When can my cat with ringworm come out of isolation after treatment?

Cats with ringworm can remain contagious for about three weeks if aggressive treatment it used, which it sounds like you are doing. I would keep them isolated for at least another week. Keep in mind you will have to disinfect the environment as well because ringworm spores can live in it up to 18 months. I will link a website that details how to do this: http://www.livestrong.com/article/49666-rid-home-ringworm/

Poor kitty. Treatment for ringworm can certainly damage their relationship with their owners. Try to spend some time with her playing that doesn't involve treatments and medications to help your bond. There is not usually much of the fungus left after 4 lime dips, so I usually re-evaluate my patients at that time. After 4 weeks of treatment I would have Sierra re-examined by your vet to see if she is still infective. By this time she shouldn't be losing any more hair and you might even see some regrowth in her areas of hair loss.

I hate to hear that Boo has ringworm. The main problem with spreading is due to the spores of the fungus found in the environment. The spores are attached to pieces of shedding hair and can be active in the environment for months in ideal conditions. Environmental clean up is a must to control this fungus. As far as Boo himself goes, the topical treatments will help to remove the contagious spores faster and the oral medications will help to kill the fungus faster which will result in less spores. Unfortunately, Boo is considered contagious until he has two negative cultures done 1 week apart. Most cats will be start re-testing for ringworm 2-4 weeks after initial diagnosis. Here is a very helpful link about ringworm including environmental clean up: https://www.petcoach.co/article/ringworm-in-cats/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I recommend waiting until there are two negative fungal cultures to reintroduce a cat with ringworm back into the household. I typically would culture again in about three weeks. Every vet has a different protocol that works for them however so ask your vet!

If the area is still glowing even if you have treated for 2 weeks, I still recommend continuing treatment and would state that Chloe does in fact still have ringworm. I have seen some animals needing treatment for 4-6 weeks with oral medication and topical. Sometimes scabs and dandruff can glow under the light and it can appear that the area is glowing when in fact it is just the scabbing or dandruff. If it is truly the skin lesion then I typically have clients treat for another 2 weeks and recheck again. I hope Chloe feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thank you for using PetCoach. If the fungal infection is ringworm, it can take weeks to months to fully resolve. Many times treating the environment as well as the cat is needed. Keep Mia indoors may make it easier to contain the infection and prevent reinfection. The vet can look at hairs under the microscope or try to culture the fungus from Mia to assess if she still has it. Here is more information on Ringworm that may help. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=559

Hello. Continue the lime sulfur dips 1-2 times weekly until all of the lesions have healed. This may take 2-6 weeks, but since you have thoroughly cleaned the house, you do not need to do this again. A good vacuuming weekly should suffice. Thanks for adopting Alex & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.