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Ringworm

missy

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Does anyone have experience with ringworm in cats? Our sweet rescue Oliver might have it and we have no experience with this and would appreciate any real life experience.

What we do know:
They cultured the bald area yesterday late afternoon and we won't get the results for 10 days to 3 weeks.

We have 3 other cats that Oliver was playing with so they might very likely have it too but because of the long incubation period we just won't know for a while.

We are starting Oliver on Tresaderm topical in the affected areas while we wait for results.
It is a mild treatment but the vet doesn't want to start him on anything stronger til we have more info.

He was exposed to it at the rescue group so that also adds to the likelihood of it being ringworm.

We know it is highly contagious (to us and our other kitties) and we are disinfecting everything (washed everything in super hot water and have to bleach and vacuum etc today) and doing the best we can at keeping it contained though at this point it is like closing the barn door after the horses got out. To that end my sister said we might as well let him continue sleeping with us since he is crying pitifully when we keep him in his playpen confined. Last night we kept him in his playpen and it was upsetting with him crying and well he has been through so much. He had a very tough beginning being infected with herpes virus and getting a corneal ulcer which took 3 weeks to treat and he has had it tough.

That is why we were so happy last week when the vet said it was OK to let him meet our other cats. Fast forward to yeterday afternoon at his vaccination appointment when the vet found what she thinks is ringworm. Poor Oliver and poor other kitties in our house.

Anyway I am looking for real life experience to add to my very limited knowledge of ringworm. All that I just got yesterday reading about it as we never dealt with it before.

Thanks for getting this far and for any info. Much appreciated.
 

missy

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Sweet Oliver

oliversosweet.png

Screen Shot 2019-07-23 at 7.00.48 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-07-23 at 7.02.45 AM.png
 

missy

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LemonMoonLex

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I sadly dont have any advice as none of my kitties has ever gotten ringworm but I just wanted to say that Oliver is adorable! What a perfect name for him as he looks so playful and sweet! Maybe a bit mischievous? :P2

Im sorry that there seems to be issue after issue with this poor baby, I'll be sending my prayers and healing energy your way that it doesn't transfer to any other babies or yourselves and that its a speedy recovery and you both can be finished at last with the medical scares and just enjoy him!
 

missy

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I sadly dont have any advice as none of my kitties has ever gotten ringworm but I just wanted to say that Oliver is adorable! What a perfect name for him as he looks so playful and sweet! Maybe a bit mischievous? :P2

Im sorry that there seems to be issue after issue with this poor baby, I'll be sending my prayers and healing energy your way that it doesn't transfer to any other babies or yourselves and that its a speedy recovery and you both can be finished at last with the medical scares and just enjoy him!

Thanks so much @TheGarnetGirl, Oliver and Greg and I appreciate your good wishes! It really has been challenging for poor sweet Oliver and of course reading the threads here on ringworm are confirming my worst fears. If it is the worst case scenario and all the cats (and Greg and I) get ringworm it will be a nightmare to get rid of as the older cats are difficult to apply/give meds to under the best of circumstances let alone shampoo. I just hope the others do not get it and it stays with Oliver only and he responds to treatment. The frustrating part is waiting for weeks though we are applying Tresaderm and I ordered the Chlorhexidine shampoo 4% online. I am so itchy as I am typing this uh oh...

oliversohandsome.png

He knows something is wrong and I am so sad. He deserves a break. It has been a very tough beginning for him and he is just 11-12 weeks old and just under 4lbs. He is so sweet. I just want to hug him and now I am afraid to. :( Though I was kissing and hugging him all over the past week so I guess if I am going to get it I am going to get it no matter what we do now.

missyandoliverkissing.png

oliverkissingmissy.png


@tyty333 just read your ringworm thread...how is Palmer doing now? How did the treatments go? Can you share any helpful tips? Thanks.
 

MeowMeow

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I only had ringworm once when I was pretty young so unfortunately I can't be of much help :( I just remember having to cover the spot in cream and a bandage and waiting :(

I just wanted to tell you how cute he is! You guys have such wonderful pictures of him!:kiss2:
 

missy

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@distracts I see you went through this too. How is your cat now and how long did it take to eradicate and was it as awful as I am reading about on the internet? Sorry for all the questions and I guess I am just looking for reassurance we will get through this but right now I am feeling quite overwhelmed with it all. If only we didn't have 4 cats to worry about.

