Below please find my knowledge of diagnosing and treating Ringworm as a long term cat owner and breeder. Hope the information may help., o+ e+ M' u7 b; d9 B9 `* e
What’s Ringworm?
* s4 k& L3 }0 G% P- V% Q/ E; cRing worm is a fungal infection of M canis, a fungus grows in the dead layers of skin, hair and nails feeding off protein as its food. This is a highly contagious disease not only among cats but also can infect humans.9 b& ^4 T! C( E& c# D7 \/ p3 u
Who’s prone to the infection and how does the infected area look like?. H+ ^/ @$ f# {' b8 V# m
Healthy cats generally have protective layer on their skin guarding off the spores produced by M canis. However excessive bathing, scratching, hot and humid weather will keep the fungus active to cause problem. Young cats under 2 years old are of high risk due to underdeveloped immune system. Long term diseases, stress and change in humidity will also reduce natural immunity of cats to increase chance of infection.! J ]& h' i% K
Rear claws, face, ears and back are common to find Ring Worm as these are areas where cats find difficult or unable to lick clean. The symptom will be heavy shading in cluster of dried-up hairs where you can see “dandruff-like” white scales on the tips. To confirm you can place this sample hair or simply the infected skin under a UV lamp (bank-note Wood’s lamp), if it’s Ringworm it will glow fluorescent under UV light.
5 r! Y9 d! X" T- HOf course, a more accurate result can be given by microscopic exam or fungal culture but that will be the job of specialist mycologist (i.e. a vet).
+ s0 X/ G5 L+ f6 u+ W+ iWhat will be the oral and topical treatment after diagnosis?
w8 @8 e( E( S% NThe most effective medication I encountered as a long term cat-owner/breeder is GRISEOFULVIN which is highly effective especially being taken with a fatty diet. You can simply soak the tablets in olive or fish oil before feeding your cats. However the medication seems encountering a problem of vet license renewal, so your vet may give you LAMISIL as an alternative.9 K1 d+ Y5 m' x& i# t0 S
Please note: ABSOLUTELY NO ORAL MEDICATION FOR PREGNANT QUEENS (isolate for topical treatment only or you risk deformed off springs)8 Y9 e7 X/ a1 `& h' ]
For best topical result, dermal shampoo MALASEB should be applied weekly (wet your cat and work shampoo into lather to soak for 10 min before rinse off) until symptoms completely subside.
/ G7 {5 |7 M: {Is there any other useful administration?. h) [2 x: l( c$ b
Yes you can shave your cats for quicker recovery and convenience in frequent bathing. It will normally take 5-8 weeks for the M canis to subside but mind you it will never be eliminated, so be prepared it will be a long term battle. As the cats grow older into their fullest (3 to 10 yrs) their immunity will naturally protect them from being infected.
. V# s' v) r. H0 k/ L1 BMeanwhile, DO NOT apply any kind of disinfectant or alcohol upon the infected areas in the hope to kill the fungus. This way you will damage the already damaged skin further and make it hard to recover. Good luck.
