[cybeeb]

We have a cat who has a problem with ringworm. We have taken her to the vet multiple times. They have tried oral medication, shots, shampoos and so far nothing has worked. At one time they said they had a vaccination for ringworm. She got the first part and then they said it was discontinued. We couldn't get the second part. We called other vets who confirmed this. She has had ringworm for almost 10 months. We keep treating her but with no success. Does anybody have any advice? We have 21 other cats and nobody else has it. Trust me, we keep checking. None of our cats ever go outside or come in contact with other animals. We would appreciate any help we can get,
Thanks in advance!

 

[mds511]

Ringworm

Hi,Has she been tested for yeast infection-it is often confused for ringworm.If it is only ringworm then kitty's imune system needs help(ringworm only attacks a weakened immune system thus explaining why your other cats are clear).You might try homeopathic meds to improve her immune response.Has she been tested for FIP,Leukemia and FIV(all which depress the immune response.What meds have you used to treat the ringworm??Have you tried Fullers earth?Ringworm can be tough to treat as the spores are very resistant to treatment and it is easy to reinfect a compromised cat.Have you shaved the affected areas?Hope this helps.Marla

 

[cybeeb]

No, she has not been tested for a yeast infection. She has been tested for all diseases. She does have a weakened immune system. When she was a very little kitten she had a severe URI. Her sinuses are eroded from this and she has to have a steroid shot every 6 months to help her breathing. She is also a VERY big cat. About 17-18 lbs. We have not shaved her back but would be willing to try anything. The vet did have her on some homeopathic medicine to boost her immune system. She is just 4 years old. We got her and her mother and siblings from the shelter the day they were born. We were supposed to foster them and take them back when they were 6 weeks old. At 5 weeks old is when they all got the URI. She was one of the sickest. One of the kittens died and Baby had to be hydrated on a daily basis. She is ususally healthy except for a constant runny nose and now the ringworm. We appreciate all help. Thanks for replying.

 

[drjean]

I've never seen a skin yeast infection in 10 years of being a feline vet, but ringworm is very common. The oral medicine ketoconazole is the most effective, but can have serious side effects.

I had ringworm in the house from a kitten I brought in. I treated everyone for a while but gave up. Didn't seem to bother anybody except me! It took 12 months for the older cats to clear the infection, but eventually they developed antibodies and got rid of it.

Try concentrating on supporting her immune system so she can clear the infection from the inside. Getting her weight under control would help! We have a lot of articles on nutrition, supplements, and selecting good foods at our website that might help you. http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[cybeeb]

Thanks Dr Jean,
The ringworm bothered me quite a bit at first but now I just check her and keep going. I just want to clear it up for her sake. I will check out products to boost her immune system but the weight control is a bit of a sticky issue. We have 22 cats in the house ranging from 2-17 years old. She is definitely the biggest but we also have some that are only 7-9 lbs. We have dry food out for them all constantly and then split 4 little cans of canned food among all of them at night just for a treat. She really doesn't seem to eat a lot-we hardly ever see her at the food dishes. But she doesn't get very much exercise. For the first year of her life she was pretty much on constant antibiotics. Then through surgery it was discovered that she doesn't have infections but eroded sinuses due to a severe URI she got at 6 weeks of age. She gets a cortisone shot every 6 months or so to help her with her breathing. When its time for her to get her shot you can tell because her nose is so stuffy that she has trouble breathing. Her nose gets real crusty with mucus. But within 1-2 days of getting her shot she can breath real easy.
Thanks again for your experience. I can wait it out if she can.
Do you recommend just leaving her handle it on her own or should I clean the affected area (pulling the fungus parts of her hair) daily?
Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!

 

[drjean]

The cortisone shot will inhibit her ability to deal with the ringworm because it is a strong immune suppressant. So she may never be able to completely clear it. However, if it isn't bothering anyone, maybe it isn't such a big deal (although it is contagious, and cats can be asymptomatic carriers, so if you have visitors over it could be a potential problem).

If you can treat her daily, you can use chlorhexadine (Nolvosan) soap to cleanse the affected areas. It is a good anti-fungal. This is a slow process but very effective, and safer than most other options.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Dr. Jean

 

[kitkat]

Both my cats had ringworm long time ago as kittens and the vet gave me some antifungal cream and it didn't clear up until a month or 2 later but it was really nasty looking before and is contagious. The cream really worked well for me though. Good luck <<))