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  • 1.  Ringworm

    Posted 05-14-2025 09:36 AM

    What is the best way to treat ringworm in a 10week old kitten? We are using a chlorahexadrine  shampoo with diluted touch ups via cotton ball. We are coming up on week 2 but not sure it's working! Thank You


    #Medicine,SurgeryandSterilization

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    Heidi L.
    Volunteer
    Friends of Plumas County Animals
    CA
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  • 2.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-15-2025 08:02 AM

    Hi Heidi,

    Sorry to hear about the fungal jungle...never any fun...and I'm sorry you're having a hard time with this.  Here are some uneducated ideas that I've found help:

    1)  Find a KetoHex spray (VetWell KetoWell, VetOne KetoHex).  The combination of ketoconazole (antifungal) and chlorhexidine (antiseptic) work together to treat this topically.  Chlorhex by itself won't do much.  If in a safe area to spray directly, great.  Or use a q-tip or cotton ball to dab on areas close to the eyes.  You don't want to spray this directly in the ear.

    2)  Many folks will recommend bathing or spot applying a Lime Sulphur medication.  I would vote for the spot application, as a full body lime sulphur dip can be horrible traumatic for all parties.

    3)  If you have a vet you're comfortable with and can get in to see, I'd ask them for Itrafungol or Terbinafine.  These are oral medications that can help treat systemic conditions and work well in conjunction with topical treatments like Ketohex spray.

    4)  If you want a stronger topical, I vote for Ticonozole (can be found in the women's health section at Walmart, Target or Walgreens).  It's a gel that doesn't seem to be as "caustic" to sensitive skin.  Topical miconozole, terbinafine, or other athletes foot creams seem to burn more.

    5)  This persistent fungus likes to live and thrive in the environment, and stays in the household environment for upwards of 18 months.  So, daily or every other day bedding changes and washes are crucial for mitigating this.  Hot, hot, hot water with some bleach for a long cycle.

    6)  Cleaning your home or kennel environment will always be challenging, especially if this nugget has had free roam.  But, daily vacuuming, washing all pet bedding, and doing a dust and clean with Rescue disinfectant can really help.

    BIGGEST tip I can offer...don't freak out too much.  It's not deadly, just annoying and persistent.  But getting an antifungal topical (Ketohex, Ticonazole) will really help speed up the process.  And if you can get your vet to dispense Itrafungol or Terbinafine, that will help even more.



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    Monica Bennion
    Clowder 9 Ranch
    Buhl, ID
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-15-2025 05:09 PM

    Sharing a link for a good ringworm resource from the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program:

    https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/ringworm

    Please note that the *only* reliable topical treatment (established through many good studies) is lime sulphur dip. Spot treatment may be effective in some cases with only single lesions, but kittens with multiple or generalized lesions require a full dip. OTC topical antifungals like athletes foot or vaginal yeast infection treatments are not effective and significantly prolong treatment.

    There are effective oral medications that can shorten the time to resolution but effective topical treatment is, by far, the most critical.



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    Rachel Powell DVM
    Director of Surgery
    Greenhill Humane Society
    Eugene, OR
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-16-2025 05:51 AM

    Just adding to the rw issue. I never dip only spot treat and a good product I use is Banixx.  It works great by itself or in conjunction with topical treatment.



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    Iris Lugo
    Fosterer
    Acc
    NY
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-16-2025 10:29 PM

    Very surprised to learn this.  We have a veterinary clinic in Campeche, Mexico a hot and humid climate where ringworm is endemic and we have had very good luck with antimicotics.



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    Ursula Hendel
    Founder
    Granos de Arena
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-18-2025 12:38 AM

    Thanks for this reference.  However, I'm wondering why there was no mention of PCR testing?  We are a cat rescue that utilizes private veterinary offices.  Anecdotally we (and they) noticed every single in house culture was positive.  Perhaps because they are excellent and experienced clinicians! But to be certain they now send out samples for PCR testing.  It doesn't take longer than the culture.  It is likely more expensive, of course, but we all feel more confident. When positive , they recommend itrafungol and a topical treatment in adults.  They rarely prescribe oral meds are rarely used in kittens, of course. We repeat testing post treatment.   Also to whomever suggested the feminine health product, thanks for that! I hope to never have a foster caretaker battle the dreaded RW in a litter of kittens again, but know they will and this could be helpful. 



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    Diane Metz
    Board of Directors, Volunteer, and Foster Mom
    Orange Street Cats, Inc.
    Albany NY
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Ringworm

    Posted 05-19-2025 04:11 PM

    Hi Diane. The diagnosis and management of ringworm in owned pets residing in single pet (or households with a couple of generally healthy pets) is quite different than for shelter/rescue populations. This means that many private practitioners (including myself for many years!) may not be the most reliable or up-to-date source of advice for this condition when managing an at-risk population in a shelter or rescue.

    I "borrowed" the following explanation for why PCR is not generally recommended in the shelter setting from the UW Shelter Medicine website:

    "The PCR test offers no quantitative information-you get a positive or negative result. We know that cats who are not infected with ringworm can sometimes have some spores on their coat (these are the "dust-mop cats" that are discussed in the ASPCA webinars). Small numbers of spores aren't really an infection risk to that cat or the larger population (the cat will likely groom them off), but they will make a PCR test or a culture plate positive. Therefore having a negative PCR test in a cat with suspicious but Wood's-negative lesions would strongly suggest that the lesions are not being caused by ringworm. However, a positive PCR test or culture could be a false positive (dust-mop cat) or a true positive. The culture can provide additional information about the positive result that we cannot currently get from the PCR test." Credit to Dr. Becky Stuntebeck 

    The reason there are so many purportedly effective methods for treating/managing RW is partly that none are perfect and partly that, in most owned pets, RW is self-limiting...meaning that even with no treatment or only partially effective treatment most *otherwise healthy* pets will eventually recover. The considerations are different in shelter populations where we have to be far more aware of shelter-acquired infections, environmental contamination and a much more at-risk population of pets with other comorbidities (such as URI, panleukopenia, coccidia, FeLV/FIV) that can make RW deadly. So, making the best use of available resources (C4C, money, etc.) and making sure to only employ methods of diagnosis, treatment and environmental management that have been proven in clinical research to be effective becomes critical.



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    Rachel Powell DVM
    Director of Surgery
    Greenhill Humane Society
    Eugene, OR
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    Original Message


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