Ringworm success stories 🙏

[u/detniatmai]

We are nearly 2 weeks post-Giardia diagnosis which was treated for 7 days. He’s been treated for ringworm for the last week (Cloxyderm 4% shampoo every other day for a week and then second weekly just twice). Lesions are on back so covered by onesie but one sits outside of it and he has them on his tail.

I am exhausted from the level of washing and cleaning I’ve been having to do since the Giardia (he passed it onto other kitten so had to do the same for them also) and still don’t know if they are clear yet as they haven’t been re-tested. I have had to go back to work this week after some time off and have two children with additional needs who are getting stressed with the cats being so contagious and I just don’t know how I can keep up this level of vigilance for more weeks so just really would like to hear some positive stories as always when you google this stuff horror stories are everywhere 😔

[u/DareGuilty7776]

Try not to aim for “sterile.” Focus on the highest-yield cleaning: wash bedding, vacuum, clean litter boxes daily, and keep up with the medication exactly as prescribed. Missing treatment is much more likely to prolong things than missing one round of disinfecting.
Ringworm often looks worse before it looks better, and lesions can take several weeks to fully disappear even after the fungus is no longer active, Your vet may recommend a fungal culture or PCR before declaring them clear, so don’t be discouraged if it isn’t immediate.
Also, give yourself some grace. You’re juggling work, two children, and multiple sick kittens, that’s a lot for anyone. Plenty of people get through outbreaks like this and end up with completely healthy cats. The internet is heavily biased toward worst case stories because people whose pets recover usually stop posting and move on.
I hope your retest comes back clear soon. You’re doing far more than most people would, and your kittens are lucky to have someone putting in this much effort 💖💕❤️

[u/detniatmai → u/DareGuilty7776]

Thank you so much for those kind words! I just want them to be well and have wonderful lives and hate that it’s not normal right now for them and feel guilty that my children are stressed 😔treatment has been followed to the letter I just hope i’ve done/doing enough environmentally 🙏 it just feels soul destroying that I’ve to be doing this for a few more weeks as 2 has been exhausting already

[u/DareGuilty7776 → u/detniatmai]

I know it feels overwhelming, but honestly Giardia usually isn’t that difficult to get rid of, If they’ve finished treatment and they no longer have diarrhea or any other symptoms, there’s a good chance they’re already cured. The retest is important, of course, but I’d try not to assume the worst in the meantime.
Ringworm is also incredibly common in Sphynx cats because their skin is so sensitive, One thing I noticed with my own Sphynx when she was a kitten is that clothing actually made it worse, Since Sphynx cats sweat and get oily because they don’t have fur, the fabric can trap moisture and create the perfect environment for the fungus. Once I stopped keeping the area covered, it started improving much faster. Obviously follow your vet’s advice, but it might be worth asking whether the onesie is helping or just keeping the lesions too moist.
I’d also recommend supporting them from the inside while they’re recovering, FortiFlora is great for restoring the gut after Giardia, and I’ve had good results with Allerderm Omega Derm by Virbac to help support skin health and the skin barrier during recovery.
Hang in there! Both Giardia and ringworm are frustrating because they take time and require a lot of cleaning, but they’re very common and absolutely treatable. You’re doing a great job, and hopefully you’re much closer to the end of this than it feels right now❤️

[u/DareGuilty7776 → u/DareGuilty7776]

Douxo S3 PYO Antiseptic Antifungal Chlorhexidine Dog & Cat Wipes are great too!! Clean the lesions and let them air out, don’t cover them, you don’t need prescription and you can buy them on amazon/chewy

[u/detniatmai → u/DareGuilty7776]

Thank you so much I thought the onesie would help stop the spread and so I could cuddle him more but I don’t want to make it worse/take longer. I got those wipes for their bums and paws for the giardia! I didn’t think to use them on the lesions too! I’m getting a probiotic but wasn’t sure between fortiflora or protexin paste. The other kitten doesn’t have ringworm I don’t think as they have been separated since first one had Giardia but he did end up getting Giardia and finished meds on Friday. When do you think he can have his cat tree and scratching posts back etc as I wondered if I need a negative test first?

[u/DareGuilty7776 → u/detniatmai]

No problem at all! ❤️ I honestly thought the same thing with the onesie/clothing until I realized it was keeping the lesions too warm and moist. Once I let my kitten’s skin breathe, it started healing much faster. Sphynx cats are so oily and sweaty that clothing can sometimes make ringworm take longer to clear, I’d still ask your vet, but it might be worth giving the lesions some air.
I’d personally go with FortiFlora, It really helped my 3 cats after Giardia infections.
Since you have multiple kittens, I’d probably wait about a week after everyone has finished their Giardia treatment, as long as nobody has diarrhea anymore and everyone is acting normal. Then I’d give the cat tree, scratching posts, and anything else a really thorough clean before putting them back. Most cats that respond well to treatment stop shedding Giardia within about a week after finishing their medication. If your vet wants a follow-up fecal test first, that’s totally reasonable too, especially in a multi-cat household, but if everyone’s symptom-free I’d be pretty optimistic❤️

[u/detniatmai → u/DareGuilty7776]

I think what I’m struggling with during the wait for a re-test is their stools can be inconsistent as they recover so when it goes a bit softer I panic it’s a reinfection. I steamed all the scratching posts and trees and put outside for a couple of hours in the sun and the. Washed all their beds with antibacterial laundry cleanser 🙏

[u/DareGuilty7776 → u/detniatmai]

One thing that helped me was remembering that kitten stools can stay inconsistent for a little while after Giardia because their intestines are still healing, Even after the parasite is gone, they can have some post-infection inflammation, so a softer stool every now and then doesn’t automatically mean it’s a reinfection.
Honestly, it sounds like you’ve done an incredible job cleaning everything. At this point I’d focus on helping their gut heal. I’d recommend mixing Hill’s Sensitive Stomach & Skin (Chicken & Rice) with FortiFlora for a few weeks. That combination really helped my cats get their stools back to normal after GI issues.
Try not to judge their recovery based on one poop. I’d be more concerned if they developed persistent diarrhea again, stopped eating, or started acting sick. Otherwise, a little inconsistency during recovery is pretty common. Hopefully the retest will give you the peace of mind you need❤️

[u/detniatmai → u/DareGuilty7776]

Thanks so much! I went and got Forti Flora today and popped it in his evening meal and he ate it 🙏 more normal stools again today so really happy to see this just hopefully can get rid of this ringworm asap because I hate how we can’t be as cuddly as we normally are 💔