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Suggestions? My new love has ringworm!

tyty333

Super_Ideal_Rock
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We just adopted a new family member a little over a week ago. His name is Palmer and he is a doll!
He came from the SPCA and was to suppose to be all nice and healthy but a few days after we got him
home he started have crusty patches on his ears and above his eyes. I took him to the vet and they
said he had ringworm (boo). I have gone through 1 bottle of tresaderm and it does look to be getting
a little better but still looks active. I called today to get another bottle but has anyone else been
through ring worm and know of a good drug to get rid of it? The faster the better because we have other
kitties in the house that I don't want to catch it.

FYI - for those who aren't familiar with it, ringworm is a fungus not an actual worm.

Anyway...here are a few pics of my new little guy. Any suggestions you have would be helpful!

kitty_pics_015.jpg

kitty_pics_022.jpg

kitty_pics_038.jpg
 

iluvshinythings

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You might try applying a bleach/water solution with a cotton ball. My friend who is a vet tech has used it on herself and she says it burns like crazy but kills the fungus. It's probably not a good first option due to the burning but might work in a pinch.

PS - Your new kitty is beautiful!
 

Matata

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Ringworm can be notoriously difficult to get rid of. Since it is zoonotic, family members can catch it as well as other pets. The cat needs to be quarantined in a room (preferably without carpet) until the infection is gone. Your vet should have a shampoo you can use as well as oral and topical medications. Cat should be bathed with the ringworm shampoo 2x week. You'll need to do some research to find out what products to use in the house to disinfect furniture, carpet, all surfaces in which the cat has already come in contact. The spoors can be anywhere. Best of luck. It can take months to get rid of.
 

SMC

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Half of Phinney's (my dog's) siblings had it as puppies and they needed to be removed and quarantined. If you don't want your other cats to catch it, I'd do my best to keep Palmer away from them.

I don't know much about how to treat it, but I'd go with whatever the vet recommended. The bleach sounds a little harsh, so you should run it by your vet first and see what he/she thinks.
 

lulu

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Never dealt with ringworm but I wanted to say he's beautiful.
 

kindred

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I would call the SPCA and let them know. There are probably a lot of other cats there with ringworm and they may not be aware of it. I have heard that it can be very difficult to get rid of. A local Humane Society had all of their cats in quarantine for many months.
 

minousbijoux

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Crap, it unfortunately sounds like a big deal. :(sad Nothing to add other than good luck, thank you for adopting a stray, and he is gorgeous.
 

katharath

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One suggestion which you might consider - if your vet also offers boarding, you could board the cat (in their quarantine area) and have them treat the ringworm while he's there. I only say this bc you have other pets and family to think of. Ringworm can be highly contagious and very difficult to get rid of. I worked in a vet's office for a few years and saw some seriously extreme cases of it, so I must admit I may be a bit overcautious when dealing with it. It can be stubborn and awful to deal with, especially since it spreads easily. My worst memory of it was a cat who was completely covered with it; literally all of her fur was gone. It was terrible :(. Obviously that's an extreme case, but it has stuck in my memory - it took the owner months of dedicated care to get her healthy!
 

JewelFreak

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Haven't dealt with it myself either, so no help here -- but your kitty is a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.! Darling girl! I'm so sorry you & she have to go through this! Dust to you all.

--- Laurie
 

Gypsy

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I've dealt with it.

If you haven't started yet, IMMEDIATELY quarantine the baby to a confined cleanable space like your bathroom. Do not let him out except to go to the vet. When you go in there keep a trashbag by the door for you clothes. Strip out of ANYTHING that he touched and put in the bag immediately after you leave the bathroom. Then take the bag straight over to the laundry and wash it all ASAP. Throw out bag each day. Do not reuse.

Wipe down shoes and feet with bleach/antifungal soap. Same with hands. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING-- not your eyes, not your face, not another cat, not a door knob until you have washed your hands CAREFULLY with hot water and antibacterial soap.

Get it to the vet for meds (clean carrier afterward with bleach). And get oral anti-fungal meds for yourself and any members of your home. Human and animal.

