Osiris has a severe case of ringworm

jaclyn4238

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I was scratching under his neck last night...and under his ears when i felt scabby skin... so i put the light on and began to part his fur...it started coming out in hunks! so today we made a trip to the vet and my worse fear was confirmed *RINGWORM* the vet said he hadnt seen a case this severe in a few years he has a patch of fur missing just under his ear about the size of a silver dollar maybe larger. He is to be confined to the bathroom until it is completly gone... (which i thought is a little severe) he is on oral meds once daily for how ever long... there are 4 refils on the box... topical ointment x2 a day for how ever long and lime sulfur dip/baths every 5-7 days (which we did today and it smelt HORRIBLE) I have stripped my entire apartment... vaccumed every corner... bleached what ever could be bleached...threw things away...but i am still super paranoid that either me my hubby my daughter or one of other 3 cats or ferret will get this! what else can i do? I searched the threads and i did everything in there... what else can i do!!
 
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jaclyn4238

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Anyone?? Im worried about Osiris getting depressed about being in isolation... I am going in everyonce in a while for a little bit to give him rubs and hugs and some loving but i feel so bad!
 

pami

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Im sorry for the ringworm .......I have no experience with it, but I hope it clears up soon .......Im keeping the thread alive so someone can give you some advise.
 

crittermom

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I wouldn't let your daughter pet the kitten without washing her hands VERY VERY well afterwards.....if at all.
Humans can get it as well as other animals.
 
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jaclyn4238

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Ella *DD* is completly cut off from Osiris...she isnt even two yet so I do know that toddlers are highly succeptible of contracting this fungus... just the word fungus freaks me out lol. Im more concerned with what else i can do to spore free my house...and im worried about osiris becuase he is confined to the bathroom with just his favourite blankey and litter box with food and water...and a stuffed toy... all which will be washed in boiling water daily with bleach. I just dont want him getting depressed. Also...Should i lyme sulfer dip all my cats even if they dont have it yet...just incase they are carrying spores?
 

crittermom

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I would call your Vet and ask about it just to be sure.I wouldn't think it would hurt.But, I'm not a Vet.
I'm not sure what else you could use to be honest.I am hoping someone with experience will come along and give some advice.
 

pami

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I would not dilute bleach and put it on the lesions........ let me see if I can find someone to help you .....
 

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Please don't put bleach on your kitty! Your vet has given you the treatment you need for the ringworm, right? Take a deep breath and calm down.
Osiris will pick up on your stress and will in turn react to it. It sounds like you have done everything you need to do to prevent the ringworm from spreading to the rest of your family. Just follow your vets instructions and you should be just fine
The only other thing I would suggest is that you get a Feliway plug in to help calm Osiris while he is in the bathroom. You can get them at Petsmart. They are slightly expensive, but are very much worth it.
 

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Originally Posted by squirtle

Please don't put bleach on your kitty! Your vet has given you the treatment you need for the ringworm, right? Take a deep breath and calm down.
Osiris will pick up on your stress and will in turn react to it. It sounds like you have done everything you need to do to prevent the ringworm from spreading to the rest of your family. Just follow your vets instructions and you should be just fine
The only other thing I would suggest is that you get a Feliway plug in to help calm Osiris while he is in the bathroom. You can get them at Petsmart. They are slightly expensive, but are very much worth it.


Tanya's right. Please do not put bleach, diluted or otherwise on your kitty. Bleach is very caustic to the skin, even if it is diluted. I know you're freaked out by the ringworm (we all would be), but I also know you don't want to do anything to harm Osiris...the bleach may be harmful. Unfortunately there is little you can do to hasten the cure. All you can do is to try to stay calm for Osiris. Spend what time you can with him, make sure you are washing your hands carefully, the feliway Tanya suggested is a good idea. Maybe you could even plug a radio in on a classic music station and play it very low for him. It works for stressed-out feral kitties, and it may work for him during his time of stress. He will calm down, it just takes time because he doesn't understand why he is being separated.
 

flisssweetpea

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Don't bleach the kitty - what you have been doing so far is just fine.

Clean the house and treat the cat - but don't put bleach on it.

Take a deep breath, talk to your Vet and take the sensible precautions that you have been so far. Although I'm not saying that you should be complacent, it is important to just take a step back sometimes....Osiris must have had this for a little while before you spotted it and it seems that everyone else is still clear of it. So, although you don't want it to spread, it's also not the case that simply being in the same room will trigger an uncontrollable outbreak.
 

dawnofsierra

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First of all, great job for being such a terrific kitty Mommy to observe this area under Osiris's neck and taking him in for treatment right away!


Tanya, Kelly, and Beth have offered excellent advice. Please allow me to reiterate, please don't bleach Osiris. You were very wise to question that ill advised suggestion. Poor Osiris. He doesn't understand why he's suddenly locked away in isolation from the rest of the family. Be sure to make available to him all of his necessary as well as his favorite items such as his favorite toys, a favorite blanket, perhaps an article of your recently worn clothing. You can always was these afterwords. If it seems this may be a stubborn infection, I would strongly suggest making a sort of baby gate at the bathroom door so that Osiris is able to feel less ostracized and more comfortable and content.

