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Holly | 5 years ago
Hey Everyone! I Was Hoping I Can Get Some Insight On How To Battle For Ringworm …

Hey everyone! I was hoping I can get some insight on how to battle for ringworm in my household? we adopted a cat from the humane society and they were not aware that he had ringworm and it has passed to the 2 humans in the house and the other cats.

I’ve been doing the daily cleaning, washing the sheets, vacuuming, spraying Lysol, wiping surfaces down, etc. I got topical medicine for both humans and cats.. I have lime sulphur on order. I also have deep played my couch covered with plastic and tarp and sheets. Cat towers are outside to be cleaned and stored away until it’s over.

Is there any of suggestions? If I would lock my cat’s in the basement and keep them away from the living quarters could that possibly help keep it contained and help eliminate the issue?

Thanks in advance! I appreciate any opinions!/advice I may get! ????

5 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- ringworm is usually medicated with an anti fungal treatment from a prescription. I am not sure if anything over the counter is safe for your cats- you should call your vet about that. Meantime, quarantining your cats will help. Be sure to wash your hands after you handle them. It sounds like you are definitely on top of things as far as laundering and cleaning. I would recommend li trolling your furniture and then throwing the tape out- just to help get all the fur the vacuum may miss in case there are spores on it. Best of luck!!!!

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Have you spoken to your vet about this? There are OTC medications that can be tried and oral medications, and like the lyme sulfur topical shampoos. In some cases I shave the cats down (if they are long haired) and make sure they are otherwise healthy. I have seen it happen many times in newly rescued cats. It will run its course and it is a big nuisance I know but it passes. Please call your vet and ask for help.. There is a lot you can do.
    although I am not a VCA hosptial fan this is a good article
    https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/ringworm-in-cats
    now Maddies Fund I love;; this is helpful too
    https://www.maddiesfund.org/kb-ringworm-in-cats.htm

    I guess i would just say to please stay calm, be patient and practice safe handling.. your kitties will be well soon..

    be safe and best of luck!

    If it is any consolation I once had 10 of my clinic cats all get it.. We had to move them to our adjacent house for two months,, but they all got better!

    1. Holly Post author

      Thanks so much for the info! I appreciate it! I have talked to a vet who suggested lime dip and OTC cream. She said I can to oral, but since I caught it at the beginning I may not need it. So I ordered so lime dip, pet collars and going that route. The ringworm spots have almost disappeared with just the topical cream and only 1 more spot has popped up. However, I am still going to treat them all with the lime dip and keep up with the excessive cleaning for a couple more weeks.

      Thanks again, I really do appreciate the info!! 🙂

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Richard | 5 years ago
Any Assistance Would Be Greatly Appreciated. Sophie Is An Extremely Active 12 Year Old Tibetan Terrier Who …

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Sophie is an extremely active 12 year old Tibetan Terrier who appears to have cervical disc disease. This diagnosis is not definitive, though signs and symptoms point this way. All tests have come back negative, antibiotics were not successful, so we started her on Prednisone 5 days ago. Day 1 and 2 she was a new dog. Happy and running. Unfortunately we weren’t aware of the necessity for bed rest. Day 3 she went downhill and now she is in significant pain when she attempts to get up. We addenda Gabapentin 2 days ago and this seems to give some relief. I carry her outside and she can support her weight and limp to do her business. Front right paw is most involved. Her feet will splay and she goes to her stomach in pain if she tries to get up without me helping. I have attempted manual traction which she tolerates. My question is what other medications or conservative treatments can we add (surgical intervention is not an option for us for a number of reasons). At what point can we hope to see changes. Should we limit her from trying to get up on her own, as this is the most painful for her? If so, any suggestions on how to do that?

4 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. It sounds like it might be IVDD. I wish your vet had impressed upon you how imperative it is to cage rest these patients. I insist on cage rest. I know everyone wants to convince me that this is cruel and they can adequately watch their pets, BUT, these guys all do the same thing. They start to feel better and start to do too much, and then they end up worse then they started out.

