Hair Loss Ringworm In Cats
Ringworn can affect both dogs and cats and if you would like to learn more about how ringworm or dermatophytosis affects dogs please visit the petmd pet health library.
Hair loss ringworm in cats. Ringworm in cats is diagnosed largely with kittens and younger cats rather than in older adults. How is dermatophytosis diagnosed. The clinical signs may suggest the possibility of dermatophytosis but further investigations are needed to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out other diseases. Nervous disorders e g over grooming can also.
It can be slightly crusty or flaky but is not usually itchy. Three diagnostic tests are commonly used. Ringworm is more common in younger cats under 12 months of age and senior cats over 10 years old. Some cats experience skin allergies which can cause hair loss to occur.
Examination under ultraviolet wood s lamp. Ringworm is a fungus that infects the skin and hair in cats. Ringworm can be challenging to detect in cats since the lesions of ringworm may be very mild or even undetectable. Your vet will likely recommend an antifungal medication such as ketoconazole which will kill the existing fungus and prevent the growth of new.
Longhaired cat demonstrating typical lesions of ringworm such as scaling and hair loss on the face and ears. Ringworm is a fungal infection that can cause hair loss. Highly contagious ringworm leads to patchy circular areas of hair loss with central red rings. The typically circular red ring that appears in humans is how it got the name ringworm.
If infected with ringworm older cats hair will become brittle and break off in patches while kittens will get. If your cat shows signs of ringworm take it to your vet to for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Sometimes the presentation is a little more unusual and in some cases the areas around the nail. Ringworm in animals causes patchy areas of hairloss with damaged broken hairs.
Mange is a skin condition affecting cats caused by mites. There are a few different reasons for cat hair loss. Surrounding hairs become infected and can break off due to brittleness. Infected cats have most likely caught the disease directly from other infected animals or indirectly from the.
Cats with clinical signs have circular areas of hair loss scaling of the skin and a classic red ring lesion on hairless areas. To recognize and treat ringworm in cats start by looking for symptoms such as patches of hair loss and scaly patches on the face paws or ears. Adults have had time to build up a natural immunity to the fungus which makes them more resistant to infection. The skin often has a circular rim around the edges of the lesion.
If your cat has ringworm it is imperative that you take care of it immediately as ringworm is very contagious to other cats and humans. The condition can be in one area or all over the body. The common name of ringworm is somewhat misleading in that it is not an infection caused by a worm and the infected areas are not always ring shaped. Ringworm is the common name given to a fungal infection of the superficial layers of the skin hair and nails.
Kittens are at greater risk of infection due to their immature immune systems and possibly because they are less efficient at grooming and thus removing the fungal spores.