Ringworm

JacquieM

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haven’t been talking to the dermatology vet as much just because theculture is still pending :) will follow up with the dermatologist more when it comes back.
Did the vet say what particular skin condition they think Merlin has?
how is his ear now? Sitll fur less or growing back?
thank you for the support!
I will try to keep the “living with ringworm is my destiny” thought out 😆
Hi, sorry I missed this. I’ve been distracted visiting my 91-year-old mother in the facility where she has gone since her dementia became severe.
I’m sure you are destined for better things, LOL!
The hair is growing back on his ears, yes. But I don’t even care. Since the vet experienced it with her cat and it was no big deal, every spring, I’m not going to worry about it.
Poor Merlin had such a tough start with me. He has really settled into the house now. For some reason, he has chosen the two round ottomans as his special spots. They barely fit him; he’s a big boy. He doesn’t seem to mind hanging off them 😁
 

JacquieM

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So glad to hear it’s not ringworm👏👏👏
I also am watching my pets scratch and rub on something and all I can think is ringworm. I know they scratched before or rubbed and I wasn’t even aware of ringworm before on animals. I’m still vacuuming a lot and wiping down with disinfectant wipes more frequently on surfaces. I look for hair loss or any type of change or possible lesion constantly. I had taken new cultures and watched closely. No sign of ringworm developing. Yet, I know I am not a vet! Positive thoughts being sent with this message and an end to ringworm 🤞
As for me, I have become a much more diligent and regular cleaner, LOL. Swiffer, where have you been all my life? I love those tools. I cannot believe how much the dry swiffer mop gets up off the floor. The wet swiffer mop I regard as just a washing touchup. It’s not a super thorough cleaning. I have wood floors and I’m going to use a Murphy’s oil soap; I got a special mop for that. That’s going to be a big job. I finally have all my curtains that have been packed away back up on the windows , and it feels so good. Thank God I had not thrown out merlins 6 foot tall expensive tree.
 
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Sandy7272

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Very glad to hear everyones good news!!!
I checked again for my ending date of Intrafungal for my cats and it was the middle of April. Maybe I can take a sigh of relief and let go of some of the stress of ringworm thoughts😩😬.
I have new cleaning habits also from all of this. And I do love my Swiffer and very expensive wonderful Miele vacuum. In the beginning I said there was no way I would spend that on a vacuum! LOL
It sounds like everyone is doing much better and love the picture of Merlin in the box. I’m enjoying my pets again and best wishes to you both and your little ones💕
 

JacquieM

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Very glad to hear everyones good news!!!
I checked again for my ending date of Intrafungal for my cats and it was the middle of April. Maybe I can take a sigh of relief and let go of some of the stress of ringworm thoughts😩😬.
I have new cleaning habits also from all of this. And I do love my Swiffer and very expensive wonderful Miele vacuum. In the beginning I said there was no way I would spend that on a vacuum! LOL
It sounds like everyone is doing much better and love the picture of Merlin in the box. I’m enjoying my pets again and best wishes to you both and your little ones💕
Thank you Sandy! It has been so nice chatting with you. Yes it seems like we are in the clear. I said exactly that to a friend of mine who was encouraging me to buy an Electrolux: that I would never in 1 million years spend that kind of money on a vacuum. L O L.
 

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i brought my cats to the vet for their second fungal culture on 7/18. the results of the PCR will be out in 4-7 days and the culture in 3 weeks. hoping for the best! my russian still has that little bald spot on his ear :"(

thank you J JacquieM for showing me pictures of merlin. he is adorable :)

i remember as if it was yesterday when it was just me and S Sandy7272 talking about the ring worm back in april...
boy has time flied. 3 months already! and still dealing with ringworm XD
 

JacquieM

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i brought my cats to the vet for their second fungal culture on 7/18. the results of the PCR will be out in 4-7 days and the culture in 3 weeks. hoping for the best! my russian still has that little bald spot on his ear :"(

thank you J JacquieM for showing me pictures of merlin. he is adorable :)

i remember as if it was yesterday when it was just me and S Sandy7272 talking about the ring worm back in april...
boy has time flied. 3 months already! and still dealing with ringworm XD
Well, I am SO glad I found you both. I was upset! BTW, I spent about $400 before finding out it wasn’t ringworm. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Oh well. I’m going to donate all the Rescue spray to Brenda’s Cat Rescue in Philadelphia. Or most of it …. Maybe it’s tempting fate to give it all away.
 

