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

[bunnelina]

If you can get some lime-sulfur dip and dip the kitten (do not rinse, let him dry), he will be a lot less contagious and I think you should be okay as far as not quarantining him. I didn't quarantine my two affected cats, and my husband and I didn't get ringworm, nor did our two other cats. However, we live in 800 square feet, with area rugs that we removed for professional cleaning and storage, so our situation may not be comparable to yours. But both a course of oral meds (make sure the doctor knows what she or he is doing — read the articles mentioned above) and a good dipping (or two) will make the kitten much safer to be around and to handle. 

I really don't think the stress of quarantine is necessarily worth the small amount of protection it may get you at this point. If you want to keep him out of carpeted rooms or the rooms that are hardest to clean, you might try that, but if he's been everywhere, you have to clean everything anyway.... This is an airborne fungus. It is not a virus. It floats around everywhere. Quarantine isn't going to change that if air circulates in your house. The fact that you all have it means it's "around," and it sounds like a pretty active strain. Healthy humans and adult cats can often fight off typical ringworm. Kittens get it because their immune systems are still developing. 

Try miconazole or Lamisil cream for you and the kids. Dipping in lime-sulfur is most effective for the kitten. You can try a topical cream on his spots but you really need to treat the whole cat; the spots are just a sign of the problem, the whole cat needs dipping, and be sure to get the claws and backs of the ears. Use a little cotton swab on his nose, etc.

Make sure you work with a vet who is experienced with treating ringworm and who knows Dr. Moriello's work and treatment protocol. Don't waste your time — you need to dip the cat, give it oral meds and clean the house at the same time. Doing it piecemeal will just prolong the agony. If you can get the new cultures that are readable in 2 to 3 days, definitely do that; it beats waiting 3 weeks for results.

Do not torture yourself with bleach. Read the article on housecleaning. I only washed my cat carriers and crate with bleach. The rest of my house was bleach-free, as the fumes are toxic and I have asthma. I also can't use bleach in my HE washer. Instead I used the vacuum with HEPA filter, wiped down everything (walls, doors, ceilings, undersides of bed and furniture....) with microfiber cloths and other cleaners, fried our clothing and bedding with a lot of steam-heat in my condensation dryer, and went through lots of swiffer cloths, wet and dry. Also consider Health Guard Laundry Additive for both the laundry and as a very dilute cleaning solution. 

Key takeaway from the articles: it's an airborne fungus, so think of it like dust mites. We can't really kill them, so we just trap them with cleaning cloths and the vacuum and dispose of them. Antibacterials like Lysol don't work. Also keep in mind that this is going to GO AWAY! Almost all of you have it, so you are in the worst spot right now. With cleaning and meds, it's only going to get better from here on in, and it may take a while but it WiLL happen. A year from now, this is going to seem like a bad dream; you'll barely remember it in a few years except to roll your eyes and laugh at the insanity of it all. Hang in there!!

 

[Anne]

 
HI; i am not sure if it is ringworm that mookie has. he is a cat that was left in my care and abandoned. there was another cat left with him who she did take back but she had a strange skin disorder where she lost her hair and would get open sores in the middle from licking and scratching. now mookie seems to be getting the same thing. it started as a small scab-like bump on the back of his neck that was very itchy. i would scratch it for him because he could not reach (very fat) hope that wasn't what made it worse. it has now grown bigger into a circular open patch of skin which is red and itchy and sometimes open in the middle. i have been putting peroxide followed by cortisone cream but i have no idea what i am dealing with and i can't afford a vet. i am very worried because i already have three other cats and whatever this is it is obviously contagious because mookie didn't have it at first but the other cat that she took back did and now after about a month it is showing up on mookie. please, can anybody send a picture so i can compare and have a better idea if it looks the same as ring worm. i can't find my camera but as soon as i do i will post a picture. thank-you so much any info would be so very, very much appreciated. i love my animals and this is torturing me as well as them if they are itchy or hurting. they can't tell what they feel which makes it so hard.

 
Hi Jules, I'm sorry to hear what you are going through. Ringworm manifests itself in dramatically different ways, and it is easily mistaken for other skin ailments that it sometimes resembles. So, unfortunately, none of us here can tell you what Mookie has, whether you post a photo or not. Only a vet can diagnose it, by using a Wood's lamp or taking a culture. Only vets can prescribe oral medication, an important part of the treatment.

If you read the general articles that have links in one of the posts above, you will get a general overview of ringworm, but I wouldn't assume that's what your cats have until a vet says so. 

It must be terribly hard to be worried about a cat and unable to provide medical care for him. I hope you will look around on this site to see if there are resources to help you pay for vet visits; I know they exist but I haven't had to use them myself so I can't tell you about them. You might also contact your local shelters and rescues, and even vet offices to see if there is a way your sick animals can somehow see a vet. If they are hurting, they need expert care. Best of luck to you.

Chiming in to link to those resources - 

 [article="29706"]When You Cant Afford A Veterinarian​[/article]  

 [article="32915"]No Money For Vet Care How To Find Help And Save Your Cats Life​[/article]  

@Bunnelina  I don't frequent this thread often and I did today. Wow! You are so helpful, kind and supportive - I admire that! Thank you! 

