Need more info on Ringworm, please?

Question

I have 2 feral kittens and hope to trap the other 4. I have approval with the shelter to bring them in, but I have to wait 10 days while they go around again with ringworm. Now, I've had it before- my last case came from holding a guinea pig in the crook of my arm while I medicated it- my entire armpit became one huge flaming ring- but I'm still not 100% on how/why it's spread and why some cats get it and some don't.Or what the conditions are for an animal to spread it to me.

In other words: What if I wait the 10 days to give up the kittens, only to find out that they've got it, too?

All cat experts, please advise! Thanks!

Answer 1

ringworm is a fungal infection - I managed to catch it from calves one year, when working on a farm I caught it through direct contact, which is probably how you got it from the guinea pig.

I beleive that a lot of cats carry ringworm fungii without showing symptoms, so it's probably stress or ill health that triggers it. In humans it can be easily treated - I had a steroid cream that cleared it up, but not sure what treatment would be for cats.

The first 2 links are people related and the last2 are cat specific.

Answer 2

I got ringworm from my cat just from holding it and being exposed to the infected area. All i did was go to the vet and she gave us anti-fungal cream to put on the infected area. My entire family was exposed and my other cat got it too. You should keep the kittens away from cats that are infected. if they do get infected go to the vet and you will have to treat them with the cream so they are okay when you give up the kittens.

Answer 3

Ringworm is a skin and scalp disease caused by several different kinds of fungi. Ringworm on the scalp usually makes a bald patch of scaly skin. People with ringworm on other parts of their skin can have a ring-shaped rash that is reddish and may be itchy. The rash can be dry and scaly or wet and crusty.

Can animals transmit ringworm to me?

Yes, many different kinds of animals can transmit ringworm to people. Ringworm is transmitted from direct contact with an infected animal's skin or hair. Dogs and cats, especially kittens or puppies, can have ringworm that can be passed to people. Cows, goats, pigs, and horses can pass ringworm to people too. People can also get ringworm from other people and their personal items.

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http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/cdc_resou...

For more information about ringworm, please visit the ringworm page at the National Institute of Health  

http://health.nih.gov/

Cats carry the fungus ringworm. That't right, it's not actually a worm. It looks like a worm when it effects skin, thats how it got it's name,The best way to test for ring worm is to see if the owners of the pet get it. Tests are ineffective and are usually wrong.

Keep the cat indoors. The fungus lives outside in dirt. Avoid it and you don't have to worry.

If your family or the cat come up with a circular, red rash, see a doctor (home remedies don't work) and take the cat to a vet for shampoo.

A veterinarian can usually diagnose ringworm by using an ultraviolet light. In some cases however, this isn't enough and a sample of hair or scrapping of the skin is needed for further diagnosis. Treatment is basically in the form of antifungal pills and/or topical medications such as creams or medicated shampoos.

The major problem is getting rid of the spores in your home so they don't reinfect your pets. Most spores are shed through the fur into the carpet, so occasional "dip" baths may be required to kill the spores that may linger on the fur of cats and dogs. As well, it is recommended that you destroy all pet bedding, blankets, brushes/combs, scratching posts and other items used by the pets. Any items that cannot be thrown out need to be soaked thoroughly in a solution of hot water and Betadine or Iodophor for one hour. They should then be rinsed in a mixture of water and ...5% chlorine bleach. Drying the items outdoors in sunlight will also help. Vacuum your house thoroughly and be sure to immediately dispose of the vacuum bag. Then have all carpets and upholstery steam-cleaned and wash all walls with a mixture of water and chlorine bleach. If you have an air filter in your home, you must also dispose of the filter.

Although ringworm is a mild disorder, it can cause a tremendous amount of problems to a household. If you continue to have problems with reinfection, please consult your veterinarian for additional solutions or information that he/she may be able to provide.

Good luck

Answer 4

I just took in a kitten that I found outside. I'm waiting on results to see if she has worms and what kind she has. All kittens have worms but they don't have the same type. I thought the 10 day waiting period had to do with rabies. You should be able to get some kind of worm treatment but there's the risk that what you are treating the kitten for won't be effective unless they have the worm the treatment is for. It's not an all in one medication, unfortunately. The animal control officer told me to wear gloves when handling the kitten and that's what I did. But I have to say that she is in great condition. When I took her in she was pretty thin. But she doesn't have ear mites. She's a little dirty but not too bad. I have gotten worms from her that I know of. Just wear gloves. Use bleach for cleaning. Keep the kitten(s) in a cage for the 10 days.

edit: Other types of worms that I know of: Hookworm, giardia, etc. One of my cats was treated for giardia.

Answer 5

check out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_worm

or any other pet website to learn more. good luck!

Answer 6

Ringworm tends to be the disease of the very young, the very old, and the immune-suppressed.  Kittens and puppies don't have well-developed immune systems, so you'll see it most often on them.  An animal with a strong immune system can have the spores on their fur but have no lesions.  These are the carriers of it, sort of.  Some people just seem more susceptible to it than others.  What my rescue does is as soon as a cat comes in, we start a ringworm culture.  Then the cat is given an anti-fungal bath, which will wash most of the spores off their fur if there are any.  The ringworm culture is left to incubate for 10 days - if it's clear after those 10 days, we figure the cat probably doesn't have ringworm.  Many shelters screen with a Wood's lamp - ringworm will flouresce under it much of the time, but it isn't foolproof.  And certainly any cats/kittens with missing patches of hair or lesions should be under ringworm quarenteen.  

Ringworm is more common in strays and outdoor cats, as it lives in the ground.  They get it on their feet then spread it throughout their fur when they wash themselves.  In the north where the ground freezes in the winter it's less common.  Down south it can really be a problem.  

Ringworm surely isn't the end of the world, but it's a time-consuming and lengthy process to rid a cat of it.  You really just treat the symptoms with topical creams and baths until the cat's own immune sysmtem kicks in and fights it off.  It can take a month or more until that happens, though.