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Sphynx kitten with ringworm.

nerdbynight

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A few days ago, I noticed an abrasion on my kittens head. I assumed it was from play fighting with my roommates kitten. By day 2 he had about 7 or 8 of them. Day 3 he had at least 13. Day 3 we went to the vet, and he was found to have ringworm. Now...I've got a couple of questions I was hoping you folks could answer. First, he hasn't been outside in months..how could he have gotten this? Second, why don't any of my other animals have it? Third, seeing as he sleeps curled up under my covers with me near my stomach..then moves to my pillow in the morning...why don't I have it? He literally sleeps on my face in the mornings. Haha. Fourth...if my other animals and I haven't gotten it does he still need to be quarantined? He is such a playful kitten, I feel horrible locking him in the bathroom, especially making him sleep in there:( Fifth...Why did it spread so quickly? 3 days and he's covered? I feel so terrible that I didn't act sooner.

Background info, he's about 6 months old, not neutered yet..soon, lives with 2 inside cats and a dog kept inside as well. Up to date on shots..

Any information will be appreciated. Thank you everyone.
 

SpinkieMom

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A few days ago, I noticed an abrasion on my kittens head. I assumed it was from play fighting with my roommates kitten. By day 2 he had about 7 or 8 of them. Day 3 he had at least 13. Day 3 we went to the vet, and he was found to have ringworm. Now...I've got a couple of questions I was hoping you folks could answer. First, he hasn't been outside in months..how could he have gotten this? Second, why don't any of my other animals have it? Third, seeing as he sleeps curled up under my covers with me near my stomach..then moves to my pillow in the morning...why don't I have it? He literally sleeps on my face in the mornings. Haha. Fourth...if my other animals and I haven't gotten it does he still need to be quarantined? He is such a playful kitten, I feel horrible locking him in the bathroom, especially making him sleep in there:( Fifth...Why did it spread so quickly? 3 days and he's covered? I feel so terrible that I didn't act sooner.

Background info, he's about 6 months old, not neutered yet..soon, lives with 2 inside cats and a dog kept inside as well. Up to date on shots..

Any information will be appreciated. Thank you everyone.

I'm no expert on the subject but I do know it is highly contagious so here is a link to an article from the ASPCA. It's a quick read and in English--none of that medical gobbledygook--there's nothing worse than trying to get a quick answer when you're already stressed from your kits being sick:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/ringworm.aspx

As for you, you may be immune, not exhibiting symptoms, or healthy enough to fight off the infection, or just haven't had the right kind of contact.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
 

Inflamed

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I don't have any experience with ringworm but do hope your kitten feels better soon! Good luck.
 

rogerswabbit

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I don't know much about ring worm in animals. I don't think I've ever even known of an animal that got ring worm but feel that all of your questions are very good ones. I can certainly understand while you were at the vets just focusing on getting your kitten the medical attention they need. Why don't you call back up to the vets with your list of questions and ask to speak to someone that can address your concerns? They may not ease all your worries but certainly could answer some of them.

I would be very curious to know the answers they give you if you find them out. Good luck and keep us posted!
 

SphynxKid

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Do you have any kids that live in the house that may in a gym class or on a wrestling team that could have brought it home to him? Seeing as he is a kitten, his immune system may not be as strong as the rest of the house, so he could have developed it from someone who brought it home as a carrier but not developed it themselves.

The vet can actually do a scraping to test to see if it is actually ringworm, which I would recommend instead of just treating blindly.

Jen
 

nerdbynight

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It's just me and my roommate. Neither of us have been in areas known to have it.

Also, it takes 2 weeks for the test to come back saying that it IS ringworm. But under the lamp he literally glowed..which is another way of testing for ringworm. I am not willing to wait 2 weeks to start treatment when in just 3 days his body is covered in sores.
 

SpinkieMom

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It's just me and my roommate. Neither of us have been in areas known to have it.

Also, it takes 2 weeks for the test to come back saying that it IS ringworm. But under the lamp he literally glowed..which is another way of testing for ringworm. I am not willing to wait 2 weeks to start treatment when in just 3 days his body is covered in sores.

I agree--go ahead and treat it while you're waiting for the test results. Please don't blame yourself or feel bad about your kit getting an infection. It's not serious (even though it is highly contagious). It's a fungal infection that's all. I don't think it will leave any scars.

If you are worried about scarring call your vet back and see if it's okay to use Tegaderm on the affected areas. It's a clear adhesive wound dressing available OTC at most pharmacies. You can't use any greasy meds (gel-type would be ok) with it because it won't stick. Now that I think about it I recall reading that keeping ringworm covered for a long period of time deprives it of oxygen and it goes away--can't hurt to try--call your vet and check it out.

Crazy as it sounds, I had a plantar wart on the bottom of my foot that I had frozen off at the Dr. Office twice--that didn't work worth a darn--so they said I had to have it surgically removed which I heard from a friend who had it done is very painful.