 

[minniesunshine]

B

View media item 200089

(sleepy kitties in this pic)  I have a million things running thru my head right now from reading all of this ringworm information.
These are my babies Jack and Jill, inseparable brother and sister, who my husband surprised me with a couple months ago. ~some how, shortly after we got them, Jack wound up with a couple of fractured toes, and was put in a splint/cast for about 6-8 weeks.  We took him to an emergency vet since it was on a weekend, and he adapted extremely well for a kitten who wants nothing but to play, and used his splint to run and jump as usual, (thus, became Captain Jack Pirate Kitty due to his peg leg)    

When the splint came off, he had a spot with no fur, they said "he's just got a little yeast infection there, from the splint rubbing his leg, he'll be fine", and sent us on our way.

Meanwhile, Jan. 8th, both kittens went to the usual vet I use for spay/neuter, shots, front de-claw, etc., and I already had a dime size ring on my wrist. and 1 nickel size in middle of my back (which I have been treating religiously with anti-fungal creme, and almost invisible) We've been treating them, giving them oral medication daily, cleaning, disinfecting, vacuuming, ever since.  Last week my husband got a small one, so we became even MORE diligent in our efforts, and were forced to 'quarantine' them.

I could not stand to shut them away in bedroom, so we bought a roll of chicken wire and made a big 4' x 4' pen to keep them isolated on a ceramic tile floor, but allow them to be able to be around us as much as possible.  They are very outgoing touchy feely kitties.

We should own stock in disinfectant hand sanitizers, bleach, and lysol, for the amounts of money we are spending, not to mention the $400+ for his x-rays, etc., and the $530 for spay and neutering,etc. and....Yesterday I found a NEW one on my back.  I can't afford to do anything else.

I'm about at the end of my rope.  I haven't even gotten to really snuggle them or love on them at all since their surgery. 

The hair is growing back on their paws, but it is still very active and contagious.....sigh.  Relentless!

.

 

[minniesunshine]

B
.

sorry if I'm not posting this correctly, I have a 4 cats and my baby has these soars that look like the but I saw on one your kitty's pic. We have been to the vet and was told she doesn't have ringworm, that's what I thought it was. She is very itchy and now there are more soars. We did a fecal test and was told no parasites either. I questioned why the ring worm results were done within days when I read it takes weeks, and the vet became defensive and told me they do a new test. I am being told now it may be food allergies, I am so drained from trying to figure out what is wrong with my little girl, I can't afford hundreds of dollars to keep going back to the vet. Can u post more pics of the ringworm I really want to see what it looks like. When I googled it I get so many different skin conditions I just get more confused.

 

[longhornmom]

Thank you for your advice!

We went to the vet on Friday and my vet did the black light thing and saw nothing. (Though now I guess I should have asked about the cultures!). I got him to give me the oral meds because I really can't imagine how else it would have been introduced to our home. He has one spot of dry skin that he's been biting at, so I'm wondering if that's a sore starting?

I didn't buy the dip, thinking I might find it locally, but haven't seen it anywhere. I did get the laundry additive though and some other anti-fungal spray. I will go ahead and bite the bullet on the dip from Amazon to make sure I'm covering all of the bases.

It's entirely overwhelming as most of my 2 story house is carpeted, and the cat has been everywhere. I'm STILL washing comforters and bedspreads much less keeping up with daily towel washes and changing sheets. I really don't know how people can keep up with it and not go insane. We decided to clean each room that we could keep closed, and then make sure the cat did not go in them. Quarantining him in our powder bath (the only room that would work) would be cruel to our sweet and attention-head cat. Instead, my non-infected husband has quarantined himself in the guest room to keep his odds better!

I've been diligent about vacuuming and using the laundry additive as well as an anti fungal spray, but just like the bleach, I don't want to go overboard with chemicals.

I'm actually the only one with new spots appearing daily, as my sons one spot is almost gone and my daughter has two small ones. However I am also the only one who still cuddles with the cat (I do it at night before bed and then shower because I can't stand to see how sad he is when I don't pick him up all day).

Thank you for reminding me that this will be a memory someday. My husband finally told me today that I have to just accept that it won't go away tomorrow and to not drive myself (and by extension him) crazy.

Thanks again for the resources, advice and support!!

 

[blacksakura6]

Here is another person joining the Ringworm War....  

We adopted a stray the first week of October that we named Graysan.  He was a street cat that stayed on my porch and my mother's porch (she lives next door).  He came in covered with fleas as well as ear mites and we treated him with Revolution the first day.  Two days later he went to the Vet.  They believed that he was no more than 8-9 months old.  I asked about the scabs on his back and neck and we were told that it was due to flea dermatitis and not to worry,"Because the damaged skin would heal in a few months he may be itchy but he would be fine."  We could not bathe him (could not even cut his nails) so we used wipes and wet brushes to do our best.  He was neutered a week later and we thought all was well.

Zooming forward...  He was always scratching and itchy.  But we just believed that it was the dry, healing skin and paid no attention to it.  I have another thread talking about how my 6 year old suddenly started attacking him 2 weeks after what appeared to be a smooth month long integration.   Graysan started tearing at his ears and then the hair above his right eye looked rubbed off in the beginning of December.  We took him to the Vet on Dec. 11 along with my 1 1/2 year old Yong Gi and had them do a thorough exam.  His Vet said Graysan had a "Yeast infection in the ear and he must have rubbed the eye as a reaction to the drops they gave us to clear up the ear infection from the mites when he came in."  I asked if it could be ringworm and he said, " Doesn't look like it...  And none of the other cats nor you have broken out so it is highly unlikely."  We went home but I was still concerned.  Then he had a bad reaction to the Entederm that they gave us for his ears.  Tore all of the hair off of the back of his ears and above his eyes.  His Vet again told us to just use Epi-Otic twice a day to clear the ears.  I was worried about the spot above his eye getting infected so I started using colloidal silver on it twice a day.  

