If your cats don't show any signs of Ringworm, how do you know if they have it or not? My daughter now has a few spots on her. Any info you can give I would appreciate!
Well, you could use a wood lamp. But, only 50 percent of a specific type of ringworm called Microsporum canis will fluoresce within the catâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s fur with the characteristic apple green color.
"A more reliable way to diagnose ringworm is to conduct a fungal culture on hairs taken from around the area in question by plucking them with a clean instrument or brushing them with a new toothbrush. In order to identify the source of the infection, the fungal growth is evaluated under a microscope to determine the type of fungus present. This assessment of the material subsequent to its growth in a medium will rule out false positives that would otherwise be caused by environmental contaminants."
Good advice, Helen. I had trouble with ringworm several years ago & my vet checked the spots with the Wood's lamp & told me the cats were negative - after I started getting spots I took them back - turned out they had a kind that only showed up on culture!
If the cats are negative, it's possible your daughter picked up the ringworm from the garden, or at school. In the meantime, be careful not to let her touch the cats with that spot, and to wash all the linens in hot water, and not share towels. In case it came from the cats, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the cats.
The thing is there are no spots on the cats that I can see, so I am just not sure if it came from them or not. I hate stuff like this but I will treat her spots and see what happens.