    I have tons of information on IVDD, Please visit my blog and YouTube channel for all the advice I have.

    you can also go to YouTube and search “ivdd krista magnifico” and all of my videos on this will come up.

    https://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2017/01/hank-cervical-disc-disease-management.html

    https://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2016/08/ivdd-days-immediately-following.html

    https://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2016/05/ivdd-dr-kelcourses-advice.html

    I am sure that all of the answers to your questions are there. please let me know if you cannot find what you are looking for.

    good luck

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Jessica Terzigni | 5 years ago
Hi Dr. Mag, I Noticed One Of Our Dogs Shaking And Scratching At Their Ear Tonight. …

Hi Dr. Mag, I noticed one of our dogs shaking and scratching at their ear tonight. I looked in the ear and it is red and has dark brown ear wax on the outer ear and smells a little musty and sour. The other ear is normal, no smell and no redness. I removed the wax with cotton but do not have ear cleaner. Would I be able to purchase some cleaner from the vet? Or could you recommend one for purchase? This is for Zoey. Thank you!

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is there anyway you could have her seen? The reason I ask is that we always want to differentiate between inflammation (red ears can be a sign) and infection as they take different treatments. I am at the clinic tomorrow. For now you can give Benadryl (50 mg) by mouth to see if it helps the redness. If you prefer to not leave your home we can start with an ear cleaner you can pick up here and see if this helps. If there is pain or a foul odor coming from the ears you really should have her seen ASAP. Be safe. Krista.

    1. Jessica Terzigni Post author

      Hi. Thank you. I can bring her for an exam tomorrow. I will call the clinic in the morning to see what time is best. Thanks again!

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Pawbly | 5 years ago
I Have A 14 Year Old Female Shitzu That Has Recently Been Licking Her Butt A Ton. …

I have a 14 year old female shitzu that has recently been licking her butt a ton. When I try to get close to her rear, she will either turn away from me or run and hide. When i was giving her a bath the other day, when I was trying wash her rear, she yelled. I was able to get a quick look when I was drying her off before she ran from me and there looks to be a white sore on the side of her anus. Would an antibiotic ointment or an antifungal ointment help?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Your dog needs to be seen by a vet. I can’t tell you if the bump is even relevant to the clinical signs she is showing. She needs to be examined and a rectal exam done too. It might be allergies. Parasites. Anal sacs. Or even am impacted anal sac. These require oral antibiotics, pain meds and maybe even a drain. Please see a vet ASAP.

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Pawbly | 5 years ago
Hello, I Am Wondering If Any Of The Vets Or Anyone Who Has Encountered This Could Give Me An Idea What …

Hello,
I am wondering if any of the vets or anyone who has encountered this could give me an idea what might be going on with my 10 yr old Corgi. He was coughing and spitting up water sometime after drinking water but he started coughing worse a couple days ago and sometimes phlem (white,yellow or water) comes up. He isn’t in contact with other dogs but our family had the flu and pnemonia a couple weeks ago.

4 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but this is so vague to offer much assistance. It is best that you see your vet. I think a thorough physical examination to include ausculting the heart and lungs and a very good overall whole body exam is in order. It might also be helpful to take a chest X-ray for things like pneumonia and megaesophagus and maybe even blood work to include low thyroid. My point is that there are numerous possible causes and until you start ruling some in or out it is a guess at best. I hope this helps.

  2. Sarah

    Hi there-
    To be safe, I would call the vet and have it checked out.

  3. Laura

    Run, do not walk, to the nearest vet who can do an echocardiogram and 24 hour holter.

  4. Sharon Gainer

    I have a 13 year old (best estimate because he was a rescue) Chi that needs a dental, but he has CHF. He takes 2.5 mg of Enalapril daily, and 12.5 mg of Lasix daily. Would it be safe for him to have a dental?

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William | 5 years ago
Lucy Is A Rescue, She Is Female Chihuahua Mix. We Notices She Has Not Been Bearing …

Lucy is a rescue, she is female Chihuahua Mix. We notices she has not been bearing weight on the back leg. More like she was limping, bearing weight more days than other. I was thinking old age, sore muscle. We watch her closely, it seem to be getting better. Then last night on her walked something spooked her and she darted for the house. Since then she does not even extend that leg, she hobbles and wobbles on the three. I am waiting for the vet to call back for an appointment. What should I expect has for as cost for x-rays, I only ask because I assume this will be needed and when I ask an approximate cost, I was told that information is not available to give. What is the best case scenario for Lucy given her age, What is the wort I can expect? I check her leg for mobility and she is moving in all directions and does not appear to bother her. ( the leg in question) Thank you for your time and consideration in this.