Then Graysan's eye was irritated.  We started treating that with a medication from the Vet.  After two weeks it did not look much better so I also started using colloidal silver on it and it healed completely.  But on December 30th he really scratched badly into the spot above his eye.  All of the hair that had started to grow back was scratched down to the pink.  And suddenly Yong Gi had a circular spot on his arm that I noticed the same day!  (Sho has been removed from our home and is living with my mother temporarily with our almost 16 year old Tsen because he was attacking Graysan so viciously...)

Their regular Vet was on vacation when I contacted them very concerned sending pics of what I had found on both of them.  Another Vet saw the pics that I e-mailed asking what to do and on December 31st she said,"Get Graysan in here today...  No excuses!  If he has something then it is the same for YG so just bring him."  She also looked and said that it did not look like ringworm but wanted to culture it to be safe.   Told me to start the cleaning protocol and use miconazole on their spots.  I started doing the floors with strong vinegar, vacuuming steam cleaned the couch and covered it with sheets.  I also steamed the cat furniture, curtains, chairs, etc.  Dusting everything like a mad woman and convinced myself that it could not be ringworm but I would do this to be "safe".   YG kept licking off the miconazole and Graysan's patch looked more irritated from it.   Someone I know that has a farm told me to get some Banixx and use it on their spots along with colloidal silver until the results came back. (It actually did seem to help btw and their hair started growing back in nicely)   We also started doing weekly dry baths with Vet's Best because it had Neem and Oatmeal in it to help soothe their skin.

Well, the cultures came back on Friday, January 22 and it is ringworm.   I have been so depressed this weekend....  Happy that we know for sure but still wondering WHY it took so long to manifest?  We just had a major snow storm and will not be able to get the dip until later this week when we can get our car out and the roads are clearer. (The Vet is quite a distance from us).  But she called in the fluconazole to our local pharmacy and we are supposed to give them 50mg once a day.  Sho  is not showing any symptoms and we are watching a tiny spot on Tsen.  We don't think that is ringworm but as soon as we saw it we started hitting it with Banixx.  It does not seem to be getting larger.  When we get the lime sulfur dip we plan to dip all four.  Graysan will be an extreme challenge and we are afraid of losing our forearms in the process but we will still attempt it as best as we can.  Tsen, Sho and Yong Gi will not put up much of a fight we believe.  We have had all of them since they were kittens.  They are used to us bathing them.

The new doctor that is treating Graysan said that it could have been dormant on him and once the skin was damaged above his eye the ringworm had a place to take hold.  My mother, hubby, my brother and myself have not had any breakout so far.  Graysan has even slept with me, cuddled with me, been brushed kissed and petted the whole time.  I even treated the spot without gloves (stupid of me, I know...) and so far nothing. Has anyone else had such a long period of time before a breakout happened???  The doctor just thinks that my cleaning must have lessened the spread of it....    I also just noticed a small spot on top of his head today that I swear was not there yesterday.  It looks like there is a scratch in the middle of it and looks more like he tore the hair out rather than it falling out.  The skin is not red or crusty but I hit it with Banixx and will continue to do so until we can get the dip.

I just needed some place to talk about this....  I am a bit depressed because I miss my cat Sho being here.  I originally took him over with the belief that he would only be there for a week or two while we treated Graysan's ear infection and he has been there about 4 weeks.  And now the doctor is saying that he should stay there for another 2-3 months until Graysan and YG are clear.     I also hate not visiting every day to see him and Tsen because we are trying not to take the spores over when we visit.  My mother is a senior and we also do not want her to contract it so I talk on the phone with her.  We change our clothes before going over and make sure our hands are washed thoroughly.....   I truly appreciate all of the advice on here and it has helped me realize I am not alone.    Trying not to stress so my babies don't feel stressed from me.....  Also, hoping that Graysan does not have an allergic reaction to the oral meds...  He has had bad reactions to everything that as not natural so far.....

I just hope that this will truly be all that we need to do and it is completely over within 2-3 months.   

  Thank you again to all that are here because I really needed the support!  

 

[longhornmom]

Oh I feel you on the depression BlackSakura6! I have broken down quite a few times over this stupid ringworm.

My cat STILL is showing no big signs of it (there were some dry patches there for a bit, but they seem to be gone). I'm taking him for a culture this week to get some definitive answers.

However, the people who are getting it keep spreading. My sister called to say that my niece and nephew have it. They came and played with our kitten a few days after we got him and it's just showing up on them now, almost three weeks later! I feel SO guilty, as she has a husband who has RA and is immune-suppressed because of his medications. PLUS my 66 year old mother goes over there every day to help her take care of her kids and usually does most of the cleaning for her. My mom has refused to come over to my house since the ringworm hit and now I've been responsible for it spreading somewhere she HAS to be.

After I got that information I decided I need to quarantine the kitten. I need to know for certain that my house is clean and that it isn't going to keep spreading and spreading everywhere. I'm actually heading up to the bathroom we are keeping him in to clean it for him and get it ready. It's a bigger bathroom with two areas, so hopefully he won't be too miserable. My kids and I are so bummed about this, but my husband and I think it's the best course until we know he's clean and our ringworm is gone as well.  I just can't keep cleaning, bleaching and stressing all of the time.

