Poor baby has ringworm!

Last week, I noticed that my cat was scratching her face to the point that it bled! I came home from work to find her bleeding and scabbing above her eyes and below her ears. I called the vet, who suggested she might have earmites, but she is on revolution and stays indoors 100% of the time. I brought her in the next day to get looked at, and they shined a blacklight on her... it was ringworm! How does an indoor cat get ringworm? True, we don't vacuum as often as we should... but that is just bizarre to me. Maybe we tracked it in from our shoes. Anyone else ever had this happen?



I was informed that ringworm can be passed from cats to humans quite easily.

They gave her this undignified, yet effective, head cone to keep her from scratching (look how embarrassed she looks! The first day she was so upset that she threw up!) and I have to swab her with antifungal ointment twice a day for 6 weeks. Bless her heart. These pictures don't do it justice... she managed to snap her collar off and squeeze out of the cone last weekend... and you can only imagine how much damage she did from scratching herself again. The scabs are starting to heal, but now she's got some bald spots. Poor baby... get well soon, Callie!

She likes to hop up onto windowsills, but it is challenging with her new headgear. She tried to jump up yesterday, but banged her cone on the window panes and fell off

Awww...poor Callie. First ringworm and now the dreaded collar. Nakita had to wear one of those after her spay operation and she didn't like it one bit. She would try to jump up on things and lose her balance. Not fun.

Hang in there Callie, there is a reason for this indignity! And even with the collar you're still adorable!

I foster for several shelters and rescue organizations in my area- it never fails, I always wind up treating a kitty for ringworm (just incase someone comes along this thread and doesn't know what ringworm is- it's a fungal infection similar to athletes foot and jock itch..not an actual worm- and it can be spread from humans to animals and vise versa). Right now, my two foster kittens, Kenzie & Keiko have ringworm. I've been treating them for it since i started fostering them. It's really common in shelter kitties and people that come in contact with them. Please don't freak out- it's nothing too bad that you should worry over- but it is a nusicance and can spread very easily, so take a few extra precatutions while she has ringworm. Your cat could have contracted it a number of ways....do you by chance visit other kitties at your local shelter or have you pet an outside cat lately? Also, a human can give ringworm to a kitty and vise versa.....Always look for signs of balding on animals -that is one of the first signs of ringworm....then itching & scabbing.. / I suggest thoroughly cleaning everything in your house- not to scare you, but it is highly contagious and hard to get rid of. It takes several weeks of meds to get rid of a fungal infection like ringworm. Wash all laundry in hot soapy water and sanitize things that cannot be washed. It would be best to keep your little furbaby in one area of your house to cut down on the potential for it to spread to your or other animals. Always wash your hands after applying her medicine or petting her. I also suggest soaking all of her brushes, nail trimmers, and combs in hot soapy water and sanatizing them as well. Be sure to keep her e-collar clean daily to cut down on the contact that it makes with the ringworm site- if it is constantly in contact with it, it could irritate the site and take longer for it to heal. I would also go ahead and have your dermatologist write you a prescription for an anti-fungal to treat ringworm just in case you contract it too...it's really not a big deal, but you should be prepared if you need it. Also, be sure to have your hair pulled back when you handle your kitty- you do not want to get ringworm on your scalp. Ringworm causes temporary balding, so that would not be good . What type of medication did your vet give you for your kitty? I highly recommend using "Conofite Lotion" on animals with ringworm....it is an anti-fungal and it clears ringworm up fairly clearly and has no side effects . It's great to use on young kittens and cats as well. It's called a lotion, but it is actually a clear gel that smells a bit strongly- it works amazingly well on ringworm and usually has it completely cleared up withing 21 days- not 6-8 weeks like most other antifungals used on cats. Good luck! Keep us posted on your little furbabies condition. I hope she feels better soon The collar only adds to her cuteness!!! -just make sure that with that added "cuteness" she can reach her food and water dishes easily....sometimes e-collars make it a bit difficult for animals to eat or drink out of dishes they can't easily fit their head into. Good luck! Feel free to pm me if you need anything.

The crazy lady who used to work at the shelter that I used to work with euthanized cats who had ringworm! Can you believe that? I am glad they got rid of her! Back when I had no idea what is was she convinced me to put down a beautiful Persian cat I found who had ringworm. I feel so awful stil when I think of that poor little guy.

