Ring worm??

[Tanya]

I have taken Ella to my vets twice because she has had a sore, round, red patch on her stomach. Now a patch has appeared on her leg and next to her ear. The vet has said to ignore it for now .... so I took her to another vet!

He took a scrape from each area and that is being sent to the lab.(to ensure this is what she has because the pacthes look different!)She has also got a shampoo which I need to use on her 2/3 times a week for one month.

My concern is the other cats in the house .... Oli, my three year old cat (who has a poor immune system - had cat flu as a kitten, damaged eyes now and also having treatment for his eyes at the moment!) Im also worried about Alfie, who is Ella's brother from the same litter.

When I asked the vet, he told me that it was catching. Im getting married in 3 weeks so really don't want to catch this!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Tanya, Oli, Ella and Alfie.

[angieh]

You need practical advice Tanya - not sure if isolating your Ella at this stage would help. Ringworm is catching as your vet has told you. I'd try and get some advice for yourself as well as your animals. Try phoning your local surgery or trying NHS online.

I do wish you well. Let us know how you get on. Sorry not to be more help.

[smudgley]

It is quite likely the other cat will catch it, less likely that you will. Good personal hygiene is sensible. It sounds worse than it is. people are often horrified at the thought of it, but it's not so bad....

[dandysmom]

Tanya, I found this link to be helpful, especially about the transmissability to humans:

[link removed]

Oh, and congratulations on the upcoming wedding!

[pcspik]

Ringworm is catching yes, but there are precautions I would take.

The main thing I would do is move the affected cat away from the others - if you have a laundry room I would use that. If you do not have one, than any room, but remove soft bedding - cushions, duvet covers etc away. Throw out the cats bed as it is liable to be effected - washing even at 90°C will not kill it - use old cushions, bedding, curtains instead. Throw them and any cloths you use away every single day. The main thing is that you should throw that into the outside wheelie bin as soon as practically possible - the more in your house it lingers the more the ringworm spores are in your environment, and could potentially effect your other cats.

Secondly get cheap disposable boiler suits (I have found ones in Poundland - but they tend to be restricted in size - in the past or even places like Wilko's. They are stocked in the DIY section) and also disposable gloves (I have mine from Wilkos). Each time you handle it, then throw them away too and certainly never handle the cats without them on. Keep contact to a minimum (I know it is hard) only handle it when necessary such as giving the cats Intrafungal (which is usually prescribed for a cat in this situation).

If you do actually get ringworm, if it is minor then you can leave it alone, but if it is bothersome, or in an area which will show up in your photos, ask the chemist for some antifungal cream.However if the patches are on your head or pubic area then seek advice from your GP. Again, seek advice from your GP if it is really severe. Ringworm will clear up on it's own within about a month if you do leave it alone - I had a patch earlier on this year on my stomach and I did nothing and it went 8 weeks later.

If you follow my advice about handling her with protective gear then you mimise the risk. I know it is annoying but been as you are getting married I think it is better safe than sorry. However, even if you did get the antifungal cream from the chemist they are not instant, and would definitely not clear up for in time for the wedding. The last thing you would want is ringworm patches (or traces of) in your photos!

[Tanya]

Thanks for that very informative post pcspik. ;)

[pcspik]

No problem. Just a note that you can pick up ringworm from surfaces not just direct contact with the cats. I forgot to say that with footwear I would get some cheap sandals as any other footwear may be infected. Ideally plastic shoe covers would be ideal, but I do not know where you would buy them from. Once your cat is ringworm free then I would bin the sandals.

Just a note that you can get ringworm from infected surfaces, our deputy manager once got hers from touching fencing where ringworm infected cattle had been rubbing. I am not sure 100% where I got my ringworm from, as I had not been in contact with anywhere where ringworm infected animals had been or the surface. I think I got mine from the shower (it is possible to get it from there!) as I had recently moved.