The kitty and I are on Griseofulvin and I'm even usingl shampoo with Ketoconazle as a safeguard.  I'm taking my daughter to the doctor tomorrow since she keeps getting new spots like me.

Unfortunately the best "natural" ringworm fighter seems to be tea tree oil - and it's very bad for cats. I wish there was something better than all of the chemicals! I've been adding tea tree oil to my own soap and to my daughter's conditioner but have no recourse for the cat. I am also lightly spraying the kids and myself with athlete's foot spray before we get dressed, so that there is another line of defense (and hopefully they won't take it out into the world.  My poor kids have to drop their clothes at my bedroom door before going in to take a shower in my "clean" room. (I spray down the shower with bleach after we are all finished and immediately wash the used towels.) I myself have been sleeping on a sheet and one blanket so I don't have to do a ton MORE laundry.

This has been really rough on everyone in my house (though my husband did have the joy of being out of town for a week last week!). My kids can't have friends over (which is a nightmare for my very social 5th grader) and I have to hear that complaint daily. I told my daughter (8) that she cant come down and cuddle in my bed anymore because I don't want to be giving each other ringworm back and forth. That was a total meltdown moment (not to mention the fact that it's killing her not to cuddle the cat.)

I hope your sweet Graysan gets better soon and that it doesn't spread anymore.  You aren't alone and hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones who can laugh about the memory in the not too distant future!

 

[bunnelina]

Longhorn Mom, I have a few thoughts for you.

It seems very strange that your sister's kids would get ringworm three weeks after one exposure to your cats. I can only imagine that happening if they continued to wear the same clothes they wore when visiting you for a long time afterward without laundering. (And in that case, I don't think you should blame yourself!) Even that seems like a stretch to me. Maybe you should talk to your doctor and find out if ringworm is becoming more common in your area. It's unlikely you're an isolated case, so the kids could have gotten it elsewhere. Kids can get it from playing in dirt, for example, And remember, it's an airborne fungus that surrounds us in lighter concentrations all the time.

Griseofulvin....please read the article on this site that have links in Anne's post above. Vets are now using terbinafine and itraconazole to treat ringworm orally now because griseofulvin can cause liver damage, sometimes fatal. It's a fairly dangerous drug for cats (don't know about people), and there are safer, newer drugs to use instead. It's also a sign that your vet is not up to speed on the current best practices for treating ringworm so you may want to consult another one who can give you better support and a more current treatment plan. (If they've know of Dr, Moriello's work, you've found an up-to-date vet. She's the nationally recognized expert.) The newer drugs are often cheaper, too, and are thought to be more effective as well as safer. With all of these medications, I recommend that you double-check that you were given the correct dosage for each cat's weight, since math mistakes can be serious and vets are often relatively unfamiliar with these drugs. I've called the pharmacist at the local big animal hospital to double-check our dosages since we were prescribed a ten-times-too-low dose once upon a time.

I would not bother with anything like tea tree oil, colloidal silver, vinegar, etc., since it takes quite a lot to kill ringworm spores and none of those do it. If you're going to wear yourself out cleaning, do it strategically! Lysol doesn't do it, and neither does bleach unless it's an obnoxiously strong solution. So just keep vacuuming with a self-sealing bag and HEPA filtration system and keep wiping up surfaces with microfiber cloth, rinsing frequently with the safe cleaning solution of choice. Eliminating dirt and dust will also pick up spores. Think of them as dust mites not deadly viruses. Scoop 'em up and toss them. Hot water washing with bleach, and frying/steaming in the dryer will take of your clothes and linens. Bleaching is great in bathrooms and for cat carriers but don't poison yourself. Just do your best. It's all you can do and it's often just enough!

If you can dip the kiten in lime sulfur solution (via Amazon) a couple of times, it will be much less contagious and cuddling will be much safer. Kittens need cuddles as much as 5th-graders, so please consider doing this soon. After a week or two on oral meds, cats are also less contagious. Quarantine if you must for your psychological well-being, but remember that the fungus is airborne....

Best of luck to you and your family! You are handling this with wisdom and humor and it sounds like you're a terrific mom to cats and humans alike!

 

[blacksakura6]

Oh no!!!  My heart goes out to you LonghornMom!!!  

It really seems like you are going through so much!  But when all is said and done you are doing your best!  That is all we can do.  I hope all gets well with your situation.  As others have said that it is not something that last forever but it feels like it while it is happening.  

So far we have been extremely lucky.  We do not have children in the home so that is a plus.  And I have no idea why but none of us have had any breakouts.  We take need capsules every night and various supplements for health, so I don't know if any of that is helping to stave it off or not.  Of all of my family I am the most worried about my elder kitty Tsen and my mother.  As far as we know he does not have any health problems despite his age but I know seniors, whether humans or feline, tend to get it easily.  Just keeping my prayers up and trying everything to not take it over there.    My mother, who is 76 has the attitude that it is "no big deal".  My brother and I caught it from children at school when I was little.  A few baths and ointments and we were fine.  Just lucky that our dogs never got it at the time.  She just feels like,"What will be will be....  The main thing is that this proves that Graysan needed more help than you knew when you took him in.   Better than him suffering needlessly..."   I need to adopt that attitude as well.

