Is my 3-month kitten a ringworm carrier if my kids have it? Treatment?

Antifungal medication (most likely a topical ointment based on itraconazole or similar) is required. Your vet can prescribe that when diagnosis has been correctly established by some skin testing for ringworm. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any 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.

I would recommend treating both cats because up to 20% of ringworm affected cats can be asymptomatic carriers, meaning that you will not see any symptoms but they are still carrying the ringworm and can spread it. It will not hurt to treat the other cat. If the ringworm is spreading and not resolving, a different treatment needs to be considered and I would discuss this further with the prescribing veterinarian. Griseofulvin and topical treatments like ketoconazole can be used to treat ringworm but sometimes this depends on the ringworm species for which medication is most effective. 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.

Bathing then is an option to start but not very practical long term. They make prescription medication that is safe in cats to clear ring worm. If it is 1-2 spots, an ointment may be easier. If it is several spots the n oral is better. Your vet can examine one or two and confirm it's ringworm and get you the medicine you need.

The cream should be applied always with gloves and extra care should be payed regarding hygiene. It would be best to avoid close contact with the cat and the infected area. Systemic medications are available but that would depend on the severity of the infection (if your vet prescribed an ointment that means it will be enough to resolve the infection).

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Oh no! I am so sorry about your son! I would bring your Cat to the Vet. Sadly a lot of cats can be carriers of ring work but show no skin lesions. Also be sure to discuss with your pediatrician other causes of ring worm in people. Ring worm in Veterinary medicine is diagnosed from a fungal culture and treated with antifungal oral pills (itraconazole, terbinafine, etc) and lyme sulfur dips. It is not fun. The CDC has a lot of resources on ring worm in people https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/ringworm/index.html http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=559 I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

Poor kitty. I would not recommend tying a rope to your kitten. Ringworm is typically only contagious in immune compromised people or the really young (children) or really old (senior). If you still have concerns about transmission then wear gloves when handling kitty and perhaps place kitty in a spare room until the skin lesions resolve. As far as the injection goes, I can't comment on whether it is ok to give again or not, because I don't know what the injection was. I honestly have only prescribed oral (by mouth) anti-fungal medication and topicals to treat ringworm. Please repost with the name of the injection that your kitty received and we can give you more information on whether it is safe or not. You may find the name of the medication on your invoice.