Ringworm infection is spread only through skin to skin contact and direct contact with an item that has been touched by the ringworm site, so as long as there is not this direct contact by your daughter or the other cats or ferret, there should not be a problem. Ringworm diagnosis must feel scary at first, but, please rest assured that it responds to treatment. It will clear up, and everything will return to normal.
 

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You've been given some great advice. I've never had to deal with ringworm myself, but bleach isn't the answer. It was a great idea to come here and ask.
What would you do if your daughter had pinkeye? That's another contagious illness transmitted via contact. You would be scrupulous about cleaning, and would be in contact with her pediatrician if you had questions. It sounds like you are doing the right things.
You may want to touch base with the vet in the morning to see if he has any other suggestions.

I can imagine how Osiris banging up against the door and howling is just breaking your heart. The feliway diffuser is an excellent suggestion. It is a bit pricey, but the PetSmart on Rt 2 in Warwick has it a little cheaper than some other stores in the area.
 

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You have already been to the vet, so follow the vet's instructions. I used Lamisil on Tammy-Timmy and it cleared up within 10 days.
 
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jaclyn4238

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Thanks everyone! I wasnt going to bleach my baby!! I was just wondering if it could have been one of those "old school" home remedies that may have worked? I dont know.. I was just desperate and i am so paranoid about coming down with any itchy scratchy fungus! But one step at a time and that should do it!
 

clixpix

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Originally Posted by Jaclyn4238

Thanks everyone! I wasnt going to bleach my baby!! I was just wondering if it could have been one of those "old school" home remedies that may have worked? I dont know.. I was just desperate and i am so paranoid about coming down with any itchy scratchy fungus! But one step at a time and that should do it!
Oh, most of us can understand that. Like the time I had a pregnant feral who was infested with fleas in my bathroom for weeks until the babies were old enough to treat!
You go to bed itching!
 

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I've been there, done that. It stinks! As far as getting ringworm, I look at it like this. If you've been in contact with Osiris already, you may get it. Continueing contact with Osiris may cause you to get it. Wash your hands, clothing that touches Osiris, everything! I kept my two fosters in my downstairs bathroom. I played with them in long pants & a long sleeved shirt. The clothes were removed & put in a garbage bag. I showered. Then I put on clena clothes, left the bathroom & washed the infected clothes in hot water.

I also put a Feliway in the bathroom & it helped a lot. Damita is blind, so a radio kept her pretty calm. They got extra treats & canned food, too. They got TONS of toys. I think I counted 50 in the bathrooom.....

Just keep on vacuuming, bleaching, and cleaning. I sprayed diluted bleach water on my carpets, couches, etc. However, I color tested it on everything first. It didn't bleach anything. I don't know if it helped, but I felt better!
 
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jaclyn4238

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Thanks everyone! @Question... does this awful ringworm get WORSE before it gets better? The poor little guy has it on top of his eyes and on the corner of his eyes... and on his head! I just hope its going to at least start to get better...
My poor munchkin.. hes so pitiful in there knowing that everyone out in the house is having a blast and he cant be apart of it! he is putting his little paws through the door batting at everything in site and crying. Im going to bleach my carpets again... they passed the colour fast test. Now if i or my husband or daughter do get the ring worm what do we do? I bought some lamisil cream for athletes foot or jock itch and have been using it when ever i feel the slightest itch...what else can i do if we get it?
 

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You can go to the doctor for an RX for you, but when my little sister had it they said she can skip the dr. appt. & get Lamisil. She applied that for 2 weeks.....& that's about all you can do for people.

Yes, ringworm does get worse before it gets better. Damita had hairloss on her ears, & while treating her she lost ALL the hair on her ears & it started to spread down to her head. Although, those naked pink ears were cute!


The only thing you can do is give Osiris time to heal & wait.....it's hard to do, but its well worth it to get him better!

Just be sure when you bleach spray the carpet that no pets walk across it wet. Bleach can be toxic to them. Wait to let them walk across the carpet until it is completely dry. That means you might have to contain any other pets in a different room. Keep an eye out for ringworm on any other pets, as well.
 

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Ask your vet for Conofite Lotion (it is really a clear liquid)....it is used to treat ringworm in both cats and dogs and is completly non-toxic to them
Also, as far as humans go, have your dermatologist or doctor prescribe a prescription for "Mentax" it is a prescription used to treat ringworm and things of that nature- it works very well...I'm currently using it right now. Also, I've found it works better than most OTC items as well. Also, when you vaccume, throw out your vaccume bag because it can reinfest your house with ringworm cells. Also, purchase some Tek-Trol to spray down your entire house- it kills ringworm instantly once it dries. It is safe to use on all surfaces. You can purchase it online.
It works like a charm!
!Good luck!
 
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