★★★★★
When I was 21, I came back from the lake with what we call 'ringworm'. It is not a worm but a fungus. An older man I showed it to told me to put iodine on it. The red skin cleared within a few days. Ever since, I have been using it on abandoned cats that come in from the cold with various states of the fungus. It clears within days. Vets panic at the sight of ringworm because of the possibility of contagion to humans. Some will even suggest to put the animal to sleep. They have a tendancy to give chemical pills, I have no idea if they work. Apply the iodine on the rim of the spot as it is where the fungus lies and multiplies."
Catherine Bégin, researcher
Lost and Found Pet Network
www.rapt-lfpn.org
MSM
★★★★★
If there's any need to retreat for Ringworm, try putting an appropriate dose of pure MSM in each meal daily. My cats got ringworm, & I read that conventional vets quarantine + regularly/repeatedly bathe them in sulfur baths + constantly sanitize their living areas.... I started putting appropriate sized doses of MSM in their meals, & within a few days notice their sores healing up.
They healed noticeably more daily until they were gone. The problem is worst through humid weather, but it's pretty easy to continue supplying their food with pure MSM until things dry out sufficiently. Maybe something like this will work for you, too. I hope so!
Turmeric
★★★★★
My cat had been suffering from ringworm. I saw a post here that said to use Curcumin powder. I can not find that post or cure currently on the site.
I didn't have Curcumin on hand but I did have Turmeric. I feathered it onto my cat's coat and then worked it further in. Maybe a half tablespoon total.
It has now been 5 days. All spots she had are now completely covered in hair growth. She is no longer hiding from the world. I think the Tumeric did the trick.
One word of caution is that Turmeric can stain easily. You might want to cover light colored furniture if you go this route.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Hey Jessica,
You can use a cotton ball dipped in the ACV to carefully apply to the face. And your vet is correct, you do need to quarantine to avoid contaminating your entire house. I rescued a kitten that had ringworm - I didn't know this until after I had sent the kitten to rescue, and then found all of my DOGS now started to have funny bald spots! The vet confirmed the ringworm with a black light - it glowed bright apple green under the light. So I came up with a battle plan: I bathed the dogs daily in Selsun blue/anti-fungal shampoo. Since I sleep with my pets it meant washing my bedding daily also. I got a black light and used it on the dogs daily - when I found faint green spots under the light, I painted them over with fingernail polish [to seal out the air and smother the fungus]. I used the black light to go over every inch of the house where the dogs could roam and used duct tape to sticky-up anything that glowed green. I had the outbreak quashed and eliminated in 2 weeks.
Borax
★☆☆☆☆
Hi, The borax mixture is not great for carpeting or furniture. I too prefer to use natural products for family, home, and pets but in the case of ringworm which is contagious to people and animals I strongly recommend Lysol spray for use in the home. It will kill the fungus quickly. The fungus can be spread on your clothes, carpet and furniture. It looks like a gold dust under blue light so I presume it to be physically moved by contact and probably moved in the air. Your best bet is to buy several large cans to spray carpets, furniture, door knobs, light switches, phones, hair brushes, counter tops, kitchen cabinets, anything touched by your family or pet. Be sure to do the pet bedding and stuffed toys, brushes etc.. used on your pets cats or dogs. Do Not Spray directly on your animals. As for your laundry add your Borax, half cup to one cup, depending on the size of your load and use Hot Water to kill the fungus on your clothes.
I have done this at my own home and it works. I unknowingly fostered 5 bottle feed kittens a few months ago with ringworm. My daughter and I handled the kittens without protection and developed ringworm ourselves. It spread so fast we had to seek medical help. I was given oral medication and a topical cream. My daughter was to young for the oral med but was given the cream. We are still fighting the ringworm on the kittens and ourselves. It is under control using the treatments I described above. As for the prescriptions the oral med helped me a lot. The cream not so much. I prefer Tinactin OTC, cream and or spray. It is cheap and works quickly. It can be used on the kittens as well. When they were so tiny I used miconazole cream also a cheap OTC. It takes a while to work so I have used Teds Mange treatment with some success if treated daily with no missed treatments. I was looking to see if anyone else has had success with this treatment.
