2 cats holding their own, no further ringworm but no fur regrowth. They only get fungicide shampoo and lime/sulfur dip once a week.
1 cat had one large new bald spot on her ear but no crusties and old spot has grown back fur. She's on terbinafine and weekly dip.
Renal cat no longer has crusties all over her body! Fur may be growing back, too early to say! Terbinafine and weekly dip.
It's starting to turn around! Light at the end of the tunnel!
House rabbit and kitten never caught it.
YAY!
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Monday, December 19, 2016
Ringworm Week 3
Renal cat-the lesions are still scabby and shedding skin. More lesions all the time. She's on Terbinafine pills, weekly bath of antifungal shampoo that sits on her for 10 minutes, then a sulfur lime dip. Topical Lamisil twice a day where she won't lick it off
Litter mate-spot behind ear still growing larger. Her treatment is the weekly bath. Lamisil.
7 year old cat-spot behind ear has spread to other ear. Weekly bath. Lamisil.
3 year old cat, both ears. Weekly bath. Lamisil.
Kitten may have a tiny bit of hair loss around her eyes.
Spouse has developed a lesion on his chest from being scratched while bathing the cats.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I had 5 fosters quarantined in a bathroom with ringworm, they were on Itraconazole, weekly sulfur lime dips, and Lamisil. The area was wiped down with bleach weekly, walls and floor, all surfaces. Took them 3 months to be free of it.
The litter that started this, had free run of the house, on Itraconazole and sulfur lime dips, took 3 months to get free of it.
So there you have it. Doesn't matter at all if you quarantine or not. That's really just to keep everyone else from catching it--although humans (exceptions are kids or elderly or immune-compromised) won't catch it from normal contact. Spouse got it from being scratched by the infected cat, which happened while bathing them, so quarantine wouldn't have changed a thing. If I had caught this earlier with the 1 cat, I'm positive the others would have never caught it. They didn't catch it either time before. The real trick is to keep the infected cat from spreading active spores, too late for me now. To keep the spore count down, I mop with bleach weekly. I vacuum the furniture. I spray Lysol on the furniture and bedding. I'm not going to rip out the carpet or throw away the furniture, or even wash everything we own in bleach every day. It won't make any difference. Ringworm has to run it's course and it looks like that's about 3 months. I just can't seem to get it to stop on the elderly renal cat. It's just not slowing down at all.
Litter mate-spot behind ear still growing larger. Her treatment is the weekly bath. Lamisil.
7 year old cat-spot behind ear has spread to other ear. Weekly bath. Lamisil.
3 year old cat, both ears. Weekly bath. Lamisil.
Kitten may have a tiny bit of hair loss around her eyes.
Spouse has developed a lesion on his chest from being scratched while bathing the cats.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I had 5 fosters quarantined in a bathroom with ringworm, they were on Itraconazole, weekly sulfur lime dips, and Lamisil. The area was wiped down with bleach weekly, walls and floor, all surfaces. Took them 3 months to be free of it.
The litter that started this, had free run of the house, on Itraconazole and sulfur lime dips, took 3 months to get free of it.
So there you have it. Doesn't matter at all if you quarantine or not. That's really just to keep everyone else from catching it--although humans (exceptions are kids or elderly or immune-compromised) won't catch it from normal contact. Spouse got it from being scratched by the infected cat, which happened while bathing them, so quarantine wouldn't have changed a thing. If I had caught this earlier with the 1 cat, I'm positive the others would have never caught it. They didn't catch it either time before. The real trick is to keep the infected cat from spreading active spores, too late for me now. To keep the spore count down, I mop with bleach weekly. I vacuum the furniture. I spray Lysol on the furniture and bedding. I'm not going to rip out the carpet or throw away the furniture, or even wash everything we own in bleach every day. It won't make any difference. Ringworm has to run it's course and it looks like that's about 3 months. I just can't seem to get it to stop on the elderly renal cat. It's just not slowing down at all.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The Ringworm Saga
Week 2 of anti-fungal shampoo and sulfur/lime dipping.