Anyway one nite I was feeling really annoyed over the whole thing so I got online and looked up home remedies. There was a posting about using duct tape to kill plantar warts (which are caused by a virus). Anyway I tried it 6 months ago and the wart hasn't come back!
 

btfeick1973

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Our second Cronish had ringworm when we brought her home as a kitten. Unfortunately we didn't know it until two weeks after we brought her home. She gave it to our older cat and they both had to be seperated seperately for 6 weeks. I had to wash and clean everything because it is an airborn thing and we could get it and so could have the dog. We had to give her a bath every day and then put cream on all her spots. Not a good way to bond with a new kitten. :ThumbsDown:

I would think if it is ringworm the kitten would have little round rings on her skin, not sores. But, maybe Sphynx are different.

Very sorry to hear about it. And, don't feel bad about seperating him. It's for his own good (and yours and your other pets) and he'll forgive you.

Good Luck.
 

SphynxKid

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It's just me and my roommate. Neither of us have been in areas known to have it.

Also, it takes 2 weeks for the test to come back saying that it IS ringworm. But under the lamp he literally glowed..which is another way of testing for ringworm. I am not willing to wait 2 weeks to start treatment when in just 3 days his body is covered in sores.

Did your vet at least look at the scraping under a microscope? Should have been able to at least see the fungal spores from a scraping. Also, there should be some medicated shampoos out there as a first line defense to start the treatment and then continue the treatment. The problem being if they just ordered a cream/lotion, he'll have the fungus under his nails, etc.

Did he recommend treatment for the other pets? They might not be showing symptoms but might be carrying it since it is a fungus.

Unfortunately, it's kinfd of like having head lice as a kid, and your kitty's beds will have to be washed, all the places he sleeps, toys, should be wiped down or washed if possible, or sprayed will anti fungal/antibacterial sprays.

Good luck with everything!

Jen
 

Sillysphynx24

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A few days ago, I noticed an abrasion on my kittens head. I assumed it was from play fighting with my roommates kitten. By day 2 he had about 7 or 8 of them. Day 3 he had at least 13. Day 3 we went to the vet, and he was found to have ringworm. Now...I've got a couple of questions I was hoping you folks could answer. First, he hasn't been outside in months..how could he have gotten this? Second, why don't any of my other animals have it? Third, seeing as he sleeps curled up under my covers with me near my stomach..then moves to my pillow in the morning...why don't I have it? He literally sleeps on my face in the mornings. Haha. Fourth...if my other animals and I haven't gotten it does he still need to be quarantined? He is such a playful kitten, I feel horrible locking him in the bathroom, especially making him sleep in there:( Fifth...Why did it spread so quickly? 3 days and he's covered? I feel so terrible that I didn't act sooner.

Background info, he's about 6 months old, not neutered yet..soon, lives with 2 inside cats and a dog kept inside as well. Up to date on shots..

Any information will be appreciated. Thank you everyone.


Ringworm has spores that can be carried from the grass on your shoes to inside your home or any other way, so he does not actually have to go out to get it. If he just started showing the areas then it could be up to 2 weeks before you or your other pets have any symptoms as well (animals usually have hairloss). Also some people/animals are carriers and can transport the spores without ever getting the infection. They do reccomend quarantining because he could be leaving spores around the house which will make clean up more difficult. As far as quarantining him so he doesnt pass it to you or the other animals...well youve probably all been exposed already. And ringworm can spread pretty quick. If it shows up on you, you will know it. It is very itchy and will have a circular raised outline on your skin. On animals however, they don't seem to get that circular ring.. I'm not really sure why. The easiest way to treat it is to lyme dip him (weekly to every other week)...but it smells really bad (rotten fart:Dizzy::Badly:) and your not suppose to wash it off and he will be kinda yellow. Good luck! sometimes it clears up very well and other times it passes from 1 person in the house to another. Also the black light is not 100% and some patches of very dry skin will glow as well. So keep treating him and pray the culture comes back negative! :ThumbsUp:
 

nerdbynight

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He's on antibiotics and a medicated shampoo. They are drying out and shrinking. I really couldn't quarantine him, I just felt too bad. He's a kitten with a lot of energy, plus, as someone said we were already exposed. No one else has gotten it, and he is sleeping in my bed again.
 

TheBeezNiez

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How did this all end up for you? I am in an identical situation. New kitten glowed, he had and still has no visible ringworm skin lesions, Dr. Thought it was a false negative, 9 days later skin culture came back with "light growth". I've tried keeping him quarantined but it breaks my heart. I've only had him a month, he's 15 weeks old, I want to bond with him. So he's been under my covers with me the whole time and so far myself, my roommate, and her dog are ringworm free.. but I'm worried still! He's been on the oral medicine for over a week now.

Did you end up getting it or did the kitten heal and life went on?
 