The 5 kittens are teenagers now. We have separated them into 2 condos. One with the mildest ringworm and one with more severe. They keep infecting each other but I don't have a way to kennel them individually which would be the best solution. The condos are cleaned weekly using Clorox and water solution and dried in the sun. I clean the liter boxes this way too, weekly. When the boxes and condos are housing the kittens I spray Lysol spray on the fresh or scooped liter and allow it to dry before putting it back in the condos. I wash their toys in Clorox water weekly and spray them with Lysol, allow to dry and put them back into the condos. So far so good. I also supplement their food with bene bac. to keep up their immune systems. I have been feeding store food but will be changing to homemade. Their coats feel dry and seem to be dull.
Good luck to anyone reading this post. Also remember to wear gloves when applying treatments to animals and or yourselves. We use cotton swabs/ cotton balls to apply to our selves and the kittens. Ringworm is very contagious and when you go out in public you may want to cover the sores with Band-Aids. Be aware of contact with others, hugging, hand shaking etc... Some people are more sensitive to the fungus than others. I had an allergic reaction to it and my sores looked like I had been burned with a cigar. The blisters popped and drained and would start another sore when I bathed or put on clothes. I had to take time off from my job because of the sores on my hands. Be careful not to spread this to yourself or others.
It is a nuisance and shouldn't be taken for granted. Even though the sores look bad mine were never painful and the itching was minimal.
Essential Oils
WARNING!!! Tea tree oil is *highly toxic* to a cat's liver and should NEVER be used on them or around them--not even in an air diffuser that they could breath in. Just because one person used this without an adverse incident does not mean it is safe. Certain other essential oils are also toxic (others may be safe), and most safe ones need a nontoxic carrier oil (do not use undiluted). Always do your homework before considering any type if essential oil!
Borax
★★★★★
My border collie has a thick, long coat and by the time I noticed that a big spot on her back was flaking badly, the ringworm had already gotten hold of several areas of her body. I believe she got it from swimming so much with my son this summer (being wet all the time).
I first tried organic coconut oil with a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in and liberally applied twice a day. I also bathed her in a tea tree oil dog shampoo every 2 or 3 days. She got colloidal silver in her water daily, as well. It helped, but was not knocking it out as fast as I thought it would and was messy with all that oil on her (she is a house dog).
After several weeks of this, I got on here and read about Borax laundry soap and decided to try that. So I mixed up about a half cup with a huge pitcher of warm water and dumped it on her in the bath, worked it into her coat, and let it sit on her for a few minutes before rinsing and then following with the usual dog shampoo I'd been using.
I was quite surprised to see that the spots looked much better the next day. The redness was pretty much gone and the swelling (the "rings") was down. So I decided to use that on her topically twice a day instead of the other stuff I'd been using. I put about a half teaspoon into a very small bowl, added about a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide (per this site), and the rest water. I applied twice a day and continued to bathe her every other day, mostly for the nasty flaking problem.
She is now much improved, with hair growing back, after a week of this, but I'm going to continue so that it doesn't come back. I also started giving her black walnut twice daily (one capsule mixed in with each meal) to treat from within.
I mix up some Borax with water in a squirt bottle and spray my carpet and rugs with it periodically, and I wash her bedding daily too, just in case. So far no one in my family has gotten it.
I told everyone I know about the Borax, especially those with kids, since ringworm is a common problem with them, and is so contagious. I wish everyone the best of luck!
Head and Shoulders Shampoo
★★★★★
I foster lots of dogs and cats and have occasional outbreaks of ringworm and mange. It was not uncommon for one of my family members to get ringworm from the affected pets. A nurse at a local hospital suggested we try head and shoulders shampoo...just wash hair as directed, and any affected areas. Within days the rash is gone.
We tried the same thing on the pets and got the same results. For ringworm, wash pet and let it soak for about five minutes. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat every couple of days.
