Ringworm in multicat household

[Catluvr]

I rescued a stray kitten about two weeks ago and my husband, daughter and six of my twelve cats have caught ringworm from him. I have pills to treat them but my vet advises that I should euthanize all or most of them in order to get rid of the fungus. He said that it is almost impossible to cure with so many cats. I am so upset over this. Does anyone know of anything else I can do???

[davet]

i can not see the justification for euthanizing all of the cats....i cannpt tell you to use chlorox dip which i did in this situation..Chlorox will kill all the spores but you have to be carefull i0n its use...it will kill spores on surfaces etc but again it can cause changes of color....i think i personally would seek the advisse of another vet because this can be controlled and, to me, is not a criterion for euthanasia, especiall of innocent pets.

[kate&girls]

No no no, oh no please don't euthanize them! What are the pills you're giving them? Just wondering b/c some of the pills are nasty and can do liver damage.

Sometimes topical antifungals alone will work - sulfur-lime dips and antifungal creams. I had great success with my cats using both topical creams and Program (it's for fleas, but somehow it works for ringworm too). I caught ringworm in the process too; you'll survive though! Also remember to keep your house really clean all the time while you're treating the ringworm. It can live for a while in bedding, on the floor, etc.

[CATLUVR]

The pills are fulvicin. They are to be given twice a day. The side effects are quite serious so I am really afraid to give them.

I tried Program but I don't think I gave it enough time to work. I went back with the kitten after two weeks and I was reading tonight that it takes at least a month before they should be retested. I did not know this.

The vet told me that topical creams are of no use on cats, but I see that many people had success with them. The suggestion of euthanasia really shocked me, but he said with so many, they will just keep reinfecting each other and it will never be cured.

I am so upset that I can hardly think, let alone make a decision on how to treat my cats. Any help would be appreciated so much. I love my cats.

[Traci]

See a NEW vet and do it right NOW. Your other vet doesn't deserve your time or your money.

Ask the new vet for topical miconazole cream or shampoo, and talk about discontinuing the griseofulvicin, it is a med I never ever recommend. If any of your cats are already immunocompromised, the griseofulvicin can be deadly.

See a new vet NOW.

[kate&girls]

Hi catluvr,
If it were me, I'd forget the fulvicin for now and keep trying with Program - it took at least two months for it to go away completely in my house. Ringworm really sucks (pardon my language); it's a lot of work to get rid of. The good news is that it's not life threatening and it *will* go away eventually if you work at it! I totally understand how upset you are, but you don't need to be. Just take one thing at a time - keep at it with the Program, get a topical ointment (I can't remember which one we used but I'll look it up when I get home) and disinfect your house.

Do you have any other vets in your area? Yours doesn't sound very cat-friendly; I think I might just take my business elsewhere.

Hang in there! You have lots of support coming your way from Kobi & Pele who both had ringworm and especially hated their sulfur-lime dips, but are now happy and healthy.

[Tambrey]

I had a cat that contracted ringworm from my step-daughter, who contracted it from spending the night at a friends house...

Our vet at the time, and this was a number of years ago, anesthesized (sp) Tigger and gave him a bath in iodine, then rinsed him well and even blow dried him (low heat of course)...that was it and we never dealt with the ringworm again...

With new meds out, see what another vet has to say, but definitely they do NOT need to be put down for ringworm...this current vet obviously does not want to take the time to deal with it properly...

Best of luck in getting things under control...

[canine14]

I feel for you. I have twenty cats (some mine, some rescues up for adoption) and most of them have caught ringworm, including me, from a kitten I brought in from a house in which the woman kept 80-100 cats. When I brought my most severely affected kittens in last night, my vet NEVER once suggested euthanization. Ringworm is a fungus, like Athlete's Foot, and with patience and dedication can be treated. Find another vet.

Lisa.

[Guest]

What a wonderful site! Thank you to everyone who offered advice. I am feeling so much better. This is the worst crisis I have faced with my cats for a long time and it was so good to read something that gave me some hope. I got Program from a new hospital. I haven't seen the vet yet, but I am going to make an appointment when I have given the Program time to work. The receptionist that I spoke to said that Program is what they use in the clinic to treat ringworm and it is very effective and much less toxic than the other medications. The schedule alone would have been exhausting - a pill twice a day for twelve cats, actually thirteen as I still have the kitten. This is just one megadose and then repeat in three weeks. I am praying that it will work.

Thank you everyone for the responses. I will post when I have the final results of this dreadful situation . Hopefully I will be able to help someone else facing the same problem.