Ring worm on kittens tail?

Question

I have this baby kitten, and it has ring worm on it's tail. And as of tomorrow it will be old enough to take the medicine for it. It's tail looks pinched almost all of the way in the middle. The kitten is not in any pain and is otherwise very healthy. How long should I wait for it to heal before I take it to vet if the wormer doesn't completely fix the problem? Will they remove the bad part of the tail if it doesn't heal?

Update:

Thank you! I feel stupid... I think I knew it wasn't a worm. Anyway, I know chopping it off wouldn't help anything, I'm worried that the damage it's done has killed part of it's tail...

Answer 1

Ringworm is not a worm but a fungus. A wormer will not help the ringworm.

Ringworm typically will resolve in 4-6 weeks. However, you can help it along with an antifungal or with a sulferated Lyme Dip. You can use antifungals you get at a human pharmacy like for athletes foot or a yeast infection. We primarily use products with Miconazole in them.

There are also prescription meds that can help such as Fluconozale (and there's another I can't remember the name of) but there are minimum ages that they use these on.

Ringworm is contagious - both to other pets and to YOU! Disinfect yourself everytime you handle the kitten. Clean with a diluted bleach solution to be sure to get it out of your house and reduce chances of reinfection,

Answer 2

Ringworm is not really a worm. Wormer will not take care of your problem. Ringworm is called that because the patches and scabs look circular on most cats. It is a FUNGUS, similar to athletes foot.To get rid of Ringworm completely there are three things that you need to focus on: Topical, Environment, Internal. It should take only about three to six weeks if you are consistent. 1. Topical: bathe the kitten with an anti-fungal shampoo once a week for three to six weeks depending on severity. Ketoclor is a good one, and then Sulfurated Lime dip is also very effective (but it stinks) 2. Environment: Isolate the kitten in an easy to clean room (vinyl floor, wood floor, NOT carpeted) and spray the entire environment with a product called "Trifectant" daily. It will kill the spores on contact. So will bleach, but bleach is dangerous to kittens. Just like fleas, ringworm leaves 'babies' or spores that will easily reproduce and worsen the problem if you do not clean the environment. 3. Internal: Ketoconozole is the only product that has ever killed the spores that the kittens ingest by licking their fur. Ask your vet IF the issue is bad, but try the topical and environmental things first with a young kitten. Any vetrinary medicince for ringworm in cats comes with sever warnings of liver and kidney disease. Be very careful. Only give it if really necessary.

Chopping off the kittens tail will not get rid of the ringworm in a cat or kitten, and an open wound may make the ringworm worse, because it festers in open wounds. There has been great success with a new product called Vetericyn (available on-line or in some finer pet stores). It is mild, the cats can lick it without harm and it heals the open wounds.

Answer 3

Fast Ringworm Cure?