Shaving cat with ringworm???

I took the kittens to the vet today. She had no explanation as to why they were not willing to jump up or down off of things.  She did a couple of things with them and claimed that their legs seemed to be fine.  She felt their skin and all of the scabbiness.  She shaved a small portion of the girl's fur, and the skin is all dry and icky under the fur. She says it is generalized ringworm (even though there were no apparent lesions).  She suggested that they both be shaved to ensure that the shampoo and lime dip is doing its job.  Does anyone have experience with this?  I'm supposed to drop them off in the morning to be sedated and shaved.  Help!!  I don't know what advice to follow anymore.  I'm just sick over this and want them to be better.  They have been getting oral terbinafine for 3 weeks and shampoo and lime dips for 4 weeks.  I need them better and I need this over.  I'm willing to do anything.  

I showed up at the clinic this morning with print offs from different humane societies and vet clinics all explaining that the cats should be getting fungal cultures done bi-weekly or weekly. I told them that if they are going to shave the cats, then they at least need to do the culture (haven't had one done since November 23rd).  I was put in a room, and the hospital administrator came in. After talking with her, we decided to do the culture FIRST and if it comes back positive then do the shave. There really is no sense in putting them through the stress of a shave if they aren't positive. The skin doesn't look like ringworm to me. It looks like some type of allergic reaction or dermatitis. I'm not an expert, but I have looked at hundreds of online pictures of ringworm and their skin doesn't look like ANY of them.  It is dry, flaky, and peeling - almost like they got a sunburn and it is peeling.  It combs right out of their fur in patches, but they are not losing fur like with ringworm.  SO FRUSTRATING!!  I should get the culture back in 1-3 days.  I am also waiting for bloodwork results.  

Good for you for being so proactive and your vet for listening to you. We've our paws crossed the tests come back as anything other than ringworm and whatever it is, will be easily treated. 

Greypaws said:

 
Good for you for being so proactive and your vet for listening to you. We've our paws crossed the tests come back as anything other than ringworm and whatever it is, will be easily treated. 

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Thank you!  I'm so frustrated at this point because of their skin getting worse with the topical and systemic medications and really not having an answer. I wish we had a knowledgable veterinary dermatologist in the area, but I can't seem to find one.  

I hope you get an definitive answer soon! It's very frustrating not knowing what's going on.

pushylady said:

I hope you get an definitive answer soon! It's very frustrating not knowing what's going on.

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Yes - very frustrating. I actually broke down in tears at the vet yesterday, and I don't cry. It is out of complete frustration, though. I just want the babies to be better and be able to take them out of isolation in the bathroom.  This is not fair to them, or my children, who thought they were getting pets to play with. I don't want my kids around them until I know they aren't contagious anymore because then we will just keep passing it back and forth.  I just don't understand why they aren't getting any better with treatment.  I wish someone had an answer for me regarding side effect of topical and systemic treatment.  

I just got my first good news.  They had blood work done yesterday, and all was good (negative for FELV and FIV).  All levels looked good, except the boy's white blood cell count was slightly elevated.  She said that is most likely due to fighting off the ringworm.  Now, I just wait for the culture to come back - praying that it is negative!!  

In other good news, I gave them their bath and dip today and they didn't try to kill me!  They actually behaved REALLY well.  I think that the lime dip was actually hurting them before.  They would howl and claw and bite...just made them crazy!  Today, they both just sat there and let me pour it on them and sponge it on them.  I felt so much less anxious because they were relaxed, which in turn made them more relaxed.  Whew!  It has gotten to the point where I was dreading the dip because of how stressed they would get.  

Yeah for the good news. Hope more is coming your way from culture land!

Greypaws said:

 
Yeah for the good news. Hope more is coming your way from culture land!

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Thank you!  I will update as soon as I find out.  

Cultures were negative on both cats!  The vet explained that it doesn't mean we are out of the woods and that they still could be positive. We go back in two weeks for another culture and then again two weeks after that.  I requested that he do a different type of culture today (the one that takes longer to get results), so we did that.  They both work differently, from what he explained. He said it was probably ok to let them out of isolation into just the bedroom area (connected to the bath).  So, after their bath/dip and my cleaning routine today, once they are dry I will let them into my bedroom.  They are going to be so happy!!  I want to really vacuum the bedroom well today. I'm getting a Dyson delivered today, so it will be a good reason to try it out!!