For Mange, apply shampoo to coat and work up a lather. Let sit for 10 minutes to kill mites. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat every three days as needed till rash is gone.
just wanted to tell you have been giving my two english bulldogs organic raw Apple Cider Vinegar. And it is the best thing I have ever used I put a tsp 3x day in there food or you can put a tsp in there water.. I also clean there ears out with it.. It keeps them so clean... I also use it for tear stains it is clearing both of my dogs from the tear stain.. I even take it myself.. For acid reflux.. I haven't had an episode sense I have been taking it..... And it's all Natural.. Love it!! It does a whole lot more stuff too... Just google _____s Apple cider Vinegar... It will tell you about it.. you can get it at any health food store or Kroger grocerie store..:)
Apple Cider Vinegar
I give my dog organic acv, everyday in her meals. Two teaspoonful and she loves it. after a bath with malaseb shampoo that can be order at 1800petmed. Com, after she is completely rinsed then I pour the Apple Cider Vinegar and half water over her fungal infections. Dry her off completely(blow dry low heat) then I apply the vaginal cream, miconzole, ( I buy at target or any store) infected areas.
I also, with a cotton ball, 1 cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar and distilled water, I clean the inside of her ears and make sure all the liquid comes out , I apply a dab of clotrimazole 1% athlete's foot cream inside her ear outer ear miconozale. Of course her yeast or (ringworm) is caused by food allergies, it was really a battle changing her food to holistic and organic (vitamins to built her immune system. Sometimes I prepare her meals. The outcome she is clear of all that black crusty mess (malassezia) when she was given to me, she was 4 months old, notice that dark discharge in her ears. I took her to the vet and he prescribe ton of antibiotics which at the time, I did not have a clue that later it would cause havoc on her and me. Antibiotics mess her immune system plus her allergies. Another thing that I have learn, her sugar intake in food even if they are organic. Yeast, or fungal feeds on it.
Apple cider vinegar will not destroy your animal, it will help it inside out.
Coconut Oil
I would like to know how much of the coconut oil did you take orally to rid your ringworm because this thing is driving me crazy. Please help!
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Apple cider vineger has cured my puppy's bad case of ringworm. Now I will be battling a bad case in a new puppy we just rescued off the streets. Thanks for being here for folks like us. The good ol ways have always been the cheapest and the best cure.
R.L.W
Did you dilute the ACV? It's too acidic (and smelly for a cat! ) to be used full strength. It's meant to be diluted.
Apple Cider Vinegar
In comment to Katie from Bismarck, ND stating that she used a TOOTHBRUSH to apply the apple cider vinegar: no wonder your kitten cries! How would you like someone to use a toothbrush on YOUR sores? DAB the vinegar on with a cotton ball twice a day--make sure it gets to the skin and not just the fur. Vinegar changes the PH balance of the skin and the fungus cannot grow and spread.
Apple Cider Vinegar
My 5 week old kitten has a horrible case of ringworm and I have been using Lotrimin ultra on him and it seemed to be slowly working but i am afraid he was licking it off of a spot on his leg and i don't want him to get sick so I tried dabbing on apple cider vinegar. It apparently stung him so badly and he was so upset that he cried and vomited 5 times, poor baby. I was very excited to try it as I know vinegar won't kill him but I don't think I have the heart to put it on him again. I feel horrible that I put the poor little guy through that. I plan to cross my fingers and hope for miracles that it clears up overnight!
EC: Undiluted ACV is much too strong for a 5 week old kitten!
Natural does not equal safe. Arsenic and lead are both natural, but no one would suggest they are safe. Neem oil has a number of contradictory studies- many of them showing it is dangerous in its pure form. Using highly diluted neem oil on your pet as a bug repellant is very different from applying pure neem oil directly to their body. I wouldn't recommend it. There is not enough proof of safety.
Tea Tree Oil
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
RE: Tea tree oil... Tea tree oil is toxic to cats! Cats have died just from being bathed with it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Hey Eddie,
Was this confirmed by your vet to be ringworm? What you describe does NOT sound at all like ringworm, rather it sounds like ear mites or ear infections. You might try the Arcane formula for ear infections - make up from drug store ingredients right away at home, or buy online/Google Zymox Otic HCL for ears. I don't think this is something to cancel plans over, but it will take a few days for improvement. Please report back and let us know what the vet says!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ringworm is not an actual worm, just a fungal infection, so while you want to be careful and practice cleanliness, it really isn't so dreadful. We have dealt with it several times and not felt it was too hard to get rid of. So, I think the kitty could be in the same room with you. Perhaps you could hold him several times a day in a baby blanket that you then wash to reduce the feeling of isolation?