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- so sorry Lucy is in pain. It think that when you get into the vet, you should discuss cost up front. They should most definitely be able to give you an approximate cost of at least the exam and an X-ray. If not, ask them why. At my vet, the pricing is listed upfront- it is $100 for 1 image, $150 for 2 – 3 images… Just be honest and let them know you need to know how much to set aside to be able to pay them. Depending on her exam, and how long ago her last check up was, they may also want to do blood work. Hopefully after an X-ray and exam, you will have a better idea of what you are dealing with. Very best of luck. Please keep us posted on Lucy.

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Joseph | 5 years ago
Small Lump On Dogs Ear. My Dog Is Around 10 Years Old At This Point, He Is …

Small lump on dogs ear.

My dog is around 10 years old at this point, he is a King Charles spaniel x Patterdale and has never had any major health problems. He is an extremely active and energetic dog but has a small hard red lump on his ear.

I probably noticed it a few weeks ago, as far as I can tell it hasn’t changed in size. He quite often gets thorns stuck in his skin as he likes to dive into absolutely anything to retrieve his ball, so maybe it could be an infected thorn wound? Even so, I will most likely be taking him to the vet but would like some other opinions first.

(It doesn’t seem to be giving him any discomfort)

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I don’t think that you need to rush to the vets office but I do think it should be seen by them. It is utterly impossible to diagnose any limp or bump via a photo. And honestly even in person I usually have to say that the only way we know for sure what it is is with biopsy. It is small so your vet might also ok the watch and wait scenario. But if I do this with my clients I always preface it with the following:
    I measure the mass with a ruler. And I tell the client to measure it at least weekly so monitor growth. I also give a “return for recheck” instruction if it grows by 20% or more. And I further go on to say “remove if it gets ____ big”. So it doesn’t grow too big to allow surgical excision.
    I hope this helps. Let us know what happens. Also ask your vet if they think it might be a histiocytoma. I’ve seen lots of them. Good luck.

    1. Joseph Post author

      Hi, thanks for the advice!
      As I haven’t noticed much (if any) growth, I’ll give it about a week or so to see if it does grow or shrink. And if it stays the same or increases in size I will take him to the vet. Like you said, it’s very difficult to tell what it it just by a photo or without a biopsy, but I did do some googling and it does look similar in appearance to a Histiocytoma. Even so, he will most likely go to the vet.

      Thanks for the advice!

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Diana | 5 years ago
My Vet Strongly Suspects My Cat Has A Nasal Polyp. She Has Be Snoring/snarling Consistently …

My vet strongly suspects my cat has a nasal polyp. She has be snoring/snarling consistently for 2.5 years, but is otherwise fine. When it began, I first had a potential infection treated with two antibiotics, followed by a teeth cleaning, that yielded no issues with the teeth, and ended with a nasal flush. My vet was hoping to be able to see and grab the polyp during the flush, but couldn’t. Because she was otherwise healthy, eating, and playing, I went without treating it. Recently, she was treated for a G.I. flair up that had her not eating. She had begun not eating or moving get bowels for days. Once vomiting was added in, I took her to Metropolitan Emergency Vet. They gave her an ultrasound, saw the inflammation and gas in her abdomen, took a CBC, gave her fluids and nausea medication and sent her home a couple hours later for $800. Her bloodwork was was fine, aside from dehydration. She continued not to eat, so I brought her to my vet a day and a half later. They did an x-ray and saw the lower intestine looked aggravated. They kept her for the weekend and gave her fluids and more nausea medication. She returned to me after two days and began eating again at home. I’m awaiting the additional $600 bill for that. While being discharged, one of the docs urged me to address what she felt strongly was likely a polyp in her nasal cavity, as she believed it may now be large enough that it’s limiting her ability to smell, which may have contributed to the refusal to eat with the G.I. issue coexisting for a few days. She referred me to the specialty docs locally to have the nasal polyp removed. They are quoting me $3,195 plus. They said it would be $195 for a internal med consult, $1,500 for a “necessary” CT, and $1,500 or more for the Rhinoscopy. My vet said Lilah is otherwise a healthy 12 year old cat. I am sick with the cost, as I will need to put it all on a credit card. I have called around to multiple other specialty vets and I’m getting comparable quotes. I have had family members suggest I euthanize my cat over a nasal polyp, which I absolutely will not do. I stumbled across a Utube video of you removing a nasal polyp, so I tracked you down by name, wondering if you could help Lilah? I’m two hours from your practice, which is close enough. I’d really appreciate you getting back to me. As of now, we have a consult scheduled for 3/4, and I’m sick over the cost.

