6 Things I Learned from Our Ringworm Plague (book length....)

[bunnelina]

Hi RosieT..  Those new spots are really too bad. The oral medications should have helped her by now.  They say you can never be sure if a spot is ringworm without a culture, but if the cat already has ringworm and more spots appear, or there's hair loss or other weird skin issues, it's likely that it's more ringworm. It probably doesn't make sense to do a culture, but maybe your vet can take a really good look and give an opinion. I guess there's always a chance that she's just stressed and pulling out fur and scratching too much.... 

You can get a negative culture result when the cat still has spots or lesions, but I don't think that happens with NEW spots or lesions. Sometimes the ringworm is gone but the skin hasn't healed yet. But if I'm reading your post correctly, those spots are very recent. So I'd say save your money and don't culture yet. 

If Oscar is clear, I don't understand why he is still confined to the bathroom. If he has had negative cultures (sorry, I can't remember) he should be free to roam. Because it can be tough on a cat that is already stressed, I'm not in favor of isolating cats with ringworm unless it's easy for everyone and not stressful to the cat... but if Izzy continues to have it, it does make sense to keep her in the room that's easiest to clean. 

I don't know if you believe in karma but you must be racking up some pretty good points by taking such care of these cats for so long. I'll say again that all my fingers are crossed that this is over for all of you SOON! 

 

[rosiet]

Thank you Bunnelina. It's so hard to tell if they are new spots or her itching at dry skin from all the dips. I talked to my vet today but it was before I noticed the other spot so I'll call him again tomorrow. I was keeping Oscar contained because I was worried to let him loose since I am in and out of izzys room I was terrified he might catch it again. Also Oscar was the new kitten and I know it sounds dumb but I was worried having Oscar loose before Izzy he would have his smell over the house and make her feel even more like second cat. Dumb I know!!

 

[bunnelina]

Gee, let's hope it's something else then! Izzy has had a lot of skin treatments and she may be getting side effects. 

You are hardly "dumb," RosieT! For heaven's sake! I doubt Oscar will get ringworm from you, but if it makes you feel better to keep him locked up and you're that worried about Izzy, I'm sure you know best!

 

[rosiet]

Thanks Bunnelina I'll keep you posted ! Hoping for the best !

 

[sozeee]

2 months and I'm still dealing with ringworm.  The baby kitty is still being treated at the Humane Society and is still testing positive.  They only do dips and local, no oral medication.  My 14 year old tabby has been isolated for about 1 1/2 months with oral terbinafine, and also local treatment. His small original spot is gone and I don't see any more.  I have had him bathed twice at the vet.  He is not happy about being isolated. 

I need to take him in for testing but I don't know when is a good time.  He has finished his second round of terbinafine 2 weeks ago.  How do they test if the spot is gone?  The vet insists on using the more expensive, shorter time for results test, which is about $100, which I hear is more reliable also.

I am trying to coordinate when to do a major cleaning on the room and when I can let him out of the room.  I get so overwhelmed on  daily basis and sometimes I do nothing but cry about how much I need to do. That is not my usual behavior but this has really gotten to me.  I hear poor Romeo crying at times and I just join in.

I just ordered some Vebax laundry additive as there are clothes in that room that need to be washed for sure.  I have bleached, tea treed and now going for the Vebax additive as I'm willing to do most anything to feel that I will prevail on this.

I have thrown away so much, luckily I have no carpets, but curtains, drapes in the much of the house has been thrown away, some needed replacing anyway but it's a lot at once.  I have had a housekeeper work 2 of the rooms just to help control the hair that much to my dismay, was much heavier that I thought.  Guess I've been lax over the years in really cleaning well routinely even tho I thought I was pretty good.

Any words of encouragement or answer to terbinafine issue?  Seems to me that I should be able to let him out but I'm not sure how anyone will ever know for sure. 

 

[rosiet]

Hi Sozeee! So sorry that you are going through all of this, ringworm is truly my worst nightmare too! You sound just like me, we are just at the end of our ringworm episode that lasted us over 4 months.