If you don't see results quickly with Apple Cider Vinegar you could try a bit of over the counter antifungal. My vet had recommended that one time for my cats.
I hope he feels better soon!
~Mama to Many~
Apple Cider Vinegar
Thankyou so very much for your wonderful advice Xxxxxxxxx
Colloidal Silver
★★★★★
I adopted a feral cat with FIV. Within about 6 months he contacted ringworm from the carpeted hallway in my apartment building, which he likes to explore. My other cat also got it, and I applied apple cider vinegar a few times and he got better. My feral cat would not let me near him with apple cider vinegar, nor could I bathe him. His entire belly was scaly and bald and red, while his nipples looked extremely irritated. I bought some colloidal silver and sprayed it about 10 or 20 times into his wet food daily. After less than a month his hair started growing back and the itching and irritation subsided significantly. I did have to lower his doses because he developed nausea. Although all of his hair hasn't grown back yet after about three months, he is essentially cured.
★★★★★
Vinegar (just plain household vinegar) and bleach were the only thing that helped cure myself and my dogs from ringworm. Every day, I cleaned (washed, wiped down, and sprayed) every surface outside of my bedroom with bleach. I washed and sprayed myself and my bedding my two dogs with vinegar (it's completely safe; you can make a natural everyday cleaner using orange peel soaked in vinegar, or instance). I added a small amount of bleach to every load of laundry. Ringworm is very aggressive, so you'll have to be even more diligent. It can be painful. I would put vinegar directly on my ringworm, which burned for a few second, but was extremely effective. It takes awhile, but keep at it!!!! It took close to a month for it to clear up completely. In January, I still had an itchy scalp; that took longer to clear up, but it worked and now we're 100% clear.
Iodine
★★★★★
My good old fashion vet, Who's been a vet for a very long time told me to use Iodine on my cat for ringworm. It worked very well! You just put it on with cotton balls or swabs to the affected spots. Use it every day for a week. My other cats never got it either. The Iodine puts a coating on there. Seals it so to speak. My cat was real bad in some places. His fur is growing back quickly now. You must not get it into the cat's eyes. It will stain material and your skin. So wear rubber gloves and old clothes. I hope this helps someone. It worked for my black cat Twilight. Betty Oh yea I tried the apple cider vinegar. It DID NOT WORK.
Turmeric works like a charm. Apply dry, do not wet. I have used it for years and maybe one needs to follow up, depending on the individual animal. If they lick it, it will benefit the liver. Very cost effective. It is being used now in a local shelter with great success. If an animal is full of ringworm, put the kitty in a small box and work the powder into the fur after which keep it caged so the powder is not spread everywhere. This should cost you pennies. Love, Om
Coconut Oil
Your cat's eye will be fine, I've gotten coconut oil in my own eye. It doesn't hurt, it just clouds your vision and makes your eye water and makes you feel like you have some eye boogies in it. But it will eventually wash itself out.
Apple Cider Vinegar
... and refrigerate the worm medicine because Lola won't be needing any of it for about 6 mo.
Lime Sulphur Dip
★★★★★
I volunteer for Animal Services and foster cats and kittens. What we use for ringworm is sulfurated lime rinses. It's not popular with the cats, and it smells like sulfur (rotten eggs), and has to be done fairly often for a substantial amount of time but it apparently works. I haven't used it, but other volunteer fosters have used it. One brand name is Derma Pet. Hope this helps.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I tried giving my dogs (9 months, 10 and 12 years old, respectively) ACV in their food. I only gave them 1 tsp. per day. After two days, they all started hacking, and kept my husband and I awake all night. I stopped the ACV, gave them some cold pressed barley pills (three each), and they have slept through the night since. The hacking completely resolved in a day. A friend told me that ACV actually ate through the stomach of another friend's dog and killed him. I am going to try the ACV TOPICALLY and diluted for my 9 month old's ringworm, but would caution anyone against giving it orally to any animal.
