How to Recognize and Treat Ringworm in Cats
Look for patches of hair loss on your cat., Identify any scaly patches on your cat's face, paws or ears., Watch out for signs of infection in multiple cats., Keep an eye out for skin lesions on your own skin., See a vet to confirm the presence of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for patches of hair loss on your cat.
The ringworm fungus grows around hair shafts and migrates downward into the hair follicles.
This leads to inflammation and causes the hair to shed, leaving a patch of bald, flaky skin behind.
These bald areas are often scaly or crusty, and may be reddened and inflamed.
Typically, the areas are itchy and the cat may scratch or lick at them.
Sometimes the areas of hair loss appear moist or sticky caused by a secondary bacterial infection as a result of inflammation or scratching. -
Step 2: Identify any scaly patches on your cat's face
Classic places for infection are the cat's face, muzzle, ears, and front paws.
The fur on the face may have a moth-eaten appearance, with mottled areas of fur loss.
On the paws, infection is often around the nail bed, so individual toes may be bald with scaling skin around the nail.
The distribution of lesions on the paws and face is because cats most commonly catch infection while investigating the environment: sniffing or pawing at things. , Typically, cats living closely together, such as a litter of kittens in a rescue shelter, infect one another and several animals with itchy bald patches should raise an immediate suspicion of ringworm., Another sign of ringworm is if you – the cat's owner – develop skin lesions.
In people these are typically itchy, raised red and inflamed patches of skin that are dry and scaly.
These lesions are often circular and resemble a ring, or a pattern of rings.
Sometimes the outer border is bumpy around a scaly center.
Places that come into contact with the cat are most likely to be infected, thus your hands from stroking the cat, or your lap from holding her, are typical for infection. , If your cat shows signs of ringworm, or you have suspicious lesions on your own skin, get your cat checked by a veterinarian.
Ringworm can mimic a number of conditions such as skin infections, allergic skin disease, and parasitic skin disease, therefore reaching a firm diagnosis involves examining plucked hairs under the microscope to look for fungal hyphae along the hair shaft.
The vet may also check the cat under an ultraviolet light to look for the characteristic apple-green fluorescence given off by some ringworm species.
The vet may also do a fungal culture, where the fungus is grown from sample coat brushings from the cat. -
Step 3: paws or ears.
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Step 4: Watch out for signs of infection in multiple cats.
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Step 5: Keep an eye out for skin lesions on your own skin.
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Step 6: See a vet to confirm the presence of ringworm.
Detailed Guide
The ringworm fungus grows around hair shafts and migrates downward into the hair follicles.
This leads to inflammation and causes the hair to shed, leaving a patch of bald, flaky skin behind.
These bald areas are often scaly or crusty, and may be reddened and inflamed.
Typically, the areas are itchy and the cat may scratch or lick at them.
Sometimes the areas of hair loss appear moist or sticky caused by a secondary bacterial infection as a result of inflammation or scratching.
Classic places for infection are the cat's face, muzzle, ears, and front paws.
The fur on the face may have a moth-eaten appearance, with mottled areas of fur loss.
On the paws, infection is often around the nail bed, so individual toes may be bald with scaling skin around the nail.
The distribution of lesions on the paws and face is because cats most commonly catch infection while investigating the environment: sniffing or pawing at things. , Typically, cats living closely together, such as a litter of kittens in a rescue shelter, infect one another and several animals with itchy bald patches should raise an immediate suspicion of ringworm., Another sign of ringworm is if you – the cat's owner – develop skin lesions.
In people these are typically itchy, raised red and inflamed patches of skin that are dry and scaly.
These lesions are often circular and resemble a ring, or a pattern of rings.
Sometimes the outer border is bumpy around a scaly center.
Places that come into contact with the cat are most likely to be infected, thus your hands from stroking the cat, or your lap from holding her, are typical for infection. , If your cat shows signs of ringworm, or you have suspicious lesions on your own skin, get your cat checked by a veterinarian.
Ringworm can mimic a number of conditions such as skin infections, allergic skin disease, and parasitic skin disease, therefore reaching a firm diagnosis involves examining plucked hairs under the microscope to look for fungal hyphae along the hair shaft.
The vet may also check the cat under an ultraviolet light to look for the characteristic apple-green fluorescence given off by some ringworm species.
The vet may also do a fungal culture, where the fungus is grown from sample coat brushings from the cat.
About the Author
Jean Cruz
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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