Spotting Cat Ringworm Symptoms
Cat ringworm is the most common infectious skin disease in domestic felines. It’s actually not a worm at all, but a contagious fungal infection that is easily spread.
In many cases this disease resolves itself, without treatment, within 6 to 8 weeks. Since it’s very common for cats to pass this disease on, your veterinarian may prescribe treatment anyway. Cats with compromised immune systems may take longer to heal and may not heal at all without treatment.
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 paws, tail, face, head, and ears. Early symptoms include dry, flaky skin. In addition, you may see bald areas around the eyes, and on the ears and legs.
Cats with compromised immune systems may experience more severe symptoms, including crusty lesions that may become infected, red and sore.
Cat ringworm symptoms include hair loss and broken hair in circular or irregular patterns. You may also see bumpy, scaly, red, or inflamed skin, and possibly deformed claws. The affected areas do not always itch, and some cats may experience little to no hair loss with this disease.
Cat ringworm can only be diagnosed by your veterinarian, so get in contact with your vet if you suspect your cat is infected.