Apple Cider Vinegar
You might want to look into acne. Feline acne looks like sooty black stuff, usually on the chin. If you think that might be it, stop using plastic feeding bowls, they harbour the bacteria that cause the acne. Use metal/glass/china bowls and it should clear up.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The reason Selsun Blue is used for ringworm is because it contains Selenium. To treat ringworm you must use Selsun Blue with Selenium otherwise you are just treating dandruff or dry scalp.
Apple Cider Vinegar
To Billy with his pet pit bull and all his puppies. Don't panic! Malaseb shampoo is back! I just bought it at 1800petmed.com. 2% miconazole 2 % chlorhexidine Gluconate. It doesn't say not to use on puppies. I would use it on the older dog and maybe dilute with the puppies. You must change their diet to holistic, organic or raw organic food. I gave mine raw organic vegetable, like string bean, parsley, broccolli, butternut squash, chop carrots for vitamin A, 2 teaspoon of ACV, biotin, aciddophilus to clean to yeast (fungus) from the gut. Two for each meal twice a day. Also nordic omega -3. Nordic brand is pure and clean no mercury. What we have to do is build their immune system from being broken and weak, to fight the yeast infection from the inside out. Once you have under control and understand that when the immune system is weak from antibiotics or not consumming the right food. I started bathing my dog twice a week, she had in her ears, underarms, legs, her private parts, behind her legs, on back. Now , I bathe her once a week with malaseb shampoo rinse her off with organic apple cide vinegar, dry her completely then apply vaginal miconozole cream, I buy at target for 4.99. Usually yeast infections start with allergies. It is alot of work, but it's better than spending hundreds and hundred of dollars at the vet and bury her after, because the shot and medication they administer is deadly.
Kyrie's Remedies
★★★★★
A cat's skin is much more sensitive than human skin so please consider this when using anything on them that stings.
Also, I have read in numerous places that essential oils, even on flea collars, can be lethal to cats. Putting motor oil, which is a carcinogen (as is petroleum jelly), on an animal that cleans itself with its mouth, I would think that could be dangerous. While I still wouldn't put it on a horse, they are different than cats and dogs and will not likely ingest it.
Now onto ringworm:
Both my cat and I are sick - we were both exposed to large doses of a pesticide, in an enclosed area, and now both of our immune systems are having issues. Add to that, we both caught ringworm, from a stray kitten, on a cross country trip. I have found, being that I have a compromised immune system (isn't working at all) that getting rid of ringworm has been difficult as I am having to get to the underlying causes in order to really get rid of it (in chinese medicine - dampness). Ringworm is related to all the things you hear about that start with the word tinea - such as athlete's foot, nail fungus, scalp itch, jock itch (pardon my bluntness). And as any one who has had any of these knows, it's really difficult to treat. So even when you treat the raised sore, you have often not gotten rid of it (I think it is systemic but I might be wrong). So, if you are ready to take it out completely, you will have to address not only the lesions but clothing, bedding, floors, etc. You may not show sores but you may have it (itchy scalp? White soft buildup? Crusty ears? Itching anywhere?).
Cleaning:
So even tho it is caustic, I use bleach if I have to wash floors. And where I can't, I use plain old salt. For my kitty's ears, I took a damp washcloth soaked in a high saline solution (kosher sea salt) and just applied it directly to the ringworm. This kills it within a short period of time (10 minutes should be plenty). It stings while the fungus is alive and stops when it is dead. I have found one application to be sufficient if you treat the other areas. For humans, swimming in the ocean is a way to alleviate it on the skin, scalp, etc. What you have to be careful of is when you put your clothes back on - or your kitty goes and lays down where he usually does - he and you are probably reinfecting yourselves.
When not near the ocean, I like to take kosher sea salt baths - 1.5 lbs in bath water (this is a very heavy concentration but I like it). After I am done with the bath - I throw my clothes in the water and soak them before washing them. Unlike when I swim in the ocean which leaves a residue and dries out my hair, the kosher salt leaves my hair really wonderful. I don't use shampoo on those days and my hair has been stripped of all the impurities that build up (yeast/fungus in your hair makes it slightly gooey).
Supposedly dry cleaning kills it as well.