And this thread has helped me so much,  Especially looking through so many experiences.  Not feeling alone while going through something that makes you feel helpless does help a lot!  And I appreciated being reminded that this is more of a nuisance and not something life threatening.  I will take ringworm any day over what I went through with my angel baby Sut wasting away and we could only watch. Or my angel Stripe that fought bravely for  1/2 years with renal failure.  Or my little Squeak that passed from cancer.  
 

At least this is something that will eventually get better.  

 

[longhornmom]

Bunnelina - it is a puzzler for sure. Perhaps we are ground zero except I was the first to show symptoms, then my daughter, my sons best friend, my son and now my niece and nephew. We've had other kids over and both of my kids play contact sports yet the only kids who have gotten it have gotten down and rolled around with the kitten. (And I wouldn't put it past my niece and nephew to sleep in their clothes and even if sheets are washed every week, blankets that they carry around the house are not!)

I did call my vet and he doesn't do cultures for ringworm. Just said that if I think Kawhi still has it when we are done with the meds to bring him back for more!! ([emoji]128533[/emoji]) I called another vet who I took my old cat to a few times and he said it might be difficult to get a good culture if Kawhi has no symptoms but he'll do it at my request and for my piece of mind. Phew! Thanks again for the advice.

Thankfully it looks like we are on day 3 of no new spots for my daughter or I, so I cancelled her appt. Maybe the dip for the cat I did and all of our combined meds have done the trick! *fingers crossed*

The kitty is still in quarantine, but I am feeling so guilty that I have gone in and played with him every few hours. More laundry for me, but worth it to give him love and hear him purr.

Sakura, I hope things are going well with you!!

 

[blacksakura6]

EDIT :

Sakura, I hope things are going well with you!!

So glad to read that you may be able to get a culture LonghornMom!  My Vet did a thorough toothbrush all over Graysan when he had his done and if you know where the lesion was you can ask the Vet to take some hairs from that area.  Also happy that your daughter is doing better as well.  Everyone will eventually be fine.  I had ringworm once as a child (caught it from a classmate) and was so happy that I was able to stay home from school for a week!  

  We used some creams and I was fine.  She will be too.

Thank you for asking about my babies...  I started Graysan and YG on the fluconazole today.  Both took it well.  I found a small spot under Graysan's neck tonight.  It may have been there and I just did not notice it or it may be new.  We are having car troubles and a huge snowstorm just hit where we live so I called our Vet and told them that we would send for the Lime Sulfur via Amazon. It would probably get here faster than us getting to their office.  We are going to dip all four cats as soon as it arrives.  We also sent for some comfy cones and eye lube as well.

Sho and Tsen are at my mother's but Yong Gi visited last in December so we are dipping them to be safe.  There is a tiny spot above Tsen's eye that does not look like ringworm but we are hitting it with Banixx until the Lime Sulfur arrives.  Our Vet said if it is ringworm on Tsen the dip should be enough to knock it out.  If she can avoid pills with Tsen because he is turning 16 in March she would like to.  If it spreads then we have to take him in for blood work before she would feel comfortable giving him any meds because he has not had blood work done since last June.   Sho is still not showing any signs at all.  And we are 'so far' spot free. I still think that our Neem and other supplements may be helping with that.  Keeps our immune systems up.

I just finished a thorough cleaning of the front bedroom and we are throwing out all of the cardboard scratchers as well as an old scratching post (we have two new cat trees that I am steaming once a week).Going to wash and then cook their cat beds in the dryer, place them in contractor bags and then put them away until this is over.  So on a positive note my bedroom looks shiny and quite roomy now!  

  

I do not look forward to trying to dip Graysan.  Sweet but tough street cat that we took in.  He won't even let us cut his nails and we have to use a fabric muzzle and wrap him in towels to do it.  The Vet said "Do your best and if you have to just try to sponge the solution on him....   But get as much on him while avoiding his eyes and mouth."   Thanks..... 

  I hope we still have arms when we are done.  My other three should be easy to do....  They are all used to baths and have been since they were kittens.  So we are anxiously awaiting the dip but happy that they are on their meds.  Watching Tsen closely and keeping fingers crossed while finally getting a clean house that may make Martha Stewart proud!  (I doubt it though) 

What also helped (besides coming here which is wonderful!!! ) was seeing a Vet on YouTube that really made me feel comfortable.  Basically said that he has been a Vet for 25 years, treated thousands of cats with ringworm and never caught it himself. He said he constantly reminds families that this will not last forever and that they are so wonderful to love their pets so much to take the time to care for them when so many walk away from the challenge.  And to remember how many are euthanized for something that is not life threatening and easily treatable so you are saving a life.   His words gave me comfort and even bought a tear to my eye.  It reminded me how much Graysan really needed us and chose us as his family.  Maybe he knew that we would love him and help him.  He is really such a sweetie.....  Worth all that we are going through.....  
 

All the best to everyone fighting the ringworm war!  I will definitely update when we get the dip!  Might ever post a few pics!  

 

[blacksakura6]

Oh but can I ask if the itching diminishes after the first dip???  Poor Graysan is scratching, nibbling and licking himself constantly!  He has been doing that since October when we took him in.  That was why I kept asking the Vet if there was something else going on. He had scabs on his body but no lesions until the first week of December so it was dismissed as flea dermatitis.  If I ever get another cat I will ask for them to be cultured before I introduce them to my others just to be safe..  
 

