Some wretched neighbor discovered her children got ringworm from their kitten (a poor little 5 week old who had been taken from the mother at 4 weeks and subjected to all sorts of odd scraps from the family table plus cow's milk...). Her solution was to get rid of the kitten, which she put in a paper sack, shutting the neck of the sack with a badly tied bit of string, and threw over my fence. I only heard the whole tale slowly -- nothing remains undiscovered in our rural area, since everyone comes in to the same clinic for medicines and doctors. Fortunately one of the neighbors of this woman phoned me several hours later to tell me there might be a kitten in a bag in my garden, but neglected to mention the ringworm. The kitten had been released from the bag by the dogs, and he had run into another neighbor's garden and then into a village store, where he ran around hidding and knocking things off of shelves.
By the time I went to look for him, he had left a trail of children or adults who had seen him. We were having 100 degree F temperatures, and when I came up on him, he was totally bedraggled, dehydrating, and filthy. I gathered him in my arms (bare because of the violent heat), carrying him against my chest and took him home, where I put him in a carry box until I could take him to the vet the next morning. In that brief time, he infected the dogs who set him free, some of the cats who probably helped the dogs put him in a panic, and perhaps other animals in the neighborhood unknown to me -- and, of course, me. I have 5 dogs of my own and 3 puppies (rescued) waiting to be given away, plus 16 cats, all cohabiting my yard and house.
We are all on the same medicine (griseofulvin plus ointment for fungus infections) and have another week and a half to go to finish the 30 days of medication. At that point the vets will assess and tell me if we have to continue for another week or two, since I need all the animals plus me free of any recurrence. I have to give 25 doses a day to the cats and dogs, and then remember to take my own doses. Since some of the cats are semi-wild dropins, this has been a really difficult period. But fortunately the lure of an especially tasty chicken dinner canned cat or dog food (given in 1 tablespoon and crushed together with the medicine) is bringing them home each day (although spread out over the day and night). I do not yet have a cat-escape-proof fence, and I am feeling very upset about the other cats my furry friends may meet during their outings. Ringworm has always been endemic among the wild cats here in the desert, but I wish I had the new fence (hoping to build by December) already. The dogs, of course, can't get out of the existing fence except on leashes....
Does anyone have any sage advice about disinfecting the house and grounds? I am using my super strong vac and mopping constantly with hard soap, chlorine and a bit of amonia, which is my standard disinfectant when things get out of control, but what about furniture? the grooves between the tiles? clothing or bedding? For fabrics I can wash in the machine, I am using the hottest water setting with regular laundry soap plus some plain chlorine. Any better suggestions?
Has anyone had any experience with disinfecting grooves and cracks with a steam vac?
All advice gratefully received...
Exhausted and hoping that is a light at the end of the tunnel....
PS -- Now almost completely cured, this little newguy is a stunningly white part-Turkish van with the typical triangular face. He is not going to be blue-eyed, however; at least it doesn't look like it as his eyes change from kitten blue to something closer to greeny-gold. He won't show the true eye color for some time from now...
By the time I went to look for him, he had left a trail of children or adults who had seen him. We were having 100 degree F temperatures, and when I came up on him, he was totally bedraggled, dehydrating, and filthy. I gathered him in my arms (bare because of the violent heat), carrying him against my chest and took him home, where I put him in a carry box until I could take him to the vet the next morning. In that brief time, he infected the dogs who set him free, some of the cats who probably helped the dogs put him in a panic, and perhaps other animals in the neighborhood unknown to me -- and, of course, me. I have 5 dogs of my own and 3 puppies (rescued) waiting to be given away, plus 16 cats, all cohabiting my yard and house.
We are all on the same medicine (griseofulvin plus ointment for fungus infections) and have another week and a half to go to finish the 30 days of medication. At that point the vets will assess and tell me if we have to continue for another week or two, since I need all the animals plus me free of any recurrence. I have to give 25 doses a day to the cats and dogs, and then remember to take my own doses. Since some of the cats are semi-wild dropins, this has been a really difficult period. But fortunately the lure of an especially tasty chicken dinner canned cat or dog food (given in 1 tablespoon and crushed together with the medicine) is bringing them home each day (although spread out over the day and night). I do not yet have a cat-escape-proof fence, and I am feeling very upset about the other cats my furry friends may meet during their outings. Ringworm has always been endemic among the wild cats here in the desert, but I wish I had the new fence (hoping to build by December) already. The dogs, of course, can't get out of the existing fence except on leashes....
Does anyone have any sage advice about disinfecting the house and grounds? I am using my super strong vac and mopping constantly with hard soap, chlorine and a bit of amonia, which is my standard disinfectant when things get out of control, but what about furniture? the grooves between the tiles? clothing or bedding? For fabrics I can wash in the machine, I am using the hottest water setting with regular laundry soap plus some plain chlorine. Any better suggestions?
Has anyone had any experience with disinfecting grooves and cracks with a steam vac?
All advice gratefully received...
Exhausted and hoping that is a light at the end of the tunnel....
PS -- Now almost completely cured, this little newguy is a stunningly white part-Turkish van with the typical triangular face. He is not going to be blue-eyed, however; at least it doesn't look like it as his eyes change from kitten blue to something closer to greeny-gold. He won't show the true eye color for some time from now...