vivibebean

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Well, I am SO glad I found you both. I was upset! BTW, I spent about $400 before finding out it wasn’t ringworm. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Oh well. I’m going to donate all the Rescue spray to Brenda’s Cat Rescue in Philadelphia. Or most of it …. Maybe it’s tempting fate to give it all away.
I feel like the ringworm is back again.. my ragdoll has a few bald spots on ears And on top of eye. Usually she would ringworm lesions on top of the eye :/

I wish it was excoriation again. Because last time she lost fur on her neck and was very red, but apparently it was just excoriation.

But I feel these new bald spot are too much of a coincidence since my Russian blue does have one new bald spot on his ear that showed up about 1ish week ago.

i kindaaaa wish I just have one cat instead of three… the cats vet bill on Monday was 1.7k … ringworm has been so financially depleting….
 

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JacquieM

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I feel like the ringworm is back again.. my ragdoll has a few bald spots on ears And on top of eye. Usually she would ringworm lesions on top of the eye :/

I wish it was excoriation again. Because last time she lost fur on her neck and was very red, but apparently it was just excoriation.

But I feel these new bald spot are too much of a coincidence since my Russian blue does have one new bald spot on his ear that showed up about 1ish week ago.

i kindaaaa wish I just have one cat instead of three… the cats vet bill on Monday was 1.7k … ringworm has been so financially depleting….
Wow, those are big red areas. How alarming! I came on here today to write you that two little bald spots showed up on Merlin’s ear several days ago. I chose to ignore them, because I just couldn’t believe it. And now they are gone. And all the hair is growing back on his ears. So I think he is just prone to random skin conditions. He has also had the occasional reddish scab on his skin here and there. It disappears in a few days. So I was going to be encouraging that maybe what you are seeing is not all ringworm.

But now I’ve seen your photos, and I’m speechless. But you relocated and everything, right? Could it, in part, be a reaction to the topical?

I can understand how you wish you were dealing with it in only one cat. I know I was very lucky because that is the case for me. When I let the rescue organization know that Merlin had ringworm, the owner spoke at length about what a confusing mysterious unstable condition it is
 
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Sandy7272

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I do agree that ringworm is financially depleting. The purchase of dog crates and the medication for all my cats was costly. The medication for the dogs added to it all. The cleaning products, vacuum and the mental and physical stress with all of the baths I had to do. The laundry was extensive during treatment. I spent a few hundred on the fungassy test also. Oh my!!
I truly look back and don’t understand how I did it with working two jobs. One animal would have been so much easier. Hope you are both doing well and your little furry ones also💕
 

vivibebean

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Wow, those are big red areas. How alarming! I came on here today to write you that two little bald spots showed up on Merlin’s ear several days ago. I chose to ignore them, because I just couldn’t believe it. And now they are gone. And all the hair is growing back on his ears. So I think he is just prone to random skin conditions. He has also had the occasional reddish scab on his skin here and there. It disappears in a few days. So I was going to be encouraging that maybe what you are seeing is not all ringworm.

But now I’ve seen your photos, and I’m speechless. But you relocated and everything, right? Could it, in part, be a reaction to the topical?

I can understand how you wish you were dealing with it in only one cat. I know I was very lucky because that is the case for me. When I let the rescue organization know that Merlin had ringworm, the owner spoke at length about what a confusing mysterious unstable condition it is
my ragdoll redness started to subside and she developed a small circular open wound (ddidnt look like ringworm), but that small open wound ended up closing within a week. which does not seem like her usual ringworm to me. she has been scratching around the ears a lot because it got a bit dirty there, but i just cleaned her ears with solution. the ears looksss better now! right now her opne wound is extremely small. i cant imagine it being rignworm because of how fast it shrunk and i believe her wound scabbed. i know for sure that ringworm does not scab. her redness was excoriation again. my derm did say to treat the wound as if it was rignworm still just because of the history.