Thanks @MeowMeow, I love your screen name.
 

elizat

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@missy ringworm is a pita, but it's doable. So many kittens are killed with it in shelters- just takes time and persistence. Here, they are put on a two hour rescue kitten pick up list or killed usually.

It's very contagious, but as long as as you keep the path and stay steady with treatment if he has it, it should be ok. It's when you deviate that it's a problem.

For some feel good ringworm reading:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByqTzS-HkY9/?igshid=18iagxlu5mz8d
 

missy

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@missy ringworm is a pita, but it's doable. So many kittens are killed with it in shelters- just takes time and persistence. Here, they are put on a two hour rescue kitten pick up list or killed usually.

It's very contagious, but as long as as you keep the path and stay steady with treatment if he has it, it should be ok. It's when you deviate that it's a problem.

For some feel good ringworm reading:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByqTzS-HkY9/?igshid=18iagxlu5mz8d

Thanks Eliza, how awful that they "euthanize" kittens in shelters who have it. Tragic.:cry2:

I would like to follow the strict path but it is super harsh. I do not see how we can keep Oliver isolated in a bathroom for months. He was crying so hard in the playpen when we wouldn't let him on the bed last night. So now he is laying on the bed with me right now. I have a top sheet on the bed but let's face it. It is airborne so I think there is a good chance we are all going to get it. I am consoling myself with the thought at least it is not fatal. We will do the best we can. I feel so bad for Oliver as he has had such a tough time.

Have you ever had a cat with ringworm? Thanks so much for the link.
 

Slickk

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Oh no @missy I am so sorry to read this. Poor Ollie and you and DH also to have to listen to his sad crying. No experience with pet ringworm but my son recently was treated for it and it took some time but it’s gone. He is an adult so I do not have many details. I had it many years ago (I swear from a recent hotel stay :confused2: ) and I remember having to be persistent with the meds as fungus takes time, but it went away without much fanfare.
Good luck to you all and sending warm wishes your way that it stays isolated to sweet, adorable Ollie :(2 I am hoping it isn’t ringworm at all.... :kiss2:
 

missy

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Oh no @missy I am so sorry to read this. Poor Ollie and you and DH also to have to listen to his sad crying. No experience with pet ringworm but my son recently was treated for it and it took some time but it’s gone. He is an adult so I do not have many details. I had it many years ago (I swear from a recent hotel stay :confused2: ) and I remember having to be persistent with the meds as fungus takes time, but it went away without much fanfare.
Good luck to you all and sending warm wishes your way that it stays isolated to sweet, adorable Ollie :(2 I am hoping it isn’t ringworm at all.... :kiss2:

Thanks Slick. It probably is ringworm as his littermate just came down with it. I called the rescue person last night and she said yes probably that is what it is as the littermate just started showing signs.
 

Arcadian

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A friends dog had ringworm last year and it was hellish. I feel for you and the kitty.
 

YadaYadaYada

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We've had a lot of pets over the years but never had an experience with ringworm. However we did get a dog that had mange but he didn't have obvious symptoms however the mites spread to me and my older son and it was a nightmare to deal with but we got through it.

I hope that Oliver recovers quickly and that hopefully you can get the ringworm contained and that dealing with it will be manageable.
 

missy

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A friends dog had ringworm last year and it was hellish. I feel for you and the kitty.

Thanks Arcadian. It would be bad enough if it was just Oliver and Greg and me but we have 3 adult cats two who are elderly. This is what’s exacerbating the situation. I hope your friend and dog are fully recovered from the ordeal.


We've had a lot of pets over the years but never had an experience with ringworm. However we did get a dog that had mange but he didn't have obvious symptoms however the mites spread to me and my older son and it was a nightmare to deal with but we got through it.

I hope that Oliver recovers quickly and that hopefully you can get the ringworm contained and that dealing with it will be manageable.

