Ringworm

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Critter Mom

Critter Mom

Member Since 2014
I 've just discovered a patch of Saoirse's skin where the fur is missing. The skin is scaly and there seems to be a feint red ring. I think it may be ringworm so I'm going to get the vet to check it out when she goes for her appointment this week.

I've never had to deal with ringworm before. I would welcome any tips and advice about helping Saoirse and also what to do about getting rid of spores.

EDITED TO ADD:

Saoirse recently had a short stay at a veterinary hospital. If it is ringworm, could she have picked up the infection there?
 
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Ringworm is considered to be contagious, however, this isn't really accurate and many people have the wrong idea of it. The fungus that causes ringworm (tinea) is very prevalent in the environment, in soil, in houses, etc. It takes the right combination of things to actually get infected, touching another cat or person isn't enough. The conditions that allow tinea to become a problem are moisture, lack of light, decreased immunity, diabetes/sugar, decreased hygiene, co-current skin conditions. It's treated easily with antifungal creams (I don't know what they use in cats). It has a tendency to come back due to the same conditions being present.

Sun light is really helpful to improving it.
 
Thank you, Meya, for such a comprehensive reply. Saoirse has just dropped out of remission and her pancreatitis symptoms are worsening. I am hoping to finally convince the vet this week that she needs insulin. Her clinical signs have been deteriorating for months as her numbers crept up. I was wondering whether her increasing BG might be why she was vulnerable to the ringworm.

Our living room doesn't get much natural light. Could that be a factor? Could a daylight simulation bulb help?
 
Any UV light helps, but sunlight seems to be strongest. Maybe one of the verilux light therapy lamps? My cats like to lay in the light that comes through the window, maybe you could set up a cat tree or something right next to the window?

I'd bet that the increased BS do have something to do with her being more prone. Also, illness in general might affect her ability to clean, so lots of dead, flaky skin can contribute too. oh.. home remedies... Garlic oil right on the spot. Garlic kills everything, but your cat is gonna smell like a pizza for a while. Honey can help too but is messy. Tinea is really mostly cosmetic if that's what she has. Doesn't really itch too much (maybe a little), doesn't really affect anything else.

I'd think that with pancreatitis and higher sugars, you'd want to add at least a little insulin to allow the pancreas to heal.
 
Onion is only toxic when consumed, and not really toxic unless in high amounts. Garlic/onion causes a type of anemia in cats and dogs when consumed frequently. Topically it should be ok, unless she licks it all off and you apply it frequently.
 
Ringworm is easily transferred between cats and humans and other pets. Until you know for sure, don't let Saoirse play with other animals don't be handling the spot and wash your hands thoroughly and use hand sanitizer after petting her. The fungus spores transfer on the hair so vacuum thoroughly and often.

We've dealt with it in both shelters I volunteer at. It took over 3 months to get it out of the one (one room with lots of kennelled kittens in it) and about 10 weeks to get it out of the other (7 free roam rooms). In the free roam shelter it was transferring from one room to the next on people who were not following the tight protocols.

Ringworm can resolve on its own, but will take months to do so. If it is going back and forth between multiple pets and people, it could go on forever. With diabetes in play, resolving on its own might not happen. Oral meds and a lime sulfur dip is usually the most effective treatment. Lime dips suck. They suck for the people and they suck for the cat. They are the best way to treat ringworm, but I believe there is also a topical cream some vets prescribe instead to treat it.

Sterilize your house as best as you can. Vacuum, wash surfaces you can with bleach.

This is a good article on it. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=559
 
Saoirse normally likes to sit at the window but since her pancreatitis got triggered she has been lurking in her snuggle cave for days. I think I'll look into the UV lamp for her.

Saoirse was shaved extensively for her scans. I wonder if her skin might have been nicked and maybe that's how she might have picked up the infection.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about reinstating insulin therapy, Meya. I've been wanting to put Saoirse back on a token dose of insulin for weeks, because her clinical signs started deteriorating and pancreatitis symptoms got worse in February and her BG numbers have been steadily trending upwards. She's been out of regulation for days. I'm encountering difficulties getting an Rx for her Lantus. Our main vet has been on holidays. I'm hoping he will be able to issue one this week.
 
