Ringworm

[tyty333]

He is so cute Missy! I see he likes to make biscuits!

We had the same situation. Got a kitty from the county shelter that was supposed to be all "clean" and "clear". After our two cats and the kitty had been
introduced we realized the new kitty had ringworm.

I worked hard for a few weeks trying to keep the new kitty separated and happy. We had lots of visits to the vet. I was very frustrated. Finally, the
vet told me that if our other adult cats came from the SPCA/rescue they have probably already been exposed and wont get it again so there was no
need to separate them??? Well, thats all I needed to hear (basically, I gave up). In the end, the ringworm sort of ran its course. Our other 2 adult cats
did not get it and neither did any of the 4 members of the family.

I cant tell you what I did was the right thing but it all worked out in the end.

Wishing you luck!

 

[distracts]

@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.

I did NOT have other cats at the time, but a dog and a husband. Between the three of us, my husband was the only one to get multiple ringworm spots. I got one, dog got none. Husband didn't obey my commands about what to do so he got around a half a dozen.

Ringworm spores can last in the environment for 1-2 years, so it's important that you keep kitty contained in an area that you can bleach down, or you can get into an endless cycle of cats or people getting reinfected, shedding new spores, etc. This is the problem some people encounter. Exposure will absolutely increase the chances you or your other cats will get it. Especially if the other cats play rough, they may one day have a scratch that is susceptible to being infected that they didn't have before, etc.

The great thing about topical antifungals like miconazole is that they work by destroying something needed for the cell wall in fungus that NO OTHER TYPE OF CELL HAS, so you can basically overuse the heck out of it without worry about messing yourself up. My advice is to go whole-hog with the miconazole. Bathe everything and everyone in it. Slather it everywhere. It was a bit of effort but nowhere near as bad as the internet suggests.

T had a pretty bad case of it so he was on oral fluconazole. With multiple pets, or if you can't shower them, I'd highly recommend it. He wasn't happy on it, but he doesn't tolerate any medication well. Now that Oliver has four spots I think oral antifungals are probably necessary.

I recommend this ringworm shampoo: https://smile.amazon.com/Davis-Miconazole-Pet-Shampoo-12-Ounce/dp/B0078LOSUW/
It worked a LOT better than the topical creams on the cat and I didn't have to shave him. BUT that cat tolerates showers well. I washed the affected cat with that shampoo twice a week. I washed my dog with it once a week. I washed myself with it every day. It has a nice smell, very unlike lime sulfur, which I didn't use at all.

This spray is also a good option for a topical: https://smile.amazon.com/Davis-MSP04-Miconazole-Spray-Pets/dp/B00DHPDDFO/

T was quarantined for a month, I think. Whenever I went in to visit him, when I came out, I immediately took off all my clothes, bagged them (right outside the room so I didn't trail spores all over the house) and washed them with antifungal soap (I used a product by Defense but I can't find it anymore?) and then dry on HIGH HEAT. Then I showered and washed my whole body and hair with the antifungal shampoo. I visited and played with him a couple hours a day and I only got one single ringworm spot the entire time this way, and you can treat those with regular miconazole topicals. I used the spray because I am allergic to lotion ingredients that were in the creams.

You mentioned you are susceptible to skin things and I just want to add that I am too - I often get eczema or allergic dermatitis and they can get infected easily. During a lot of this I had some pretty bad dermatitis unrelated, and still only got one ringworm patch.

Any linens, towels, etc, wash with the antifungal rinse and dry on high heat. If you're worried you haven't gotten rid of all the spores, bag it and leave it for 1-2 years. Annoying but not the end of the world.

Every week I thoroughly bleached the bathroom. Set T in the shower, opened the window, bleached the heck out of everything. Then let him back in the rest of the room and bleached the shower. Walls, everything. Since you now have two cats with it, I'd just put them in there together if they get along. I wouldn't risk the rest of your cats since you're never going to be able to sanitize your furniture well enough. If you're going to keep him out, I'd pick a single room like the bedroom and lock the other cats out. Go through your personal decontamination every time you leave. Use a mattress protector, and change it and use a new different one for several years after the cats are cured, in case spores got into the mattress. Cover and put away any other upholstered furniture or rugs in the room, then when the cats are better thoroughly vacuum it and bring it back in.