Thanks Stephanie. I’m sorry you went through such an awful experience and glad you guys have fully recovered now. They say no good deed...and yup but I’m glad we are the ones who rescued Oliver even now. I’m not sure what his future holds but I know we’ll do our best. And I hope and pray it’s enough.
 

msop04

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I'm not sure about ringworm treatment in cats, but I would imagine it's similar to humans and treated with an antifungal by mouth and topically. Ringworm takes a long time to get rid of (think 3+ months), and the area is typically treated by topical medication for at least an additional 2 weeks after all traces of lesion(s) are no longer visible.
 

msop04

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P.S. Oliver is a DOLL and reminds me so much of my late kitty, Punkin. I'm sure he is a sweetheart!
 

missy

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I'm not sure about ringworm treatment in cats, but I would imagine it's similar to humans and treated with an antifungal by mouth and topically. Ringworm takes a long time to get rid of (think 3+ months), and the area is typically treated by topical medication for at least an additional 2 weeks after all traces of lesion(s) are no longer visible.

Thanks @msop04, I think orals are last resort if the skin lesions don’t respond to topicals but my gut says we’re going to need orals.


P.S. Oliver is a DOLL and reminds me so much of my late kitty, Punkin. I'm sure he is a sweetheart!

He really is. One of my concerns is that this isolation is going to permanently affect his personality. He’s acting much more hesitant today and it breaks my heart. He knows something is up. We’re vacuuming and cleaning and bleaching and doing endless laundry. And applying topical meds to his chin and leg. He’s been through and continues to go through the wringer. And we thought finally he would have freedom after his eye ulcer healed. Not to be. Not yet anyway. And his little personality might be affected. He is such a sweet dear. And yes mischievous too. I hope he can keep his sweet sassy disposition. And get healthy.
 

msop04

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Thanks @msop04, I think orals are last resort if the skin lesions don’t respond to topicals but my gut says we’re going to need orals.




He really is. One of my concerns is that this isolation is going to permanently affect his personality. He’s acting much more hesitant today and it breaks my heart. He knows something is up. We’re vacuuming and cleaning and bleaching and doing endless laundry. And applying topical meds to his chin and leg. He’s been through and continues to go through the wringer. And we thought finally he would have freedom after his eye ulcer healed. Not to be. Not yet anyway. And his little personality might be affected. He is such a sweet dear. And yes mischievous too. I hope he can keep his sweet sassy disposition. And get healthy.

Just give him love... that's all you can do (and all he really wants anyway). :) Once he's all better, he'll never remember this ordeal. I don't think it will permanently affect him, missy. Bless his little kitty heart! I just wanna hug him from AL!! He'll get better, it'll just take some time. :)
 

missy

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Just give him love... that's all you can do (and all he really wants anyway). :) Once he's all better, he'll never remember this ordeal. I don't think it will permanently affect him, missy. Bless his little kitty heart! I just wanna hug him from AL!! He'll get better, it'll just take some time. :)

Aww I will hug him from you and your furry crew. And thank you for the reassurance. I want to make him all better and want to tell him he will be OK but of course I cannot and right at this moment I am having trouble seeing the light but I know you are right. We will get there. Thanks @msop04 and hugs from Oliver and me.

Screen Shot 2019-07-23 at 12.49.19 PM.png
 

beigenarwhal

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Hello, I'm sorry to hear you and Oliver are going through this! We foster dogs, and had a dog last year that had a possible ringworm diagnosis (of course we only found the bald patch AFTER we moved her out of quarantine (an easy to clean dog room) and into the main part of the house sad :((

I found this page from the University of Wisconsin helpful on how to clean, but it really was daunting having to clean EVERYTHING: https://uwsheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/ringworm/environmental-decontamination

Instead of bleach, we used Accel/Rescue which is the same brand of disinfectant used by our animal shelter. It's less harsh and doesn't need to be rinsed after spraying. I purchased a gallon of the concentrate online and am still using it! For items that couldn't be sprayed or washed in the laundry (like carpet), I had a high-temperature steam cleaner that I used with a hand-held thermometer to check the steam was hot enough and then vacuumed afterwards.

Fortunately, we didn't have other animals at the time so we did not need to worry about it transmitting to other pets. Luckily we didn't get it ourselves, but I had ringworm in middle school (on my face! :-o) and treatment was a cream applied nightly.

