Just Adopted Cat That Was Exposed To Ringworm

NewKitty18

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Earlier today we adopted a new cat, which we were told had been exposed to ringworm, though she herself had no symptoms. I've been doing a bit of research since we got home and I'm kind of freaking out. We already have a cat at home, along with two kids (5 and 2). Can you guys help me out?

She's about six, DLH, extremely sweet. At the shelter she was kept separately from the other cats, though again she herself had no signs of infection. My understanding is that she was in a transport from another shelter, and a litter of kittens in that transport were identified as having ringworm.

She was at the new shelter for about four days before we adopted her. The shelter did a Wood's lamp test, which was negative, and a lime dip. They also did a fungal culture, but the results won't come back for about 10 days. They told us to keep her isolated in an easy-to-clean room until the test comes back, which seemed reasonable for separating a new cat anyway.

Now I'm home and doing research, though, and everything I've been reading about ringworm, even the non-alarmist sources, make it sound extremely difficult to deal with. And even though it sounds like the chances of her having ringworm are fairly low, we're going to be kind of screwed if she does have it.

I'm honestly considering bringing her back to the shelter at this point, which is something I've never contemplated before, even after adopting other animals with health and behavioral issues. What would you guys do in this situation?
 

jcat

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I'd just keep her separated until the test results are in and try not to worry too much. Even if they're positive, ringworm isn't all that hard to deal with if a cat is confined to one area that's easy to clean. Since she's an adult with a fully developed immune system, has already been dipped, and hasn't shown any symptoms yet, chances are she won't get it. Our shelter has gotten groups of cats where some - generally kittens or FIV+ seniors - had ringworm, and others in the same group never developed it. None of the shelter workers got it from the animals, either, although we all handled ones before it was clear they had ringworm.

If your kids are interacting with her, they should wear something like a big shirt over their clothes while with her and wash their faces and hands afterwards. Disposable gloves would help, too, but aren't an absolute must as long as you all wash your hands thoroughly. I'd probably keep her away from the kids till you have the test results just for your own peace of mind.
 
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NewKitty18

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Thanks for the responses!

One additional question. Do you think we can trust the results from this culture? I'm wondering if the test might have been started too soon after exposure.

Poor cat is in our bathroom off our bedroom and absolutely desperate to get out and socialize.
 

lacy2000

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Don’t freak out. If she has ringworm it will be ok! You can do this. If you do what they recommend, which is to keep her in a separate room (preferably for two weeks), wear latex gloves when handling her, and wash your clothes when you come in contact with her, then you will be ok. Ringworm is treatable.

You may also want to buy a black flashlight and shine it on her everyday. Ringworm will glow under black light.

Keep us updated on the test results! I hope she doesn’t have it!
 
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NewKitty18

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Hey, I have a follow up question. I'm thinking of moving her to a section of our basement that can be closed off. It would give her a lot more space, we'd get our bathroom back, and it would still be pretty easy to clean. My one concern is that the basement gets fairly cold. Down to the 50s sometimes. I could set up a heating pad under a towel for her, but do you think that would be unpleasant for her?
 

lacy2000

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Hey, I have a follow up question. I'm thinking of moving her to a section of our basement that can be closed off. It would give her a lot more space, we'd get our bathroom back, and it would still be pretty easy to clean. My one concern is that the basement gets fairly cold. Down to the 50s sometimes. I could set up a heating pad under a towel for her, but do you think that would be unpleasant for her?
I remember there was some research that said cats start to feel cold at 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I would add some heating pads and self warming beds down there for her or even a space heater if you’re comfortable with that. Then add some toys, some scratch pads, maybe a cat tree and I think that would be a great place.
 
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NewKitty18

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Wanted to give a quick update. This is our fourth day with TBD kitty, and she continues to be incredibly sweet. We've kept her in the bathroom for various logistical reasons. Our basic approach at this point is to keep her isolated, and each evening we go in to clean her litter, wipe up obvious mess, and spend some time with her. She is desperate to get out of the bathroom and have more company, which makes me feel bad, but there's not much else we can do. Every other day I'm cleaning the entire bathroom with a diluted bleach solution.

On Friday she has a well visit with our vet, who will do another Wood's lamp exam and start another culture, just on the off chance that the last one was started too early. We'll also pick up a bottle of lime sulfur so we can give her one more dip at home.

In terms of symptoms, the only thing I've noticed is that her tail is very greasy and has a lot of dandruff. I know dandruff is common with ringworm and that the tail is a common location, but what about the greasy feeling? It's also fairly matted, more than the rest of her body. I tried to check the skin of her tail and couldn't see any lesions or irritated spots, even where the dandruff was the worst. Any thoughts on this?
 

lacy2000

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It may not be because of ringworm, but simply just dry skin. My cat use to have it. It’s very common in the tail area. I would give my cat some coconut oil or salmon oil and it would help with the dandruff.

As for the greasiness, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because it’s a hard place to reach when she’s cleaning herself, or it’s the scent gland at the base of the tail that is secreting the oil? I know there’s a condition seen in uneutered males that causes greasy tails, but I’m not sure about your girl! Hopefully someone who has had this issue comes along!

You should also mention these things when you go to the vet tomorrow. Hoping for a negative culture!
 
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NewKitty18

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Ack, quarantine has been broken! The reason we kept her in the upstairs bathroom was because we were having some work done on our basement. The workers ended up letting her out of the bathroom sometime during the day. Good news is, introductions seem to have gone fine. Bad news is she's been all over the house, and is now hanging out under our bed in our empty suitcases, which I suspect will be impossible to clean.

Do you think it's worth starting the quarantine again? She sees the vet tomorrow...
 
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NewKitty18

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Sorry for the late update!

We got the initial results, and they were negative! Yay! So new kitty is free to roam the house. Original kitty is greatly affronted, but that's a topic for a different post.

We're still waiting on the culture results from the more recent test, but we're not terribly concerned at this point.
 
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