This happened right after I got T so it was really, really hard. Poor baby had a cascade of health problems then, and another cascade after we moved and got a kitten. He doesn't tolerate change well. He cried much of the time he was in the bathroom. When the ringworm got fixed and I finally got him in for a dental, he had to have something like five teeth removed and had three where the root of the tooth had somehow been exposed, so in addition to being lonely he was in what must have been unimaginable amounts of pain. But he's healthy and happy now and such a good little dude.

We only had once incident of reinfection from an old spore - I hadn't rwashed and dried all the towels in the bathroom closet because I had just forgotten and a couple of months after T had been let out, my husband used one of them and got another spot. So THEN I washed and dried all of them on high heat!

 

[distracts]

addendum: the spray is good for a topical for YOU, but I wouldn't put it on a cat since it has alcohol. I used it for myself because I am allergic to lotion ingredients, and my husband used it because it's lower effort than a cream. The shampoo was the only topical I used on the cat, since I didn't shave him and he's longhaired and I quickly gave up on putting the cream on his ringworm spots.

 

[missy]

Thank you so much @ecf8503 for that detailed info. Thanks so much @tyty333 and @distracts for sharing your experiences with this. @distracts thank you for that detailed write up of how you handled everything and thank you for the links. I ordered the miconazole shampoo. It's safe for my use too I guess right? Though it has the sulfates I am sensitive to but I guess I have to choose the lesser of the evils right now.

I am trying not to be overwhelmed but with 4 cats and a big house I am not succeeding. I have been mopping with bleach every day but not doing the walls and ceilings and not washing clothes and bedding with bleach but washing and drying on very hot. I am super sensitive and cannot tolerate washing clothes in bleach. We are doing the best we can but I think it isn't enough and I am not sure how we are going to get through this.

Oliver has his first lime sulfur bath scheduled today. Hoping he tolerates it well. @ecf8503 Oliver had a weird and a scary reaction last night. The miconazole spray arrived (I also ordered the lotion or cream I forget which and that is due today) and we applied it to his leg and face. Well a few minutes later he started foaming and drooling and making scary noises. I called my sister and she said she never heard of that reaction to miconazole. After about 15 minutes he got better but I was so scared for him. Today we are only applying the miconazole to his leg and the Tresaderm to his face. And will see how that goes. The cream or lotion is arriving today and maybe we will try that on the face given that @distracts said the spray has alcohol and maybe that was what caused that awful reaction? I worry if he reacts to such a gentle treatment how is he going to handle oral antifungals and lime sulfur baths?

@distracts wow you really did a great job at containing everything. Kudos to you. I am glad you and @ecf8503 and @tyty333 got through it and that everyone is happy and healthy now. Poor Oliver is miserable locked in his playpen and when we let him out to play on our bed he is much happier. I don't know how we can contain the spores letting him run around our bedroom and sleep with us in the bedroom but I also cannot see what other way we can do it. He cries and cries and cries and is so depressed. I feel locking him away might make things worse especially since he has the herpes virus in his little body and in times of stress he will have an outbreak. It is so complicated and with 3 other cats (2 of them senior cats) I am very concerned about containing this and getting everyone healthy.

Thank you all for your input and advice and help. I am sure I will have more questions and really appreciate your thoughts. This is scary on many levels.

Oliver this morning. Happy on our bed.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thank you so much @ecf8503 for that detailed info. Thanks so much @tyty333 and @distracts for sharing your experiences with this. @distracts thank you for that detailed write up of how you handled everything and thank you for the links. I ordered the miconazole shampoo. It's safe for my use too I guess right? Though it has the sulfates I am sensitive to but I guess I have to choose the lesser of the evils right now.

I am trying not to be overwhelmed but with 4 cats and a big house I am not succeeding. I have been mopping with bleach every day but not doing the walls and ceilings and not washing clothes and bedding with bleach but washing and drying on very hot. I am super sensitive and cannot tolerate washing clothes in bleach. We are doing the best we can but I think it isn't enough and I am not sure how we are going to get through this.

