Ringworm in cats - how to treat, how to recognize and overcome this common disease? First of all, you need to clearly understand that a fungal disease does not go away without therapy, the animal’s condition will only worsen and move from a local to a generalized form.
Young cats, pets with weakened immune systems, and those who walk outside without supervision are most susceptible to infection. At the same time, lichen is not a death sentence; it responds well to treatment if it is prescribed by a competent veterinarian.
What is lichen
Ringworm is a generalized name for a group of dermatological diseases, the causes of which can be different. Feline ringworm externally manifests itself as small itchy nodular lesions, devoid of hair. How to treat lichen in a cat and how long the therapy will be depends on whether it belongs to a particular species:
- Weeping - it can be caused by a sharp change in hormonal levels in the body, nervous shock, an allergic reaction, infection with helminths, ticks or common fleas, the affected area is painful.
- Pink or shingles - diagnosed in animals more often than others, can occur at any age, and is caused by a herpes virus.
- Multi-colored - you need to quickly decide how to treat feline lichen, since this type of disease is dangerous for people. The disease is manifested by the formation of a small round-shaped spot with a changing color.
- Flat red – its onset is provoked by a failure of the immune system. The reason is a long-term chronic disease or infection.
- Ringing – manifests itself as a deterioration in the quality of the coat, disruption of the structure of the hairs, then a rash appears. At an advanced stage, focal baldness occurs.
There are other types such as Scab caused by the Achorion fungus. It poses a danger to people who are in contact with an infected animal. The disease affects the skin, claws, and in advanced cases spreads to internal organs, but extremely rarely threatens the life of the pet.
Causes of herpes simplex
Absolutely everyone is susceptible to the herpes simplex virus, although in many infected people the disease is asymptomatic. Entering the human body through the mucous membranes or respiratory tract, the infection remains in it forever. At the same time, the herpes simplex virus is resistant to the immune system, which cannot completely destroy its pathogens. As soon as the body's protective functions weaken, the infection becomes more active, causing an exacerbation of the disease with pronounced symptoms. There are quite a few factors that can provoke a relapse. These include various diseases, ranging from a common cold to hormonal imbalance, and a lack of vitamins, hypothermia, physical fatigue, prolonged emotional stress, severe stress and lack of adequate sleep. Also, an exacerbation of the disease can be triggered by previous surgical interventions or injuries to the skin and mucous membranes. In some cases, the herpes virus enters the active phase due to the use of medications and cosmetics containing steroid hormones.
How the disease spreads
To know how to cure a cat from lichen and prevent re-infection, you need to know how the disease spreads.
Infection is possible only through direct or indirect contact with an infected animal or person, as well as through:
- fungal spores brought from the street on shoe soles;
- sticks, objects, toys, leftover food from a sick animal.
Interestingly, contact with a carrier of a fungal infection will not necessarily lead to your pet developing feline lichen; treatment may not be necessary. If the cat has a strong enough immune system and there are no cracks or wounds on its skin, then the disease may pass by.
How dangerous is lichen for humans?
Despite the fact that we are talking about a highly contagious disease, a timely prescribed remedy for lichen in cats and compliance with precautions leads to the fact that no more than 3% of contact people become infected. Therefore, if your pet has contracted a fungal infection, do not rush to get rid of it, find out how to cure a cat of lichen, be patient and wait for a complete recovery.
If you are unlucky and become infected with spores, do not panic. This is a harmless disease; in people it is mild and responds well to therapy. To prevent the development of an undesirable scenario, when in contact with a sick animal, wear disposable gloves, change clothes, and isolate the infected pet in a separate room.
Signs characteristic of lichen
Typical symptoms of this disease are:
- round, hairless areas of skin;
- redness;
- peeling of the skin and crust;
- the appearance of dandruff, dulling of the coat;
- itching (not always evident).
Ringworm is usually found in a specific area of the skin, that is, it is a focal or symmetrical focal lesion; only in dogs there is a generalized form of the disease, which can cause extensive damage.
There are also less typical manifestations of dermatophytosis. So, in dogs, these are kerion (a clearly defined raised round nodular lesion, most often located in the muzzle or forelimbs) and so-called mycetomas - damage to the claws and fingers, chronic inflammation of soft tissues, caused by a fungus.
