Ringworm or Allergies?

I am waiting on a call from my vet but wanted to ask your opinion in the mean time.

I show and breed Persians and Himalayans. Almost a year ago I brought a new cat in that came with ringworm. I put breeding and showing on hold, and after about seven months things started looking better. It has been about three months since we have seen any thing that resembles ringworm but last Friday, while giving our bi-weekly antifungal bath (which I am still doing as a precaution) I noticed that one of the cats ears were balding (partially any ways). The hair came out easily and there seemed to be some reddened areas on the skin. Of course, ringworm was my first thought and so I treated his ear with antifungal cream and he was dipped in lime sulphur (as were all the cats because I would rather be safe then sorry).

Then, after a day or so I noticed his other ear losing some hair. I realized he had been scratching quite badly at both ears. To this point now that he has caused bleeding. He does not have ear mites or fleas.

This concerned me as not once did I have a cat have ringworm on their ear (it was always on their back, chest or inner thighs) and from what I have read, normally ringworm only infects ONE ear, not both and isn't overly itchy. Again, I don't remember the cats being too uncomfortable with the ringworm but this boy keeps twitching his ears and scratching. The hair INBETWEEN his ears is intact, but the hair loss seems "patchy" and goes right to the base of both ears.

I guess a small part of me wants to think it isn't ringworm. After all, how it popped up after three months is beyond me! BUT, any thing and everything that even appears to be ringworm, in my eyes, is ringworm and I treat like it is.

There are five cats in the room with this boy, none of which have ringworm symptoms (TOUCH WOOD A MILLION TIMES!).

I guess I just wanted to know if any one has had experience with ringworm on both ears and no where else. Could this be allergies to something?

If it doesn't have the classic ring shape, it is probably not ringworm. Bald patches or thinning hair is more often allergies.

Be careful with the antifungals - too much can disrupt the balance on his skin and make it worse. People often "overtreat" ringworm - understandably so. But too much antifungal can be worse than not enough.

Another possibility - one of our cats has an overactive response in one of her ears. She builds up wax so quickly, that her ears fill and she looses her hearing. We have to take her to the vet every three months to have them cleaned and it is icky. She will scratch and shake her head when they begin to fill and she scratches so hard sometimes, her hair comes out.

I'd definitely visit the vet. Good luck!

Some forms of Ringworm tend to fluoresce under a black light. If you have one of those handy try and hold it up to the area of concern in a dark room, see if it glows.

I would still check with your vet. Good luck!