Help with ringworm!

[Ivy_the_Trainer]

Does anyone have a natural remedie for ringworm? Our cat has it, and I would rather not give her any drugs.

Thanks,

Ivy

[OSUJillyBean]

Ringworm is highly contagious, and your cat can give it to not only your other pets but also the human part of your family. At the Humane Society we usually put some white cream on it, I believe it was hydrocortizone cream but don't quote me on that (it's been awhile).

Good luck!

[mellowdane]

Usually it is tolnaftate cream.. otherwise known as athletes foot cream(or ointment.. dont use the spray). Lamasil AT works great.. so does Lotrimin. Rub liberally on every spot you find on the cat. Make sure you check the toes, ears, belly between the legs and right above the eye. Try to keep the pet confined(to prevent constant recontamination), wash your hands after handling, wash and sanitize (10% bleach solution) all the bedding you can. Vacuum the house REALLY well.. get all the hair up (sofa cushions too). Ringworm spores cling to the hair shaft and can hang out in the house for years. Watch all the pets for signs of ringworm. Hm.. what else.. oh yeah.. dont panic.. not the end of the world.. but fairly annoying and time consuming to deal with. For cat posts etc, take them outside in the sun. Spray them down with your 10% bleach solution and let them airdry. Ringworm doesnt like sunlight or bleach

[Lady_MCSE]

OK, I was pretty sure it was jsut regular athlete's foot cream too, but I didn't want to say, as it's been a long time since I've had to deal with it.

For some reason, my boyfriend and I turned up with ringworm out of the blue. We didn't have any pets at the time, just showed up one day. We were both animal lovers, so we figured we must've gotten it from some dog or cat we came in contact with. Never really figured it out for sure. He went to the doctor for it, and got the cream for it which we shared, but the prescription was a little stronger than the over-the-counter athlete's foot cream, but it was the same basic ingredients.

[wildcat180]

Another great way to clear up ringworm is tea tree oil. That stuff works better than anything I ever seen. I had gotten ringworm so bad when I was working in the grooming shop that I had spots over 80% of my body. It took about two weeks for the athete's foot cream to clear it up. A few years later, we got a litter of kittens into the store that had it, only we didn't know it until it was too late. (You just mention the word ringworm and I get it!) Someone had told me about tea tree oil and it cleared it up within days. So, when a lot of my animals at home got it, I used it and had everything gone within a week. I also used to it disinfect the house, beds, and mopped the floors with it.

While it is GREAT stuff for not only ringworm, but also as a general antiseptic, you have to VERY careful when treating cats with it. Cats can develop and upper respiratory infection if the mixture is too strong. I had bought a spray for my dogs from the store I was working in and had to dilute it with 3/4 water to make it safe for the cats. It was still strong enough to work, but not strong enough to hurt the cats.

[QuarterCowGirl]

Toothpaste works well too believe it or not! Also, I don't mean to embarass anyone but I've heard that Vagisil creme can get rid of ringworm in a couple of days. Good luck!

[mellowdane]

Vagisil works because it is basically fungal medication that is safe for sensitive areas Just like the athletes foot meds.. just a less irritating base to it.