Dermatophytic mycetoma can also occur in cats . Persian cats are predisposed to this disease (in 99% of cases). The neck, back, tail, and sides of the pet are most often affected.
If you find similar symptoms in your pet, then do not put off visiting a doctor until later. Remember that there is a huge chance that you and your family members will become infected; you must follow the rules of personal hygiene and isolate the animal during treatment.
Symptoms
Before we talk about how to treat a cat for lichen, you need to understand the symptomatic picture.
You should be alert to the following signs:
- hair loss in local areas of the skin;
- purulent formations, vesicular nodes, and scaly discharge are visible on the lesions;
- there is annoying itching;
- in some cases, when the lesion affects a large area of the body, peeling appears and the coat becomes greasy and unkempt.
Despite everything, the first symptoms of the disease remain increased shedding, balling of fur, anxiety, frequent scratching, and the appearance of an unpleasant white coating in the undercoat.
Herpes symptoms
The clinical picture of vesicular lichen is characterized by the appearance of edematous redness, usually occurring on any area of the skin and mucous membranes, where small, grouped blisters with transparent contents appear in a fairly short time. The number of such bubbles is quite varied, from single elements to several dozen. After a few days, the contents of the vesicles become cloudy and they open, forming erosive surfaces, which are then covered with crusts, after which epithalization occurs.
Primary herpetic infection often occurs with few symptoms, and only in a small proportion of adults is it clinically active. Primary manifestations of herpes simplex may be the only ones in the patient’s life. Recurrences of herpes simplex occur with varying frequencies, from several times a year to several times a month. Among the provoking factors of this pathology are other infectious diseases, hypothermia, mental stress, and hormonal changes.
With this disease, any area of the skin and mucous membranes can be affected. The most favorite localization of lichen blisters is the skin of the face, especially common places of occurrence that are primarily at risk are: the circumference of the mouth, the vermilion border of the lips and the wings of the nose. Rashes of herpes elements are often observed on the skin of the genitals, buttocks, thighs, lower back, skin of the hands, and any other localization is also possible.
The first days of the disease are accompanied by signs of general intoxication: increased body temperature, malaise, muscle, joint and headaches. These symptoms are especially pronounced during the primary lesion, and appear, as a rule, several days before the appearance of local manifestations. A few days before the appearance of redness and blisters, patients usually note subjective sensations in the form of burning, tingling pain, itching, and discomfort.
Diagnostics
As with other diseases, only a veterinarian can make a diagnosis, confirm or refute your guesses.
The doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination:
- using a Wood's lamp, examine the affected area; the primary method will most likely indicate the presence of lichen - if the diagnosis is confirmed, the fur under the lamp will acquire a green tint;
- examination under a magnifying microscope makes it possible to examine skin scales in detail and see microsporia on the skin or hairs;
- analysis of the scraping for the presence of a nutrient medium - for analysis, a scraping is made from the affected area and sent to the laboratory to identify parasites and fungi.
The first two methods are carried out directly in the doctor’s office, take a few minutes, but do not give a 100% result. The culture is analyzed within 21 days, and its reliability is 100%.
Diagnosis of lichen
Medical dermatologists have many years of experience in diagnosing and treating children infected with lichen.
Modern examination methods and high-tech equipment allow specialists to identify the form and characteristics of the course of the disease even during the first visit to the clinic. At the initial appointment, the doctor talks with the child and his parents, listens to complaints, tries to determine the factors that contributed to the occurrence of skin pathology (contact with street animals, infected people, etc.). Then the specialist proceeds to a visual inspection, during which he evaluates the size of the formations, their color, shape and location. After a preliminary diagnosis has been established, the child is sent for additional studies to confirm it:
- microscopic examination of scraping of rashes;
- Balzer iodine test;
- Wood fluorescence microscopy;
- Beignet symptom test.
In addition, a general blood and urine test will help determine the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
What to do if the diagnosis is confirmed
If your fears turn out to be not unfounded, the first thing you need to do is stop panicking.