Because she just wasn't getting better, Calia, the renal cat, was also put on Terbinafine pills. Same ingredient as Lotrimin cream, works in the liver instead of the kidneys. Also, cheaper than the $50.00 bottle of Itraconazole we used for treating the 1 kitten. This 21 day treatment cost $9.00. Just as effective, vet tech friend has used this in rescue kennel situation and it cleared them all up, same as
Itraconazole. Even better, didn't have to go across town in heavy traffic, pay to park, and walk half a mile to pick it up at a special pharmacists. Got Terbinafine at the local pharmacy.
Twice a day I put anti-fungus cream on the others, it's not spreading. The fur all fell out and my vet tech friend says that the fungus is now dead there so hey! Progress! I'm also giving them all lysine to boost their immune system.
So far, pet rabbit hasn't caught it!
The spot on my face cleared right up.
We all only caught it because I didn't know Calia was festering. She's always been an itchy cat. Once they shaved her neck for her 1st blood test, she started REALLY itching and she scratched most of the skin off of her neck. We all, the vet and us, all of us thought, well, she's itchy. It wasn't until just over a week ago, Friday night, that I thought, wait a minute, those new spots are small and round. So I got out my blacklight to check. So she's been covered in ringworm for weeks. If I had known earlier, I'm sure none of the other cats would have gotten infected. We had the kitten go 3 months before her ringworm cleared and no one else in the house got touched by it. And I don't bleach my furniture or scrub the walls or bleach the floors. I figure by the time you see it on a pet, you've already been exposed. The kitten got over it when she was old enough for her immune system to kick in--the exact same time it took the fosters we hosted that one time who were in the bathroom for exactly 3 months, same age, floors bleached, walls scrubbed, the works. For kittens, it's an age thing. Right now, she's the only one without ringworm because she's peak of health, not an old lady like Calia and her littermate. Seriously, you can tell their ages by the amount of ringworm on their bodies. The 12 year olds look terrible, the 7 year old, not so bad, the 3 year old, you have to squint in good lighting to see anything and the 8 month old is tip-top.
So. I have not caught it on my scalp so I have not lost any hair. The cats seem to be getting better, although it's really slow.
Because she just wasn't getting better, Calia, the renal cat, was also put on Terbinafine pills. Same ingredient as Lotrimin cream, works in the liver instead of the kidneys. Also, cheaper than the $50.00 bottle of Itraconazole we used for treating the 1 kitten. This 21 day treatment cost $9.00. Just as effective, vet tech friend has used this in rescue kennel situation and it cleared them all up, same as
Itraconazole. Even better, didn't have to go across town in heavy traffic, pay to park, and walk half a mile to pick it up at a special pharmacists. Got Terbinafine at the local pharmacy.
Twice a day I put anti-fungus cream on the others, it's not spreading. The fur all fell out and my vet tech friend says that the fungus is now dead there so hey! Progress! I'm also giving them all lysine to boost their immune system.
So far, pet rabbit hasn't caught it!
The spot on my face cleared right up.
We all only caught it because I didn't know Calia was festering. She's always been an itchy cat. Once they shaved her neck for her 1st blood test, she started REALLY itching and she scratched most of the skin off of her neck. We all, the vet and us, all of us thought, well, she's itchy. It wasn't until just over a week ago, Friday night, that I thought, wait a minute, those new spots are small and round. So I got out my blacklight to check. So she's been covered in ringworm for weeks. If I had known earlier, I'm sure none of the other cats would have gotten infected. We had the kitten go 3 months before her ringworm cleared and no one else in the house got touched by it. And I don't bleach my furniture or scrub the walls or bleach the floors. I figure by the time you see it on a pet, you've already been exposed. The kitten got over it when she was old enough for her immune system to kick in--the exact same time it took the fosters we hosted that one time who were in the bathroom for exactly 3 months, same age, floors bleached, walls scrubbed, the works. For kittens, it's an age thing. Right now, she's the only one without ringworm because she's peak of health, not an old lady like Calia and her littermate. Seriously, you can tell their ages by the amount of ringworm on their bodies. The 12 year olds look terrible, the 7 year old, not so bad, the 3 year old, you have to squint in good lighting to see anything and the 8 month old is tip-top.
So. I have not caught it on my scalp so I have not lost any hair. The cats seem to be getting better, although it's really slow.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
This is too much for me
It's been a bad year for fostering.