Catzzzmeow

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@TheBeezNiez Hello and welcome! We dealt with ringworm when we rescued a girl years ago. Back then they did not give oral meds, they had us bathe her. How long did your vet say until you should be in the clear? Trust me when I say it is smart to keep him separate. We went through hell trying to rid the house of it. It took 6 months to finally be ringworm free. All of our cats ended up with it and so did I. It takes just 1 spore to get it and the spores can live up to 6 months. Cats rub on furniture and go all over. It is super there are not scabs so much less chance of the skin sloughing off and leaving the spores behind, but the spores are on hair follicles so they can still rub off on things. I washed my sheets every day because they still slept with us. I also bought a steam cleaner to help really deep clean. We eventually had to get our Bengal shaved just to stop the issue of him leaving spores behind so easily. You can still bond with your baby and you sleeping with him is perfect! Play it safe no matter how much you want to set him free. His day is right around the corner! If you end up getting it, PM me. I can give you a tip on that too.

Looking forward to seeing a pic of your baby!
Patti
 

Tleon

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How did this all end up for you? I am in an identical situation. New kitten glowed, he had and still has no visible ringworm skin lesions, Dr. Thought it was a false negative, 9 days later skin culture came back with "light growth". I've tried keeping him quarantined but it breaks my heart. I've only had him a month, he's 15 weeks old, I want to bond with him. So he's been under my covers with me the whole time and so far myself, my roommate, and her dog are ringworm free.. but I'm worried still! He's been on the oral medicine for over a week now.

Did you end up getting it or did the kitten heal and life went on?
HELP! I think my baby has ring worm and IDK what to do :(
 

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Catzzzmeow

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@Tleon how many spots are there? If more can you share more pics? If you feel it is ringworm, confine your baby as it is contagious to humans and get to your vet. This spot looks iffy so that is why I am wondering if there are other spots to share.
 

Tleon

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@Tleon how many spots are there? If more can you share more pics? If you feel it is ringworm, confine your baby as it is contagious to humans and get to your vet. This spot looks iffy so that is why I am wondering if there are other spots to share.
He has this spot, and one on the other ear. And I noticed a red round spot on his toe. I brought him to the vet and they cultured it and removed the scabs, but I have to wait 72 hours. They black lighted the spot and it glowed, so the doctor said it could be a ring worm. he gave us a topical treatment and told us to treat it like a ringworm until the results come back. He also told us about a bunch of other recommended treatments, like a lime bath or something, but i don't want to do all this treatments and have a huge bill if it isnt needed. doesn't medicine just clear it up?
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Catzzzmeow

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Oh that last pic really does look like ringworm. If the black light lit up then it probably is. Glad your vet already started topical prescription. If your vet feels confident the topical,ointment will do the trick that is great! Be diligent in cleaning surfaces and vacuuming etc. Please update us. I know this can be an annoying fungus to get rid of.

Patti
 

Tleon

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Oh that last pic really does look like ringworm. If the black light lit up then it probably is. Glad your vet already started topical prescription. If your vet feels confident the topical,ointment will do the trick that is great! Be diligent in cleaning surfaces and vacuuming etc. Please update us. I know this can be an annoying fungus to get rid of.

Patti
Thank you @Catzzzmeow I am washing all of the fabrics, but how do i disinfect the carpet? and leather sofa? lysol? clorox wipes?
 

Catzzzmeow

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We bought a steam cleaner when we felt with can rent them usually if need be. Vacuuming every day will hopefully do the trick. I forget, do you have other pets? If so I would definitely confine your baby. The problem with ringworm is that the fungus can live on a single hair follicle for up to 6 months. @Tleon
 

Maddie

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The cream should do the trick! But the cleaning is important. Nasty little spores, they like sticking around. I wonder if they make cat bandaids... if you can cover it it can't spew spores as easily I'd imagine. We had a family friend stay the summer once and she had one on her temple. It was kept covered during the day I believe and had the cream. No one else got it. But a human head is a bit easier to control what it touches than a kitty.

Arm and hammer makes a carpet treatment powder that gets vacuumed up. Not sure if it disinfect though, or just makes it smell pretty. Normal leather cleaner should work, don't want to strip the colour off with chemicals.

I hope it all goes well and it clears up :) if it's just dry skin, the cream could clear it up too. Topical usually have bases with moisturizing properties.
 

nicosmom

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im so worried, i don't now if my baby has ring worm or other thing please help
Some days ago I realized that he had a red spot on his back looked like a mosquito bite but days later the red spot spread and right now its like a circle.

im super worried
 

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Catzzzmeow

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@nicosmom Looks like ringworm. A vet check is in order. Remember it is contagious, so try to limit having the full run of the house to better contain and lessen the chance of follicles sloughing off in the entire house until it is under control. Please update us.

Patti
 

Tleon

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@nicosmom this looks like ringworm. You should bring him to the vet asap. My baby was given an oral medication. You ate going to have to clean everything that he has been in contact. And if you have other pets. Keep them separate for now. The sooner it's treated the better bc ringworm is contagious and can spread. I am so sorry your baby has one. Poor thing.
 
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