To begin treatment of deprivation in cats, medications and ointments are, of course, needed, but before that you need to:
- organize a quarantine for a sick cat, isolate it from other pets and people;
- treat all objects with which the cat has been in contact with an antifungal agent;
- Iron clothes, towels, blankets on both sides;
- It is advisable to open furniture and metal interior parts with varnish or paint;
- Treat carpets and rugs with a powerful vacuum cleaner.
When all the points have been completed, you can proceed to carry out the veterinarian’s prescriptions - apply ointment for ringworm, give tablets, etc.
Treatment for ringworm at home
A consultation with a veterinarian will help you find out how and how to treat ringworm in cats. After confirming the diagnosis in the laboratory and prescribing drug therapy by the doctor, the owner of the sick animal is recommended to take the following actions:
- try to isolate the sick pet from people and pets or minimize their contacts, prevent their presence on beds, sofas, etc.;
- be sure to examine all pets for signs of deprivation and take preventive measures;
- Until recovery, the cat cannot be bathed, because this will cause the spread of fungal spores throughout the body, with the exception of special medicated shampoos;
- treat the animal with gloves and do not stop treatment until complete recovery;
- improve the diet and living conditions of a sick pet to improve immunity.
Folk remedies also have a positive effect:
- An ointment based on wood ash and pork fat or butter (mixed in equal proportions). Used to treat the source of infection. A bandage is placed on top, which helps enhance the effect and prevent the cat from licking the medicine.
- Bathing in a solution of lime sulphide (1 tsp per 5-6 liters of warm water). The cat must be completely immersed in a container with the solution, and the diseased areas must then be moistened additionally. After the procedure, the fur should be blotted with a cotton towel or paper napkins and dried; do not allow the pet to lick itself. The method is not suitable for kittens, because... Possible side effects such as allergies, skin irritation or vomiting.
- Treatment of diseased areas with a solution of laundry soap (you will need 10-15 g of shavings per 1 liter of water). Wet a cotton pad and use it to remove dried crusts.
- Lubricating foci of infection with iodine or propolis 1-2 times a day. This method is contraindicated for pets with particularly delicate skin, because... burns may occur.
It is recommended to give a pregnant cat a decoction made from medicinal herbs (chain, nettle, violet, 0.5 tsp per 0.5 liter of boiling water). It is infused for 20 minutes, filtered and given to the animal 3-4 times a day.
The disadvantage of traditional methods of treatment at home is their low effectiveness, as a result of which the disease can become chronic. Therefore, for a faster positive result and complete cure, experts recommend using medications.
Treatment
On average, the duration of treatment for lichen in cats is at least 21 days; in case of severe advanced disease, therapy may be delayed. In order for the treatment of a dermatological disease to be successful, you need to strictly adhere to the regimen, not skip medications, and not interrupt therapy ahead of time.
Otherwise, the medicine for lichen for cats may give a temporary effect, after some time the disease will resume its development again. Three types of drugs are used to treat cats of any age:
- in tablet form;
- preparations for injections;
- products for external use - shampoo, cream, ointment for lichen in cats.
Quite often, veterinarians use combined tactics, attacking the fungal infection from all sides. In the treatment of fungal skin diseases, microsporia, seborrheic dermatitis, trichophytosis, the drug FUNGIN FORTE has proven itself well.
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The composition includes active low-toxic substances that have a destructive effect on pathogens - lidocaine reduces pain, dixemethasone has an anti-inflammatory effect, terbinafine fights fungi, thiabendazole, metronidazole complements its action.
Do not self-medicate, as this can lead to negative consequences for your pet's health. At the end of therapy, you need to show the animal to a doctor for a follow-up examination and collection of material for analysis.
Ointments
Before starting local skin treatment with gels or ointments, it is necessary to trim the hair around the diseased area and remove crusts, which will help improve contact of the medicine with the epidermis. To prevent the cat from licking the applied ointment, it is necessary to put a special collar or bandage on it.
To improve the condition of the epidermis and local antifungal action, the doctor prescribes an ointment for ringworm from the following list:
- Clotrimazole. The gel is applied to the affected areas three times a day for up to 30 days (if necessary, longer, until complete recovery).
- Sanoderm. A complex drug that includes a local antibiotic, an antimycotic drug and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Apply 1-2 times a day for 2-4 weeks (duration depends on the severity of the disease). Before using it, you should consult a veterinarian, i.e. the drug has contraindications.
