- Joined
- Mar 20, 2010
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I am at a loss and need advice from people other then breeder friends.
Please excuse the long email - but it is a long story.
I am a small breeder of Persians and Himalayans. My cattery is my home. Currently I have seven amazing cats with top pedigree's - all of show quality. I had just attended my first show where two of my girls made 9th and 10th best kitten out of 37 when I brought in my last cat from the states (I live in Canada). Well to make that story short, he was diagnosed with ringworm two months after arriving. A fungal culture was done the day after he arrived and because the breeder had treated him it came back negative. It took two months for her to finally admit (after a biopsy was done) that he had ringworm before he left. In the mean time, even though he was isolated, the ringworm spread.
To make a very long story shorter, I have spent seven months trying to rid my home and cattery of ringworm. All showing and breeding stopped. I shaved ALL of my cats, even after working months on my show cats coats. I started all of the cats on both oral and topical medications. They were either bathed in Dermazole or dipped in lime twice a week. I tore up all of my carpets and replaced them with vinyl. I replaced all of my fabric furniture, buying only a pleather type fabric that could be wiped with bleach solution. I took down all of my curtains and threw away all of my mats, cat tree's, cat beds, cat toys, litter boxes and house hold items that could not be washed. I had my furnace and ducts professionally cleaned and disinfected with Benefect. I bought a fogger, health guard laundry additive, A33 and bleach. Built two cat rooms in my basement to isolate, repainted and in the end spent over $20,000 doing all of this!
We had nine negative fungal cultures come back and the vet recommended stopping oral meds and topical treatments. We did and a month later, two cats came out with ringworm. I have become completely depressed.
The cats were all confined to rooms that could be washed down and disinfected. There was nothing in those rooms other then litter boxes and food/water bowls.
I am at my wits end and I am getting different advice from every one.
First and foremost, the vets (two) have recommended breeding and just doing topical treatments now. They said that I went above and beyond what most breeders would do and that now, it may just be time to "live with it". They are more concerned about the possibility of pyometra of my girls then ringworm - which I can understand.
My breeder friends all agreed with the vets.
I am just not sure what to do. I of course am BROKE. My bank denied a remortgage and reamortization and refuse to give us any more credit.
I have THREE young children and I can't put them in the position where they may not have a Christmas.
What would YOU do?
PLEASE I need advice... I am so lost right now... I have already downsized... and rehoming my furkids is not an option. I love them dearly. I just so badly need advice from people who I don't have a connection with.
Thank you
Katie
Please excuse the long email - but it is a long story.
I am a small breeder of Persians and Himalayans. My cattery is my home. Currently I have seven amazing cats with top pedigree's - all of show quality. I had just attended my first show where two of my girls made 9th and 10th best kitten out of 37 when I brought in my last cat from the states (I live in Canada). Well to make that story short, he was diagnosed with ringworm two months after arriving. A fungal culture was done the day after he arrived and because the breeder had treated him it came back negative. It took two months for her to finally admit (after a biopsy was done) that he had ringworm before he left. In the mean time, even though he was isolated, the ringworm spread.
To make a very long story shorter, I have spent seven months trying to rid my home and cattery of ringworm. All showing and breeding stopped. I shaved ALL of my cats, even after working months on my show cats coats. I started all of the cats on both oral and topical medications. They were either bathed in Dermazole or dipped in lime twice a week. I tore up all of my carpets and replaced them with vinyl. I replaced all of my fabric furniture, buying only a pleather type fabric that could be wiped with bleach solution. I took down all of my curtains and threw away all of my mats, cat tree's, cat beds, cat toys, litter boxes and house hold items that could not be washed. I had my furnace and ducts professionally cleaned and disinfected with Benefect. I bought a fogger, health guard laundry additive, A33 and bleach. Built two cat rooms in my basement to isolate, repainted and in the end spent over $20,000 doing all of this!
We had nine negative fungal cultures come back and the vet recommended stopping oral meds and topical treatments. We did and a month later, two cats came out with ringworm. I have become completely depressed.
The cats were all confined to rooms that could be washed down and disinfected. There was nothing in those rooms other then litter boxes and food/water bowls.
I am at my wits end and I am getting different advice from every one.
First and foremost, the vets (two) have recommended breeding and just doing topical treatments now. They said that I went above and beyond what most breeders would do and that now, it may just be time to "live with it". They are more concerned about the possibility of pyometra of my girls then ringworm - which I can understand.
My breeder friends all agreed with the vets.
I am just not sure what to do. I of course am BROKE. My bank denied a remortgage and reamortization and refuse to give us any more credit.
I have THREE young children and I can't put them in the position where they may not have a Christmas.
What would YOU do?
PLEASE I need advice... I am so lost right now... I have already downsized... and rehoming my furkids is not an option. I love them dearly. I just so badly need advice from people who I don't have a connection with.
Thank you
Katie