My cat licked Canesten cream. Is it harmful and what should I do?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should rub Lamisil into the skin as soon as you apply it. Creams get absorbed rapidly into the skin and rubbing it in will enhance absorption even more. Lamisil is not toxic when ingested but it may produce upset stomach, so your Batty may vomit if she keeps licking it. Licking the cream off may slow down the healing. If after 10-14 days there is no improvement to the skin, your vet may have to change the treatment to anti-fungal tablets.

It's not the best that Minocha licked the ringworm cream. I have never come across a topical medication that has been effective for treating ringworm in cats aside from prescription-based lime sulfur dips. The concern is that the Microsporum canis (fungal organism causing ringworm) is spread diffusely throughout a cat's entire hair coat, such that an isolated topical spray will not cover all surfaces of every hair, and lead to frequent recurrence. If you are concerned that she may have ringworm, she should go to her vet for confirmation and will need to be started on oral antifungal medication. Yes, this is contagious to you as well, and you can get it when she sleeps in the bed with you. You need to see your doctor to be sure you don't have it as well. I hope that all goes well!

An OTC antifungal cream *should* help minor infection, however we cant say this definitively without a physical e am. You cann use an e-collar (cone) on Hagtid to prevent licking or ingestion of the cream until the spit is resolved. The ringworm fungus thrives in dark, warm, moist environments. You can wash bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric and then dry it in full sunlight. A solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water can be used to disinfect hard, non porous surfaces. Allow for at least a 10 minute wet contact time before wiping down. An adhesive fabric roller can be used to clean up atray hairs on furniture.

If ingesting enough of it, it can. The best thing to do is place a small amount on the affected area and play with the kitten to distract him or feed him so he eats while it dries some. If it is a persist problem then you may need an e collar to place on his neck so he can't reach it or talk to your vet about a different treatment

It would be best if she doesn't like the wound at all as it will not heal if she keeps licking it. You should leave the collar on all the time if she is licking the wound. Otherwise, leave it on for about an hour after applying the cream to make sure it has had enough time to be absorbed into the skin.

I don't see any warnings on the product about it being a problem if the animal ingests it when licking it, but to keep her from licking it off, I would keep an Ecollar on Missy while you are using this spray. I will put a link below on how to make an Ecollar for a cat at home. I hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ffR-LzyW1M

You can try pet clothes but I would not bandage since you could cause more issues if the bandage doesn't fit correctly. I would have the cats examined by a vet, those lesions are quite typical of ringworm in cats. It could be allergic (fleas, food allergies, atopy), bacterial, viral, immune-mediated, etc. Topical ointments are not a very good treatment for the reasons you have observed. Often oral medications work better.