Hi Guys,

Long time no see! Hope you're all well.

I had my cats tested the other week for ring worm, after my partner and I both caught it. And the results just came back, and they wreckon Charlie has it, and Lola doesn't.

They also reckon, that we need to treat them with a bottle each @ £50 a pop of this shampoo, then completely shave them.

To me this sounds more like abuse. Especially as it's only a fungal infection which does disappear given time.

Another thing the test wasn't exactly sanitary, I mean I got Charlie out of the box before they tested him, bearing in mind I might be a carrier.

What's even more annoying is that when we took the kittens for their very first health check, we asked them about patches on their ears, and one on Charlie's tail and they just said 'it's probably nothing'.

Surely I shouldn't have had to pay £80 to have them tested in the first place?

I feel totally conned and now very worried about my cats, and I have no idea what to do.

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But fungal infections are living things, after a week or so surely they will die.

I already caught it myself and it went in about 6 days! There is no way I am shaving my cat (assuming that's what clipping is), because the vet 'reckons' they have ringworm.

When they initially inspected the cats, they said they were 99% sure the cats dont have ringworm. And they said it wasn't really worth testing them.

But my girlfriend insisted they did, and so they did (in my opinion not properly). And now they want me to give them £100 and shave my bloody cats.

(thanks for your advice though, and sorry for being snappy)

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I can speak from experience on this one...... In about 2003 I had ringworm found on one of my cats at a show and I can say in all honestly it is a pig to get rid of.

At the time I had 12 cats. Under gccf rules, I had to have them all tested and all treated. The treatment consisted of Grisofulvin tablets and shampoo, either Malaseb or SporalD each cost about £12 per bottle from you vets. The tablets have to be prescribed by the vet too as it is very important to get the correct dosage for bodyweight.

I did not have to get my cats clipped but it would have gone quicker if I had done as I had to painstakingly bath all 12. After 8 weeks I had to have them all retested and if that came back clear, I had to wait a further 8 weeks and have them retested again. If that again came back clear, I would have full clearance. This I completed but it was a very long and expensive process - the main expense being the testing. The tablets and shampoo were relatively inexpensive.

If you only have a couple of cats it shouldn't be too bad, it does take a long time to completely get rid of though, so be prepared for a battle. I also had to rip up or thoroughly disinfect any carpets or soft furnishings. It is worth the initial struggle though because if you do not eradicate it completely it will just keep coming back.

Hope this helps.

Christine

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The disease isn't visible, like i said, the vets had a look first and said there is no sign of any ringworm at all, and there still isn't, iv been looking at pics of infected cats online and they certainly dont have the marks im seeing online.

This is why i think it seems starnge to treat them with toxic drugs and cruelly shave them. on such little infomation.

I certainly wont be ripping up my new carpets anytime soon either!!! lol, that sounds like a major ordeal you had there!!!!!

Are those common drugs you mention, as my vets are trying to pull off £50 a pop (each bottle each cat)

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You may not be so bad with only having two cats, and you could get away with spraying your carpets etc. with a product such as Virkon.

Grisofulvin tablets and fungicidal shampoo are the standard way of getting rid of ringworm as it has to be fought from both the inside and outside of the cat. It is not always easily noticeably as when mine was found at the show it just looked like a bit of dandruff or as I at first thought, dried in talc from the cat's bath.

If your cats have been tested and it has been confirmed, I dont think you have any option but to treat as it will keep recurring and can also spread quite rapidly. I may shop around as £50 just for the shampoo does seem harsh, are you sure this did not include the testing. As I seem to remember the testing costing about 35 quid per cat. You can buy SporalD online for about £12.00 but the tablets do have to come from your vets. They can not be given to pregnant cats and they can be dangerous if the correct dosage is not given.

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That's what I'm thinking, but it seems they will not do a test without an initial consulatation either, which will obviously also cost alot.

I rang the cats protection agency and the RSPCA and both were unable to offer advice which is useful. Personallly I want to give the flat (and cats) a bloody good clean, and then see how it goes, but my gf is being akward and insisting i do the full on treatment (bar the shaving as we both think that that's totally uncesseccary and cruel.)

Yer I already paid £80 odd quid for testing! The £50 is for some kind of liquid, and shampoo is £19 per bottle.

Is virkon something I can buy myself (no prescription).

I suppose if i find out what they 'need' then find out which of it i can buy for a fair price, and then i only need to get ripped off on the prescriton things.

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Yeah Virkon or something like Trigene (sp?) are both disinfectants and can be bought online. This is the sort of thing you need to spray the house with, carpets and bedding, throws, etc.

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www.freewebs.com/saynamore/

Is simply washing the sheets on high temp not enough?

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OK thanks for your help, atleast im alot more clued up now and can't be taken for a ride as easy!

Check this out:



That is ringworm, there is definately nothing even close to that on my cats. Not even any slightly bald patches.

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In a longhaired cat it can be hard to find and as I mentioned can start off just looking like a bit of dandruff, the pic you have shown is once it has gotten hold and spread, that cat also looks like it has been clipped. Have a very careful comb through the coats and see if you can see any specks that look like dandruff.

Common sense but wash your hands every time you have handled the cat or you could end up catching it again if your cats have it

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