Aside from the people involved, last Christmas evening, the foster kittens came down with Calicivirus. It's just a cat flu, they were fine in days, but Professor Fuzzywinkle caught it from them and Mei Mei caught it from him. Now they both have stomatitis and have had teeth removed and steroid shots. It becomes a gradual spiral to the cat needing all their teeth removed which may or may not cure the problem.
This last litter of fosters in April were super adorable but Momma cat had a blemish on her ear. I tried to get it treated but the organization said they don't test for ringworm, the new owners can if they want, it's not round, it's not ringworm although it looks like some sort of fungus. Hey, guess what? It was ringworm! She never broke out but it never got better. Kittens where fine until after their first showing and then all hell broke loss from the stress. Luckily for me, 3 got adopted before anything happened but the last little baby got ringworm. Bad. The org didn't want to spend the money on treatments. Gave me ear drops to use on her face--which she promptly rubbed into her eye and IT got all messed up. After 3 weeks, I took her to my vet and decided to treat her for real, I have 4 cats of my own and a rabbit to think of plus I don't want to be losing hair. Months of dips and oral meds and she was healed! And we kept her because after months, we got attached.
And that's how we have 5 cats today.
2 months ago my Calia got sick. Really sick. Suddenly, she's a renal cat. We brought her back from the brink of death and she's on an IV every other day. She's also always been an itchy cat but guess what? For weeks, it's not just her allergies, it's ringworm! She's had it untreated for weeks. I finally black-lighted her BECAUSE everyone else has spots EXCEPT the new kitten! Everyone. Me too. Fabulous. And renal cat Calia can't take meds. And Fuzzywinkle is a long haired cat. And I just don't know what I'm going to do right now. I didn't sleep all night. When the vet opens, I'll call but it cost over $200 to treat the 1 kitten. 4 cats? This is insane. And am I going to have to shave Fuzzy? Will the sick cat never get better and will just keep spreading it? Do I need to put her down? What the hell am I going to do?
Aside from the people involved, last Christmas evening, the foster kittens came down with Calicivirus. It's just a cat flu, they were fine in days, but Professor Fuzzywinkle caught it from them and Mei Mei caught it from him. Now they both have stomatitis and have had teeth removed and steroid shots. It becomes a gradual spiral to the cat needing all their teeth removed which may or may not cure the problem.
This last litter of fosters in April were super adorable but Momma cat had a blemish on her ear. I tried to get it treated but the organization said they don't test for ringworm, the new owners can if they want, it's not round, it's not ringworm although it looks like some sort of fungus. Hey, guess what? It was ringworm! She never broke out but it never got better. Kittens where fine until after their first showing and then all hell broke loss from the stress. Luckily for me, 3 got adopted before anything happened but the last little baby got ringworm. Bad. The org didn't want to spend the money on treatments. Gave me ear drops to use on her face--which she promptly rubbed into her eye and IT got all messed up. After 3 weeks, I took her to my vet and decided to treat her for real, I have 4 cats of my own and a rabbit to think of plus I don't want to be losing hair. Months of dips and oral meds and she was healed! And we kept her because after months, we got attached.
And that's how we have 5 cats today.
2 months ago my Calia got sick. Really sick. Suddenly, she's a renal cat. We brought her back from the brink of death and she's on an IV every other day. She's also always been an itchy cat but guess what? For weeks, it's not just her allergies, it's ringworm! She's had it untreated for weeks. I finally black-lighted her BECAUSE everyone else has spots EXCEPT the new kitten! Everyone. Me too. Fabulous. And renal cat Calia can't take meds. And Fuzzywinkle is a long haired cat. And I just don't know what I'm going to do right now. I didn't sleep all night. When the vet opens, I'll call but it cost over $200 to treat the 1 kitten. 4 cats? This is insane. And am I going to have to shave Fuzzy? Will the sick cat never get better and will just keep spreading it? Do I need to put her down? What the hell am I going to do?
Thursday, November 17, 2016
End That Cat Litter Smell
It's Day 3 and it's still working!
I have clumping litter. I clean it once, sometimes twice a day. I add baking soda. I clean the actual plastic box. I have a window and a ceiling fan in the same room and yet, I can't get that awful fermented litter, poop miasma from permeating the whole damn house!
FIXED IT!
I put a small cup of vinegar on the corner, on the floor, just out of cat's way. The smell stopped instantly! Even in the morning, when it's at it's grossest, the litter smell doesn't go much beyond the doorway! Once it's clean again, no smell at all!
