Cat Ringworm — Symptoms of a Contagious Skin Condition
The most common infectious skin disease in domestic felines, cat ringworm is a fungal infection, and not a worm at all. It is easily spread by contact.
In otherwise healthy cats, the disease often resolves itself within 6 to 8 weeks. To prevent the spread of the disease and to resolve it more quickly, your veterinarian may prescribe treatment. More difficult cases may take weeks or months even with treatment. Cats with compromised immune systems may take even longer and experience more severe symptoms.
Ringworm, known as dermatophytosis, is a fungus which feeds on keratin. Keratin is a protein found in hair, nails, and skin.
The classic ringworm symptom is seen as patches of hair loss which look like circular scaly areas with raised edges. These symptoms are fairly easy to spot. This disease gets its name from the round ring-like marks it leaves on the skin.
The most common locations for infection are the head, face, ears, tail, and paws. Early symptoms include dry, flaky skin. In addition, you may see bald areas on ears, the legs, and around the eyes.
More serious symptoms may develop if your cat’s immune system is compromised. If left untreated, your cat may develop crusty lesions that become sore, red, and infected.
The symptoms list for cat ringworm includes loss of hair (or broken hair) in circular patterns and hair loss in irregular patterns. Also visible is scaly, bumpy, red, or inflamed skin, and possibly deformed claws. Your cat may scratch the affected areas, but not all cases present with itchiness, and some cats may experience little to no hair loss with this disease.
Only your veterinarian can diagnose cat ringworm. If you suspect your cat has this ailment, call your vet’s office for guidance.