Now this is a lot of work. I'm pretty sick so its been hard clearing it and you might not be as susceptible, but your cat or dog who is scratching and you don't see anything, or their ears are red and sensitive might be harboring more of the fungus.
I once went to a health food store and the woman behind the counter told me that she had had it a while back and had successfully treated it. I did not have it at the time. I caught it again from her - and it was a particularly virulent strain - it took a lot to cleanse that one out. She had simply suppressed the lesions.
The other thing to do is treat yourself and animal on a nutritional basis. Good food, pure water, etc is a great help. Fungus loves sugar (see candida - it's a fungus as well), so out went all the junk.
I am being treated by a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and he is helping me on a constitutional level so I don't self prescribe - I let him do his work. But I do take the baths whenever I know i've come into contact with a fungus (I am sens to it now and know - I sometimes pick it up outdoors or on my own keyboard). My cat gets homeopathic remedies which clear it out of his system. Berberis is a great acute for ringworm. In a pinch (and not in true homeopathic prescribing, ringworm is a remedy as well as well that can be ordered from Helios, and that also knocks it out).
My kitty lets me put the damp cloth on his sensitive ears without much of a fuss and its a good holdover until the remedy kicks in (can take up to 4 weeks or so to be fully cleared and may need to be repeated every 3 months depending on how deep a level it affected the animal). You'll know. He still gets it but it is getting weaker and weaker in him.
I am also going to start him on hydrogen peroxide therapy as well after reading this wonderful site!
Sorry this isn't incredibly simple but it works! I hope this can help someone.
Apple Cider Vinegar
DILUTE the ACV first, 50/50 with water!
And do NOT rub ANYTHING into a wound with a brush!
Be CAREFUL to read all the positive experiences & learn from them! And the articles above them, too!
Raw Potato and Salt
★★★★★
I had a cat with a ringworm twice in my life and twice I tried home remedy for that and it worked like miracle. All you need is raw potato and regular salt. Peel potato, make a hole inside and fill it with salt. Place potato on the plate and let it sit and release juice. Then apply this juice as often as you can to the place where you or your cat has ringworm and it's going to disappear in a few days. In my case it took me 2 days to get rid of that ringworm in my cats.
Iodine
★★★★★
I recently read (in Mother Earth News Archives, 1971) that cats are highly susceptible to iodine poisoning. I think there are safer alternatives to using iodine on/in a cat.
Apple Cider Vinegar
My kitten recently returned from being spayed with ringworm1 I was told athletes foot meds would work! Before I tried this I researched and read ACV was much better! I used 1/2 tsp water and a 1/2 tsp ACV on a cotton ball 3x Daily and my cat never acted as if she was in any pain! It took about 10 days and she was ringworm free! I also suggest a deep cleaning of your home! I read to bleach anything that was bleachable and discard what wasn't! We bleached her litter box and bowls and bought new toys and bedding! After the treatment was complete I read to bathe one time in Selsun Blue shampoo! Use a very small amount and keep away from the face! Make sure you rinse really well and dry completely! Our cat is healed, healthy, and will never return to the unsanitary vet she used before! Also be careful of your self and children because it is very contagious! Our cat actually was quarantined to our garage because we have small children! No one in our family ended up getting the ringworm!
Apple Cider Vinegar
★☆☆☆☆
I'm sorry to ask a question where I should be writing a review. But my cat has had ringworm for a week and a half, and it's just getting worse. It started as a small patch on his ear and now both his ears are almost totally 'naked' (bare), and below one ear (base of ear, toward the neck) he's now losing big clumps of fur. I've been treating 3x a day with AVC and an antifungal cream.
He's been to the vet and I'll be taking him again. I'm just devastated because a) he's suffering and b) we might have to cancel holiday plans meaning I can't see my family whom I haven't seen in over a year and don't get to meet my new niece until she's a year old.
Is it normal that it gets worse before it gets better? How long does it take? I'm impatiently waiting to hear back from the vet :'-(
You mentioned you also used medicated body powder. What was the brand name and/or the ingredients?
Colloidal Silver
I'm sorry that I forgot to mention that Gold Bond Medicated powder or either the one in the blue box at the Dollar General Stores. It is found with the foot powders.
