refuses wet food. We have tuna in oil but she does not even want that right now. So, we catch her twice a day, wrap her in a towel and do the best we can in getting that medicine into her. She has learned to spit lots of it out. This morning - I was very worried that she inhaled some of the medicine. I heard gurgling and gulping When I put her down, she acted very distressed and the rattling sound was very loud for about 5 minutes. She was able to give a few coughs and she is breathing fine now though she looks scared and *I* am still a little scared that I may have choked her. I hate doing this to her even though I know it is to get her healthy. It still makes me want to cry because she gets so upset - poor baby.

I have also researched and sent for some of the Program dog tablets. I found some research done among showcats and am following those suggestions.

As for the baths - the shampoo the vet sold us is Hexadene which does not even contain a fungicide - the vet feels that regular bathing helps to remove the spores. So, I am bathing her but not really aggressive about it. She hates that too. Thankfully, Emily is so sweet and docile that the baths are going pretty well - no bloodshed yet. Today is bath day but I may or may not do it.

I am washing all of our linens with diluted bleach and doing what I can to meticulously clean everything - but there is just no way I can eliminate the spores. We have upholstered furniture and carpet throughout the house. But I am trying. Lots of handwashing and cleaning. All of our kitties are snuggly with one another and short of isolating Emily for the next month - the cats are going to come into regular contact no matter where they are. I hope that isolation does not become necessary. I am petting and stroking her as I always do.

At this point, I don't know what else I can be doing. I hope we can get rid of the ringworm and that the other cats don't get it. I am planning to give everyone the Program. Emily's hairloss is contained to 3 spots and all but one are looking good. One spot is about the size of an egg but the skin looks good and there is no redness or irritation - it just looks like she has been doing too much grooming.

Fingers crossed here

[smokey the elder]

When I had a ringworm outbreak 4 years ago I was given Program tablets (double up the dose) and a topical called Trezaderm. The combination worked very well. I never bathed a single kitten. I was careful not to spread ringworm, but I think adults are usually more resistant. At the time the vet said I could give Program as a preventative, so I did that, too.

[sirrahbed]

When I had a ringworm outbreak 4 years ago I was given Program tablets (double up the dose) and a topical called Trezaderm. The combination worked very well. I never bathed a single kitten. I was careful not to spread ringworm, but I think adults are usually more resistant. At the time the vet said I could give Program as a preventative, so I did that, too.

Did you use the tablets? If so - how did you administer? Crush the tablets??
These dog tablets are supposed to be flavored so I hope this helps. I plan to crush and give everyone their own dose in tuna or something wet that they love. Emily will be a problem since she does not like wet food though I am hoping that a serving of tuna when she is hungry will help.

Anyone have suggestions about giving liquid meds? I have looked at some sites - just say tip head back and squirt the liquid in. ( I use a syringe) This is getting harder with each dose since the amount is a teaspoon and Emily is learning how to spit it out. Probably no easier way though - but after the choking scare this morning - I am hoping that someone can give me some better ideas.

[Killearn Kitties]

Oh dear I'm sorry to hear about poor Emily. Ringworm is not something I have experience of, but I will be sending good vibes to Emily and you.

[Lizzie]

I didn't have to bathe my cats either, just shampoo each affected area with KetoChlor, rinse, shampoo again and leave on for ten minutes, then rinse. I wasn't able to do this to the kitten who had ringworm across her nose and eyes and she took by far the longest to clear up even though she was the only one who I put on oral meds. She was on Griseofulvin, which is horrifically expensive, and we used a fungicide ointment, but her ringworm was very resistant. I told the vet I couldn't afford any more Griseofulvin and he gave me a prescription for one of the new oral fungicides, which I got at Costco for $25 for a six week course, and it worked. Of course, each area of ringworm goes away by itself after about six weeks, so it's hard to tell what is working.

It's a frustrating infection to deal with. Every vet has their pet theories. Every cat responds differently and copes differently.

I isolated my kittens because some of my adult cats are FIV+. If they got it, it would take many months to get rid of and they can't take the oral meds. If you check your other cats daily for hair loss spots, you can jump on them with shampoo and topicals right away.

When I gave Miss Zoomalot the syringes of oral med, I sat her upright against my knees so her head wasn't tilted right back. I aimed for the side of the mouth, if I could. That does sound scary that Emily choked. In your place, I would keep my eye on her because even though it sounds like she was able to cough it all up, she might not have been able to get rid of it all. I'm sorry your vet techs are not more supportive, they should be able to give you a practical demonstration. If I'm going through something new like this, I take mine to the vet and have the techs watch me to make sure I'm doing things right, no charge.

[sirrahbed]

Since the vet wants me to bathe Emily - I want to be compliant but wish the shampoo had fungicide in it to make me feel like it was more worth the trouble y'know? The Hexadene is available with miconazole but that is not what he sold me...I have only given cat-baths a handful of times and it isn't easy or fun is it.

Just a few minutes ago, Emily jumped up on my desk and let me pet her - I was so grateful! I still shudder at the thought of choking her. I think I squirted the last bit of liquid too far into her already-full mouth Now, I know I will be neurotic every time I give her the medicine. We have been wrapping her a towel and holding her close, so maybe just tipping the head will work - will try. I find myself spending so much time in the morning and evening dreading medication time even though I know it is to help her.

Lizzie - what was the newer fungicide you got at Costco? Do you remember? I would like to keep it in mind in the event that we need to treat anyone again. The Griseofulvin was $109. I did not realize that ringworm usually goes away on its own. But, I know I still want to treat Emily the best I can to minimize spreading the infection and to prevent more hairloss. I wish I had informed myself better going into this - but was so surprised to get the call that her ringworm culture was positive after a month. I hope the Program is effective because a couple doses sure would be tons less traumatic for cats. I am really glad that everyone is adult and healthy here.

I also read that if humans had not contacted ringworm by the time the cat becomes diagnosed - that they likely will not get it. I find that to be encouraging. We are all so hands-on here and my grandbabies are also here several times weekly. No humans have any signs. Fingers crossed again. I know that the ringwrm is minor compared to the truly ill cats I read about here, but I can't help being a concerned meowmie.

[smokey the elder]

I crumbled up the Program and spiked their food. I think I gave it every two weeks.