Then you need to wash and clean EVERYTHING you can clean that the baby has touched in the house. With bleach if possible. If not possible then hot water and anti-fungal detergent.

Keep the bathroom the baby is confined in clean and keep him there till he's clear of it. Then bathe him fully, wipe down with clean towel, (put towel in trashbag and wash immediately. And then let him out. Wash the bathroom down with bleach before anything or anyone else goes in there. Take off your clothes, put into trashbag, wash.

Ring worm is a death sentence at a shelter. It spreads like fire and the only way they can contain it is to put down the babies. It's not that harmful though, just a nasty bug to get rid of. Hopefully the baby is confined as he is new, and you didn't integrated them immediately. If you did then I hate to tell you but your other babies probably already have it. In which case, I hope you have a lot of bathrooms. Keep them away from any fabrics carpet or upholstery in any way shape or form.

You can take care of it at home though by doing the above. And then you'll have a healthy baby.

He's worth it.
 

katharath

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Gypsy's advice is spot on. The only thing I would add is that you may want to wear plastic gloves (the thin medical type gloves you can get at any drugstore) when applying any meds or giving baths, etc.

This is why I recommended just letting your vet handle it all! (I.e., the boarding scenario). It's exhausting to deal with...
 

innerkitten

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I hope he feels better soon. I love kittens.
 

tyty333

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iluvshinythings - Thanks for your input! If I catch it, I will definitly use the bleach on myself but I just dont think I
could do it to a little kitten. Besides some of it is just above his eyes. :((

Matata - we are keeping him in one room but it does have carpet. I think I read that vacuming works pretty good at
picking up the spores but then there is all the other furniture/stuff to worry about. I dont know why my vet did not
recommend a shampoo. I'm going to call the SPCA today to see what they say to do. I love your little (or should I say big)
kitties!

SMC - Yeah, I'm going to hold off on the bleach. Just wish there was a painless way to kill it quick!

Kindred - I tried to call the SPCA yesterday but they are closed on Wednesday. I'm hoping they have some other
suggestions that might help. Right now I am only attacking it with a topical but I really want to get some shampoo
and something internal (if they have something for kittens) so I can attack it 3 ways. I'm am hoping that there
are not a lot of cats/kittens there with ringworm. That really makes me sad :(( . They wont be able to get the
care that Palmer is getting.

katharath - I think he would have to be boarded for a long time (weeks/month) before it may be completely gone and I just
couldnt stand that (even though its probably the smartest thing to do). This is worse than the time my 1st grader brought
home lice. That was a full time job of cleaning/washing/treating. But at least you can see those little bugers! I feel like
I'm fighting an invisible enemy!

Gypsy - thank you for all the advice. Unfortunately, when we brough him home and for the next few days there was no
sign of ringworm so we did introduce him to our 2 other cats. :-o . I dont think I can deal with all 3 cats getting it.
I may be moving Palmer to the bathroom instead of the office so I can clean better. Thank you for all the details on
trying to keep the house from being infested. This just wants to make me cry (but I'm too old for that). Time to push
up the sleeves and get to work.

Thank you lulu, minousbijoux, jewelfreak and innerkitten! He is adorable (ringworm and all)! I have a hard time keeping my
hands off him! Animals just bring so much joy to our lives...even though I'm not having much fun right now I am thrilled to
have him!
 

momhappy

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Personally, I would be upset with the SPCA, especially if I had other pets in the house. It doesn't seem acceptable to let a cat go out for adoption that has a fairly serious condition that was undetected and/or undisclosed.
 

tyty333

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Momhappy - I finally got hold of the SPCA and you can bet I'm pretty annoyed with
them. They said I could bring Palmer to their vet which is about an hour and a half round
trip. No thanks! I told them this was a nightmare...she didn't say much. Ive been spending
all day cleaning with bleach, doing bed clothes and wiping down the office where he was
staying. I have now moved him to a bathroom that will be easier to clean. So now I
get to listen to a Kitty be upset most of the day because he is by himself. I feel so
cruel.