But when during the treatment did others notice that the scratching stopped/diminished??? I just want him to be happy and playful without stopping to bite or scratch every few minutes...   

 

 

[bunnelina]

 
Oh but can I ask if the itching diminishes after the first dip???  Poor Graysan is scratching, nibbling and licking himself constantly!  He has been doing that since October when we took him in.  That was why I kept asking the Vet if there was something else going on. He had scabs on his body but no lesions until the first week of December so it was dismissed as flea dermatitis.  If I ever get another cat I will ask for them to be cultured before I introduce them to my others just to be safe..  
 

But when during the treatment did others notice that the scratching stopped/diminished??? I just want him to be happy and playful without stopping to bite or scratch every few minutes...   

 

Oh, dear, the poor guy. I know the lime-sulfur is supposed to be soothing but he sounds like he has a very severe case. Have you asked your vet if there's an antihistamine you can give safely that would relieve the itching? It must be maddening to be so itchy for so long. The oral meds you started him on should also improve things in time, but I can see why you want to give him fast relief! 

 

[blacksakura6]

Thank you Bunnelina for your reply!

Never thought of an anti-histamine!  I will write my Vet and ask.  It is amazing that Yong Gi is walking around without showing any signs of itch but Graysan is constantly grooming and scratching....  I can not wait for the dip to arrive!

 

[ginger2]

hello from Guatemala!! Thank you everybody for tips, encouragement and listening, thank you bunnelina for everything you are doing for all of us in the war against ringworm!! I Have been in this nightmare since November, my two kittens, my two daughters, my son and I have ringworm, some of us humans are better, and the kittens are doing ok for now, I want to know if somebody knows if cold weather helps to kill the spores?? Since I don't have a vacuum and in here we don't have lime sulfur dips or health guard, the way I have been cleaning is moping with bleach and wiping everything with a damp cloth soked in bleach... Not good.. I know!! The worst thing is that in here we don't have itraconazole in liquid only pills so my vet prescribed ketoconazole and a liver protector, i have read that it is the worst thing you can give cats, so I don't know what to do... I did call another vet today, he said to take them off ketoconazole immediately, he was so mad at my other vet for prescribing that, but that means that my kittens are going to be without oral treatment!! He said only to give them baths with a special shampoo to treat fungus and a topical ointment. Thank god that they are very happy, eating well and playing, they don't seem to be affected by the ketoconazole, it is going to be three weeks on the ketoconazole, every twelve hours and the liver protector every eight hours, do someone knows if the ringworm is going to be back when I take them of the ketoconazole?? As bad as it sounds I rather have them safe with me with ringworm ( I almost can't believe iam thinking that) than sick with liver problems or worst... I would appreciate if someone helps!! Hugs to everybody!!

 

[bunnelina]

Hi Ginger 2,

What gorgeous ginger cats! I totally agree with you: Please trust your instinct, and also that second vet,and stop the drug. Don't take the risk of it causing a life-threatening health problem.

There are some who think ringworm is as horrific as bubonic plague and there are others who shrug it off as a minor nuisance, like athlete's foot (and it's similar, being the same type of fungus). I think your own attitude is very sensible. Ringworm is unpleasant and unsightly, but not fatal. But some ringworm medications can be fatal; it happened to a cat belonging to someone who later posted on this thread (I think it was a reaction to or an overdose of terbinafine, no longer sure.).

So no, it is not worth risking a life to treat this fungus. Instead we can try to do whatever we can, safely, to try to keep it from spreading, especially to anyone, animal or human, who already has a serious illness and a compromised immune system. Protecting others and treating it... without risking anyone's life. That's the goal. Most of us freak out over ringworm because it's gross and embarrassing, and often uncomfortable for the cats. That's a pretty normal reaction but we need to keep reminding ourselves that this is a lucky problem to have compared to FIP, panleukopenia, and so many other fatal illnesses.

You may have read that, if you do absolutely nothing, ringwom will eventually go away by itself. It takes a while but it disappears on its own. No one on the thread has tested that yet, but it tells us something: there's a future without ringworm even if we can't do absolutely everything we're supposed to do.

If your cats have had three weeks of treatment, that is a lot! Generally, because all of the oral meds are powerful and have some risk, the treatment is "pulse therapy." In other words, you give meds for a week or two, than take a break for a week or two. Depending on the culture results, you may need to repeat that once or twice. Are you able to do cultures, ideally the ones that give results in a couple of days? That's the simplest way to know if the ringworm is cured. 

I hope you are well on your way to having this be over! Keep us posted and best of luck to you, and thanks for your kind words!

 

[baileytc]

I am (probably) battling ringworm again for the second time in about 2.5 years. I took in a semi-feral cat from a colony I feed after she hurt her leg. The scabs on her nose and face were not from a cat fight, as I assumed, but ringworm. The vet who diagnosed her (not my own cats' vet but very knowledgeable about fungus) got a positive culture within five days and found it to be Trichophyton rubrum rather than the typical Microsporum canis. T. rubrum is what causes athlete's foot on people. The cat is recovering well after 21 days of treatment with oral terbinafine only, no topical treatments. She ended up having an abscess in her paw that required surgery, so dipping wasn't an option anyway. She is currently with another foster and I hope she will be adopted before she needs to come back to my house because I have no place to put her.

