Effective Cat Ringworm Treatment: A Comprehensive Medic

Cats have a habit of grooming themselves, but if your feline friend suddenly starts furiously licking, it's a sign for pet parents to take notice. This could be a sign that your cat has contracted a skin condition. With the humid and hot summer weather, the likelihood of cats contracting skin diseases is quite high, with ringworm being one of the most common. So, what should you do if your cat develops ringworm? What medications are effective? Today, we'll delve into this topic to provide you with some valuable information.

Part 1: Effective Treatments for Ringworm

1. Mild Ringworm

When dealing with a small, localized area of infection, it's generally recommended to treat the area topically.

• Gently clean the affected area with生理盐水 or iodine solution to soften the scales and crusts, while also providing mucosal disinfection.

• Apply a topical medication such as Pipette (Terbinafine Hydrochloride Spray) or Dakonin (Ketoconazole Cream) twice to thrice daily until there is no fluorescence reaction under a Wood's lamp, or the fungal test returns negative.

2. Severe Ringworm

• Apply Terbinafine Hydrochloride Spray topically twice to thrice daily;

• Administer Itraconazole orally at a dosage of 510mg/kg body weight, once daily;

• Use an antifungal bath containing ketoconazole, with mild infections treated once a week and severe infections treated twice a week.

3. Special Cases

If the ringworm infection is around the mouth or eyes, it may be difficult to apply topical antifungal treatments. Although these medications are relatively safe, frequent licking can lead to chronic poisoning and easily irritate the conjunctiva. Therefore, even if the infection is not severe, oral antifungal treatment is necessary for these areas.

• Administer Itraconazole orally at a dosage of 510mg/kg body weight, once daily;

• Provide Vitabiotics (Vitamin B Complex Solution) to boost your cat's immunity;

• Apply a safe, nonirritating antiseptic spray, such as Pipette Skin Spray, topically.

Part 2: Steps for Treating Ringworm

1. Trim the affected areas and surrounding fur to allow for ventilation and easy application of medication;

2. Disinfect the skin with iodine solution, wait for it to dry, and then apply the topical spray or cream;

3. Fit your cat with an Elizabethan collar to prevent them from licking the affected area;

4. In multicat households, isolate the infected cat to prevent the spread of ringworm;

5. Regularly disinfect floors, beds, sofas, and other items, as well as all corners, using hypochlorous acid disinfectant or petspecific disinfectants.

Part 3: Important Considerations

1. Antifungal medications may have side effects, such as indigestion or liver damage, so it's crucial to monitor your cat closely. If your cat has not recovered after one week of taking Itraconazole, consider taking a oneweek break before resuming the medication or adjusting the dosage to every 23 days.

2. Perform a Wood's lamp test before starting treatment. If the affected area shows green fluorescent spots, it is likely ringworm. If your cat's skin does not improve after a period of treatment, it may be a misdiagnosis. In such cases, it's advisable to consult a veterinarian for a skin scrape or hair pluck test.