Tomorrow I am headed to Petsmart to see whet toys I can buy him. Anything to keep
Him entertained while he is stuck in there for the next who knows how many weeks! :angryfire:

I'm so sad and mad at the same time!
 

momhappy

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^I can certainly understand why you'd be upset. It seems sort of ironic that the very program meant to protect/prevent animal cruelty (the SPCA), has allowed an infected animal to spread infection to others. It was very irresponsible on their part and sadly, it gives pet adoption a bad name. I'm sorry to hear about your new kitty and I wish you the best of luck.
 

SMC

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momhappy|1391719971|3609436 said:
^I can certainly understand why you'd be upset. It seems sort of ironic that the very program meant to protect/prevent animal cruelty (the SPCA), has allowed an infected animal to spread infection to others. It was very irresponsible on their part and sadly, it gives pet adoption a bad name. I'm sorry to hear about your new kitty and I wish you the best of luck.
My puppy which I adopted from the local humane society, came complete with worms (coccidia, not ringworms) even though she had received deworming meds at the shelter. Worms are common in all puppies, even if you get them from reputable breeders. After ringworm, she got giardia. I don't know about ringworm, but if your cat didn't have visible symptoms at adoption, the shelter probably missed it.

I'm really sorry that you had to deal with this, but from what I've heard about it, it seems very treatable. 4 of Phinney's siblings had it, and they were quarantined for 2 weeks and then they were adopted out.
 

Andelain

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Get some Lotrimen cream, and have the vet give you a scrip for some griseofulvin for baby. Then use a diluted bleach/water solution to dip kitty, and even the others. Around 8 parts water, one part bleach. When you dip him, do it carefully, then immediately rinse him good in clear water. Use that to clean floors, counters, anything baby might touch. Wash your hands and arms in that, it'll help prevent you getting it. You might want to put lotion on after you rinse it off. A little of that diluted bleach on a q-tip can be carefully applied to baby's spots. Wipe off with a damp rag afterward. Vacuum the carpet, and once you think the ringworm is gone, shampoo it.
 

Matata

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momhappy|1391719971|3609436 said:
^I can certainly understand why you'd be upset. It seems sort of ironic that the very program meant to protect/prevent animal cruelty (the SPCA), has allowed an infected animal to spread infection to others. It was very irresponsible on their part and sadly, it gives pet adoption a bad name. I'm sorry to hear about your new kitty and I wish you the best of luck.

Animal shelters are like hospitals -- rife with contagions, bacteria, viruses, disease and potential for disease. Being in a shelter is stressful for animals who arrive there in the best of health and the challenges for those with already compromised health are huge. The stress of being in a shelter can bring on any number of illnesses. I would expect a shelter to do its best to prevent/contain outbreaks but it's difficult to do in the best of circumstances. Most do the best they can.
 

SMC

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Matata|1391720695|3609444 said:
momhappy|1391719971|3609436 said:
^I can certainly understand why you'd be upset. It seems sort of ironic that the very program meant to protect/prevent animal cruelty (the SPCA), has allowed an infected animal to spread infection to others. It was very irresponsible on their part and sadly, it gives pet adoption a bad name. I'm sorry to hear about your new kitty and I wish you the best of luck.

Animal shelters are like hospitals -- rife with contagions, bacteria, viruses, disease and potential for disease. Being in a shelter is stressful for animals who arrive there in the best of health and the challenges for those with already compromised health are huge. The stress of being in a shelter can bring on any number of illnesses. I would expect a shelter to do its best to prevent/contain outbreaks but it's difficult to do in the best of circumstances. Most do the best they can.
I agree. :)
 

momhappy

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I agree that most shelters probably do the best they can and I suppose that it's entirely possible that they missed the ringworm. The part that's upsetting is that they likely knew that the animal was entering a home with other animals because every adoption process that I've ever been through, has asked about existing pets in the home. I'm not saying that the shelter in question was completely negligent, but it sucks that you open your home to a new pet and have to deal with something like this right off the bat. I guess that's the risk you take when you bring any animal into the home, but I still feel bad for the OP.
 

