Re: Ringworm/so much for time off another rescue

[TatorBunz]

Thank you so much for the information! I will pass this on to her. I have never had to deal with it...I'm knocking on wood at the moment!   Need A Loving Home: I just rescued at a kill shelter they are two beautiful Purebred Siameses that are siblings. This really irks me owners didn't bother to call any of the Siamese Rescues. Yet they want to know how they are doing!!! I don't think so! They are 7 yrs old. Male and female spayed/neutered/vaccinated/microchipped, litterbox trained, and negative for Felv/Fiv. Very loving and affectionate. They both have nasty URIs.....grrrrr. They were given up because of a divorce. These people had them since they were kittens. Geez, this just makes my head reel like the girl in exorcist. So if any of you know anyone that is looking for a few good Siameses send them my way. They are awesome kitties and deserve to be loved in furever homes. The male loves to snuggle up in your arms and neck and the female likes to give kisses. This is just a few of their qualities haven't seen any bad ones. I want to make sure they are well before placement. Since, I'm relocating about 30 miles away I want to keep the population down....yeah I know what your thinking!  LOL   In a message dated 11/20/2005 8:51:37 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Terrie, It is possible that the hair loss behind the cat's ear is due to scratching from the earmites. However, an area affected w/ ringworm (a fungus similar to athlete's food) will typically be reddened from irritation, and present itself in a circular pattern. Often the skin will be"scabby" and when it affects the hair follicles, the hair becomes coarse & brittle and will break off, giving a "stubbly" appearance. Vets will check for ringworm using a Wood's Lamp and/or a skin scraping. (A Wood's Lamp is similar to a "black light", affected area will "glow" when observed under lamp.)   Ringworm is contagious to other animals in the household, and being a zoonatic (sp?) disease, it can also be passed on to people. Children and the elderly are most susceptible, and "light" complected people have a higher incidence of contacting ringworm than others. Also, any person or animal with a compromised immune system is at a  higher risk  for getting ringworm.   Ringworm is a hardy little bugger too.  It's passed by spores that are shed by the infected "host" and will attatch itself to clothing, hair, skin, furniture etc. An animal diagnosed with ringworm needs to be isolated from any other animals in the household, and diligent sanitary measures must be followed. (Frequent hand washing, and remember, after handling the infected cat, DO NOT TOUCH FACE, EYES, ETC!!) We had a kitten whose foster did NOT treat soon enough and the poor baby lost his eye, so it is VERY important to remember, it CAN affect humans likewise All bedding, surfaces need to be cleaned using bleach as a disinfectant. Frequent vaccuuming, etc. is a must also. (Sometimes it's easier to use "disposable" items)   I have seen cats infected with ringworm for six to eight weeks at a time. (It's a NIGHTMARE dealing with ringworm at the shelter!) Allopathic veterinary treatment  usually consists of bathing the animal with a Betadine solution, clipping down the hair in the affected areas, and Fulvacin (griseofulvin) is given as oral medicine.  Topically, the infected area can be treated with an OTC anti-fungal cream/ointment. Fulvacin (griseofulvin) is a very powerful drug, and known to have MANY adverse affects on animals. It's been documented to cause CNS disorders, kidney problems, seizures....just to name a few.  It can be a dangerous drug to use, especially if used on kittens, elderly & cats with Felv, FIV. Also, you must continue treatment with griseo until there are no new lesions, and condition is normal.  This can take 6 - 8 weeks or more, and that's a L-O-N-G time to use that drug.   Holistically I feel treatment options are MUCH better. Again, you start with clipping and bathing with diluted Betadine solution. (Some will use iodine, but I tend to pass on that cause some cats are extremely sensitive to its' use.) Topically, we have used Goldenseal and/or Echinacea infusions, applied directly to the infected areas up to 4X day. Orally, we've used Homeopathic Remedy - Sulphur 6X, once daily for 6 weeks. It's a good idea to add EFA's to the cats diet during this time. We've also used zinc, lecithin, cod liver oil & grapefruit seed extract as dietary supplements.   Basically, ringworm is a real nightmare...... It takes so long to treat, and I've seen enough of it to last a lifetime, believe me! It's just so very important to stress cleanliness, let bleach be your best friend.   And, can you believe some vets are pushing a RINGWORM VACCINE??? It scares me, all this stuff they throw at John Q. Public to load their companions up with.....   I hope for your friend's sake her cat doesn't have ringworm. It definitely is NO fun.    Patti   Terrie Mohr TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS SIAMESE & COLLIE RESCUE Owner/Driver Check sites for available Siameses for adoption! http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/ Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescue http://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.html http://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.html Petfinder.com Adopt a Homeless Pet! http://www.petfinder.com/ http://www.felineleukemia.org/ http://www.petloss.com/ TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTS https://www.paypal.com/