Oliver has his first lime sulfur bath scheduled today. Hoping he tolerates it well. @ecf8503 Oliver had a weird and a scary reaction last night. The miconazole spray arrived (I also ordered the lotion or cream I forget which and that is due today) and we applied it to his leg and face. Well a few minutes later he started foaming and drooling and making scary noises. I called my sister and she said she never heard of that reaction to miconazole. After about 15 minutes he got better but I was so scared for him. Today we are only applying the miconazole to his leg and the Tresaderm to his face. And will see how that goes. The cream or lotion is arriving today and maybe we will try that on the face given that @distracts said the spray has alcohol and maybe that was what caused that awful reaction? I worry if he reacts to such a gentle treatment how is he going to handle oral antifungals and lime sulfur baths?

@distracts wow you really did a great job at containing everything. Kudos to you. I am glad you and @ecf8503 and @tyty333 got through it and that everyone is happy and healthy now. Poor Oliver is miserable locked in his playpen and when we let him out to play on our bed he is much happier. I don't know how we can contain the spores letting him run around our bedroom and sleep with us in the bedroom but I also cannot see what other way we can do it. He cries and cries and cries and is so depressed. I feel locking him away might make things worse especially since he has the herpes virus in his little body and in times of stress he will have an outbreak. It is so complicated and with 3 other cats (2 of them senior cats) I am very concerned about containing this and getting everyone healthy.

Thank you all for your input and advice and help. I am sure I will have more questions and really appreciate your thoughts. This is scary on many levels.

Oliver this morning. Happy on our bed.

poor Oliver
that reaction sounds terrifying
i would have been petrified
im allergic to sulphur, I'd not cope in your predicament and im a klux with bleach
we would end up with tye dyed everything
this cat bathing/showering bussiness also does not sound at all plrasent
Poor Ollie deserves all the love he can get right now
i must say when my friend's husband got it he just used the athletes foot cream the doc prescribed and maybe my friend washed the sheets in hot water ???
have you rang and told the vet about the reaction ?

 

[missy]

poor Oliver
that reaction sounds terrifying
i would have been petrified
im allergic to sulphur, I'd not cope in your predicament and im a klux with bleach
we would end up with tye dyed everything
this cat bathing/showering bussiness also does not sound at all plrasent
Poor Ollie deserves all the love he can get right now
i must say when my friend's husband got it he just used the athletes foot cream the doc prescribed and maybe my friend washed the sheets in hot water ???
have you rang and told the vet about the reaction ?

Hi Daisy, yes I called my sister last night as soon as Oliver started foaming and drooling and she was bewildered at that reaction. She said she never heard of anything like that reaction to miconazole and are we sure he didn't ingest something else. I am sure. It was the miconazole spray. But today we are applying just to the big spot on his leg and applying Tresaderm to his face spots.

My sister is a veterinarian but unfortunately located 3 hours away from us so I am taking Oliver and the other cats to a local vet. Otherwise I would much prefer seeing my sister. I trust her. It was a super scary reaction. I thought he was going to start having seizures. And today is even scarier as we are bringing him for sulfur lime dips and I hope he is not allergic to anything in the dip. I am overwhelmed and feeling awful at putting my other cats at risk. And Poor Oliver is right. This is hell for him and I am scared for his well being. And for our other cats welfare. Fred is almost 16, Tommy 12 and Bobby almost 10. We all just lost Francesca. This is quite a stressful time and I am not sure we are going to get through this.

Today I will tell the local vet about it but she probably will be annoyed as she did not prescribe the Miconazole. We are just trying to get them well and Tresaderm is so mild and ineffective from what I have read. And Miconazole has a very good safety profile. Excellent in fact. It's a mystery.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Hi Daisy, yes I called my sister last night as soon as Oliver started foaming and drooling and she was bewildered at that reaction. She said she never heard of anything like that reaction to miconazole and are we sure he didn't ingest something else. I am sure. It was the miconazole spray. But today we are applying just to the big spot on his leg and applying Tresaderm to his face spots.

My sister is a veterinarian but unfortunately located 3 hours away from us so I am taking Oliver and the other cats to a local vet. Otherwise I would much prefer seeing my sister. I trust her. It was a super scary reaction. I thought he was going to start having seizures. And today is even scarier as we are bringing him for sulfur lime dips and I hope he is not allergic to anything in the dip. I am overwhelmed and feeling awful at putting my other cats at risk. And Poor Oliver is right. This is hell for him and I am scared for his well being. And for our other cats welfare. Fred is almost 16, Tommy 12 and Bobby almost 10. We all just lost Francesca. This is quite a stressful time and I am not sure we are going to get through this.