I hope this helps and that you and Oliver are back to (healthy) cuddles soon!
 

ringo865

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Because your other cats have already been exposed, it doesn’t seem necessary to keep Oliver quarantined. Of course I am not a vet. He’s such a cutie :kiss2:
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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my friend's husband got ringworm last year
everyone plays and hugs the dog but only he got it - he's unfortunate like that

the doctor just gave him some cream you can probably buy it over the counter at the chemist
I'd risk it and keep cuddling the kitty
its an easier fix than say head lice

saying that i hope the other kitties don't catch it but its not a biggy this day and age
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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Thanks @msop04, I think orals are last resort if the skin lesions don’t respond to topicals but my gut says we’re going to need orals.




He really is. One of my concerns is that this isolation is going to permanently affect his personality. He’s acting much more hesitant today and it breaks my heart. He knows something is up. We’re vacuuming and cleaning and bleaching and doing endless laundry. And applying topical meds to his chin and leg. He’s been through and continues to go through the wringer. And we thought finally he would have freedom after his eye ulcer healed. Not to be. Not yet anyway. And his little personality might be affected. He is such a sweet dear. And yes mischievous too. I hope he can keep his sweet sassy disposition. And get healthy.
he's very cute
give him extra ' me time ' and he'll be ok
 

ecf8503

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Tresaderm won't be strong enough. Over the counter athlete's foot creams are specifically anti-fungal. Not every animal that is exposed will get infected, nor will every person. I personally had it in my house years ago - 2 cats and I had it, hubby and the other 2 cats didn't. Go figure. Don't be too harsh on the little guy - he needs to be properly socialized! Have you bathed him at all? (Sorry didn't read the entire thread yet...) Just keep things clean, use a topical antifungal, and most of the time it's self limiting.
 

missy

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Tresaderm won't be strong enough. Over the counter athlete's foot creams are specifically anti-fungal. Not every animal that is exposed will get infected, nor will every person. I personally had it in my house years ago - 2 cats and I had it, hubby and the other 2 cats didn't. Go figure. Don't be too harsh on the little guy - he needs to be properly socialized! Have you bathed him at all? (Sorry didn't read the entire thread yet...) Just keep things clean, use a topical antifungal, and most of the time it's self limiting.

Thanks so much for weighing in @ecf8503. I was hoping you would.

Should we bathe him? We have not. I have anti fungal shampoo coming today from Chewy and Vet Rx. One has ketaconazole and one is 4% chlorhexidine. I read an article saying bathing cats with ringworm is more harmful as it breaks their hair shaft spreading the fungus. I don't know if that is true or false. Here is the link. I would appreciate your thoughts very much. My sister suggested bathing Oliver but then I read this.
https://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Resource Library/Ringworm Audience QA.pdf

Re Tresaderm I knew it was too mild (but that is what the local vet gave us) so I ordered another Rx topical on the way due to arrive today or tomorrow-Miconazole. Is that better than Tresaderm?I hope the Miconazole is better. If it is not do you have another topical you prefer?

We are planning on giving Oliver and the other 3 lime sulfur baths starting next week though we are trying to get Oliver in this Friday if possible. The vet's office won't give the other 3 lime sulfur baths unless they examine all of them despite them just being examined less than a month ago. So we are just sucking it up and paying for physicals for the rest of them at the local vet because Greg and I don't think we will be able to do the Lime sulfur baths ourselves. Our other cats won't even let us pill them or anything like that. The vet we brought them all to less than a month ago (also local) does not do lime sulfur baths and this other veterinarian office that does was the original office we brought Oliver to in order to get a check up and his stool tested when we first got him.

I was concerned about this affecting Oliver's socialization. He is just a baby and he wants to play. He is being kept in a playpen (a hexagon shaped playpen about 4.5 feet diameter) in our bedroom but when we wake up we let him have free reign of the bedroom so he isn't confined so much. But I am not holding and hugging him. Only when we are applying the topical meds. I do pet him but then wash my hands immediately. I hate not being able to hug and hold him. My sister told me just relax and either I am getting it or not and at this point we have already been exposed. But I am susceptible to skin infections and rashes and am hyper reactive regarding skin issues. So there is a higher probability I will contract ring worm and a higher likelihood it won't be easy to treat on me. But at this point do you think it just doesn't matter since we have been exposed before we knew he had ringworm or will more exposure increase the chances I can get it?

How long did it take to treat you and your 2 cats to be free of ringworm?

Thank you so much for your input and I am glad you managed to clear the ringworm from your family.


