Persian Kittens with Ringworm?

Question

I have 5 white persian kittens I got the mom from a "cattery closeout" (mom was pregnant with them) well all of them came down with ringworm.. apparently the mom is the carrier. (which I know she must have had when I got her)my vet gave me tresaderm drops and Dermazole shampoo.. she said start with this then maybe the oral treatments if that doesnt work then basically she said people do put them to sleep.. I am all upset now. I thought ringworm can be cured. I have looked all over on here and dont see people putting them to sleep because of ringworm. They dont put people to sleep if they have it.. Just looking for any more info I can get on this. thanks.

Answer 1

I would get a different opinion from someone. I have actually had ringworm ( I caught it from cows that had it) and for the cows and me, i had to use a cream. It certainly can be treated.

Answer 2

Fast Ringworm Cure?

Answer 3

I've been a vet tech for over 16 years and never heard of people putting cats to sleep that have ringworm. Ringworm is curable, it may take a while, but with patience it can be cured. It's a fungus, like athlete's foot (human's get that)...so it can be stubborn. If the Tresaderm doesn't work, I would take them to a different vet.

Answer 4

Your cats do NOT need to be put down. Cleaning it up is a big job, but its worth it.

Ringworm is often a self-limiting disease in healthy animals. If you have other pets, isolate the ones with ringworm. Remember that it can be transmitted to humans, too. Its not deadly, just very itchy and annoying.

I agree. Shave your longhaired cats.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Did I say vacuum? Throw the bag away each time.

Use 10% bleach on any surface you can. VERY hot water and Virkon (from an ag supply shop) on anything that is not bleach-safe.

Bathe your cats in Nizoral antifungal dandruff shampoo. Do not scrub the fur. Just pat it on and leave it on as long as you possibly can.

After, dip the cats in 1 part lyme sulfur or Lyme Dip (ask your vet or pet store) mixed in 16 parts water. Let dry on the cat, stick her in the shower while she dries. Keep her from licking; use an Elizabethan collar. It will stink like rotten eggs but fades as it dries.

Ideally, use an oral antifungal like Diflucan on the cat. Talk to your vet about this.

For the humans in the family, bathe in Nizoral and use athletes foot/yeast cream on any spots that appear.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum!

Good luck. It isn't deadly,but its a nasty job. Your home will never be so clean again.

A link for you:
http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/ringworm_battle_plan.htm

The absence of visible symptoms, spots, hairloss, does not mean that your cats are clear of the fungus. Ask your vet or find an online vet supplier such as Revival Animal Health to provide you with culture kits for microsporum canis (ringworm). You can use the Mackenzie Brush Technique (Google this) to test your cats when you think the RW is gone. Once you have two negative tests, two or more weeks apart, then you know the cats are clean. To save costs and resources, you can do one culture on all the cats. You need two tests, which includes all the cats in your home, to be negative to know that all is normal again.

Answer 5

Have them all shaved at once. It is far easier to treat the lesions without the hair!!!! Then use the shampoo as directed and use the cream or use Lamisil cream. We use that at the shelter. It is going to be hard to find homes for the kittens since they can infect any environment they go to. You can have the spores in your house for 18 months after all lesions have clearad on the cats.
Most of the time, cats get over it and go on to live a normal life and most will not get it again. Some however, have a lifelong battle with it and seem to be compromised, poor immune system it is thought. If the cat or any of the kittens is one like that, people do often put them to sleep. Mostly because you will NEVER get it out of the environment if they keep getting it!!!! No new pets, guests can get it, kids can get it and be banned from school. People with compromised immune systems also suffer badly with it.
You cannot clean it our of your house. The spores travel on everything and land in cracks and crevices all over.
Treating can take months, so be prepared for a long battle.

Shave
shampoo weekly
apply Lamisil daily
keep environment asa clean as possible
no new furred creatures in the home

Answer 6

I got two kitten about a year ago they were abandoned at 4 weeks of age and they were practically bald and we thought maybe this was because they'd been dumped and out in the cold for a while but we took them to the vet anyways and she gave us some penicillin cream and some malaseb shampoo and it took a long time but they healed fine no way would you put them down!! but i hope you know its very contagious so if you have kids or anything i would suggest you keep them apart.