Ringworm - really need some support

You need to disinfect everything. Having dealt with this problem myself, I washed all the linens and bedding in the machine with bleach. For cat trees and pet beds, I used a steam cleaner. You can buy antifungal disinfectant sprays, like Sanytol, in the shops; that's what I use as a foster carer.

Hi everyone,

I adopted two guinea pigs years ago that had ringworm. I ended up catching it myself, too.

Mind you, they weren’t like cats; they weren’t free-roaming the house 24/7. That said, they still had several hours of floor time a day and went everywhere.

They had treatment from the vet, plus neem oil baths and applications of aloe vera.

It was the same for me.

I mopped the floors with a disinfectant like Dettol, didn’t use any foggers, and used laundry cleanser for the sheets and clothes.

To be honest, I’m not a massive clean freak. I wasn’t overly stressed about catching it, either. It took a little while to get rid of it as my piggies had it quite badly (they came from a pet shop), so naturally it took several weeks to fully clear it up. I caught it towards the end of their illness and had it for about two weeks.

I lived in that flat for over another year and the ringworm never came back. Not on me, not on my guinea pigs, and not on the dog I got later on.

Regarding the cleaning and laundry, I was a student at the time and didn’t have a washing machine. So, I didn’t do my washing any more often than usual, as I had to wait for the weekend to go back to my parents' house to do it. I simply added some laundry disinfectant and washed everything at the highest temperature the fabric could handle (sheets, towels, etc.).

As for mopping the floor, I did it more frequently, but I wouldn’t say I was scrubbing the place from top to bottom every ten minutes. Twice a week, I reckon.

For me, it took a while to shift, and of course I had a few worries because of everything you read about it. But I was much less stressed than some people. And it passed, like everything does, and it never came back.

Of course, I kept up the precautions for a little while after the ringworm disappeared, just in case.

In the case of my guinea pigs, they had their meds from the vet, but the lingering "leftovers" at the end cleared up with the baths and topical treatments. Same for me.

So, that was my experience anyway—I managed to get rid of it without being a domestic goddess, simply by switching cleaning products and my laundry habits.

Hi there,

Ringworm is indeed very demanding when it comes to the treatment protocol needed to successfully get rid of it. This fungus is very hardy in the environment, which means you need to clean your home regularly using the right products (the ones you're using have antifungal properties and are suitable as long as you leave them to act for the recommended contact time). It's rare to manage to clear it up in less than 6 to 8 weeks. Regarding your cat tree, it all depends on how easy it is to clean; spores can linger on it and keep reinfecting the household... However, don't lose heart! It is absolutely possible to get rid of ringworm, even if it is unfortunately often a long process.

Best of luck,

Quitterie - Veterinary Student at the Alfort National Veterinary School (EnvA). Project Manager for ProVéto Junior Conseil, the EnvA student-led consultancy http://proveto.net/