@Melanie and Smokey -

Thank you for the information, although I must admt I feel like crying after reading it. We're going through so much right now ... :(

Is it OK to take her to the veterinary surgery?
 
If it is ringworm, I'd avoid any oral medications for this. They have to be taken for quite a while to be effective and are very hepatotoxic. With a cat who already has pancreatitis, you don't want to give her GI tract anything else to deal with, especially for a condition that really isn't a big deal and is mostly harmless.
 
Saoirse certainly doesn't need any other GI or metabolic stress.

I wish this hadn't happened. I was already feeling beyond overwhelmed and scared. :(
 
Healing prayers for Saoirse and hugs to you Aine too. I think it might be possible that the ringworm was picked up at the vet clinic as sometimes I have wondered about clippers used to shave fur and whether they are sterilised between uses.
 
I think I might have found a way that I can manage to sterilize things. I had a look online for UV and sterilization and found UVC wands and vacuum cleaners that can destroy fungus (reasonable prices). I think that will have to be the way forward. My health is so poor that, being completely realistic, I haven't an icecube's chance of bleaching the place.

I used to be a picture framer, and it was standard practice for me when doing reframing projects to expose the artwork to sunlight if mildew had got into the old frame. I didn't make the connection about UV and spore destruction for ringworm (or whatever fungal infection Saoirse may have).

If anyone has any other suggestions about how to eradicate the spores from our environment that might be manageable for me, they'd be very welcome.
 
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I would talk to your vet about what is the best course of treatment for her. And to confirm it is ringworm and which strain it is. There are some rarer that aren't as contagious. I didn't want to make you feel more overwhelmed with my post, just that in my dealing with it, a very good approach to cleaning and treating is what worked best.
I have heard a few people lately that use colloidal silver as an option for treating ringworm. It us supposed to have some good healing characteristics in it.
 
Hopefully it isn't ringworm and is just a minor irritation that will heal quickly too.
 
Melanie and Smokey said:
I didn't want to make you feel more overwhelmed with my post, just that in my dealing with it, a very good approach to cleaning and treating is what worked best.
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Ah, Melanie, I know you didn't. :) I was very grateful for the information you gave me so that I know what I'm potentially dealing with. I want to help my beautiful girl. Through letting me know how diligent I need to be to protect her, you've pointed me in the right direction. Had you not let me know, I might not have realised that I would need to sterilize the place. It's tricky managing health issues simultaneously for both kitty and bean. Armed with the information that you and other members have shared thus far, at least I know what needs to be done. I now need to find a method of sterilization that's in some way manageable for me. :)
 
I have heard of people using anti-fungal sprays or powders in their homes. I cannot remember the names of the products but could do some checking. My guess is they are athletes foot products :) Would something like that be more doable for you?
 
If it turns out to be ringworm, maybe see if you could recruit some help from your church/temple/etc if you go to one, or a Girl or Boy Scout troop.
 
Oh, gosh... sorry to learn that Saoirse now has ringworm. I took in a stray kitty about 30 years ago that had an undiagnosed spot on her ear and I had no idea what it was... until it popped out on me, too. That's when I figured out the small, wreath-shaped sores on her ear and on my neck were ringworm. That was back in "the good-ol' days" when we couldn't afford to go to the vet, so I ended up using some of DH's athlete's foot cream on both Lucy and myself. It worked better on her than it did on me. Her RW cleared up in a few days, mine cleared up, too... then kept popping out elsewhere on my body. I'd no more than get one to go away, then another one would appear. After about 3 months, it cleared up once and for all. I would recommend an anti-fungal cream from your vet, as perhaps there's one that would be more cat friendly than an OTC. We all know how kitties like to lick and clean. Good luck and hugs!
 
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@BJM - Great ideas, but not an option for me.

@Elizabeth and Bertie - It's still stored in the fridge, but from a safety perspective I would prefer to get a fresh Rx. Also, my relationship with our vets is very important to me. I need their support in order to care properly for Saoirse, so I really want them onside with all of Saoirse's treatments. I've been monitoring her BG and I have the data to prove she's outside regulation now. With that plus the log of deterioration in her clinical signs I am hoping that when I speak to her primary vet at the practice that we will get the Rx this week.
 
