Surprise! What Cream to Use for Feline Ringworm Treatme

As a veterinary doctor, we encounter a wide variety of cases every day. Among them, ringworm is one of the most common skin diseases in cats. This condition not only causes immense discomfort to the felines but also raises concerns among pet owners. So, what kind of ointment should you use to treat ringworm?

Part 1: Causes and Symptoms of Ringworm

Ringworm is a skin disease caused by fungal infection, primarily by Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Cats may develop ringworm due to a combination of factors, such as weakened immunity, damp environments, unsanitary living conditions, open wounds on the skin, vitamin deficiencies, lack of sun exposure, transmission between animals, and unique cat constitutions.

When cats are infected with ringworm, they may exhibit the following symptoms:

1. Itching: Cats may feel restless and frequently scratch the affected areas, leading to hair loss, skin damage, and scab formation.

2. Hair Loss: The hair in the ringwormaffected areas becomes fragile and easily falls out, forming circular hairless patches.

3. Dandruff: The affected skin may show redness and a large amount of dandruff, and secondary bacterial infections may cause symptoms such as skin swelling, inflammation, and pustules.

Ringworm is highly contagious and can spread to other animals and even humans.

Part 2: Diagnosing Ringworm

●Wood's Lamp Examination: Using a Wood's lamp to illuminate the suspected infected area, if green fluorescence appears, it is likely to be ringworm.

●Skin Scraping: Collecting a skin sample from the affected area and observing it under a microscope to determine if there are any fungi.

●Fungal Culture: Inoculating the sample into a culture medium and observing the growth of fungi to identify the specific type.

Part 3: What Ointment to Use for Ringworm Treatment?

When you discover that your cat has ringworm, don't panic. Most broadspectrum antifungal medications can be used to treat ringworm, and they are also affordable.

1. Pipute (Terbinafine Hydrochloride Spray): Terbinafine is a novel antifungal drug that can inhibit the necessary oxidase in the fungal growth process, making it a firstline treatment for ringworm.

2. Dashi Ning (Combination Ketoconazole Ointment): Ketoconazole is also a broadspectrum antifungal drug that is effective against ringworm. In addition to inhibiting fungi, it can also prevent bacterial infections.

3. Clotrimazole/Imidazole Ointment: Both of these are commonly used antifungal drugs that can effectively inhibit superficial and deep skin fungi, and can also be used to treat ringworm.

Part 4: Ringworm Treatment Steps

1. Cleaning and Disinfection: Use physiological saline to clean the affected area, helping to remove dandruff and scabs from the ringworm spots, and then apply iodine tincture for disinfection.

2. Local Application: Apply the antifungal ointment to the affected area regularly, covering the entire affected area and about 1 cm of normal skin around it.

3. Other Medications: If the infection area is large, it is recommended to take itraconazole orally in combination with antifungal bath treatment.

4. Environmental Disinfection: Regularly clean and disinfect the home environment, especially areas where the cat frequently moves, the cat bed, and the cat bowl.

Part 5: Precautions

●Isolation: It is best to isolate the cat during treatment to avoid direct contact with family members and other pets, reducing the risk of transmission.

●Elizabethan Collar: To prevent the cat from licking the ointment, it is recommended to wear an Elizabethan collar consistently.

●Continuous Treatment: Even if the cat's skin condition improves, continue to use the medication until complete recovery or no fluorescence is detected with a Wood's lamp, to avoid recurrence.

●Personal Protection: Wear gloves when applying medication to the cat and thoroughly wash and disinfect your hands afterward.

When using ointments to treat ringworm, it is also important to supplement the cat's nutrition. Feeding the cat foods rich in vitamins, lecithin, and unsaturated fatty acids can promote skin repair and enhance the cat's immunity.