Andelain

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momhappy|1391721310|3609455 said:
I agree that most shelters probably do the best they can and I suppose that it's entirely possible that they missed the ringworm. The part that's upsetting is that they likely knew that the animal was entering a home with other animals because every adoption process that I've ever been through, has asked about existing pets in the home. I'm not saying that the shelter in question was completely negligent, but it sucks that you open your home to a new pet and have to deal with something like this right off the bat. I guess that's the risk you take when you bring any animal into the home, but I still feel bad for the OP.

They probably had no idea she had it. From what I can see of the pics, she wasn't showing any symptoms at all when you took them. She's a pretty little thing. :love:
 

Gypsy

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There are oral antifungals. For both humans and cats. I know this from experience.

Here: http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/ringworm-in-cats/335 Read here.


Call a local vet. It will cost you money upfront but will save it in the long rug. Trust me. Take him in. Get the orals. Have the vet on standby for the other two.

Use a human or online pet pharmacy for the prescription. It will save you A TON of money. If you need recommendations, post after you have the script and tell us what it is and we'll help you get a good price on it.
 

OreoRosies86

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Oh he is SO sweet! I hope the love feels better very soon.
 

tyty333

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Thank you guys for all the input. I took Palmer back to the vet today and he said it is clearing up. He brushed some scabs off
him and we saw "good" skin underneath (without hair though). I asked him about doing sulfur dips and he didn't think
Palmer needed them. I asked about oral medicine also and he said he though it would cause more harm then good because
Palmer is only a little over 3 lbs. He did give me a prescription for liquid Lamisil (topical) but said I would have to call some
different places to see who had it in stock. Guess the liquid version isn't too popular. In the mean time I am keeping up
with the tresaderm. Problem is that it takes weeks to be gone and then a couple of negative test a week apart (I think) to
be sure.

BTW - when I brought him home I felt something on his side. I figured he had just gotten into a scrap with another kitty and
had a boo boo healing up. Come to find out, that area I felt was ringworm. It wouldn't have taken much of a physical to tell he
had ringworm but lets hope they didn't know and it was all an accident (doesn't mean I'm still not mad!)

I adopted him at a big adoption fair they had over the weekend and things were a bit crazy. Lots of animals and lots of people.
I'll never do that again. You don't have much time to handle the cat and you really don't get individualized service. They were
aimed at getting as many pets adopted as possible. 273 pets were adopted...which is great but...then I guess things like this
can happen.

I just have to get Palmer (and me) through it! I asked the vet if he could write me a prescription for valium :shock: .

I keep coming back to this thread to reread post to make sure I'm doing what I need to be doing so again,
thank you all for your input...I'm sorry you all have had to deal with this.
 

katharath

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Tyty, it sounds like you are doing everything right! Palmer is very lucky that he got such a caring cat mom :). Keep up the good work, sounds like it's going well.
 

ecf8503

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I'm a veterinarian - I worked in cats-only clinics for years.

Ringworm (a fungus, not a worm) is, as has been pointed out, a zoonotic disease that humans and other animals can get. But that doesn't mean everyone will. I went to Maine for an internship, saw a few cats there with ringworm, and when I came back home... low and behold a few weeks later 2 of my cats and I had lesions, whereas 2 of my other cats and my husband never did.

Treatment depends on severity and area of infection. I used a topical miconazole on myself and it cleared withing weeks, and put my 2 cats on oral and topical. There are several oral anti-fungals, some of which are safer than others. And you need to be especially careful with babies and immunocompromised animals and those with liver problems.

Do NOT dip your baby in bleach! Inanimate objects yes, but not your kitten. There are dips your vet can do that are antifungal and are much safer for her. She may not need an oral med at all - a topical may be all that is needed, but Tresaderm may not be as effective as some others.

This is not a death sentence. It will not kill her or you. It's just annoying. But it can be treated. Safely. And it is no-one's fault - especially the SCPCA's. Animals (and humans) can carry ringworm (it's everywhere in our environment, we are just usually able to fight it off), and they may never get lesions from it. Others that are young or ill are more susceptible naturally.

It is good you let the SPCA know though so they can take appropriate measures.
 
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