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We are happy to report
that these two cuties, Shiloh and Zack, are finally free
of ringworm! They gorgeous Japanese Bobtails had been rescued
from a sad situation where seriously ill cats were being
bred. It was a shock to their mom, Alice, to find out all
it was going to take to get them better but she stuck through
it all and now is the proud caretaker of these two beautiful
boys!
For obvious reasons, many people think ringworm is a worm.
It is actually a fungus that causes skin issues. The name
is very misleading and arises from the circular "ring-like"
rashes that people can get when exposed the this fungus.
Cats and dogs also get rashes but unlike humans, they usually
present as just scaly patches of hair loss and occasionally
raised mass-like lesions. Some cats can carry the fungus
without any signs at all which can make the diagnosis tricky!
In truth there are quite a few different fungus species
which all fall under the name "ringworm". Some
are caught from other animals directly, others live in soil
and can overgrow when an animal's immune system is compromised.
The most common species we see is Microsporum canis. About
50% of the time this species will fluoresce a distinct shade
of green along hair follicles. So when your vet pulls out
her fluorescent light, she isn't about to show you her newest
disco move- she is just checking for ringworm. The gold
standard of diagnostics, however, is a fungal culture.
Once diagnosed, ringworm is tough to get rid of. It takes
months of oral anti-fungal medication, bathing and a continuous
cleaning of the environment. People, especially children
and people who are ill, can also get skin infections while
the animals are being treated. It certainly takes a lot
of dedication, as Shiloh and Zack's mom will tell you! Luckily,
with a lot of work most cases can be cured eventually and
go on to live normal healthy lives.
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