A couple of weeks ago I rescused two abused kitties and took them to the SPCA. I think they might have had ringworm, because a week later I had a few spots of it on my neck (horrible place to have large red spots when your job requires lots of public speaking!)

Anyway, last night I noticed a telltale grey scaly spot on my cat, and am starting to think maybe he was the one who gave it to me - or maybe that I might have passed it along to him (he didn't have contact with the resuced cats.)

My question is this, can I use the same stuff on him that I am using on myself? (Generic equivalent to Tinactin - 1% solution)

Thanks for your help, Jane in SW Oregon

-- Jane (jwagman@mail.com), March 01, 2002

Answers

Tinactin should work fine for uncomplicated ringworm. This is a pdf link on Ringworm, www.evans.amedd.army.mil/Peds/PDF/ringwrm.pdf, for your information. "Ringworm of the skin is mildly contagious. It requires direct skin- to-skin contact. They type acquired from pets is not transmitted from human to human, only from animal to human."

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 01, 2002.

Anything that will clear up athlete's foot will get rid of ringworm. We've used Desenex in the past, and it worked well on both us and our cats! :-)

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), March 01, 2002.

If it were me and I didn't have all these great books to search through (which I really don't feel like walking to at the moment...) I'd try tea tree oil, diluted....

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), March 01, 2002.

The problem with topical treatments in cats is that the lick them off!!! Can't be sure on the toxicity when a topical treatment is ingested - but it would warrant some caution. There are some very simple treatments for ringworm in cats involving a long course of something like Griseofulvin. The vet will need to confirm infection in the offending cat and do a quick clinical examof the animal as the drug can be a little hard on compromised pets and is contraindicated in pregnant animals.

-- Cowvet (cowvet_nz@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

I was told when I was visiting a woman who had some stock for sale, that all her goats had ringworm, so not to touch them. She told me it was EASY to cure, that she just uses plain bleach on the spots, and they go away quickly. I'd never heard that before, and can't swear it works, either. I'd think it would sting a lot on a raw spot. Anyone else ever heard of it? Jan

-- Jan in Co (Janice12@aol.com), March 02, 2002.

I used to use alchohol, tea tree oil, or zit cream (whatever was handy) on any ringworm I had. Seemed that all of it worked about the same as real live anti-fungals. I don't think bleach would hurt - most ringworm isn't "open", wound-wise.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.

Use a little bleach on the area. Should clear it up on animal and man. Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), March 03, 2002.