HELP STUBBORN RINGWORM

I have being trying to beat ringworm for 3 months. My CryBaby has a spot on his nose that just keeps growing despite the aggressive treatment. He was on itraconazole oral for almost two months and then we switched to terbinafine a couple weeks ago, still only getting worse. Now he has other spots on his face and our other cat has developed lesions as well. They are both getting sulfur dips 1-2 times a week. I am so exasperated and my vet is stumped. They are both being quarantined in the sunroom and it's breaking my heart and causing major depression. He is long haired and we just shaved him Monday because the dips were matting him. Any advice? Anything topical seems to inflame the area more so I have not used any one thing consistently. Please help! We are miserable!

I'm guessing your Vet did a culture to determine it's definitely ringworm? 

When you dip, are you doing it this way?

HOW to DIP

• • Lime-sulfur should be used at 8 ounces to the gallon (the higher dilution of the two given on the bottle). We have not found it to be necessary to put e-collars on the cats after treatment. Do not rinse off the solution. Do not pre-wet the cat.

• • When mixing the dip it is important to put 8 ounces of the lime sulfur in the mixing container FIRST and then add the warm water. This will give you the correct dilution.

• • The lime-sulfur treatment is very important to reduce ongoing environmental contamination. Lime-sulfur can be applied with a garden rose sprayer with nice warm water. We use a half-gallon sprayer.

• • Keep the nozzle of the sprayer very close to the cat's skin so the spray just flows over them like a shower. Let the solution ‘coat' the hairs. You must soak the cat to the skin. Use rags to gently sponge on dip around the face and inside their ears, on their little noses, etc. These areas are most important and tend to be the most difficult to resolve. Fractious cats can be sprayed through a wire carrier.
  •  

- See more at: https://www.giveshelter.org/dermatophyte-treatment-in-a-nutshell.html

You've got to make sure you really get their skin fully covered, and so shaving him may really help.  Those meds he was on should have helped, so I can see why your Vet is stumped.   BUT, according to this thread, if you used GENERAL itraconazole, it's not as effective as the real deal, so maybe that's the problem.  If so, perhaps the terbinafine will work.  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/210789/6-things-i-learned-from-our-ringworm-plague-book-length

We have some great resources about ringworm on the site. The information in the thread which @mrsgreenjeens  linked to has been curated into articles - 

 [article="32416"]Ringworm In Cats How To Win The Fight​[/article]  

 [article="32417"]Ringworm Infestation In Cats The Housecleaning Regime​[/article]  

Yes they cultured it, both cats have been shaved now, seems to be improving but we're definitely not out of the woods yet. I sure miss my life.

It can be a long process, depending on the extent of the infestation but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Have you checked the articles and the thread we linked to? Lots of information and tips there.

Yes and I think I've read every other article on the internet as well lol

So this was from March 2016. How long did it take before you got negative cultures back?

We are in the same boat. It is almost March 2017 and we have been dealing with it since November 2016. Two 4 month old kittens from a breeder who does not have it in her cattery. It spread to both of us, and to three other households (people and pets) and none of us can get rid of it. I was on topical Lamisil and oral pills for six weeks and got rid of it but very hard on my liver. Our one ten year old cat has had it for two months and can't tolerate oral meds. We have disinfected the house everyday, thrown all cat bedding and toys out, doing Surolan ointment and Miconazole baths to no avail. We are seniors and cant keep this up. We are thinking of putting the older cat down and return the two kittens who are now 7 months old to the breeder. We are at our wits end. My husbands face just broke out again.

Try purchasing defense soap for you and your husband and tea tree oil on humans only. The defense soap worked worders and we've had no more break outs. I purchased it on amazon. We had a rescue who was covered in ringworm and although I kept her isolated all 5 of my fur kids developed lesions. It socks but you will get through it. I took the kitten to the vet and let them sulfur dip her. Once we had the all clear, (Oct 2016) I let her out of kitty jail. We had no more outbreaks until I brought home an adoptee in Feb and just found a spot on her arm. I literally want to cry, however, I put colloidal silver on her spot, it's drying out...starting my old cleaning routine and praying my oldsters stay clear. Sending prayers... try finding a vet who can board and dip, at least your elder kitty versus putting her down. Ringworm isn't a death sentence, it just feelseems like it. If the kittens go back to the breeder, you can hopefully just manage your older one more easily.

I understand completely. I had foster cats and the rescue's vet would not do a culture on one of them,until the 4h visit. Now all of the fosters have it plus my 4 cats.t The fosters went back to the rescue,to be treated, but I am having to treat my own. The rescue is paying for all of my cultures, and everything else, that I have had to spend money on, but trying to clean my house and medicate my cats, plus spraying them twice a day has taken it's toll upon my body, as I am older also. It is a real nightmare. I adopted a 17 yr old cat a year ago, and he has more than one lesion. I have actually thought of putting him down, but that would break my heart...but I am getting desperate, too.
I will be praying for you.

Scottishfling said:

We are in the same boat. It is almost March 2017 and we have been dealing with it since November 2016. Two 4 month old kittens from a breeder who does not have it in her cattery. It spread to both of us, and to three other households (people and pets) and none of us can get rid of it. I was on topical Lamisil and oral pills for six weeks and got rid of it but very hard on my liver. Our one ten year old cat has had it for two months and can't tolerate oral meds. We have disinfected the house everyday, thrown all cat bedding and toys out, doing Surolan ointment and Miconazole baths to no avail. We are seniors and cant keep this up. We are thinking of putting the older cat down and return the two kittens who are now 7 months old to the breeder. We are at our wits end. My husbands face just broke out again.

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I saw a new vet and she stated to put Nizoral shampoo direct from the bottle on the spots wear gloves) or if the cat is infested all over, shampoo them, leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off. Do this every other day. The shampoo has 2% Ketoconazole in it which kills ringworm. We are having success with this. Still a lot o f work but worth it. Your older cat likely has a weak immune system so this will help. Keep me posted.

We finally got negative cultures back in June I think? However now it's back. My senior dog has many spots on her torso and I have two spots on me. CryBaby (cat) a couple tiny spots on his nose that I don't know if they're ringworm or just irritation from playing or eating but I dabbed them with dip today. We just had to put my other dog down in January and between the stress of that and a crappy immune system I guess it flourished on my senior dog. I don't know if she still had some this whole time and was asymptomatic (they only took hair from one spot for her culture) or if I missed some spores and she's been reinfected from the environment. Praying tomorrow is warm enough to dip her outside.
I'm not quarantining this time. I can't do that to them again and my senior dog will waste away from depression. So we're taking it one day at a time, expecting the worst and hoping for the best. Praying it doesn't send me into a deep depression this time and trying to keep everyone's stress levels low.