Help please --- with feline ringworm?

Ringworm is a fungal infection, very similar to athlete's foot. It is not a worm. It is very common in cats and can be treated easily. It can be spread to humans (shows up as small red scaly circular spot on people) but over-the-counter Lamisil can clear it up. It's actually not a big deal. The vet will put him on treatment for it and that should be it.

EDIT - the above poster is accurate but most cases in a home environment are not a big deal. It's a much bigger deal in a kennel environment where there are lots of animals and it can spread more easily.

Ringworm is rather common, and even if you cat never goes outside, can get it. It is quite easy and inexpensive to treat, although your vet will probably snip some fur and look under a microscope. You can use either miconazole or chlotrimazole, both available cheaply and are generic. Your vet can probably provide some as cheaply as a drug store (found in the athletes feet medication area). Ringworm is a fungal infection.

My cats have had it on a rare occasion, but I haven't taken any major precautions. (They don't go out). However, if you have children in the house with the cat, you may want to ask your vet for suggestions in hygiene.

You put the medication on the area several times a day for perhaps a month, give or take. It is not an instant cure. If your cat licks it off, there is a liquid that you can give. Two doses, a bit expensive, and it is a gooey cream that is a bit hard to disguise with food.

You probably want to wash your hands after handling your infected cat.

Ringworm is an annoying, highly contagious fungal disorder that is curable. The problem with this disorder is that there are 35 different species of ringworm that can affect cats,dog and be transmitted to humans as well. The most common form is Mircosporum Canis which accounts for the majority of ringworm cases.

Ringworm is caused from exposure to the dermatophytes from spores present in the environment, mainly from other animals that are infected with it. Your pet could pick it up from anywhere...boarding kennels, breeding kennels, someone else's home. The spores can live in the environment for up to 13 months and are very hard to get rid of, so reinfection of animals is also a common problem. As well, children are highly susceptible to these infections, so it is very important to rid the household of this fungus as soon as possible.

This disorder usually appears as a lesion upon the skin of an animal or human and requires medical attention. It looks like a rapidly growing circular patch of broken hair in most cases. The patch may look somewhat inflamed and appear to have "dandruff" like flakes on it. However, sometimes it is very hard to spot ringworm, especially in longhaired cats or dogs. The fungus can also affect a cat's claws where they become roughened and pitted.

A veterinarian can usually diagnose ringworm by using an ultraviolet light. In some cases however, this isn't enough and a sample of hair or scrapping of the skin is needed for further diagnosis. Treatment is basically in the form of antifungal pills and/or topical medications such as creams or medicated shampoos.

The major problem is getting rid of the spores in your home so they don't reinfect your pets. Most spores are shed through the fur into the carpet, so occasional "dip" baths may be required to kill the spores that may linger on the fur of cats and dogs. As well, it is recommended that you destroy all pet bedding, blankets, brushes/combs, scratching posts and other items used by the pets. Any items that cannot be thrown out need to be soaked thoroughly in a solution of hot water and Betadine or Iodophor for one hour. They should then be rinsed in a mixture of water and ...5% chlorine bleach. Drying the items outdoors in sunlight will also help. Vacuum your house thoroughly and be sure to immediately dispose of the vacuum bag. Then have all carpets and upholstery steam-cleaned and wash all walls with a mixture of water and chlorine bleach. If you have an air filter in your home, you must also dispose of the filter.

Although ringworm is a mild disorder, it can cause a tremendous amount of problems to a household. If you continue to have problems with reinfection, please consult your veterinarian for additional solutions or information that he/she may be able to provide.

My cat had it last summer, it took 4 weeks to go away completely. The vet's cream is identical to the generic you can get at Walgreens for $11 (half the vets cost). It's a tube of Miconazole. Look for it by the yeast infection creams. The brand name would be Monistat 3.

I put a dab on him three times a day, working it in. He didn't lick it off, and we had hair growing within a week and a half. He didn't give it to any of the others, but he DID give me one spot on my leg. I used the same miconazole to get rid of it on me.

It's a fungus. It spreads by spores. Do NOT scrub at it or try to wash it, that spreads out the spores making the spot bigger. Just dab the cream on, and work it into the ring of fur around the spot. Not enough to cake it up, but enough to coat the skin. Sunlight also helps to get rid of the fungus, but you need to work with the meds too--sunlight alone won't do it.

My son caught ringworms from a animal. He had only one in his hair. I put blue star ointment on it. It healed it.