Today I will tell the local vet about it but she probably will be annoyed as she did not prescribe the Miconazole. We are just trying to get them well and Tresaderm is so mild and ineffective from what I have read. And Miconazole has a very good safety profile. Excellent in fact. It's a mystery.

oh missy
a rough time indeed
best wishes with the vet
i always find its hit or miss if we strike a nice one - we tend to get the dog lover vets and our cats have always been on the 'special' side and not overly sociable towards strangers especially one that's sticks a thermometer up you know where

is ring worm scratchy ?

 

[missy]

oh missy
a rough time indeed
best wishes with the vet
i always find its hit or miss if we strike a nice one - we tend to get the dog lover vets and our cats have always been on the 'special' side and not overly sociable towards strangers especially one that's sticks a thermometer up you know where

is ring worm scratchy ?

Thanks you Daisy. IDK if it is itchy but I think it can be...yes our other 3 cats are very much scaredy cats and very skittish and do not do well at the veterinarian office. They are OK with my sister but alas we are just too far to make that trip often right now. We did it with Francesca before she died in June and did the 6 hour round trip to my sister and back 4 times in 7 days. We just cannot do that with the other cats. None of them travel well and the stress of that trip could be enough to put them over the edge. I really am in a dark place and truly do not know what the future holds. And it is all my fault. No need to comfort me about that. This is a fact. Yes my intentions were good but you know what they say about good intentions. Road to hell and all that. If I had not wanted to save Oliver and his eye we would not be dealing with this. No good deed goes unpunished and worse of all my other cats are going to be terrorized if they need treatments. And Oliver was playing with them for 8 days before we realized he had ringworm. So there is a good chance they will be infected if they are not already. He was all over them and Fred is elderly so he is very likely to get it as his immune system is shot and he is also on steroids for his severe arthritis. Making him that much more susceptible. I am beside myself with worry and guilt and all those emotions. And so badly missing Francesca my sweet little girl. I cannot handle all these emotions running through my body and my great concern for the welfare of our cats. It's all too much.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thanks you Daisy. IDK if it is itchy but I think it can be...yes our other 3 cats are very much scaredy cats and very skittish and do not do well at the veterinarian office. They are OK with my sister but alas we are just too far to make that trip often right now. We did it with Francesca before she died in June and did the 6 hour round trip to my sister and back 4 times in 7 days. We just cannot do that with the other cats. None of them travel well and the stress of that trip could be enough to put them over the edge. I really am in a dark place and truly do not know what the future holds. And it is all my fault. No need to comfort me about that. This is a fact. Yes my intentions were good but you know what they say about good intentions. Road to hell and all that. If I had not wanted to save Oliver and his eye we would not be dealing with this. No good deed goes unpunished and worse of all my other cats are going to be terrorized if they need treatments. And Oliver was playing with them for 8 days before we realized he had ringworm. So there is a good chance they will be infected if they are not already. He was all over them and Fred is elderly so he is very likely to get it as his immune system is shot and he is also on steroids for his severe arthritis. Making him that much more susceptible. I am beside myself with worry and guilt and all those emotions. And so badly missing Francesca my sweet little girl. I cannot handle all these emotions running through my body and my great concern for the welfare of our cats. It's all too much.

sending you a hug from our stray/pet tom Tibby
he gives the best hugs (even if he smells a bit wiffy)
you'll get through this somehow and so will the kittys

 

[missy]

sending you a hug from our stray/pet tom Tibby
he gives the best hugs (even if he smells a bit wiffy)
you'll get through this somehow and so will the kittys

Aww Tibby is beautiful. Looks a bit like Our Tommy cat.
Thank you Daisy. Hugs back from our furry crew and us to your furry crew and you.

Tommy, Bobby and Fred


We got rid of our 2 beautiful area rugs. We cannot have any rugs with this fungus among us. LOL still have some sense of humor left.

And of course sweet Oliver on the rugs that are now gone.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Aww Tibby is beautiful. Looks a bit like Our Tommy cat.
Thank you Daisy. Hugs back from our furry crew and us to your furry crew and you.

Tommy, Bobby and Fred


We got rid of our 2 beautiful area rugs. We cannot have any rugs with this fungus among us. LOL still have some sense of humor left.

