Ringworm-so Stressed :(

[Stephscat]

We had an issue with ringworm 4 months ago. My children got it from a guinea pig we had just gotten. We ended up giving the guinea pig back because I just couldn’t deal. I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to get rid of the ringworm and it was so stressful cleaning and trying to treat them and worrying about our other pets getting it. It took 4 months for the ringworm to go away on one of my kids. It just kept coming back. It FINALLY went away a couple weeks ago. Then we rescued another kitten. And she had freaking ringworm.

We didn’t know when we got her. I noticed a couple days in that she had a gunky spot on one of her ears but I thought it was from ear mites. But then I started noticing other spots on her legs and tail and 2 weeks later finally connected the dots and realized it was probably ringworm. I took her to the vet and it is indeed ringworm . She’s getting baths, mitroconazole cream, and an oral medication. She’s being kept in a spare room because I don’t want our kids and other pets to get it too.

I am so stressed out about this. I feel like I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I am terrified of my children getting it again or god forbid, getting it on their scalp because then they would need to take an oral medication that can be dangerous to their liver. I’m already struggling mentally and I’m scared this will push me over the edge. I worry that even if we manage to get rid of the ringworm on her and keep our kids from getting it, that once we let her out of the room she’ll just get it again and this nightmare will never end.

I don’t know what to do. I feel so badly for her. She is a very sweet kitten but I don’t want to do this anymore. I feel like I’m not safe and comfortable in my own home because of the ringworm. I don’t want to sit on my couch or cuddle my other pets because I’m scared they have it. Our dog is being kept in the kitchen and garage and our older cat is the only one who is having free roam of the house because he was shaved and doesn’t have any lesions.

I want to give her back to the shelter but I feel like I can’t. Like I’m stuck with her. Like I can’t give another animal back because we had to give a rescue dog back after a couple weeks because he was too aggressive to be around our kids, and then the guinea pig because it had ringworm, and now this kitten. I swear I used to be the most devoted pet owner. I took great care of my other pets and kept them their entire lives. But I just can’t deal with this when I have a toddler and a preschooler that I’m worried about. I shouldn’t have gotten another animal. I had too much on my plate already with my kids and our other two rescues but I thought another kitten would be easy and I feel so bad for all the animals that need homes. And it would have been if it hadn’t been for the ringworm. I’m just so stressed and need support

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Can you talk to the shelter?
Would some chamomile tea, or holy basil help?
From @les26;
the Holy Basil is an herb that helps keep you centered and calm and helps you deal with the stress, you know it is still there but it helps you handle it.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I know it's stressful, especially since you've just been through it . But the good news it, you HAVE been through it, and you all survived! If you choose, you CAN do it again. I'm not saying it'll be easy because I know it's a lot of work, but it can be done.

Have you seen this article? Ringworm In Cats: How To Win The Fight. And this one? Ringworm Infestation In Cats: The Housecleaning Regime

You said your children caught it before...IF they were to catch it again, could you not treat them the same way? I'm not sure why this time would be any different, BUT, if they have already been exposed to this kitten, then whether or not you return this little one, the spores are probably already in your home, so returning her might not mean no one will catch it

Whatever decision you make, I do think you should take Furballsmom's advice and try the things she mentioned above for stress. I've heard they work well. I can't imagine your life not being stressful after what's been going on

 

[Stephscat]

Thank you guys for your kind words. I caught it on my side and my husband got it on his ankle so far I haven’t seen any on my kids but I’m not counting my chickens yet. @mrsgreenjeans I could treat them the same way if they get it on their body. We had to use a cream a couple times a day but my kid that had it for the longest had a bad reaction to the cream. It gave her like a chemical burn that caused the skin to peel and look all raw. It was terrible. We tried different ones and the ones from the doctor but her skin is just sensitive and I worry about how the long term exposure to those creams could affect her because she’s so little still. I feel like it is unfair to her to subject her to more risk of contracting it. And if the kids were to get it on their scalp and they had to take the oral medication it is really bad for their liver. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. And I worry about our senior kitty. I don’t know if his liver could handle the medications if he were to get it. Because of this we’ve decided to try to take the kitten back to the shelter. Our friends recently adopted a kitten from another shelter that was sick. They were able to take it back and then readopt the kitten when it was all better. I’m hoping we can do the same thing. In the meantime I’m worried about disinfecting our house. We are throwing our couch and cat trees away. I’m not sure what to do about our upholstered dining chairs. I’ve sprayed them with vinegar and Lysol and used a clothes steamer on them but the cats all laid on them a lot so I’m not sure if they are clean enough. I’m also worried about our senior kitty I noticed some abrasions from his clip-job and I’m worried he will get ringworm through the abrasions. I gave him a bath with the miconazole shampoo and used the cream on the cuts just in case.

 

[Stephscat]

And yes I’ve read those articles so many times, I practically have them memorized hah. I have sprayed vinegar and Lysol on basically every surface of our home. I’ve vacuumed, swept, steam mopped, swiffered, I’m still working on washing everything. I have sprayed all the kids toys with vinegar but I’m not sure how else I can clean their wood toys. I’m going to bleach all the plastic legos and things and toss the soft toys in the washing machine. I’m wondering if steam mopping the floors is enough. I don’t know if I can use bleach on our floors. They’re tile. I also ordered rescue disinfectant and I plan on using that on all the non-upholstered furniture and the room the kitty has been kept in.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

What you are going through sounds so stressful and exhausting!

 

[Srwheeler]

How is everything now? Did you decide to keep the kitten? How are your lesions? I feel you on being stressed. I went on a cleaning rampage around my house when I fount out my new kitten had ringworm. I put all of our furniture in the garage. And kept all the cat’s in a easy area to disinfect daily with bleAch. Made sure to vacuum the floors every day as well.

side note about Lysol, it’s not safe for cats. Two of my older cats ended up getting sores on the tips of their noses (healed up quick with neosporin) but Lysol can cause sores and internal issues for your cats. A lot of disinfect products aren’t good to use around cat’s. Only bleach.

hopefully all is well in your fight