Two of my cats have shown minor hair loss and one (the oldest, with a history of skin issues) has what appears to be a lesion on her ear and some hair loss on her nose. She and another one were cultured but there was no growth--one culture was kept 19 days before it grew a contaminant, the other for 14 days. The ear spot has grown a bit worse, despite the cat being treated with 21 days of terbinafine, so she went back in on Friday for another culture. As of day 4, there's no growth, and both vets say that most cultures turn positive by day 5 if there's an active infection. 

A third cat has a hairless spot on one ear, and I'm planning to take him to my regular vet on Thursday or Friday for a PCR test. I haven't used the PCR test before, but it's supposed to provide results in 1-3 business days: https://www.idexx.com/files/small-a...reference-laboratories/ringworm-pcr-panel.pdf. I imagine it's pricey (and my regular vet's practice loves to mark things way up), but I need to know one way or the other ASAP because this cat, unlike the other, had free roam of the house. He's now isolated in the laundry room with another cat, not that there's much point to that because if he has it, all the free-roaming cats (four besides him) have been exposed.

I am watching a few spots on my skin, a couple on my arm and another on my face (ugh), and am applying generic terbinafine cream to anything that looks vaguely suspect. I haven't had ringworm since I was a kid and don't know how it appears when it begins. My sister, who's been helping me out by doing some of my laundry at her house, got an itchy pimple on her wrist today and is freaking out that it may be ringworm. I really hope not.

Anyway, I've been catching up on Dr. Karen Moriello's work; I read all of her stuff after the last ringworm battle. She has done several studies that folks here may be interested in:

--Washable textiles can be decontaminated by washing twice in any temp water with any detergent WITHOUT bleach. All fabrics tested other than denim and terry cloth (towels) were decontaminated after one wash; denim and terry required two. Wash cycles must be at least 14 minutes long, and the load must be small enough to allow enough agitation of the laundry. She tested top-load washers only to simulate the typical home environment, but multiple tests by entities like Consumer Reports have found that front-loaders actually do a better job than top-loaders of agitating laundry, so the results should be applicable to front-loaders. So you don't need to ruin all your clothes, towels, sheets, etc. by washing them in bleach, but if you have a front-load washing machine like mine, two washes takes about 2.5 hours. Paper is here: https://www.readbyqxmd.com/read/260...exposed-to-microsporum-canis-hairs-and-spores

--Several common disinfectants were found to be as effective at killing ringworm spores as a 10% bleach solution is with a 10-minute wet contact time. Among them: Accel (accelerated hydrogen peroxide), Lysol (lactic acid), Clorox Clean-Up, and Formula 409. Paper is here: http://ogenasolutions.com/Support Studies/vde12074.pdf. If you have trouble with the bleach fumes (I do), I recommend Accel. You can buy a gallon of the concentrate on Amazon for about $45-50, and you use a 1:16 dilution for ringworm--which is only 2 ounces per typical spray bottle. So a gallon produces more than 60 spray bottles. It's also safe for cats to walk one once it dries--no rinsing required. It has an odor, but it's not as strong as the smell of bleach.

--She is currently doing a study on decontamination of carpet. She discussed some unpublished results in a chapter she wrote in a text called August's Consultations in Internal Feline Medicine, Volume 7. Unfortunately, the results so far aren't good: Vacuuming carpets does nothing to reduce the number of spores in a carpet, based on cultures taken before and after vacuuming. Various cleaning methods had mixed results and didn't appear easily applicable to wall-to-wall carpet (she tested area rugs). But the bright spot is that the spores appear to become less viable sooner than thought, with significant decreases after five months. For more info, try searching for the book on Google Books; you should be able to read a few pages without buying the book.

--This is the big one, at least for me: She said in the chapter in August's Consultations and also in a lecture in 2013 that the purpose of environmental decontamination is NOT to prevent infection/re-infection of cats but to remove spores that can attach to the cat's coat and produce a false-positive culture, which could prolong the ringworm topical and oral treatment. Of course, it's also to help prevent transmission to vulnerable humans. From the lecture transcript available here http://www.winnfelinefoundation.org...ial-skin-diseases-transcript-(1).pdf?sfvrsn=0:

"The major problem with environmental contamination is not transmission of the disease. This is the only documented case report I could find of transmission from environment to a kid. I have seen it in shelters when people have grabbed one infected cat and then grabbed another, or have used a contaminated clipper, but just a cat in an environment, even in our experimental studies where the rooms were contaminated, they did not get infected. They needed cat-to-cat transmission. So, the problem with environmental contamination is it makes it difficult to interpret when your cat has a cure, and you end up overtreating."

I don't have a good feel for how controversial this assertion is in the veterinary community. My regular vet said that contamination via fomites (spores on clothing, objects, etc.) usually requires very close contact (holding an uninfected cat tightly against a piece of heavily contaminated clothing) or some kind of trauma to the skin (using contaminated clippers). She said she worked at a shelter where ringworm positive and negative cats were kept in the the same room in different banks of cages and the fungus was not transmitted to the negative cats despite being handled by the same staff (with appropriate precautions).  The other vet, who has a master's degree in mycology, also believes fears of transmission via environmental contamination are overblown. That said, I know several people who insist their cats or foster cats got ringworm via either fomite transmission (kids at adoption event held ringworm-infected puppies, then petted kittens) or environmental contamination (kittens rubbed against chair bottom contaminated with spores). Kittens are typically more vulnerable to ringworm, of course, because their immune system is under-developed; elderly and sick cats are also vulnerable as are those that are or have been on immuno-suppressive drugs like steroids (prednisolone). 

