When to take your cat to the vet for ringworm?
See a vet to confirm the presence of ringworm. If your cat shows signs of ringworm, or you have suspicious lesions on your own skin, get your cat checked by a veterinarian.
What does ringworm look like on a cat?
It’s a fungal infection that causes raised, crusty, hairless patches of skin, sometimes in a ring-like pattern. Ringworm doesn’t only infect cats. It also affects and spreads between humans and other animals such as dogs, rodents, horses and cattle.
How does ringworm spread from cat to cat?
As the skin disease is contagious, it is fairly easy for your cat to get ringworm by coming into contact with another infected cat or being in an environment where ringworm has been present. This is especially the case in multi-cat households because it’s spread through infected hair and skin follicles which cats…
Why are long haired cats more susceptible to ringworm?
This is especially the case in multi-cat households because it’s spread through infected hair and skin follicles which cats naturally shed. Ringworm is much more common in young cats and long haired cats. This is because young cats (under one-year-old) are more susceptible to the infection due to their immune systems not being fully developed.
Is it possible for a kitten to get ringworm?
Kittens are also more likely to have more severe types of ringworm infections as well. Elderly cats and cats with a weakened immune system are often more likely to get ringworm. How Do You Diagnose Ringworm in a Cat?
Can a unsocialized cat be treated for ringworm?
The trauma of treating an unsocialized cat for ringworm and bringing him into the vet is more harmful than the ringworm infection itself. That said, treating your pets and yourself can help reduce the length of infection and help stop it from spreading to other animals. And ALWAYS treat kittens who are infected.
What happens to a longhaired cat with ringworm?
The claws become rough, pitted, and develop a scaly base and they may eventually become deformed. Ringworm may sometimes cause a more generalized disease where a much larger area of the body is affected, often seen as patchy hair loss. Some cats, especially longhaired breeds, may have ringworm without any clinical signs or hair loss.
Which is the best way to diagnose ringworm in cats?
The most accurate method for diagnosing ringworm in cats is by culture of the fungus in a laboratory. For this, samples of hair and skin scrapings are taken.