Thank you,
Diana Maginn

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Well! That’s quite a huge long laundry list of issues. Has anyone done a FeLV/ FIV test? What does the blood work look like?
    While no one can rule out a polyp without a scope or ct scan this does sound like a long list of issues and I worry there is an underlying issue causing many of them. I would ask your vet to sedate her and look behind the soft palate to see if there is a visible polyp that might be able to be removed with traction avulsion. Otherwise I think the retro flex endoscopy and ct are the only way to diagnose. Although I would ask some very hard and direct questions about what can actually be done if they’d one it buried dee within the nasal cavity? I hope this helps.

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Liz | 5 years ago
4 Days Ago My Cat Began Acting Really Lethargic. She Has Been Sleeping All Day And Won…

4 days ago my cat began acting really lethargic. She has been sleeping all day and won’t move. I offered her canned food on day 2 and she scarfed it down as well and drank water. Over the last 48 house she has declined severely. She is eey weak and has lost and extreme amount if weight despite my efforts. I have been syringe feeding her, stimulating her, administered Pedialyte as well as tried to maintain her hydration. I began subcutaneous fluids yesterday and she is still of a deep decline. I’m afraid I will lose her. She was fine the day before this started. None of my other cats are sick not have any symptoms at alll. She is 6 months old. Her name is Honey.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning. So sorry about your cat. Have you been in to see your vet?

  2. Laura

    What did your vet say when you took her in? You DID take her in the day this started, right? If not it’s beyond emergent now…

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Aimee | 5 years ago
We Brought A Re-homed Cat Home To Our House One Week Ago. She Is 4 Years Old, …

We brought a re-homed cat home to our house one week ago. She is 4 years old, spayed, up to date on shots and healthy. She came from a multi-cat and dog house to our single-dog house. Her previous owner says she had no problem standing up for herself against other cats and the dog (reports the other cats are much more willing to come out of hiding since she has been removed). We have noticed that she is shy and skittish, but eating and drinking. She spends most of her day hiding under a bed.

Unfortunately she refuses to use her litter box (so far preferring kids closets and under desks). We’ve taken a step back and confined her to a single room. She has a clean litter box. Food, toys and bed are at the opposite side of the room. We’ve also confined the dog to a separate part of the house

None of this is ideal. We have few doors, so keeping them apart also keeps the humans apart. I can put food or litter in another part of the house, but the cat is more likely to encounter the dog if I do that.

Thoughts?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In general I take the ridiculously slow and gradual approach to new cats joining the family. I do the following. I place a big cage with a little box in it and place that in a room by itself. The new cat is kept there with a big blanket covering as much of the big cage as needed until everything is calm and happy. This means the new cat is coming to you and purring. Using the litter box and eating normally. It can take weeks. We let them get used to their own new place before expecting them to adapt to ours. After they are doing well we open rhe big cache and let them acclimate to their own room. Now they can sniff the other animals under the door until that is also calm and peaceful. No hissing at others under the door. If that goes well so short small supervised visits with others housemates. If any thing doesn’t go well go back to bases. Ideally the cage and box stay accessible until the new cat is using the community boxes. If all else fails go back to small and safe. Cats need time and patience and they don’t always adapt well. Also super important to talk to your vet and rule out any issues. Think about different litter and litter boxes. Let you cat decide which they like. Hope that this helps.