First off both cats need two negative cultures before they are clear. Since your tabby is almost clear you could start focusing on the cleaning. Take it one room at a time, do everything including vacuuming the ceiling and all surfaces, whipping down walls, vents, closets, washing all bedding etc. There's a good cleaning article on the website and another site I found to be helpful. Bleach floors with a 1:10 solution if you can as well as countertops etc. We used lysol multi purpose spray and sponged the walls down (I am really anal and wanted to make sure there was no chance they could get reinfected).  

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/ringworm-infestation-in-cats-the-housecleaning-regime

http://www.sheltermedicine.com/node/56

 If your tabby's spots are cleared I would do maybe two or three more dips (1 or 2 weeks more) before you take him to the vet for another culture. Better safe than spending so much money I think. For the culture when there aren't visible spots, they use a tooth brush (or they should at least) to finely comb hair and skin particles. The test your vet has recommended is probably a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) molecular test for rapid diagnosis of ringworm that uses new testing materials to specifically detect the DNA of M. canis. It is supposed to be more accurate and we get results in 3 days. I think this is the best way to go for you if you want to be over with ringworm as soon as possible! Otherwise for the cheaper culture test (which I think is closer to 50 or 60$) you have to wait over two weeks.

Cleaning the house is a tough one. If your cats are both isolated (which is ideal) you can start cleaning areas that you won't re-contaminate. For example we got a head start and cleaned the office and guest bedroom weeks before we are able to let the cats out of isolation. I cleaned the whole room and than keep the door closed. I am saving the hallway which is in front of the room where they are isolated for last as I am worried I could be still tracking spores out of their room. Once I get two negative cultures from both cats, I'll clean the areas that are near their rooms and than clean their rooms before I let them loose. I am supper stressed and cry like you hahaha but I know that the end is near and this won't go on forever. If anything positive you will have the cleanest house ever!!! And you won't have to clean for like a year. Good luck ask more questions if you need help there's a lot of people on here that have been through it all. Stay positive and soon you'll be in the clear!!

Also with laundry - I didn't use any additive (but it sounds like a good idea). I just washed what I could in hot water several times and dryed everything on the highest setting that I could. I threw out all bedding and rugs. Fortunately we are due for a new couch anyways so I'm not going to have to deal with trying to steam clean the couch. Apparently though if you steam the couch be careful - I would have it done professionally because I've read articles that with a regular home steamer it doesn't get hot enough to kill the spores, and adding moisture to the couch can actually create a more inviting environment for the spores to live. A professional will use high heat and extract water out of the couch. 

Good luck!!!

 

[sozeee]

Rosie, did you use any oral medication on your cats?  I have hope that this is truly effective.  Romeo has to go to the vet for bathing.  He is difficult to even get into a carrier and hollers all the way there and back.  The trained techs have a hard time bathing him.

I really have only the isolated room and hallway left to really clean thoroughly, at least the best thoroughly you can do with an invisible force such as ringworm.

 

[sozeee]

My other fear/question, when they are bathed and then return to the isolation, what keeps them from being reinfected?  Drives me crazy trying to figure out all the angles of this. 

 

[rosiet]

I did I used Terbinafine too, one week on one week off. But I know some people have done two weeks on two weeks off. It is effective but doing the lime sulfur dips are the most effective I have found. Because they are killing all the spores on their fur quickly. Are you doing dips twice a week? You should be. My cat Izzy is just like your cat, but fortunately I have my husband to help me and I hold her while he uses a cup and sponge to coat her. We started off using a small amount of sedation to do it, (because she literally clawed my whole arm) but now she is so use to it that she fusses a lot but doesn't try to kill us at least. Good luck let me know if you have any other questions!!!

 

[bunnelina]

Hi Sozeee,

I'm really sorry you're going through this. Rosie T. has provided a lot of good information, including about the toothbrush culture... but if I were you, I wouldn't wait to do it. If he needs another round of terbinafine, it's better to find that out sooner rather than later. The toothbrush culture collects fur and dander, etc., from the whole cat because ringworm is a systemic problem. The spots are signs that the whole cat has it. That's why oral medications and dips are effective — they treat the entire cat.