ETA: One more question. The spots have spread from 2 to 4 and the local vet said we should start Oliver on oral anti fungal liquid meds. Itraconazole I believe she said (we were speaking on the phone last night) and it is 7 days on 7 days off for 6 weeks. I have not yet spoken to my sister about this but I know my sister was against oral antifungals before we tried the lime sulfur dips as the orals are harsh. BUT given that the spots of hair loss increased and given that we are in a multi cat household what are your thoughts of adding the orals to Oliver's regimen? I would like to nip this in the bud as quickly as we can and I know no matter what it is a long drawn out process but would this be our best bet? Giving Oliver oral anti fungals, lime sulfur dips and topical antifungals? Thanks for your thoughts. And as always I know you are not examining him and I do not hold you responsible for anything at all. I value your input and your opinions even though I realize they are based on limited info. I greatly appreciate your help.
 
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missy

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my friend's husband got ringworm last year
everyone plays and hugs the dog but only he got it - he's unfortunate like that

the doctor just gave him some cream you can probably buy it over the counter at the chemist
I'd risk it and keep cuddling the kitty
its an easier fix than say head lice

saying that i hope the other kitties don't catch it but its not a biggy this day and age

LOL thanks Daisy. From what I understand and from the reading I have been doing it seems head lice is preferable and easier to rid one's family from vs ringworm. I sure hope you are right though.

he's very cute
give him extra ' me time ' and he'll be ok

Thanks. He is adorable. I feel so bad for him. He just wants to be held and played with and he is hungry for attention. We are keeping him in our bedroom but I am not sure how wise that is. We have a big sheet on top of the bed so he can hang out with us but I have a feeling we aren't being smart by doing that. I just cannot bear to keep him locked up in a bathroom. That feels wrong to me. But that might be the smartest thing we can do but I just don't want to do that. I am hoping that is overkill and it is OK to at least let him be in the bedroom with us since we are keeping him separate from the other cats.
 

missy

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Because your other cats have already been exposed, it doesn’t seem necessary to keep Oliver quarantined. Of course I am not a vet. He’s such a cutie :kiss2:

Thanks Ringo. He is a cutie. I don't know if it's like closing the barn door after the horses got out yanno? All I know is it is highly contagious and well I am just trying to do the best we can. We are not perfect for sure and the deep cleaning we did yesterday just wasn't as intense as some. We did not clean the walls or ceilings for example and that is the suggestion for cleaning and containing ringworm. With bleach on a daily basis. Oy.
 

missy

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Hello, I'm sorry to hear you and Oliver are going through this! We foster dogs, and had a dog last year that had a possible ringworm diagnosis (of course we only found the bald patch AFTER we moved her out of quarantine (an easy to clean dog room) and into the main part of the house sad :((

I found this page from the University of Wisconsin helpful on how to clean, but it really was daunting having to clean EVERYTHING: https://uwsheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/ringworm/environmental-decontamination

Instead of bleach, we used Accel/Rescue which is the same brand of disinfectant used by our animal shelter. It's less harsh and doesn't need to be rinsed after spraying. I purchased a gallon of the concentrate online and am still using it! For items that couldn't be sprayed or washed in the laundry (like carpet), I had a high-temperature steam cleaner that I used with a hand-held thermometer to check the steam was hot enough and then vacuumed afterwards.

Fortunately, we didn't have other animals at the time so we did not need to worry about it transmitting to other pets. Luckily we didn't get it ourselves, but I had ringworm in middle school (on my face! :-o) and treatment was a cream applied nightly.

I hope this helps and that you and Oliver are back to (healthy) cuddles soon!

Thanks very much for your input and glad you were able to successfully beat ringworm and yes not having other furbabies makes it much more manageable. I am hoping hard our other 3 cats do not get it. Thanks very much for the info.
 
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missy

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Screen Shot 2019-07-24 at 5.20.09 AM.png

Screen Shot 2019-07-24 at 5.19.23 AM.png
 

ecf8503

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Thanks so much for weighing in @ecf8503. I was hoping you would.

Should we bathe him? We have not. I have anti fungal shampoo coming today from Chewy and Vet Rx. One has ketaconazole and one is 4% chlorhexidine. I read an article saying bathing cats with ringworm is more harmful as it breaks their hair shaft spreading the fungus. I don't know if that is true or false. Here is the link. I would appreciate your thoughts very much. My sister suggested bathing Oliver but then I read this.
https://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Resource Library/Ringworm Audience QA.pdf

Re Tresaderm I knew it was too mild (but that is what the local vet gave us) so I ordered another Rx topical on the way due to arrive today or tomorrow-Miconazole. Is that better than Tresaderm?I hope the Miconazole is better. If it is not do you have another topical you prefer?