And of course sweet Oliver on the rugs that are now gone.

oh they must miss those rugs
on the plus side thank goodness you didn't have carpet
shame because they looked lovelly rugs

i once tried to wash a lovely little stepping stone pure wool rug i brought our old prince, Tinky
the little tike was a puker
it was a beautiful thick deep pile rug i got with my staff discount at work- thr smallest size for in front of the heater just for him
Tinky used to rip the s### out of it around its circumference
it completly feel apart in the washing machine but he had had more than my money's worth out of the rug

im really sorry i had no idea ring worm really is worse than head lice

 

[missy]

im really sorry i had no idea ring worm really is worse than head lice

LOL yes I too had no clue til now that I would much rather have head lice than ringworm. Who would have thought. And who would have thought that there is a ring I did not want.

Live and learn and the new experiences never stop coming while one is alive. Now just hoping we all survive this experience so we can go onto experiencing new (and better) ones. Thanks for your support Daisy. I appreciate it.

 

[missy]

This link has so much info and @ecf8503 if you get a chance to check it out can you let me know if you think it is reputable?

https://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Resource Library/Ringworm Audience QA.pdf

It says one should not shampoo due to spreading spores over the coat.

A : Miconazole is antifungal , but in general I do not recommend shampooing cats with dermatophytosis because it softens the hairs resulting in fracturing of the shafts. This releases more spores over the hair coat. It is my preference to use lime - sulfur dip and let it air dry.

 

[ecf8503]

This link has so much info and @ecf8503 if you get a chance to check it out can you let me know if you think it is reputable?

https://www.maddiesfund.org/assets/documents/Resource Library/Ringworm Audience QA.pdf

It says one should not shampoo due to spreading spores over the coat.

Yes she's a reputable vet, with good information. Problem is, you ask 10 vets, you get 10 different answers, as there is no cut and dried protocol that fits every situation.

On your little one, where is the lesion(s)? How big are they? Can you take a picture for me?

 

[missy]

Yes she's a reputable vet, with good information. Problem is, you ask 10 vets, you get 10 different answers, as there is no cut and dried protocol that fits every situation.

On your little one, where is the lesion(s)? How big are they? Can you take a picture for me?

Thanks. We don’t have a photo but I’ll take one as soon as I can. Oliver is at the veterinarian right now getting a lime sulfur dip. I’m hoping it goes ok. He’s very unhappy and I know stress can cause a herpes relapse. The big lesion is on his hind leg on the joint. The smaller one is in his cheek and chin. I’ll take a photo when we pick him up later. Thanks so much @ecf8503

 

[distracts]

His reaction to the spray sounds like a pretty classic alcohol reaction. Some cats are more sensitive than others to it so I wouldn’t use it on him again.

It sounds like you’re pretty stressed out with the amount of cleaning you have to do right now... that to me is the key sign that you need to isolate Oliver in an easy-to-clean area. I know it’ll suck for him but it’ll suck for EVERYONE if you lapse in the cleaning and other cats start getting it.

That you have one cat on prednisone is another reason. T only got ringworm because he was on prednisone for an allergic reaction and he pretty quickly had a bunch of spots.

I would prioritize isolation and ease of cleaning and less stress for you/less danger to the other cats over Oliver’s comfort, sorry to say. I know how hard it will be for the little guy but if you can play with him several hours a day and then do your personal decontamination, this will be a lot easier for YOU to manage as a result. It does no one any favors if you are so burnt out from the effort that you can’t deal with things adequately.

Re: the shampoo: since T was on oral antifungals, I wasn’t particularly worried about it spreading to other spots on him via the hair shaft. I saw much more significant improvement with use of the shampoo than I did when I was attempting to put the cream on.

I’m allergic to basically every soap and shampoo... to the sulfates, to cocamidopropyl betaine, etc, but I can handle the miconazole one ok for a while. Thankfully since I had to. If you can’t tolerate that, maybe put the spray on and leave it ten or so minutes then rinse it off after you are in contact with Oliver.

Miconazole does sting - so FYI for you and when you put it on cats. I got no stinging from the shampoo, medium stinging from lotions, and the most wicked stinging from the spray. That’s normal though and not harmful.