my russian blue does look like he loses some fur on the ears but grow it back soon after. i dont understand it, but as long as it isnt ringworm. my ragdoll's pcr came back so far, it is negative. the other's PCR and culture did not come back yet.. pcr shoudlve been back last week and culture should be back this week or by next week.

i bought fungassy test!! it will be coming by friday
S Sandy7272 did you use sterile tooth brushes? its so hard to find sterile toothbrushes.

also J JacquieM and S Sandy7272 , thank you guys for the support!!!!! i appreciate it a lot!
i think i am in the clear, but i'll try not to get too happyy yet until the culture comes back.
 

JacquieM

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my ragdoll redness started to subside and she developed a small circular open wound (ddidnt look like ringworm), but that small open wound ended up closing within a week. which does not seem like her usual ringworm to me. she has been scratching around the ears a lot because it got a bit dirty there, but i just cleaned her ears with solution. the ears looksss better now! right now her opne wound is extremely small. i cant imagine it being rignworm because of how fast it shrunk and i believe her wound scabbed. i know for sure that ringworm does not scab. her redness was excoriation again. my derm did say to treat the wound as if it was rignworm still just because of the history.

my russian blue does look like he loses some fur on the ears but grow it back soon after. i dont understand it, but as long as it isnt ringworm. my ragdoll's pcr came back so far, it is negative. the other's PCR and culture did not come back yet.. pcr shoudlve been back last week and culture should be back this week or by next week.

i bought fungassy test!! it will be coming by friday
S Sandy7272 did you use sterile tooth brushes? its so hard to find sterile toothbrushes.

also J JacquieM and S Sandy7272 , thank you guys for the support!!!!! i appreciate it a lot!
i think i am in the clear, but i'll try not to get too happyy yet until the culture comes back.
Oh god, I’m relieved for you! It’s such a confusing disease. I appreciate the support you gave me, also. 💜
 

JacquieM

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I do agree that ringworm is financially depleting. The purchase of dog crates and the medication for all my cats was costly. The medication for the dogs added to it all. The cleaning products, vacuum and the mental and physical stress with all of the baths I had to do. The laundry was extensive during treatment. I spent a few hundred on the fungassy test also. Oh my!!
I truly look back and don’t understand how I did it with working two jobs. One animal would have been so much easier. Hope you are both doing well and your little furry ones also💕
Women just buckle down and do what needs doing. Whew!
 
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Sandy7272

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Sending encouragement your way! This has been such a long hard journey for you and your kitties. Without commitment for care and cost it would never end. I have had animals my entire life and had no idea what ringworm fungus could do.
I purchased toothbrushes at Walmart. Sending a picture. I watched a vet take a culture on you tube and it appeared to be a regular toothbrush but she said to be very careful and not contaminate it once opened. I had purchased a different brand but they did not fit into the fungassy vials very well. The picture I’m sending of brushes were the smallest I could find and seemed to just fit when putting in the sample. They are Colgate extra small for kids. I also used hemostats I purchased on Amazon to pluck hairs and put those in the vial as well. I would sterilize with alcohol before each use.
All my pets appear to be doing well without any signs of ringworm but I am still keeping a close watch👀
 

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vivibebean

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S Sandy7272 J JacquieM
my seocnd fungal culture that my cats did on 7/18 came back negative! for all three!!

but im still cautious because my ragdoll still does have that bald spot on the ear. no wound now, but hair hasnt grown comepletely yet.
and then my russian has a different looking bald spot on top of his eye as well. i think because he scratched it?

i did fungassy test on each of my cats.
S Sandy7272
do you have any picture of your fugassy tests?

i read zoetis's instruction on how to classify color change and colony growth but i find it a bit confusing without pictures to shows as reference for non-ringworm colony growth, bacterial growth, and no growth.
if you could elaborate more on how to interpret it

it is day 2 of the fungassy culture and a smalllll bit of my ragdoll's and siberian's toothbrush's BRISTLE in the culture is turning a slighttttt light pink? worried about that now. i attached pictures of the two fungassy test.






