5 Essential Steps to Treat Cat Ringworm: Redness & Swel

How to Diagnose Ringworm in Cats for Beginners?

How to Treat Ringworm in Cats?

What to Do When Ringworm Leads to Swollen Skin in Cats?

How to Prevent Ringworm from Reoccurring?

Hello everyone, welcome to the pet disease education column of Oxygen Pet Doctor.

Today, we will delve into the details of ringworm, a common skin condition in cats. We hope that after reading this article, you will not be startled by ringworm but will be able to handle it calmly and confidently.

Part 1: What Does Ringworm Look Like in Cats?

Ringworm can affect various parts of a cat's body, but it is particularly common in kittens, often appearing on the face and limbs.

Firstly, look out for symptoms such as hair loss, dandruff, circular ringworm spots, and red skin. If you notice these, it might be a sign of ringworm.

Secondly, the hair in the affected area of ringworm has a distinct characteristic: the hair in the ringworm spots and surrounding areas is particularly prone to breakage, often falling out in clumps with minimal pulling.

If your cat shows these symptoms, you can purchase a few yuan worth of a Wood's lamp online and shine it on the ringwormaffected skin. If you observe a green fluorescence in the ringworm spots, it can be a preliminary indication of ringworm. However, if there is no reaction or fluorescence of other colors, it may not be ringworm. The safest approach is still to visit a veterinary clinic for a skin scraping microscopic examination or fungal culture.

Part 2: How to Treat Ringworm in Cats?

1. Topical Treatment: Local treatment can involve using Dasatin (ketоконазол cream) or Piput (terbinafine hydrochloride spray) twice to three times a day. Always ensure that the affected area is clean of dandruff and scabs before application.

2. Oral Medication: For cats over 3 months old with severe ringworm, oral itraconazole can be administered once daily, at a dose of 5 to 10 mg/kg, for a week followed by a week off.

3. Bathing: For cats with widespread infections, a 24% lime sulfur bath is recommended. Initially, this should be done twice a week, then once a week. If your cat is extremely afraid of baths and at risk of stress, consider alternative treatments such as oral medication and sprays, although this may take longer.

4. Nutritional Support: Feed your cat food rich in OMEGA3 unsaturated fatty acids and supplement with Shivibi (vitamin B complex solution) to aid in inflammation reduction and skin repair.

5. Elizabethan Collar: Swollen skin due to ringworm is often a result of frequent licking or scratching. Therefore, it is crucial to fit your cat with an Elizabethan collar. If the swelling is severe, there may be a risk of secondary bacterial infection. In such cases, it is advisable to give your cat an antibiotic course, such as amoxicillinclavulanate potassium or Eisuoda (cefadroxil tablets).

Part 3: How to Prevent Ringworm from Repeating?

Ringworm recurrence is generally caused by two reasons:

Firstly, incomplete treatment.

Secondly, repeated exposure to the pathogen.

Many pet owners stop giving their cats medication after 2 to 3 treatment courses, as they notice the skin is no longer red, scabs have fallen off, and there is no more dandruff or fur is starting to grow back. However, this is too early to stop the medication, as the fungus may not be completely eliminated, and early discontinuation can lead to recurrence.

Therefore, it is important to regularly use the Wood's lamp to check the ringworm spots until there is no green fluorescence, and then continue the medication for an additional week to consolidate the treatment, thereby reducing the recurrence of ringworm.

Additionally, incomplete environmental disinfection or failure to isolate sick cats in a multicat household can lead to repeated exposure to the pathogen or crossinfection, contributing to ringworm recurrence. Therefore, during treatment, it is crucial to ensure regular disinfection and isolation of sick cats, and pet owners should also take personal protective measures when handling the cat.