Caution: Bathing Cats with Ringworm May Worsen Conditio

Many pet parents are terrified when they discover ringworm on their cats and rush to bathe them, thinking it's the best thing to do for their feline friends.

Wrong! Dead wrong!

Never, ever bath a cat with ringworm, as it can actually worsen the condition!

What is Ringworm in Cats?

Ringworm in cats is a fungal skin disease caused by fungi such as Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton verrucosum. These fungi are highly contagious and reproduce rapidly, making it challenging to eliminate once they infect a cat.

Animals, including cats, naturally carry some bacteria and fungi, just like humans. However, cats have a strong skin resistance, so these fungi can exist in their fur without causing an infection.

But when a cat's immune system is weakened, ringworm can suddenly flare up, leading to symptoms like hair loss, dandruff, rough and brittle fur, and itchy skin, eventually forming circular or elliptical lesions.

Why Can't You Bathe a Cat with Ringworm?

● Firstly, bathing may irritate the affected skin.

When a cat has ringworm, its skin is already damaged. Applying shampoo and scrubbing repeatedly can further irritate the lesions, exacerbating the condition. Moreover, if the fur isn't thoroughly dried after a bath, the moist and warm skin environment can create an ideal breeding ground for fungi, worsening the ringworm symptoms!

● Secondly, bathing can lead to the spread of the fungus.

Ringworm usually starts with only a few spots of infection. Bathing at this stage can cause fungal spores to spread throughout the body, leading to a fullbody outbreak of ringworm!

● Lastly, bathing can cause stress in cats.

Some cats are extremely afraid of baths, and stress during bathing can further weaken their immune system, potentially worsening the ringworm condition.

What to Do If Your Cat Has Ringworm?

Put a Elizabethan collar on your cat to prevent it from licking the affected area and spreading the fungus.

Trim the fur around the affected area, but only cut, not shave, to expose the lesions without damaging the hair follicles.

Disinfect the lesions with iodine solution to remove scales and crusts, allowing medication to penetrate the skin.

Apply antifungal topical treatments, such as DaShiNing (ketokonazole ointment), PiPuTe (terbinafine hydrochloride spray), and clotrimazole cream, twice to three times a day.

If the infection is widespread or the topical treatment is ineffective, consider oral itraconazole, 510mg/kg, once a day.

Feeding your cat more meat, like chicken breast, beef, and fish, can boost its immune system and overall health. If you have a budget for it, consider purchasing nutritional supplements like lactoferrin and IGY antibodies.

Give your cat fish oil and ShiWeiBi (vitamin B complex solution) for a period of time. Fish oil's unsaturated fatty acids have antiinflammatory effects, which can help suppress ringworm skin infections. B vitamins can promote cell metabolism, enhance your cat's resistance, and aid in skin repair.

Can You Give Your Cat a Medicinal Bath?

Firstly, it's generally not recommended to give medicinal baths to cats under 3 months of age with ringworm. These kittens have weak constitutions and haven't been vaccinated, so bathing can cause irritation and potentially lead to other diseases, such as feline herpesvirus and feline enteritis.

Secondly, for cats over 3 months of age with ringworm, medicinal baths should be considered on a casebycase basis.

There's no need for a medicinal bath if the infection is only in a small area.

Cats that are extremely afraid of baths should not be given medicinal baths.

Cats that are willing to cooperate with medicinal baths and have widespread infections can use 2% miconazole solution or 2%4% lime sulfur solution, once or twice a week.

Remember: ringworm can also be transmitted to humans. So, when treating your cat or giving it a medicinal bath, make sure to take personal protective measures to avoid infection.