Ringworm treatments?

[RangersMom]

Hi all,

My 9 year old siamese cat is awaiting a ringworm test result from our vet. Hes been losing fur and scratching and licking himself bad for months. (Vet thought it was an allergy so never tested for ringworm, even though I previously asked them to).
Anyway, we have a blacklight at home and all his spots were glowing green when we shone it on him. On the spots he was licking and some around his ears. The vet is doing a test to make sure, but she said it takes up to a week to confirm, she did a wood lamp test and said 'it looks like ringworm'. She gave him griseofulvin tablets which he has been taking for about 4 days now.

Besides cleaning like a madwoman and washing every blanket and pillow and bedding in the house: what else can I do if its ringworm? We've tried Bannix spray all over him for weeks and it hasn't improved. Any antifungal creams that worked for you??? I'd like to avoid giving him a bath because hes a sweet boy but its like the exorcist trying to bathe him. (But I will if I have to).

Any ringworm elimination tips are appreciated!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am really surprised no one has responded. And, I am only doing so because I feel bad no has replied yet, even though over 200 hundred have read your post. I trust you have done a search on this site for previous threads about ringworm, just to see if there are any tips you can pick up from them while you wait for responses?

 

[tabbytom]

Any ringworm elimination tips are appreciated!

Here are some articles on it :-

ringworm-in-cats-how-to-win-the-fight

ringworm-infestation-in-cats-the-housecleaning-regime

my-ringworm-story.410263

 

[di and bob]

i would be REALLY surprised if it was ringworm, I think it is a bacterial infection of the skin, or allergies. Antibiotics and steroids may help when you find out what it is. The reason I say this is that ringworm is SO contagious you and your whole family would have it by now. I have examined many children at the school where I worked that had it, (many from their pets, many more from their friends) and had to make sure the lesions were covered with a bandaid after they started the ointment treatment. In one day the lesions spread from 1 or 2 to 5 and 6. It spreads very quickly and from contact. Keeping them covered while in class was the way to keep them from spreading to others. The reason the lesions glowed green under the light is that anything biological shows up, including saliva. If you take it around your stove and kitchen area, there will be MANY stains brought to light! My bet is on allergies........

 

[gilmargl]

Hi all,

My 9 year old siamese cat is awaiting a ringworm test result from our vet. Hes been losing fur and scratching and licking himself bad for months. (Vet thought it was an allergy so never tested for ringworm, even though I previously asked them to).
Anyway, we have a blacklight at home and all his spots were glowing green when we shone it on him. On the spots he was licking and some around his ears. The vet is doing a test to make sure, but she said it takes up to a week to confirm, she did a wood lamp test and said 'it looks like ringworm'. She gave him griseofulvin tablets which he has been taking for about 4 days now.

Besides cleaning like a madwoman and washing every blanket and pillow and bedding in the house: what else can I do if its ringworm? We've tried Bannix spray all over him for weeks and it hasn't improved. Any antifungal creams that worked for you??? I'd like to avoid giving him a bath because hes a sweet boy but its like the exorcist trying to bathe him. (But I will if I have to).

Any ringworm elimination tips are appreciated!

Perhaps I have been lucky - but, in the past 30 or more years I have witnessed 3 or 4 cases of ringworm in my cats or kittens. In each case it was a new cat or kitten, which had only recently been introduced into the house. The cat or kitten concerned was never exactly in a good general condition.
Perhaps there are different forms of ringworm, but it has never spread to other people or cats and I have never done any panic washing and cleaning which many people recommend on this site. Just general washing of hands, vacuuming and medication for the affected cat or kittens.
Recommended treatment has changed over the years - for my first case I was given small pills, then came an injection and my last case with young kittens was a liquid which I mixed with gravy from some wet cat food and squirted into their very willing mouths. I think this treatment had to be continued on and off for 3 or 4 weeks.

Ringworm spores are everywhere - and it really isn't as bad as most other things which cats (and humans) can suffer from. I think that humid conditions in the autumn don't help the situation. But, I may be wrong. I will look for the photo showing a kitten with ringworm. I think I may have posted it on this site a few years ago.

 

[gilmargl]

Foster orphaned kitten with many medical problems including ringworm! Three years later she still suffers occasionally from URI but is a happy cat living with one of the 3 kittens I socialized her with.

 

[RangersMom]

i would be REALLY surprised if it was ringworm, I think it is a bacterial infection of the skin, or allergies. Antibiotics and steroids may help when you find out what it is. The reason I say this is that ringworm is SO contagious you and your whole family would have it by now. I have examined many children at the school where I worked that had it, (many from their pets, many more from their friends) and had to make sure the lesions were covered with a bandaid after they started the ointment treatment. In one day the lesions spread from 1 or 2 to 5 and 6. It spreads very quickly and from contact. Keeping them covered while in class was the way to keep them from spreading to others. The reason the lesions glowed green under the light is that anything biological shows up, including saliva. If you take it around your stove and kitchen area, there will be MANY stains brought to light! My bet is on allergies........

The vet confirmed its ringworm. Hes now been on an antifungal pill for 9 days with no change. Yes my husband did get it on his arm and I have a few spots too.

 

[RangersMom]

Hi. I am really surprised no one has responded. And, I am only doing so because I feel bad no has replied yet, even though over 200 hundred have read your post. I trust you have done a search on this site for previous threads about ringworm, just to see if there are any tips you can pick up from them while you wait for responses?

Thank you I appreciate your reply. The vet did confirm its ringworm with the wood lamp test and a culture test. Hes been on griseofulvin for now 9 days and hes as bad as ever. We have been cleaning like crazy and using bannix spray (which is supposed to be gentle and kill ringworm). The griseofulvin hes on is 30mg a day for 4-5 weeks.... hes almost 9lbs so idk if 30mg is enough? Never had a cat with ringworm before so I'm not sure. I have scoured this site for ringworm articles but havent seen too much on griseofulvin or dosage or how soon it works. Our vet said it can take 4-6 weeks to go away. Poor guy is miserably itchy.

 

[di and bob]

I feel for you, and him! Sometimes when the treatment is started, after a few days, the lesions are not contagious anymore. It says on fungal oral treatments after two weeks You might check with your vet.