 

[bludiva]

I'm sorry about the hassles you are going through with ringworm but Oliver is lucky to have you helping him get through this. I haven't dealt with ringworm specifically but we did have a kitten that had to be on crate rest from months 3 to 5. She hated it at first and we did what we could to keep her comfy and not to bored. I was worried about the isolation but in the end it didn't affect her socialization at all. So fwiw, do what you have to do and don't feel badly. All my fretting didn't help either of us and our kitty ended up ok. Here's hoping the treatments work asap on your kitty.

 

[missy]

His reaction to the spray sounds like a pretty classic alcohol reaction. Some cats are more sensitive than others to it so I wouldn’t use it on him again.

It sounds like you’re pretty stressed out with the amount of cleaning you have to do right now... that to me is the key sign that you need to isolate Oliver in an easy-to-clean area. I know it’ll suck for him but it’ll suck for EVERYONE if you lapse in the cleaning and other cats start getting it.

That you have one cat on prednisone is another reason. T only got ringworm because he was on prednisone for an allergic reaction and he pretty quickly had a bunch of spots.

I would prioritize isolation and ease of cleaning and less stress for you/less danger to the other cats over Oliver’s comfort, sorry to say. I know how hard it will be for the little guy but if you can play with him several hours a day and then do your personal decontamination, this will be a lot easier for YOU to manage as a result. It does no one any favors if you are so burnt out from the effort that you can’t deal with things adequately.

Re: the shampoo: since T was on oral antifungals, I wasn’t particularly worried about it spreading to other spots on him via the hair shaft. I saw much more significant improvement with use of the shampoo than I did when I was attempting to put the cream on.

I’m allergic to basically every soap and shampoo... to the sulfates, to cocamidopropyl betaine, etc, but I can handle the miconazole one ok for a while. Thankfully since I had to. If you can’t tolerate that, maybe put the spray on and leave it ten or so minutes then rinse it off after you are in contact with Oliver.

Miconazole does sting - so FYI for you and when you put it on cats. I got no stinging from the shampoo, medium stinging from lotions, and the most wicked stinging from the spray. That’s normal though and not harmful.

Thanks Distracts. Yes I am stressed to the max. Part of the reason is we unknowingly exposed all our cats to Oliver for a full 7 days before we realized he might have ringworm. Off to pick him up from the sulfur lime dip now (hope he tolerated it OK) and bringing the other 3 in for eval. If they are all infected we cannot isolate them in just one room. Oliver is isolated to our bedroom however as soon as we found out he might have ringworm. Of course we are exposed but we are doing the best we can. I appreciate your help and all the info you are sharing very much. Thank you.

 

[missy]

I'm sorry about the hassles you are going through with ringworm but Oliver is lucky to have you helping him get through this. I haven't dealt with ringworm specifically but we did have a kitten that had to be on crate rest from months 3 to 5. She hated it at first and we did what we could to keep her comfy and not to bored. I was worried about the isolation but in the end it didn't affect her socialization at all. So fwiw, do what you have to do and don't feel badly. All my fretting didn't help either of us and our kitty ended up ok. Here's hoping the treatments work asap on your kitty.

Thanks Bludiva. I appreciate that. Poor little guy. Glad your kitty turned out A OK and is doing well and none the worse for wear. Poor Ollie has been isolated or wearing a cone or both for so long now and the 7 days we let him be with the others (after being given the OK by the vet ophthalmologist) was pure heaven.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

how is everyone @missy ?

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Ugh, didn't open the thread, since the title didn't say anything to me. Never heard this word before ( I'm blesses, as it turns out). So I'm obvs of no help at all. Just want to say Sorry it's happening to you. What a mess and huge energy sucker. Buckets of DUST!

 

[missy]

how is everyone @missy ?

It goes from bad to worse Daisy. Thanks for asking.

Greg and I have ringworm spots and Fred has it all over his nose poor baby. Chances are Tommy and Bobby have it too but the vet we saw yesterday (same practice different vet) only used a Woods lamp on the other 3 cats and Fred's nose was all glowy and has all these black specks on it we couldn't clean off so that is fungus. But Tommy and Bobby did not have glowing spots however Woods lamp only gets 50% so most likely they all have it. I am at my wits end.