I'll move this to the health forum

Originally Posted by Jen

The crazy lady who used to work at the shelter that I used to work with euthanized cats who had ringworm! Can you believe that? I am glad they got rid of her! Back when I had no idea what is was she convinced me to put down a beautiful Persian cat I found who had ringworm. I feel so awful stil when I think of that poor little guy.

Click to expand...

That's aweful . I'm glad she is no longer there!

StarryEyedTiger,

Thank you so much -- your advice is very helpful. I have visited/volunteered at a few shelters in the area (although just a few times), so I suppose that is a way that I could have brought it home. Other than that, I don't come into contact with many other animals. You know, I did notice some hair thinning/balding on her face about 2-3 weeks ago, but I thought it was just from her cleaning and excessively scratching herself. I didn't know that was an early sign of ringworm... thank you for the information, now I know what to look for in the future. She is on MicaVed Lotion, it's not really a "lotion", but has the consistency of a liquid. That's what the vet prescribed. I am also thinking about getting some lysol and even some antifungal sprays for around the house... Callie likes to sit on the couch and so do we. And her food and drink-- it is harder for her to reach now that she has that collar on, so I try to keep her water dish filled to the brim so she doesn't have to struggle, and I pile her food onto a paper plate so she can try and reach it more easily.

I can't believe that lady put animals to sleep just because they had ringworm! How would she feel if someone did that to her? I'm glad she's gone!

I think Lysol is toxic to cats. Please check it out.

Originally Posted by CalicoCallie

StarryEyedTiger,

Thank you so much -- your advice is very helpful. I have visited/volunteered at a few shelters in the area (although just a few times), so I suppose that is a way that I could have brought it home. Other than that, I don't come into contact with many other animals. You know, I did notice some hair thinning/balding on her face about 2-3 weeks ago, but I thought it was just from her cleaning and excessively scratching herself. I didn't know that was an early sign of ringworm... thank you for the information, now I know what to look for in the future. She is on MicaVed Lotion, it's not really a "lotion", but has the consistency of a liquid. That's what the vet prescribed. I am also thinking about getting some lysol and even some antifungal sprays for around the house... Callie likes to sit on the couch and so do we.

And her food and drink-- it is harder for her to reach now that she has that collar on, so I try to keep her water dish filled to the brim so she doesn't have to struggle, and I pile her food onto a paper plate so she can try and reach it more easily.

I can't believe that lady put animals to sleep just because they had ringworm! How would she feel if someone did that to her?

I'm glad she's gone!

Click to expand...

I'm glad i could help! I hope little Callie heals up soon. Definitely sanitize everything to reduce the odds of spreading it around the house, I highly recommend a product called Tek-Trol...It will kill any just about anything...including ringworm, and it is safe to use on just about every surface- it you are able to- take things outside and spray them down then let them sit a few minutes...or spray items in a well venelated room./ That stuff works! ...keep in mind, when she sheds fur, when those scabs fall off, when her skin flakes...it could potentially spread it... . Try to keep her in a seperate area from any other animals until she's completely healed. I forgot about Mica Ved- it works well too . Sounds like your vet and you are taking excellent care of Callie. Also, if she tries to take her e-collar off...there are holes in the collar at where it goes around the nape of the neck..you can put zip-tie or piece of string through those and tie it to her normal collar- it will completely keep her from being able to get it off . I hope everything goes smoothly! Feel free to pm me if you need anything else or if you have any questions. (also, just wanted to mention this, many times with ringworm- it will look worse for a day or so after treatment before it clears up, so don't be alarmed if the site looks bad for a day or two- it's a sign that it's healing)
Have a great night!
Nikki

Here are the links to some manufactures/online sites that sell Tek-Trol...I would order some and sanatize your whole house with it I posted a few so you can shop around if you like.
http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...html?E+scstore
I personally prefer the spray can because it is easier to use on furniture,etc...
http://www.qcsupply.com/Products/2380.aspx
http://www.livestockconcepts.com/tek-trol.html
http://www.dblrsupply.com/store/animalcare/tektrol.html

You've got ringworm, too, huh? Don't feel bad about not noticing it. My two foster cats had ringworm in march & have it now again. I didn't notice it for...my guess is at least 4 weeks. Talk about feeling stupid, & in that time I contaminated all my 3 cats. All well...I like to think of it as making my life mor einteresting. Besides that, my house has never been so clean!

Bleach has become my best friend, I've used 3 gallons of it in 3 weeks. I've thrown lots of stuff away, bleached lots of stuff, vacuumed a lot...etc.