So...if she's right, we don't need to worry so much about cleaning the environment so that cats don't get re-infected but so they don't produce false-positive cultures. 

 

[ginger2]

Thank you bunnelina for the quick response!! You are such a wonderful person!! Just to make sure my husband and I are thinking of doing some blood tests on both kittens to see how their livers are doing, and I am also going to ask my vet about the culture to see if the kittens still with the ringworm, I don't think we have the one that only takes 3 days... but I don't loose anything by asking, I will do that first thing tomorrow.
I am also thinking about buying a vacuum as soon as we can afford it, Because it has to be a good quality one, with epa filter, I had not heard the Miele brand, until I came across this blog, i learned from you that is better to toss the spores out than to try to kill them, (I think of them as immortals... Jaja). So terrible to know that someones cat died during the treatment.. my heart just breaks!! Before adopting our adorable kittens we lost our 15 year old cat, (due to kidney failure) whom we adore, I can't bare the thought of loosing our kittens!! I will keep you posted!! Thank you for being so helpful!!

 

[bunnelina]

Wow! Thank you, baileytc, for this incredibly useful and important post. It's been six years since my household dealt with ringworm and this new information from Dr. Moriello is just what we hope for and need! I'm sure everyone coping with ringworm will appreciate your research and reporting. This is a great contribution here!

This information about Dr. Moriello's recent work is illuminating and useful: the ringworm plague tends to make us all freak out, worry, and clean and treat obsessively... but not necessarily strategically or effectively. The information about washing and disinfecting (and the bad news about carpets) needs to be added to the ringworm article TheCatSite has posted as soon as possible, and I will contact the site manager about that. 

It sounds, to me, like Dr. Moriello's new research confirms what she's been saying all along — that the goal of cleaning is a not a sterile, "germ-free" environment but one that is free of dust and dirt in general, which also means that spores aren't lingering and concentrating in dark corners, either. So, going forward, maybe our "ringworm cleaning" should be even less about scrubbing and bleaching and more about basic laundering, dusting and wiping down, as well as using a filtration vacuum cleaner for walls, hard floors, and perhaps upholstery. Do you agree? I still need to read all of your sources but that's my impression from your post.

RosieT posted here about PCR testing a while ago; this good news is game-changing since now many of us can stop waiting 3 weeks or more for culture results and get results in a couple of days. Not all vets are using it yet but anyone who can get the quicker tests should. This faster test helps cats to have as short a treatment period as possible and will ultimately save people time, energy, and money.  It's frustrating that many people — and vets — aren't aware of it. But that's what this thread and this whole site is for... providing up-to-date and accurate info as well as support and encouragement.

So your research is a gift to all of us. Please let us know if we can help you with your own situation. You are fortunate to have access to some highly experienced vets and you clearly have deep knowledge and experience of your own. We can at least sympathize and cheer you on, and join you in hoping that those spots on your skin and your sister's are not what you fear. The cats you care for are so fortunate to have you! Hang in there and please come back and chime in often here. We can sure use you!

 

[longhairedmom]

Wanted to give everyone an update on our house since there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel and we are only 4 weeks into our saga.

Our vet prescribed us Phytovet CK after we finally bit the bullet and took everyone in.  Since our RW started with the introduction of a foster animal, I was lucky that the shelter covered the vet visit to get them tested and treated.  And yes, it took a full week to get the results.  1 cat was still positive but the rest all showed decreasing fungal spores.  At this point, we had 2 humans, our dog and 2 of our 3 cats with lesions.  So it was definitely making its rounds in my house.  So far the kitties have had 1 regular bath with a herbal pet shampoo, 2 baths with Malasab shampoo I got from a friend and then 2 baths with the prescribed shampoo and finally the vet said that all of the animals seem to be inactive.  The dog had less baths but was getting a topical treatment since January 6th.  I am now finally at the point that I get to do weekly baths on all 4 animals per the vet. 

As for us humans, we are at the 3-4 week point in our treatment and we have no more lesions popping up and our lesions are almost all flesh color.   2 more weeks of treatment just to be safe and maybe we will be done with this experience.  FINGERS CROSSED!!

And as for the house, the vet said I can stop my crazy cleaning.  I am still running the vacuum and wiping down the furniture every other day just for my peace of mind and I am also changing towels twice weekly just to keep the hair/spores/whatever out of our environment.  And my Saturday morning is still making the round with the vacuum and the Health Guard solution to wipe down all countertops and furniture.  

The foster cats room is still off limits and now that I read one of the posts above, it will be for at least 5 months.  

So for all of you reading, there is an end to this.  It is a pain while you are in the midst of it but keeping up with meds, baths and cleaning and you should be rid of it in no time.  

Still hoping I am right and that everyone continues on their course with no new lesions popping up.  

Oh, and another thing I learned.  Revolution can really irritate some cats skin.  My oldest cat only had lesions in the 2 spots that she was getting her Revolution topical treatments.  So the vet said if she doesn't go outside, don't treat her anymore.  Treat the cats that go outside but leave her be since it is doing more harm then good.  It was burning her skin where I applied it.  Bad mom!  No wonder she was such a pain when I was trying to apply it.  

Good luck everyone!