My baby got ringworm from friend's cats. How to get them checked?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Oh no! I am so sorry about your son! I would bring your Cat to the Vet. Sadly a lot of cats can be carriers of ring work but show no skin lesions. Also be sure to discuss with your pediatrician other causes of ring worm in people. Ring worm in Veterinary medicine is diagnosed from a fungal culture and treated with antifungal oral pills (itraconazole, terbinafine, etc) and lyme sulfur dips. It is not fun. The CDC has a lot of resources on ring worm in people https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/ringworm/index.html http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=559 I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, cats can be carriers of fleas, lice and ring worm. Cats can not have any skin lesions and carry ring worm. People can be allergic to cats as well. If Curly is being treated for ring worm then you can get it. If her hair is growing back that doesn't mean she is cured. I would ask your human Dr to provide a diagnosis. Not all skin conditions human develop can be blamed on animals. I hope this helps and I wish you and Curly the best!

I would like to clarify your question. Do you mean ringworm or roundworm? Ringworm is diagnosed with a hair sample and this is what I think you mean. Ringworm is a fungal infection that is spread by loose hair. Roundworm is an intestinal worm that is spread in the stool. Both of these can be spread to humans. If you do mean ringworm, environmental cleanup is possible. You will need to vacuum up all the hair and use a cleaning solution labeled to kill ringworm. You will need to wipe down everything. Ringworm is spread on loose hairs that floats in the air. This means the walls and ceiling as well. You should give the area several cleanings before letting the cats in the enclosure. The cats should not go in the enclosure until they are confirmed negative for ringworm. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your kittens. The answer to your question is no but the mother is probably the source of the ringworm. Adult cats can carry ringworm (fungus) and not show any clinical signs. The fungal organisms are on the hair and skin so direct contact and even contact with shed hairs can be a source of infection to the kittens. I would advise you getting the kittens to your veterinarian. They can get a history and do a physical exam and then they can advise a diagnostic plan. A Woods lamp exam, fungal culture or other skin tests may be needed to diagnose this. Once a presumed diagnosis is made, treatment can be started while awaiting test results if needed. Your vet may advise topical treatment of the lesions and/or oral anti fungal meds to treat this condition. The worst part of this is that ringworm is very contagious to all pets in the household and all family members (Zoonotic Disease) so it's very important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. Good luck.

I would guess that it's a little more likely that the kitten acquired ringworm at the shelter. Some cats can be asymptomatic carriers, and can be diagnosed by getting a sample for fungal culture using a brush technique - you can make an appointment with your veterinarian. If your cat tests positive she should be treated, and some veterinarians choose to treat all cats in the home regardless of testing because of the difficulty in controlling ringworm in the environment.

It certainly is possible that Stiletto has ringworm. I would take her into the vet, who can use a Wood's lamp and fungal culture to diagnose if she does have ringworm. Should she have it, the vet can prescribe an antifungal treatment for it. Your other cat will have to be treated for it, as it's highly contagious, and keep an eye on yourself to make sure you don't have ringworm lesions as well because it's contagious to humans. You will also have to disinfect the home, as ringworm spores can live in the environment for up to 18 months: http://www.livestrong.com/article/49666-rid-home-ringworm/

While ringworm is potentially contagious to people, the reality is that by the time your cat is diagnosed with ringworm, you have already been exposed to it for a long period of time and have not had any problems with it. Most people do not contact ringworm from cats (or other animals), but from other people. I am attaching a handout with more information about ringworm in cats below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951439 If you develop any abnormal skin lesions, I would certainly recommend having your doctor evaluate them, but I do think what you read was certainly exaggerated. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.