I don't know how long this will last but this is awesome!
Yes, there is the faintest vinegar smell inside the cat bathroom but it's not overpowering and it doesn't effect cat behavior.
I have clumping litter. I clean it once, sometimes twice a day. I add baking soda. I clean the actual plastic box. I have a window and a ceiling fan in the same room and yet, I can't get that awful fermented litter, poop miasma from permeating the whole damn house!
FIXED IT!
I put a small cup of vinegar on the corner, on the floor, just out of cat's way. The smell stopped instantly! Even in the morning, when it's at it's grossest, the litter smell doesn't go much beyond the doorway! Once it's clean again, no smell at all!
I don't know how long this will last but this is awesome!
Yes, there is the faintest vinegar smell inside the cat bathroom but it's not overpowering and it doesn't effect cat behavior.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
How To Clean a Porcelain Cat Water Fountain
I've got a Drinkwell Pet Fountain. It's porcelain, not metal and WOW! Does it get nasty dirty! Maybe it's my water quality or cat spit but it gets a ring of crud around the bowl and over the lip of the tower.
The best part is that you can scrub it and soak it in vinegar or bleach and it doesn't do a danged thing! Not a bit of difference. It's like that pet fountain crud really means business.
One day, while scrubbing at it to no avail, I scraped at it with my fingernail and voila! There WAS smooth porcelain underneath! It could be scraped off, but with what?
Suddenly, my mind replayed an old commercial in my head.
"Don't scrub your toilet with a pumice stone!"
And seriously, who reaches into their toilet and scrubs it with a pumice stone? EWWW! But a pumice stone would totally get the crud off the cat fountain, right?
BING!
Why yes, toilet bowl cleaner cleans it right up, in seconds, no scrubbing!
1) OF COURSE, by all means, wash again with detergent, get any toilet bowl cleaner off of it before you give it back to your pets. Better safe than sorry. And duh, of course, only use this on the porcelain parts, not the pump and filter.
2) This is acid, wear gloves or don't touch until it's rinsed.
3) Don't get toilet bowl cleaner on metal-like a metal sink. It etches. If you've got a big metal sink, clean the pet fountain in the bathtub, like I do.
And there ya go, cleans a cat water fountain just like new!
Monday, May 9, 2016
Workout Update
I've been on and off exhausted since that time in...January? That one was because I was coming down with a cold and fighting it. The cold sores all in my mouth should have been a give-away, problem is, I don't just get body tired, I get brain tired too. Shit doesn't occur to me.
Last Monday, my lifts were shit so I said, "Self? When is the last time you took time off to recoup?" Um...none. No time off. Been going since January like a MACHINE! ARGH! I am STRONG!
Huh.
So I took last week off.
I'm still tired all the time but again, I was fighting constant cold sores inside my mouth and even though I could push thru the workout, I bailed.
Right now, 3pm, my morning workout. Yeah, still exhausted all the time. Probably not cancer again. Must be just...laziness? I dunno. Anyway, I went up on my overhead press! I'm lifting 25 pounds (dumbbells, not barbell) now. Lat pulldowns- 80lbs. Squats and deadlifts are out for now. Weather change is making my knee ache. I can't even get off the toilet without holding on to the wall and leaning to one side. It'll come back once the barometer changes then I can lift again. Why a joint encased in juice and sealed in flesh can feel the weather, I have no idea, but here it is.
Last Monday, my lifts were shit so I said, "Self? When is the last time you took time off to recoup?" Um...none. No time off. Been going since January like a MACHINE! ARGH! I am STRONG!
Huh.
So I took last week off.
I'm still tired all the time but again, I was fighting constant cold sores inside my mouth and even though I could push thru the workout, I bailed.
Right now, 3pm, my morning workout. Yeah, still exhausted all the time. Probably not cancer again. Must be just...laziness? I dunno. Anyway, I went up on my overhead press! I'm lifting 25 pounds (dumbbells, not barbell) now. Lat pulldowns- 80lbs. Squats and deadlifts are out for now. Weather change is making my knee ache. I can't even get off the toilet without holding on to the wall and leaning to one side. It'll come back once the barometer changes then I can lift again. Why a joint encased in juice and sealed in flesh can feel the weather, I have no idea, but here it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)