My child has ringworm. Could my asymptomatic cat be the cause?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, cats can be carriers of fleas, lice and ring worm. Cats can not have any skin lesions and carry ring worm. People can be allergic to cats as well. If Curly is being treated for ring worm then you can get it. If her hair is growing back that doesn't mean she is cured. I would ask your human Dr to provide a diagnosis. Not all skin conditions human develop can be blamed on animals. I hope this helps and I wish you and Curly the best!

The treatment is with an oral antifungal, it's not recommended if your kitten is asymptomatic as this medication can have severe side effects. The medication is prescription only and can be given only by your vet, in this specific case I do not believe any vet would recommend this treatment though.

While ringworm is potentially contagious to people, the reality is that by the time your cat is diagnosed with ringworm, you have already been exposed to it for a long period of time and have not had any problems with it. Most people do not contact ringworm from cats (or other animals), but from other people. I am attaching a handout with more information about ringworm in cats below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951439 If you develop any abnormal skin lesions, I would certainly recommend having your doctor evaluate them, but I do think what you read was certainly exaggerated. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on your pictures and the fact that people in the house are dealing with ringworm, I would say that this is definitely high on my list of possibilities for Herbie. I would begin treating him with topical medications. Below is what I would recommend using. Begin using immediately and see if there is any improvement with Herbie. Also, I would recommend having all of the humans in the house examined by a GP so that you can begin treating the ringworm on yourselves and not continue reinfecting yourselves or Herbie. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine Combination shampoo and bathe him twice weekly until resolved 2. Miconahex + Triz Spray OR Malacetic conditioning spray and apply twice daily to the affected areas until resolved all of the products above can be found online quite easily. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I would guess that it's a little more likely that the kitten acquired ringworm at the shelter. Some cats can be asymptomatic carriers, and can be diagnosed by getting a sample for fungal culture using a brush technique - you can make an appointment with your veterinarian. If your cat tests positive she should be treated, and some veterinarians choose to treat all cats in the home regardless of testing because of the difficulty in controlling ringworm in the environment.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be ringworm which is a fungal infection which needs to be treated and also can be contagious to humans. I highly recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Also, avoid contact with this lesion for now. Good luck!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your kittens. The answer to your question is no but the mother is probably the source of the ringworm. Adult cats can carry ringworm (fungus) and not show any clinical signs. The fungal organisms are on the hair and skin so direct contact and even contact with shed hairs can be a source of infection to the kittens. I would advise you getting the kittens to your veterinarian. They can get a history and do a physical exam and then they can advise a diagnostic plan. A Woods lamp exam, fungal culture or other skin tests may be needed to diagnose this. Once a presumed diagnosis is made, treatment can be started while awaiting test results if needed. Your vet may advise topical treatment of the lesions and/or oral anti fungal meds to treat this condition. The worst part of this is that ringworm is very contagious to all pets in the household and all family members (Zoonotic Disease) so it's very important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. Good luck.