My cat has ringworm. Can Program flea control help treat it?

Hello. Yes, sometimes ringworm can be stubborn. If your cat has numerous lesions, or they are along the eyes and mouth, your cat should be on an oral antifungal medication. Also, cats will often lick the medication off as soon as you apply it, so it is not effective. If you are not using an Elizabethan collar, that could help prevent licking. Cases that do not respond to topical treatment often do better with a prescription oral antifungal. I would also make sure that it is actually ringworm. It may need to be rechecked by your veterinarian. Thank you

The cream isn't harmful but I have never come across a topical medication that has been effective for treating ringworm in cats aside from prescription-based lime sulfur dips. The concern is that the Microsporum canis (fungal organism causing ringworm) is spread diffusely throughout a cat's entire hair coat, such that an isolated topical spray will not cover all surfaces of every hair, and lead to frequent recurrence. Since the topical treatment isn't working and Nova's spots are worse, I would go back to the vet to get an oral treatment. I hope that all goes well!

The treatment is with an oral antifungal, it's not recommended if your kitten is asymptomatic as this medication can have severe side effects. The medication is prescription only and can be given only by your vet, in this specific case I do not believe any vet would recommend this treatment though.

Unfortunately no, there are no OTC medications you can use to treat Magick's ringworm. She needs an oral anti fungal medication because Microsporum canis (fungal organism causing ringworm) is spread diffusely throughout a cat's entire hair coat, and the whole body needs to be treated. The oral anti fungal medications are prescription only, so you have to make an appointment with the vet. You will also need to disinfect the home, as ringworm spores can live up to 18 months in the environment. I will put a link below on how to do this. I hope this helps! http://www.livestrong.com/article/49666-rid-home-ringworm/

Bathing then is an option to start but not very practical long term. They make prescription medication that is safe in cats to clear ring worm. If it is 1-2 spots, an ointment may be easier. If it is several spots the n oral is better. Your vet can examine one or two and confirm it's ringworm and get you the medicine you need.

I would recommend treating both cats because up to 20% of ringworm affected cats can be asymptomatic carriers, meaning that you will not see any symptoms but they are still carrying the ringworm and can spread it. It will not hurt to treat the other cat. If the ringworm is spreading and not resolving, a different treatment needs to be considered and I would discuss this further with the prescribing veterinarian. Griseofulvin and topical treatments like ketoconazole can be used to treat ringworm but sometimes this depends on the ringworm species for which medication is most effective. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Miconazole and clotrimazole are the most common topical anti-fungal medications that we use for ringworm, but you will want to consult with your veterinarian before starting any treatment for ringworm to make sure that Pita Boo is confirmed to have ringworm, to make sure that he doesn't need oral medication as well and to make sure that the topical product is safe for cats. I am including a handout on ringworm below for your reference which discusses treatment. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951439 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.