Oh Carla, I am so sorry for you and kitty that this is happening, but you will get through this, I just know it! Keep an eye on her and if you need to, take her to a 24 hr/emergency vet to get her checked out before the AM.

I don't think they give cats/kittens at the shelter oral meds for RW (but I could very well be mistaken). I know they bathe them (Malseb? My vet has said a sulfur shampoo is necessary--stinks, but is effective), and rub a cream or ointment on the affected areas.

Please keep us posted ok?

I just hope I don't drive some of you crazy on this forum. She is eating right now and that's very good. I hope she'll drink some water too. I'm keeping a close eye on her.

Thank you,
Carla

You've got mail.........

Carla in your other post you said your daughter also had ringworm.

How is she?

This is from Plumb's veterinary drug handbook:
Griseofulvin can cause anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, neutropenia, leukopenia, depression, ataxia, hepatotoxicity, dermatitis/photosensitivity and toxic epidermal necrolysis. With the exception of GI symptoms, adverse effects are uncommon at usual doses. Cats, particularly kittens, may be more susceptible to adverse effects (e.g., bone marrow depression) than other species. This could be due to this species' propensity to more slowly form glucuronide conjugates and thus metabolize the drug at a slower rate than either dogs or humans.

You are very smart not to give any more griseofulvin given this reaction. Most cats are just fine on it, and one dose wouldn't cause bone marrow suppression but she doesn't seem like she is tolerating it at all.

Weekly lime-sulfur dips may be another option, as could itraconazole. Was the ringworm cultured with sensitivity or was it diagnosed on the basis of a DTM?

Good luck getting everyone healthy.

gammyt, my daughter is not taking this well. She is 15 1/2 and if you know anything about teenage girls, well that's all I have to say. Kitty slept in my room last night, sneezing very hard at times. It's hard not to be aggrivated by this ringworm, I want it gone!
Meghane, thank you for the info. I am ready for a dip, something that gives quicker results. Now, can you tell me what purpose that topical antibiotic will serve, I guess not much since the ringworm is in kitty's system, is that correct, thus the antibiotics?

Carla
frustrated

Carla, I hope things are looking better for your kitty and things go well at the vet this morning. It is so rough when they are sick and not eating.

Best of luck and I'll be thinking about you today.

((HUGS))

In heathy cats, ringworm resolves itself without treatment. Shelter cats are generally stressed enough to cause temporary immunosuppression, and once they are adopted into new loving homes like yours, they bounce right back.

Treatment is reserved for cats who do not spontaneously resolve, in which case one has to wonder about the health of the cat. FeLV and FIV positive cats tend to not resolve spontaneously, and griseofulvin in FIV positive cats is especially risky due to the potential for bone marrow suppression. So testing for FIV and FeLV is extremely important in all ringworm cases.

Another reason to treat ringworm is to help it resolve quicker for the health of the family. Weekly baths with miconazole shampoo followed by lime-sulfur dips prevents the spread of fungal spores in the environment, which is great for the family. A 1:10 bleach solution also kills the fungal spores in laundry and in the environment. Griseofulvin is taken orally and spreads to the hair follicles within several hours, killing the fungus at the source, but does not remove spores from the hair and skin. Since your daughter has already been infected, I would certainly do the weekly baths and dips in your case. Hormonal teenagers are often susceptible to ringworm because of mild immunosuppression; other people are simply more susceptible (luckily I don't get ringworm at all, considering my profession).

Some people have the vet do the weekly baths and dips because 1) lime-sulfur dips STINK 2) the dip stains jewelry so if you are going to to them at home, remember to remove all of your jewelry and 3) bathing a cat weekly- need I say more LOL?!

I've had a couple of cases of athlete's foot from the gym. A couple of 10% bleach solution dips always took care of it. Maybe it will work for your daughter- a fungus is a fungus after all. Don't put bleach on very inflamed skin or open wounds because it will hurt like heck.

I hope this helps and everyone gets better very soon.