Ringworm Troubles And Fear

[Queensaracat]

Hi guys, so I've posted here before about 20 or so days ago. Since then I have been treating my cat Binx for ringworm on his ear, a small spot on his nose, and on his paw. The spot on his nose has healed it seems and his ear is scabbing over. (I'm pretty sure I ended up giving this to him:/) . Having worked with animals for most of my career I've never had to deal with ringworm and it seriously stressed me out from over researching. I'm 21 and live with my parents, brother, 2 cats and 2 dogs. With no means of isolation for Binx I really stressed out about the spread of the ringworm. This has gotten to the point of making myself physically sick and relapsed with my anxiety and depression issues majorly. I started up my last semester in school to become a vet tech and all of this is really weighing on me and I need some sort of support to feel like it will all be okay. We have vaccuumed the carpets, chairs, and I've washed my bedding in bleach multiple times because that's where he used to sleep. I just can't get over this anxiety and phobia that everywhere I walk I will carry it with me. No one in my house is taking this as seriously as I am because no one else has been affected. Please please someone help me out.

 

[amethyst]

If he is healing up you probably cleaned up the ringworm. One suggestion for a way to isolate Binx if you still need to, is get a large dog kennel. I use a large dog kennel to keep the stray/feral cats in when I first catch them so they aren't interacting with my current cats until they are vetted and settled. Just set it up with a litter box, bed, food, water, etc. That way he can heal and then you can clean up the kennel afterwards without worry that he is spreading it all over the house.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It isn't a bad idea to have the kennel on hand, anyway. But it sounds like you are getting this beat. Hang in there!

 

[Queensaracat]

I didn't kennel him because by then he had already had contact with everyone and basically everything in the house. After talking to my coworkers/vet they agreed it wouldn't do much good. They also didn't seem concerned at all and my vet even said just vaccuuming and washing bedding and everything would be enough because he is a fairly healthy cat. I think I've driven myself to insanity and can't handle the "what if" thoughts anymore. I just feel a sense of guilt that I could have prevented this better. The good news I guess is that his spots were healing and no one else really seemed affected. I just need to stop these intrusive thoughts that it will come back.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yeah, it can get to be a "don't think about a pink hippopotamus" thing in a hurry.

 

[Queensaracat]

Yeah, it can get to be a "don't think about a pink hippopotamus" thing in a hurry.

Definitely. I just wish it would go away):

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The ringworm? Or the obsessive thoughts? Or, well, of course, BOTH? I wish there were a way to hurry up the "time will tell" process, but there just isn't. Nasty little fungus. I could do without it. And there seems to be an epidemic of it this past year!

 

[Queensaracat]

Bo

The ringworm? Or the obsessive thoughts? Or, well, of course, BOTH? I wish there were a way to hurry up the "time will tell" process, but there just isn't. Nasty little fungus. I could do without it. And there seems to be an epidemic of it this past year!

Both I guess. And you're right. We were seeing quite a bit of cases at the shelter my school works with so that's where I brought it from:/ Unfortunately since I've never had to deal with it, after researching it scared the ever living daylights out of me.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I promise you, you will ALL survive this. It's itchy, and WAY icky to think about, but it's fixable!

 

[Queensaracat]

I promise you, you will ALL survive this. It's itchy, and WAY icky to think about, but it's fixable!

Thank you for the support(:

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's about all I can do! But I'm here, and if I think of something really constructive, you'll know about before the thought is fully formed!

 

[Queensaracat]

It's about all I can do! But I'm here, and if I think of something really constructive, you'll know about before the thought is fully formed!

I appreciate it(:

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH...since you are new, if you click on the smiley at the top of the "post reply" box, you'll find all SORTS of fun smilies!

Like these: and the ever-popular

 

[Queensaracat]

OH...since you are new, if you click on the smiley at the top of the "post reply" box, you'll find all SORTS of fun smilies!

Like these: and the ever-popular

Ha! Sounds good

 

[Mamanyt1953]

THERE ya go!

 

[Emylou55]

How did you end up? Did you end up getting through this? We are currently dealing with ringworm and it’s making me so incredibly anxious and crazy

 

[Queensaracat]

Hey there. So I totally know what you're going through. I was a nervous/anxious wreck and during my times with ringworm i had to say goodbye to one of my kitties which was heartbreaking in of itself. While I didn't do everything that was suggested of me, so far the treatment worked within a month of my post. Binx's hair has all grown back and oscar the other kitty didn't seem to contract it and niether did the dogs or anyone else in the house...even without quarantine. So of course my story is a little different since it doesn't always go this way. What we did end up doing is buying an expensive (but oh so helpful in fighting my anxiety) detergent/cleaner that was proven to "kill spores" it was called xtreme clean disinfectant or something like that. I got it on amazon and used it in every load of laundry, put it and diluted it in a spray bottle and sprayed the carpeting and upholstery and vacuumed lots. My vacuum has a hepa filter...i think...and we have used it since and haven't gotten rid of it. I know I went against a lot of things that people say you should do so use your best judgement. Of course, my kitty only had a "mild" break out with some hairloss on her ear, a little on his nose, and some on his forepaw. Since this whole crazy event I have grduated vet tech school and still to this day think that if I were to have anymore issues I would stress the f#<$ out. Buttttt you will get through this. We used a mixture of an antifungal wipe with ketoconazole as well as a miconazole cream prescribed by a coworker. I never bathed with the sulfur stuff by I know it works!!! Please let me know if you have any questions and I will try to answer to my best ability. Please don't let this stupid fungus ruin you like it did me.

 

[Emylou55]

Thanks so much for your reply! It’s a massive long story but my kitten was a foster that I had decided to adopt before finding the ringworm. She’s been quarantined for 6 weeks now we medicated and bathed her for the first 3 weeks but then the last bathing incident she got so frightened that she clawed my eyelid and I ended up in hospital the vet keeps telling me to keep her quarantined even though there has been no new lesions in 4 weeks. Also last week she had a super high temperature so she’s now on antibiotics and we don’t know what caused the fever. It’s all a bit of a nightmare and she’s starting to become withdrawn and depressed

 

[Queensaracat]

Oh no!!! That sounds horrible. Is the hair growing back in any of the lesions?? Hopefully the antibiotics take care of the fever but that sounds like a nightmare and I am so sorry. Soon, it should be over because that is not healthy for a kitten to be alone for so long and if there are no new lesions then it sounds like a sign! Have you sent out any cultures? Because maybe the doctor is waiting for a negative culture to give you the go ahead instead of risking re-infection for anyone else or even the ktiten since the babies immune system sounds like it's a bit out of wack. I hope things clear up for you soon. It breaks my heart knowing you're going through this.

 

[Emylou55]

Nope no cultures taken. I’m going to give it another week and then I’m going to let her out I think. So nervous about that!