We are planning on giving Oliver and the other 3 lime sulfur baths starting next week though we are trying to get Oliver in this Friday if possible. The vet's office won't give the other 3 lime sulfur baths unless they examine all of them despite them just being examined less than a month ago. So we are just sucking it up and paying for physicals for the rest of them at the local vet because Greg and I don't think we will be able to do the Lime sulfur baths ourselves. Our other cats won't even let us pill them or anything like that. The vet we brought them all to less than a month ago (also local) does not do lime sulfur baths and this other veterinarian office that does was the original office we brought Oliver to in order to get a check up and his stool tested when we first got him.

I was concerned about this affecting Oliver's socialization. He is just a baby and he wants to play. He is being kept in a playpen (a hexagon shaped playpen about 4.5 feet diameter) in our bedroom but when we wake up we let him have free reign of the bedroom so he isn't confined so much. But I am not holding and hugging him. Only when we are applying the topical meds. I do pet him but then wash my hands immediately. I hate not being able to hug and hold him. My sister told me just relax and either I am getting it or not and at this point we have already been exposed. But I am susceptible to skin infections and rashes and am hyper reactive regarding skin issues. So there is a higher probability I will contract ring worm and a higher likelihood it won't be easy to treat on me. But at this point do you think it just doesn't matter since we have been exposed before we knew he had ringworm or will more exposure increase the chances I can get it?

How long did it take to treat you and your 2 cats to be free of ringworm?

Thank you so much for your input and I am glad you managed to clear the ringworm from your family.


ETA: One more question. The spots have spread from 2 to 4 and the local vet said we should start Oliver on oral anti fungal liquid meds. Itraconazole I believe she said (we were speaking on the phone last night) and it is 7 days on 7 days off for 6 weeks. I have not yet spoken to my sister about this but I know my sister was against oral antifungals before we tried the lime sulfur dips as the orals are harsh. BUT given that the spots of hair loss increased and given that we are in a multi cat household what are your thoughts of adding the orals to Oliver's regimen? I would like to nip this in the bud as quickly as we can and I know no matter what it is a long drawn out process but would this be our best bet? Giving Oliver oral anti fungals, lime sulfur dips and topical antifungals? Thanks for your thoughts. And as always I know you are not examining him and I do not hold you responsible for anything at all. I value your input and your opinions even though I realize they are based on limited info. I greatly appreciate your help.

Here is a portion of some info from one of my vet sites:

Treatment

Treatment may include topical therapy, oral medication, or a combination. The prescribed treatments should be reviewed carefully with the client and provided in writing. It is important that clients understand how to properly follow the recommendations and are informed of any potential adverse effects, necessary laboratory monitoring, and the possibility of topical treatments staining the environment (most commonly with lime sulfur dips).

Treatment should be continued until at least one negative culture has been obtained and after the lesions have resolved.

Shaving may benefit long-haired patients. When clipping a patient, bathe with an antifungal shampoo or rinse, discard the hair, and immediately sanitize the clipper blades and treatment area to minimize exposure to other patients.

Treatment should be continued until at least one negative culture has been obtained and after the lesions have resolved. Clients must be reminded that dermatophytosis is zoonotic (ie, humans in contact with the patient are at risk of infection) and that they must not stop treatment until instructed by the veterinarian.

Environmental Control

Cleaning the patient’s environment is crucial to prevent recurrence of dermatophyte infections and to limit potential human exposure to the organism.4 Advise clients to:

Frequently wash (with hot water and detergent) any bedding, clothing, towels, and rugs the patient has contacted.
Dust all surfaces with disposable cloths.
Clean every area the patient has contacted, where possible, including floors, walls, and furniture, using a dilute household bleach solution (1:10 parts bleach:water); if possible, restrict the patient to one easy-to-clean area.
Sanitize or discard any combs, brushes, and toys.
Vacuum carpets frequently, disposing of the vacuum bag or emptying and cleaning the canister after each use.
Wash hands with soap and hot water and change clothing after contacting the patient.
Conclusion

Two considerations are key when managing patients with ringworm:

Treatment should begin as quickly as possible following the veterinarian’s diagnosis.
Clients must be educated about ringworm’s potential to spread to other household pets and to humans.
The zoonotic potential of this disease must not be underestimated, and frequent client communication and patient monitoring are the best ways to assure a successful outcome.