When we had ringworm five years ago, we didn't isolate our cats. It would have been difficult if not impossible in our small place, and we felt it would be too stressful even if we could do it. One of our kittens got some spots shortly after we figured out what was going on with the first kitten, who arrived with ringworm, not that we knew, of course. That's when we started the treatment on all four cats and cleaned like mad, too. The two older cats never got it and neither did we.

As you've probably read here, isolating cats with ringworm is an iffy proposition. They are infected with an airborne fungus that floats around in the air, so unless you're keeping him in a hermetically sealed bubble, air is going to circulate and so might spores. 

If you do a couple of weeks of oral medication and a few really saturating lime-sulfur dips, I bet you've reduced the contagion factor to the point where you don't need to isolate. Read up on Dr. Moriello's views about it; I think RosieT sent you the links.

Anyway, I'm worried that it's not healthy for your older cat to be isolated since you say he's not happy about it and you're not happy, and it's been a very long time for him to be alone, and for you to be struggling against all this. Fortunately, ringworm is not a lethal disease, it's just an annoying, icky one. But stress and isolation can make cats ill and depressed, so you need to consider that — being happier will help strengthen your cat's immune system and prevent more serious sickness. I hope you can figure out some ways to make yourself happier, too! In my case, the answer is always: CAKE. And some good old movies. With cake. And more cake. 

If he's had two rounds of terbinafine and has had a few dips he shouldn't be contagious and — talk to your vet and see if you can let the poor guy out!

I also wish you could persuade the shelter to give the kitten some Sporanox since the treatment they are using isn't working. If you get it from your vet, will they give it?

Keep us posted and hang in there!

Bunnelina

 

[sozeee]

Took Romeo to the vet today, he had one tiny green speck on his ringworm area under the Woods lamp.  While I know the lamp is not great, it at least let me know it hasn't spread.  Vet suggested another 2 weeks of topical treatment.  He wasn't too strict on the isolation, but I seriously don't want to go through this again.  The HS is checking to see if they can use the Therabina RX that I have for the kitten, but I'm sure that will be a lot of paper work.

I came home and did some work in the 'isolation room'.  I feel a bit of optimism but not secure yet.  It's my daughter's room and she moved out about 2 months ago so there are still lots of clothes and misc in there.  I have thrown away curtains and vacuumed and swifered.

Thank you both for your responses.  I've been following all the cleaning techniques best I can, but just hearing from someone else who has been there, done that, helps a lot.

 

[sozeee]

Going to get a black light today and see if and where there is any green dots floating around the room.  I know it's not real accurate but can't do any harm I figure.

 

[sherrymyra]

What a terrible nightmare this sounds to be.  Hope you get it cleared up soon.  

 

[rosiet]

Hey Sozee I got a black light too I got this one from EBay and it worked great! My cat Izzy lit up like crazy when she first had it. Now there's nothing left which is awesome. It doesn't over rule a culture but helped me a lot to see where she for sure still had spores. I researched types of black lights to detect M. Canis and you need 365nm wavelength.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/150743998157?_mwBanner=1

 

[sozeee]

I freed my Romeo  from isolation today.  It was liberating for me, scary for Romeo after 2 months.  My baby kitty came home from the Humane Society last week but i kept Romeo isolated for another week.  It killed me but I am still hoping that the evil RW is gone.  Romeo is a bit freaked out right now, not sure why this little kitty is loving on him but hopefully time will fix that.  I feel like I have been given a new lease also.  I so hope we are done with this.  One more day of cleaning the "room' and that is all I can do. i did buy a black light at PetSmart for $30. which is a bargain compared to everything I've thrown away.  Nothing glowing at this point.

 

[bunnelina]

Congratulations! I hope the ringworm is gone forever and everyone gets to have a happy, normal life together again. 