Evaluation of the test results can begin as early as 48 hours after inoculation. A pinkish color will appear in the amber medium under the specimen and developing colony. The color will intensify as growth proceeds and is due to the alkaline metabolites produced by the dermatophytes. When a positive dermatophyte infection is present, the entire medium will turn red by the seventh to fourteenth day. If there is no growth within ten days, redistribute the sample on the medium. Occasionally growth does not occur due to improper inoculation.

10. A color change may occasionally be produced by a specimen heavily contaminated with saprophytic fungi or bacteria.1 However this is not a problem because differentiation from dermatophytes can be made as follows:

Dermatophyte: A color change appears in the medium with colony growth - colony pigments are usually light colored.

Saprophytic fungi: Colony growth is well established before any color change appears in the medium - colony pigments are usually dark colored.

Bacteria: The morphology of bacterial colonies differs from the morphology of fungal colonies.
 

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vivibebean

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Sending encouragement your way! This has been such a long hard journey for you and your kitties. Without commitment for care and cost it would never end. I have had animals my entire life and had no idea what ringworm fungus could do.
I purchased toothbrushes at Walmart. Sending a picture. I watched a vet take a culture on you tube and it appeared to be a regular toothbrush but she said to be very careful and not contaminate it once opened. I had purchased a different brand but they did not fit into the fungassy vials very well. The picture I’m sending of brushes were the smallest I could find and seemed to just fit when putting in the sample. They are Colgate extra small for kids. I also used hemostats I purchased on Amazon to pluck hairs and put those in the vial as well. I would sterilize with alcohol before each use.
All my pets appear to be doing well without any signs of ringworm but I am still keeping a close watch👀

also youre defintely in the clear now! its been months since they finished their itrafungol!
 
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Sandy7272

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Hi
I found it confusing as well! I lightly tapped the bristles in the medium but did not leave the toothbrush. When I plucked the hairs were the lesions had been I tapped them in the medium also. Making sure all samples were attached to the medium. I found what I thought to be better examples of test results at pennvet. I’m attaching pictures and hopefully you can find the site and compare. I did not take any photos of my results. I just did my best watching for change and how it developed. Always hesitant on opening the cabinet where they were kept.
I also had called Zoetis who makes the fungassy but no help in interpreting just recommended taking to a vet to read the results. That would not work in my case. I had taken samples from all my pets and each one appeared differently most of the time. I kept comparing with the pennvet pictures.
 

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Hello,I am going through an issue with my cat where he is very itchy. I gave him his first bath with Micoseb shampoo a couple of days ago and he was very good and gave me no problems. The problem I had was not covering his entire body with the shampoo, I think because it was my first time bathing him I was a little scared of what might happen, so got most of shampoo on his head and neck and back and underside on one particular bad lesion he has.so far,it seems to be helpful. There is hair already growing back around the lesion and he's not liking it constantly! I had made the mistake of trimming the hair around the lesion and then he seemed to lick it much more.
Another thing I noticed was that I needed to remove a flea collar I had on him and that also seemed to be very helpful in relieving a lot of itching. It was a cheap Haarzt collar which I probably should never have put on him.So I am watching him closely and we will have another bath I think in a few days,but so far I see a slight improvement
 

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These are pictures taken three days after his first Miconazole shampoo. To be clear, he has had no hair loss, the area in the picture without hair is where I trimmed the hair to get a better look at what was going on.That only made him lick it worse.can anyone help me identify what this is?thank you!The third picture is clearest in showing the problem. I see little tiny black specks in his skin.
 

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JacquieM

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Hi
I found it confusing as well! I lightly tapped the bristles in the medium but did not leave the toothbrush. When I plucked the hairs were the lesions had been I tapped them in the medium also. Making sure all samples were attached to the medium. I found what I thought to be better examples of test results at pennvet. I’m attaching pictures and hopefully you can find the site and compare. I did not take any photos of my results. I just did my best watching for change and how it developed. Always hesitant on opening the cabinet where they were kept.
I also had called Zoetis who makes the fungassy but no help in interpreting just recommended taking to a vet to read the results. That would not work in my case. I had taken samples from all my pets and each one appeared differently most of the time. I kept comparing with the pennvet pictures.
So helpful, Sandy. That’s very nice of you
 
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