Weird Bald Spot Near Kitten’s Mouth

[Faycharaf]

Hey everyone,
I’ve noticed my 2mo has developed this little patch near one side of his mouth with less hair than the other side.

Is this something to be concerned about?

 

[Kieka]

You should probably take him to a vet to have it checked. Bald spots could be caused by any number of things. While most are not life threatening by any means they do usually require some sort of medication or modification to your routine.

My initial thought, not to scare you, tends to be ringworm. It could also be a scab that fell off, reaction to bug bite, reaction to the type of bowl you use, or any number of less scary things. But it is best to have your vet check to confirm or determine if it is something else. The sooner the better to prevent the spot from growing or spreading.

 

[Ladewyn]

I suggest you take him into the vet. There are actually a lot of diseases that have alopecia (hair loss) as a symptom, which vary in severity, and some of which can be contagious to people.

 

[Faycharaf]

Update: just got back from the vet, he DOES have ringworm
I am so paranoid now that I might catch it. The vet gave me pills to give him for two weeks and told me to give him a bath in antifungal shampoo.

I also read that I have to disinfect EVERYTHING he’s come in contact with. Is this true?

Is this really serious? Is there a possibility of re-infection once he’s cured?

 

[Kieka]

Ringworm is one of those pervasive funguses. It is serious in the sense that you need to be aggressive in cleaning and treating but it is more an annoyance then a life threatening problem. You will need to clean everything really well and follow the vets instructions to the letter. Quarintine, wear gloves, and when you look online you will see tea tree oil as a human holistic treatment DO NOT use it. Tea tree is deadly to cats. No matter how effective it may be for ringworm DO NOT use tea tree oil.

Most ringworm infections will need treatment for more then the two weeks to fully clear them. But you have caught it early so you could get lucky and get it under control quickly.

The Kitten Lady, a neonatal specialist, just posted a ringworm video that may help you,
Here are some forum posts about it too:
Our Ringworm Saga To Date...
Lysol Spray Work On Ringworm????
Ringworm Troubles And Fear
New Ringworm Patch After Two Weeks Help!
6 Things I Learned from Our Ringworm Plague (book length....)

 

[Ladewyn]

For yourself, the important thing is to wash your hands whenever you handle him! Good hygiene is usually enough to keep it at bay for most healthy adults. If you want to go the extra mile, you can wear disposable gloves when handling him until it clears up. Also, no kisses until it's gone, which is probably the worst part!