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I put my affected cat on Itraconazole orally and used Miconazole topically on both him and me. I did bathe him, but just with an antifungal shampoo.

Lime sulfur dips are messy - best left at the vet hospital where the mess can be contained. L-S can also stain the environment - it is a "dip", not a shampoo, so it will not be rinsed off at all, and the cats will be soaking wet with nasty smelling, staining liquid, then they have to dry, which takes a while, and if they use cage dryers that can be very scary for them. It wasn't worth it *to me*. I didn't bother with my cats, and everything turned out ok. I did wash everything I could, used a dilute bleach solution to wipe things down with, etc.

It took a few weeks for the lesion on me to clear completely. I had him on oral Itra for about 3 months total. They'll probably want to monitor his liver enzymes while he's on it, but it really does help!

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Here is some more info:

Multimodal Treatment

The only available FDA-approved systemic treatment to eliminate active fungus from the hair follicle is ItrafungolTM (itraconazole oral solution), a 10 mg/mL cherry-caramel flavored formulation.4 Itraconazole, a triazole antifungal, acts on the fungal cytochrome P450 enzyme 14 α-demethylase, blocking ergosterol synthesis in the fungal cell membrane and leading to structural degeneration of the fungal organism.2 Itraconazole is highly lipophilic, so the medication accumulates at high levels in sebum for distribution across the skin and to the hair.2,5 It has been found to persist in the skin for up to 4 weeks in humans, allowing weekly pulse dosing.2,5

Prior to the introduction of Itrafungol, compounded itraconazole was available for veterinary use. However, compounded formulations of itraconazole have inappropriately low bioavailability in some species, leading to non-therapeutic plasma concentrations, and are not recommended in veterinary patients.6,7 Itrafungol is administered (5 mg/kg once daily on alternating weeks for 3 treatment cycles) using the dosing syringe included in the package.8

Itrafungol effectiveness was demonstrated in a placebo-controlled laboratory study of 80 experimentally infected cats that did not receive any topical treatment. Within 1 week after the start of treatment, lesions had improved in the Itrafungol-treated cats. After 3 weeks, over 90% of cats in the treatment group reached clinical, but not culture, resolution. By the end of the 9-week study, 90% of treated cats had a least one negative fungal culture.8

Topical antifungal therapy is recommended in order to disinfect the patient’s hair coat, minimize environmental contamination, and shorten the total treatment time as compared to systemic antifungal treatment alone. Common topical products include lime sulfur leave-on rinse and chlorhexidine/miconazole formulations.1,2 Environmental decontamination is also important to minimize false-positive culture results. Effective cleansers for non-porous surfaces include diluted household bleach (1:10 to 1:100 concentration), accelerated hydrogen peroxide, and one-step cleaners with labeled effectiveness against Trichophyton spp. Carpets can be disinfected with vacuuming to remove infective hairs, followed by 2 washes with a beater brush carpet shampooer or hot water extraction. Laundry can be disinfected through 2 washing cycles at any temperature, as long as the washer is not overly full; bleach is not necessary.2

Please examine references 2 and 3 for further discussion of dermatophytosis diagnosis and treatment.

ITRAFUNGOL oral solution is indicated for the treatment of dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum canis in cats.

Important Safety Information

Do not administer to cats with hypersensitivity to itraconazole. ITRAFUNGOL has not been shown to be safe in pregnant cats and should only be used in pregnant or lactating cats when the benefits outweigh the potential risks. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of reach of children. Wash hands and exposed skin after use. Use with caution in cats with renal dysfunction or impaired liver function. If clinical signs suggestive of liver dysfunction develop, treatment should be discontinued. ITRAFUNGOL is a cytochrome p-450 inhibitor and may increase or prolong plasma concentrations of other drugs metabolized by this pathway. Cats suffering from heart disease should be carefully monitored during treatment. The most common adverse reactions reported in clinical trials include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and elevated hepatic enzymes. See Itrafungol product insert for full product information.
 
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