 

[rosiet]

Hi all its me again! I was going to post a few weeks ago that we finally had two negative cultures but didn't want to jinx myself. I must have jinxed it anyways as Izzy has developed an itchy red spot on her head since she's funally been loose in the house. I am devastated and feel so upset and helpless against fighting this. We hand sponged all the walls with Lysol multi purpose cleaner, vacuumed feelings, bleached radiators and base boards. We threw out our couch and all the rugs in our house as they were going to be too expensive to clean. The two cars have been loose for about two weeks, and this weekend Izzy started scratching at her ear. I spot treated her with the lime and sulfur and put a cone on her. I took her to the vet this morning and forked out for another culture so we'll see but I'm pretty sure it's back. The vet said I should put her back into confinement but I almost can't bare it. She is so much happier even just being in our bedroom I feel so bad. Of course she likes to sleep all over our bed so it would be hard to clean.... But what do you think ? I also don't even know how to clean more than we did for the rest of the house. Should I spray something? Do the walls need to be bleached? Should I buy an air purifier? I read online about an air sanitizer that heats the air inside a chamber to kill ringworm maybe worth looking into...Help!!!!!!!

 

[bunnelina]

Oh, crap. I'm so sorry. I'm going to hope she's allergic to one of the many cleaning agents you used and the spot is from THAT.

I confess I'm almost at a loss here. You know more about all this than I do by now!  But here's my thinking, in case it's helpful:

I think you've done plenty to clean the house. (Wait... you don't have air vents and ducts, do you? Those systems can be very tricky to clean out so that may be your last frontier for cleaning.) I think your cleaning should just be at the maintenance level now because you've gotten to all the places where the spores could have accumulated. Remember, ringworm spores float around, like pollen or dust mites, so isolating Izzy at this point doesn't make any sense to me, at least. The goal of all the cleaning is to capture and rid of spores by also eliminating all the dust and dirt in the house; because that's where spores can accumulate, too, due to air currents, etc. And it sounds like you've done that, so swiffering, vacuuming and dusting are "all" you should need by now. While killing spores sounds like a great idea, it's pretty hard. You can't bleach your house. It's not healthy for any of you to be breathing that at the concentration you would need. You will KNOW when your place is clean enough and it sounds like you're there.

If you've really saturated Izzy with lime sulfur, including her head, claws, and paws, then she should not be contagious. You've been doing this a while, so I'm sure you've figured out how to soak her to the skin. Do the same with Oscar as a preventive.

I know it's hard to relax about this, but a good soaking is supposed to be effective. So I would let her have the run of the house and be happy. Trust your instincts on that. Not being stressed and lonely will help her fight whatever this is. If you get a positive culture, get her on the correct dose of terbinafine, or whatever your vet prefers, and double-check the dose with another vet you trust. You might try the two-week pulse therapy this time for more insurance. And then trust that it's going to work this time. 

The rest of you — humans and animals — haven't gotten it, right?  If not, that means you're doing plenty that's right and sufficient. So don't panic and throw more chemicals and technology at your house. Just keep going the way you have been. I feel like you're almost there, and that maybe more oral meds are what it's really going to take to cure Izzy. Those are my thoughts, for what it's worth. 

I'm pulling for you. I'm not a very religious person, but I'm going to light a candle for you! Hang in there and get yourself a very nice cake or bottle of wine or whatever will help you right now, okay?

 

[rosiet]

Thanks so much for your kind words and the candle maybe that will help cure us over here! We do not have air ducts just forced hot air through our floor radiators which I cleaned as best I could. Thank you for the encouragement, I agree with you that it seems impossible to keep her isolated again and appreciate the info she shouldn't be contagious at this point. We are going to do another full dip on both cats tmr. and continue cleaning. I should know by Friday or Saturday if she has it and than we'll go from there I guess. I just can't fathom how she recaught it or place is creepily clean but these things being airborne are crazy. I wish it was summer too were probably dealing with it at the worst time of the year. Thanks again I will keep you posted, your encouagemrnt means a lot to me!!!!

 

[bunnelina]

Please do keep me/us posted and I'm very glad if I can help.

I've read that ringworm thrives in warm, humid environments so it's more common in summer, and is more prevalent in the South. Maybe opening your window and freezing the place out would help! And if you have any kind of humidifier, I'd look at it with a suspicious eye....