Please tell me ringworm is not as bad as I think it is

[3cats1house]

Hello. I am new here. I have 2 older cats (8 and 12) and 3 weeks ago adopted a 3 month old. Last week my daughter noticed a very small area above his eye that looked like a bit of a scratch and we just thought one of the other cats swatted him (they don’t really like him yet). It looked worse for a couple of days and then better. He had a vet appointment a few days ago and I mentioned the spot and she t looked at it and didn’t think it was an issue (it did look much better on that day). Yesterday I noticed that the spot was much bigger and much worse looking and there were 2 new spots, so I emailed pictures to the vet who said it was suspicious for ringworm. She was able to see him today. She confirmed it is ringworm and started him on a topical and an oral anti fungal. I have never had a cat with ringworm and didn’t even know it was common in them. I am now really freaked out and extremely anxious reading all these stories of recurrent infections. I really need someone to tell me that it isn’t as bad as I think it is. I have cleaned all areas of my house except for the room where I have the kitten isolated. I will go in and clean that tomorrow. I am just too exhausted to do anymore right but now. I don’t have any carpet in my house so that probably helps with keeping things clean and hair free. I vacuumed my couch and have washed all bedding/curtains/dirty clothes in the house on hot with the sanitize setting on my dryer. I have Rescue wipes coming tomorrow. I have gloves for handling him. I don’t know what else to do. I’m sorry this is so long. I am just so anxious about this.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If you catch it early, it may not be such a nightmare...it's really hard to know. I sometimes wonder if there are differing strains of ringworm because some people say it's not bad and others say it's just awful. BUT one thing I do know is that if your other cats have had any interaction at all, which it sounds like they have, then they need to be treated as well.

Here is a long article on everything having to do with ringworm, including medications and housecleaning, which may be helpful for you:

How to Deal with Ringworm in Cats [Inc. the Housecleaning Regime] - TheCatSite

Ringworm is a fungal infections of the skin that can affect both felines and humans. Experienced cat owners, especially those of us with a background in cat rescue, can often recognize the typical round-shaped lesions. What can you do if Kitty gets ringworm? How to help your feline friend get...

thecatsite.com

Hang in there!

 

[3cats1house]

If you catch it early, it may not be such a nightmare...it's really hard to know. I sometimes wonder if there are differing strains of ringworm because some people say it's not bad and others say it's just awful. BUT one thing I do know is that if your other cats have had any interaction at all, which it sounds like they have, then they need to be treated as well.

Here is a long article on everything having to do with ringworm, including medications and housecleaning, which may be helpful for you:

http://[URL]https://thecatsite.com/c/ringworm-in-cats/

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Hang in there!

Thank you so much. I am extremely stressed about it and cannot sleep due the anxiety. I have cleaned and am waiting on the rescue wipes to be delivered so I can then disinfect. I have done so much laundry. He is on day 2 of his meds. Quite frankly all of the threads I have read on here about ringworm and other things that I’ve read online have me really worked up. I cannot imagine dealing with this for months.

 

[Boris Diamond]

It is not always so bad. I had a kitten with ringworm. I gave him medicine, kept him isolated, kept his area clean and he was over it in about six weeks. That was seven years ago and there has been no reoccurrence.

 

[3cats1house]

It is not always so bad. I had a kitten with ringworm. I gave him medicine, kept him isolated, kept his area clean and he was over it in about six weeks. That was seven years ago and there has been no reoccurrence.

Thank you for sharing a success story! That actually makes me feel a bit better about the situation. Did you keep the kitten isolated the whole 6 weeks? Just curious as my vet said he should be able to come out after 2 weeks since he won’t be shedding as many spores.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I did keep him isolated for the entire six weeks. Maybe thinking has changed, but that was what the vet suggested at that time. I felt bad that the kitten was isolated, but I kept him in the bedroom, so I slept with him every night.

 

[Caspers Human]

"Formula 409" household cleaning spray will kill ringworm fungus and spores on hard, washable surfaces if you leave it stay wet for several minutes. Clorox bleach, diluted at 1/4 cup per gallon of hot water will also kill ringworm.

I know that these are somewhat extreme measures when there are cats in the house but, sometimes, you gotta' get out the "big guns," if you know what I mean. Just keep the cats away from the areas being cleaned with bleach until the area is completely dry. Chlorine evaporates and, by the time the surface is dry, there should be no chlorine residue. If you are concerned about chlorine, wipe down the area with clean water, afterward.

Any good, strong detergent in your washing machine should be able to kill off ringworm on washable fabrics and clothes. Use a dollop of bleach for bleachable fabrics for good measure. Once you have cleaned all the batches of contaminated fabrics, run the washing machine empty on the "hot" cycle, just for safety, to make sure that there isn't anything left in the washing machine.

I haven't ever had to deal with ringworm but, years ago, I had to deal with scabies.
I was a lifeguard on the beach at the time and I had to pull a swimmer out of the water. After we took the person to the First Aid shack, the Head Lifeguard called me into the office to tell me that the person had scabies and that I would need to disinfect myself, all of my clothes and personal belongings.

Clorox and Formula 409 were the remedies that I was instructed to use. They both work on scabies (mites) or ringworm (fungus) the same way.

No! Don't put Clorox of Formula 409 on yourself or you cat! For that, a long, hot shower/bath with plenty of soap is the thing.

 

[di and bob]

He will be much better after a week or so of being on his meds. It prevents the spores from shedding. Call your vet and see how long he will be able to infect others on that particular med. I had SO many human kids with ringworm it was ridiculous when I was a school nurse. They were able to come back to school after two days of meds and they had to have a band aid over any lesions to prevent spreading it. If you happen to get it, just keep them covered and get an antifungal salve. I never did get it and was exposed MANY times. Caught early it is not such a big deal. Keeping him isolated helps with your cleaning, just one area instead of a whole house. I would keep slippers to change in and out of at the door and wash your hands after any kind of contact. Rescue wipes are wonderful for cleanup. You'll get through this, just take one day at a time!

 

[nurseangel]

I'm coming from the same place as di and bob . I've been exposed by patients countless times and never caught it. There's always a first time, of course. I don't want you to face such anxiety over this, as it is probably not as bad as it sounds. While the thoughts bedbugs and other creepy crawlers leave me with the same anxiety you are facing, I don't worry as much about ringworm. I think you are doing all the right things, following the advice of the vet and taking extra precautions. BTW, bless you for taking such good care of your cats. The world needs more people like you.

 

[3cats1house]

Thank you for all the supportive replies. It really helps my anxiety a lot. I am feeling better about the situation and I have cleaned and am giving medicine and feel like I’ve done all I can, so better not to keep worrying about it. The hardest part now is hearing my little guy meowing in his isolation room

 

[3cats1house]

Just wanted to post an update on my kitten. The vet gave me the ok to bring him out of isolation today. She said his spots did not glow under the woods lamp and she does not think he is contagious anymore, but to definitely finish out his oral meds and to keep using the topical. He’s so happy to be out and I am happy to have him out as well. I’m definitely going to complete his meds and keep cleaning and cross my fingers that he doesn’t have a recurrence.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Great news!