Carole - thanks for sharing your experience of dealing with ringworm. I'm sorry to hear that it took so long for you to get clear of it yourself, but I was heartened to hear that the topical treatment helped the kitty. I hope the vet will be able to prescribe something similar to help Saoirse and that it will clear up whatever. Her comfort and wellbeing is the priority. I think I might take a course of supplements, though, to help my own immune system and hopefully eradicate whatever it is sooner.
 
Eliz, she has been on the Smilla food for the last few days which has a high level of taurine supplementation but I ran out of it because Zooplus let me down with the shipment of the latest food order (won't come till tomorrow or Wednesday) so I'm giving her Liquivite today. It has some added taurine in the formula, but I'm adding a tiny smidgen of extra taurine to it. She needs it for her heart and liver now as well, especially as she's dysglycaemic again - 10.3/185 Alphatrak today - and she's not able to metabolize her nutrients effectively at the moment.
 
I was thinking back today to when I got Saoirse home from the vet hospital. I kept sneezing and sneezing and my nose was running like there was no tomorrow for a few days. I thought I might have picked up a head cold. Saoirse has been sneezing on and off since, too (and I do occasionally). Now I am wondering whether I didn't have a head cold at all and whether what I thought was a streaming cold was instead nasal membrane irritation by fungal spores? Saoirse spent two nights in the hospital, one night of which she spent in her own kitty room. The hospital are very hot on trying to avoid cross-infection. For example, they won't allow a pet's own bedding into the wards. But I really do wonder whether Saoirse may have picked up the infection there.

What do others think?

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Hi Aine

Hugs to you and Saoirse

Remi has got a perfect little bold patch on the back of his neck that developed after I was giving him buprenex injections. When I say I I really mean my mum. I didn't realise but she was injecting in exactly the same position each day (whilst I was at work) and it just made the hair drop out. Unlikely the be the same thing for Saoirse but maybe??
 
Hi Sarah,

Thank you very much for the hugs. We really need them.

Thanks for the suggested cause but the infected area is near Saoirse's left shoulder - nowhere near her insulin injection sites. :(

I'm really worried about how much she's sneezing. My friend has kindly lent me an air purifier with a HEPA filter as a stopgap until I can secure the UVC sanitisation gadgets. Our vets were booked solid today so Saoirse won't get seen until tomorrow afternoon. My friend kindly helped me to get to a local pharmacy but they could not recommend anything for veterinary use. I did pick up a fungicidal cream for my own hands in the hope that it might help stop the spread of the infernal spores.

My little ones don't understand why they're not getting their fusses. It's very hard on all of us. :(

.
 
Big hugs Aine! So sorry that you have this added to your stress :-( I hope the vet is able to help out poor Saoirse tomorrow
 
From reading the asthma forum yahoo message board over the years it appears that it is not good to have a build up of ozone that the ionisers generate. It might not be an issue for cats that don't have asthma but I probably wouldn't risk it.

I will try to find out more info.
 
Thank you for the additional information, Sarah, and also for that link: it's very informative, and not just about the air purifiers.
 
Ringworm spores attach to the hair. So all it would have taken is a vet tech to cradle the infected cat in their arms and have that cat shed on her, then go pick up Saoirse and transfer some infected hairs to her. Cats with good immune systems can often fight that off, but cats with other conditions will show the signs easier.

I did some talking with the group where I'd seen them talk about spays/powders and they say that they just use athletes foot sprays and powders since they are anti-fungal. maybe sprinkle or spray surfaces, let it sit (usually the rule of thumb is 10min to kill something :) ) and then vacuum or sweep depending on the surface.
 
KarenBlasky said:
Any updates? unless I missed them on another post?
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Áine, I've also been looking for a recent update on Saoirse, but haven't found one anywhere. I know she had a vet appointment sometime this week but haven't tracked down any info on how that went. Have you posted in another place? If so, please point us in the right direction. We're getting very concerned about the two of you. :bighug:
 
Oh, Áine, so sorry to hear that. I certainly understand. Just know that we are thinking of you and wishing you the best.
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