We are in NJ at the shore and far from my doctors. We cannot go back to NYC as I am not infecting another whole house. So we are here for the duration. The med routine with the cats is more challenging than we ever experienced (so much volume of the itraconazole for Bobby since he is 16 lbs more than the syringe even allows so that means multiple syringes for each application for just Bobby) and they are terrified and Greg got bloody with the first med application this morning. Not the cats fault because they are terrified and they are traumatized and they all had difficult beginnings before we rescued them and we have never been able to give them daily meds but now we have no choice. They need 6 weeks of treatment of oral liquid meds (one week on one week off for 6 weeks) and Fred and Oliver topical as well and then re eval. And in the meantime we have to figure out where we are quarantining Fred and we have run out of closed rooms as we have a big open concept house. Oliver (patient X) is in our bedroom and we put Fred in the study but he is screaming and crying and I dont think it is worth it. I don't know how we are going to get through this.

For those of you reading and who know about ringworm in humans do you think an urgent care doctor can handle this? I am pretty sure I will eventually need oral anti fungals given the fact I am sort of immunocompromised and have so many other skin (and health) issues. I have 3 spots on my neck and fully expect more to come. Greg has a huge lesion on his torso. Crusty and red and definitely ringworm. We have to treat all the cats and have to touch them every single day multiple times and wit 4 cats it is going to be near impossible to keep us sterile and free of spores let alone the entire house.

Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions I appreciate it.

Ugh, didn't open the thread, since the title didn't say anything to me. Never heard this word before ( I'm blesses, as it turns out). So I'm obvs of no help at all. Just want to say Sorry it's happening to you. What a mess and huge energy sucker. Buckets of DUST!

Yup turns out so were we before this summer. I never knew what ringworm was either and never realized how easy it is to contract and get and how freaking difficult it is to treat and get rid of and what the punishing routine is to truly clear one's home and lives of ringworm. Glad you never experienced this @kipari. This might be the end of me.

 

[missy]

@ecf8503 it is confirmed that all of Oliver's littermates before we adopted him now have ringworm so it isn't even necessary to wait for the culture. He had a lime sulfur dip yesterday. He has a big lesion on his hind leg and 2 smaller spots on his face. I haven't yet taken a photo. We just gave all 4 their oral antifungals and Oliver isn't hard to give the orals to but the other 3 are like wild animals. Not sure we will be able to successfully treat the cats. We have all 4 scheduled for a lime sulfur dip next week. I wanted Fred to get it today but they didn't have any more lime sulfur to use and are ordering it now. Oy. And if you read the post above you will see both Greg and I have contracted it to and not sure how we aren't going to keep getting more spots given that we have 4 cats we are treating every day. Isolating all of them is just not possible. I am thinking of letting Fred out of the den as his pitiful constant cries and the stress of this might kill him. He is 16 and has very bad asthma and arthritis. This is like a nightmare.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Oh no! No good news. I'm truly sorry


Given the situation and coming from a mom with 1 child who cannot take many oral meds (certain textures of syrups make her throw up each time, poor thing), is there any chance ro get the antifungal as a shot or suppository ?

 

[missy]

Oh no! No good news. I'm truly sorry


Given the situation and coming from a mom with 1 child who cannot take many oral meds (certain textures of syrups make her throw up each time, poor thing), is there any chance ro get the antifungal as a shot or suppository ?

This is the only form that contains the best med ingredient. Non-compounded Itraconazole And no way could we give it as a suppository. No shot form. I wish. Thanks Kipari.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Also, just a thought maybe get help at least from a cleaning crew with the daily bleaching ?

 

[missy]

Also, just a thought maybe get help at least from a cleaning crew with the daily bleaching ?

I don't think we can afford daily cleaning on top of all the vet bills. We are getting into dangerous cost territory right now and daily cleaning crew would be probably at least $400 a day and we need to keep this up for months. Thanks for your suggestions Kipari. I appreciate them. I wish money was no object. If only money could solve this issue.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Yes, I get it... Wining the lottery would be great. Hugs to you!!

 

[elizat]

Yikes!

Urgent care or walk in should be able to give you and Greg what you need for your spots. I'm sorry this is all happening.

So for isolation my suggestion is pop ups. We use them for fosters. Let me pull some links.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Ok, last idea :anyone from the local cat rescue community willing to help ? Administering meds and /or cleaning.
If there's anyone who currently doesn't have a cat themselves they might be willing to help - especially given what you do for the ferals and that you rescued Oliver?