Effective Treatment for Fungal Infection in Cats: Quick

Ringworm in cats is a contagious skin disease caused by various types of fungi. Clinically, it is characterized by circular or irregular hair loss, redness, oozing, dandruff, and scabs on the skin. The most common affected areas include the face, ears, trunk, paws, and tail, where circular scabs appear, covered with gray scales. The hair in these areas falls out, and the affected areas often cause itching. In cases with a longer duration, after the scales fall off, bald spots, papules, blisters, oozing, and scabs may form. Some cases can heal on their own, as long as the hair follicles are not damaged, and new hair may still grow.

PhytoSkin, a compound terbinafine solution, is an inhibitor of squalene epoxidase, which can suppress the activity of fungal squalene epoxidase at low concentrations. This leads to insufficient ergosterol synthesis and accumulation of squalene within the fungi. Ergosterol is an essential component of the fungal cell membrane, and insufficient ergosterol synthesis inhibits fungal growth. Squalene also has a direct toxic effect on fungal cells, causing them to die rapidly. This dual action results in strong antifungal activity, effectively inhibiting skin fungi such as Microsporum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton verrucosum. Shortterm treatment can achieve significant results, and it can continuously adhere to the skin's stratum corneum, providing a posttreatment effect. It is easy to use, highly safe, and can be used with confidence.

PhytoConfort, which contains itraconazole as its main ingredient, is a triazoleclass broadspectrum antifungal drug. It has lower toxicity than ketoconazole and fluconazole, with a halflife of 35 hours in the body. Its halflife is shorter than that of other drugs, with a 48hour dosing cycle that can keep animals in the effective concentration range. Its antifungal activity is 20 to 40 times that of ketoconazole. To maintain effective antibacterial drug concentrations in the body, the dosage can be gradually reduced by 15% of the previous dose with each administration.

In some cases, symptoms may worsen during treatment due to allergic reactions caused by the release of toxins from the killed fungi. For severe allergies, the addition of corticosteroids may be appropriate to avoid this and can also promote recovery. It is recommended to use PhytoConfort for pet fungal skin diseases with an interval of 48 hours for better results.

When treating fungal skin diseases, the following points should be considered:

① Bacterial Infection: Cats with fungal dermatitis often have secondary bacterial infections, particularly with Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which are positive bacteria. Lincomycin can be administered intramuscularly once a day for 5 consecutive days. Gramnegative infections are also common, accounting for 30% to 40% of cases, and can be treated with gentamicin ointment applied topically twice a day for 7 consecutive days.

② Parasitic Infection: When the skin is affected by fungal disease, changes in the skin structure can lead to fluid leakage, making the body susceptible to parasites such as ticks, mange mites, and lice. A lowertoxicity option like doramectin (doramectin) can be injected every 7 days for three consecutive treatments.

③ Rejection Reaction During Skin Repair: After a cat is infected with a fungal skin disease, the skin may experience rejection reactions during the healing process, causing itching. If the cat scratches or bites, it can easily affect the healing process. Therefore, good restraint should be used during treatment, and an Elizabethan collar can be used in the early stages to control scratching. A certain amount of corticosteroids can be used to control allergic reactions, administered once a day for 3 to 5 days, and the dose can be reduced or switched to topical application after the itching subsides.

Prevention and Control: Keep the cat's living quarters and body clean and tidy, avoid contact with dogs and cats with skin diseases, and pay attention to the hygiene and disinfection of large environments such as animal markets and veterinary hospitals to prevent crossinfection. Cat skin diseases are often just a superficial symptom, and a systematic examination is necessary. Consider multiple factors, as laboratory tests may only reveal one aspect of the issue. Identifying the underlying cause is crucial for treating skin diseases.