Nikki gave you some great advice. I, too, brought it home from the shelter, but its no wonder since I volunteer there 3 days a week. I would also suggest using sheets to cover the couch, then you can wash those weekly & it's easier to keep the couch clean.

My cats are on Fulvicin, & the one with hairloss spots is getting Conofite cream as well. Nothing's more fun than sneaking up on a blind cat & cramming a syringe in her mouth & then slathering her ears with cream.

Hi. I just had it happen that two adorable kittens were euthanized because they had ringworm. I am a foster and needed to get them out of my house and into another safe place and they were supposed to be held for 72 hours during which time the rescue group would come get them. Instead of keeping them in one of the isolation rooms at the animal shelter they euthanized them immediately. I went back the next day with a rescue worker and both were not there.

My vet gave me a prescription called Hexadine with which to wash the other kittens and my cat. You have to soak them very well then lather them up with it and leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes (imagine the fun) and then rinse well but it must absorb into the skin because it then offers all kinds of good protection for them on into the future, supposedly.

To clean my house I did wash everything in bleach and surfaces in bleach solutions and then used the dreaded lysol on my carpets but I don't trust that is good enough. I am going to use the services of a steam cleaner who knows how to eradicate ringworm from my home and have my carpets, drapes and sofa cleaned. I think they need to use a higher than usual heat to kill ringworm but I will be finding out more at the beginning of the month about this. I learned about steam cleaning from another web site.

Good luck.

Nikki can you spray the Trek Trol into the carpets and furniture?

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Nothing's more fun than sneaking up on a blind cat & cramming a syringe in her mouth & then slathering her ears with cream.

Click to expand...

This made me spit coffee on my computer screen.

Originally Posted by CalicoCallie

Last week, I noticed that my cat was scratching her face to the point that it bled! I came home from work to find her bleeding and scabbing above her eyes and below her ears.

Click to expand...

Did your kitty have have an ear infection too?

My kitty itches below his ear but he has an ear infection... oh and there is no balding. Just looking for signs or ring worm on my baby!

No... no ear infection. She had her annual check-up about a month ago, and the vet didn't find one then or now... just so happens that the infection is on her little forehead. Here are some pictures from today. The scabs and balding are still there, and I can't see any real progress yet. She looks so scroungy now... and she stinks, too. My poor baby, no dignity at all! I ordered some blue softclaws today to spruce up her appearence... they will match her blue collar



I hope these pictures aren't too large! If they get "eaten" then I'll shrink them some more and repost.

Hubby and I are boarding her at the vet's for the weekend since we'll be out of town... maybe we'll see a change in her condition when we get back

I'm surprised they will board her with ringworm. That's so cool. Poor thing is cute as a button even sick. Give her a big hug for me.

Originally Posted by CalicoCallie

No... no ear infection. She had her annual check-up about a month ago, and the vet didn't find one then or now... just so happens that the infection is on her little forehead. Here are some pictures from today. The scabs and balding are still there, and I can't see any real progress yet. She looks so scroungy now... and she stinks, too. My poor baby, no dignity at all! I ordered some blue softclaws today to spruce up her appearence... they will match her blue collar

I hope these pictures aren't too large! If they get "eaten" then I'll shrink them some more and repost.

Hubby and I are boarding her at the vet's for the weekend since we'll be out of town... maybe we'll see a change in her condition when we get back

Click to expand...

Poor baby looks painful! I will have to get en e collar for my baby because of his ears! Why does she smell?

Originally Posted by Vik61

Nikki can you spray the Trek Trol into the carpets and furniture?

Click to expand...

Yes! It is safe to use on just about every surface- i spray my entire house with it when i have fosters with ringworm (kenzie & keiko, my two current fosters have it). It is the best product on the market imo for that type of issue. It smells a bit strong- so make sure you ventelate the room well- but the smell fades after a minute or so, and it dissolves.

Originally Posted by Vik61

I'm surprised they will board her with ringworm. That's so cool. Poor thing is cute as a button even sick. Give her a big hug for me.

Click to expand...

They'll probably keep her seperate from any other kitties . It's the best place for her aside from home- she'll have vets around and vet techs to watch her and eveyone will give her her meds I bet she'll look much better in no time! She's soo cute!

Originally Posted by HappyHendrix

Poor baby looks painful! I will have to get en e collar for my baby because of his ears!

Why does she smell?

Click to expand...

Honestly... I think it's because she can't clean her face. The scabs are really gross-looking in person... they are peeling and flaking. I suppose that's how ringworm heals, though.