- Miconazole. A remedy for the treatment of fungal diseases in people and animals, which need to be smeared twice a day on diseased areas, the course is 1-2 months.
- Fungin. An effective remedy in the treatment of trichophytosis and microsporia. Apply in a dosage of 0.2-0.3 ml per 1 kg of pet’s weight using a cotton pad and gently rubbing into the skin. Treatment should be carried out daily for 12-15 days.
- Sulfuric ointment. It is a simple, cheap and most harmless way to cure skin diseases, but is effective only for minor lesions. Apply 3-4 times a day to diseased areas of the skin.
- Ointment "Yam". It has acaricidal, fugicidal and keratolytic effects, applied in a thin layer to the skin and around the affected area (3-4 cm more) 1-2 times a day, the course of treatment is 8-10 days.
In chronic forms of lichen and severe bleeding scratches, a secondary microbial infection may occur and symptoms of purulent dermatitis may appear. In such a situation, the doctor prescribes antibiotics in the form of injections or tablets.
Treatment for ringworm takes at least 1-1.5 months. Evidence of a cat’s recovery is not the disappearance of external signs of the disease, but a negative result after testing scrapings taken from the animal’s skin (sometimes the testing procedure is carried out twice).
Are traditional methods of treatment allowed?
Considering that a fungal infection causes lichen in cats, treatment cannot be based solely on lotions, rubbing with herbal tinctures and other methods with questionable effectiveness. Folk remedies can be used as an additional measure to enhance the effect of medical therapy.
Your task is to adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen, especially since drugs for external and internal use are inexpensive.
How and with what to treat lichen in a pregnant or lactating cat
Ringworm in pregnant and lactating cats is treated in the same way as in everyone else. They try to give preference to drugs in pharmacological forms for topical application, and pay more attention to protection from licking. It is permissible to use clotrimazole preparations orally. This, of course, is associated with certain risks: determination of embryotoxicity (harm to fetuses) of the drug was carried out on mice and rats and showed that the viability of fetuses decreases in the case of a significant (60 or more times) excess dose of the drug.
But it is unacceptable not to treat ringworm in pregnant and lactating cats, because they can infect both babies and newborn kittens. It will not be possible to protect kittens from licking by the mother and spreading spores, since this is the only way to maintain hygiene in the nest, stimulate independent defecation and many other functions important for newborn kittens.
Treatment of a pregnant cat
How to cure lichen in a cat if she is carrying kittens? If a pregnant animal has been infected, under no circumstances take any measures without a doctor’s prescription. Traditional treatment can also harm unborn offspring; tablets, injections, ointments often contain aggressive toxic components. In this case, it is better to use anti-lichen ointment for animals; they do not penetrate into the bloodstream, and therefore are not harmful to kittens.
Traditional methods continue to remain prohibited; in the case of pregnant cats, they can lead to a deterioration in well-being due to the lack of the desired effect. It is strictly forbidden to use alcohol tinctures, iodine, brilliant green, so as not to injure the infected skin.
Treatment of deprivation in cats using folk remedies
If an animal is diagnosed with ringworm, you should not resort to “traditional” methods of treatment. After all, this disease is easily transmitted to people, even if the symptoms are smoothed out and the spores remain on the fur. In addition, “folk” wool treatments can interfere with the work of the products prescribed by the veterinarian. Many recipes offered on the Internet are simply dangerous for animals because they include ingredients that are poisonous to cats or are too irritating to the skin, leading to chemical burns.
Prevention
In order not to ask the question of how to cure lichen in a cat, you should familiarize yourself with effective preventive measures:
- do not allow the animal to walk uncontrollably;
- exclude contact between your pet and stray cats and dogs;
- Get vaccinated regularly;
- visit a veterinarian;
- Inspect your skin for the appearance of bald spots and other dermatological diseases.
It is important to pay attention to the cat’s nutrition; the diet should be balanced and varied. Buy super premium, holistic food, which contains vitamins, trace elements, minerals and nutrients. Good care, affection and care work wonders when combined with a rational approach to nutrition, education and scheduled vaccinations.
