Ringworm or other fungus....what will the vet do?

Dustbunnies · Aug 16, 2009

I noticed a little fur missing on the tip of Bunnies nose....and thought maybe Pepper had chewed her because she is a few chewer. I said something about her nose being a little red while we were at the vet for Pepper the other day....and the vet didn't look at her at all. It stopped being red but I kept an eye on it. Tonight I noticed she had a bit more missing.....and so I took her out of the cage. Then, despite handling her plenty....just noticed her shoulder has a bald spot that is crusty and raised!!!! WTF!!! When did that get there?

So I guess she has a fungus! So yet ANOTHER trip to the vet for a scraping. But I am pretty sure it is ringworm.....

SO my question is: What is the vet going to do for it? Creams? Oral meds?

I am going to get tinactin in a few minutes, but I know that won't clear it up anytime soon. I also have ordered blu kote, but it may not be here for a while.

What does the vet prescribe?

Andrea

tunes · Aug 16, 2009

I would just use Blu-Kote on it. Put it on a Q-tip and apply it to the area 2 times a day for 5 days straight. I don't rush off to the vet for fungus, unless I can't get it under control myself. "Most" fungus can be handled easily with Blu-Kote and some Tinactin in the dust bath.

I have used oral before, but it was a severe, severe outbreak on a rescue I took in. She was almost completely bald and the Blu-Kote and Tinactin just didn't seem to help, so I got an oral medication and in conjunction with the other two, it took care of it nicely.

In case you didn't know, you would want to be very careful to clean her cage and everything in it very thoroughly. If you use wood products, boil them and bake them or lay them out in the sun to dry. Hot water for washing the bedding. Clean the cage with hot water, white vinegar, and throw it out in the sun if you can. The sun does a better job of cleaning fungus up than pretty much anything else. It's a shame we can't let the chins do a little tanning.

Dustbunnies · Aug 16, 2009

Problem is the blu-kote I ordered won't be in for several days to a week. The patch on her shoulder is pretty lumpy. I also have a dog that has sensitive skin and is very susceptible to it. I don't want to spend money at the vet for this, but I do want to "knock it out." Also, can't it get systemic and need oral meds to treat?

tunes · Aug 16, 2009

It can yes, but I've had one chin in 9 years need oral meds for fungus. Most people I know never go to a vet for fungus, they just treat it at home. If it was something I was really unsure about, then I would definitely go to the vet, but if it's pretty much a sure bet that it's fungus, then I (personally) wouldn't go.

I don't mean to discourage you from seeking veterinary advice, just giving a little perspective on how I treat fungus myself.

Dustbunnies · Aug 16, 2009

Unfortunately my wood items are colored and will make a mess. Although, if I through them out now....when can I replace them. Everything will get reinfected for a while, won't it?

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

I recently ordered wood shelves for the FN cage I am fixing up.....when is it safe to put them in their so I don't end up having to throw away or boil the junk out of it or risk reinfection? I am starting to dislike wood! I just bought them one of those cute hamburger wood/loofah toys too! Poop. We have spent so much money on them, I hate that some things are already trash worthy.

I can't leave the cage out in the sun because I live in an apartment (and also have no where to put them that long). I will wash it with vinegar, though.

Is there anything "anti-fungal" I can clean with...like using the tanactin mixed with water on surfaces?

When my dog was little and had it , we were using anti-microbial dog shampoo as handsoap and shower so we wouldn't get it. I wonder if this would be safe to use on our hands and still handle the chins?

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Wow....I just watched Bunny drink for at least a minute solid! Why is she drinking so much?

Sasha · Aug 17, 2009

Unfortunately my wood items are colored and will make a mess. Although, if I through them out now....when can I replace them. Everything will get reinfected for a while, won't it?

I'd take out the wood now, and just have her on the solid floor until it is fully cleared up and you can put new wood in. Remember to clean the cage frequently. I used a 5-10% bleach solution.

I recently ordered wood shelves for the FN cage I am fixing up.....when is it safe to put them in their so I don't end up having to throw away or boil the junk out of it or risk reinfection? I am starting to dislike wood! I just bought them one of those cute hamburger wood/loofah toys too! Poop. We have spent so much money on them, I hate that some things are already trash worthy.

I can't leave the cage out in the sun because I live in an apartment (and also have no where to put them that long). I will wash it with vinegar, though.

Is there anything "anti-fungal" I can clean with...like using the tanactin mixed with water on surfaces?

When my dog was little and had it , we were using anti-microbial dog shampoo as handsoap and shower so we wouldn't get it. I wonder if this would be safe to use on our hands and still handle the chins?

I'd put the wood in about a week after treatment. That gives you enough time to ensure that the fungus is gone.
Vinegar will not help against fungus. Use a diluted bleach or alcohol solution and thoroughly rinse the cage.
It may be that your chin got the spores from your dog. The spores are terribly hard to get rid of and very easy to transfer. Your dog may not be showing symptoms but any cross contamination can affect the chin. Also humidity is a major factor in fungal infections as well.
Yes, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly and change your clothes after you handle your chin. You could transfer it back to your dog, or to yourself.
Ask the vet for something like Conofite if you cannot get Blu-Kote in time. Its an anti-fungal cream.
When I dealt with fungus, it was too hard to contain with blu-kote and tinactin in the dust bath. We had to resort to oral drugs. This was also because one of the chins scratched so bad he got an infection on his neck.

Wow....I just watched Bunny drink for at least a minute solid! Why is she drinking so much?

Make sure the water bottle is working properly. If it is, it could be that she is just thirsty. Fungus isn't fatal as far as I am aware, but it is best to treat it ASAP to prevent contamination of yourself and other animals.

ChinchillaSteve · Aug 17, 2009

Little question:

I sometimes use a anti fungal powder. (teaspoon of it into his bath)
Does that help?

tunes · Aug 17, 2009

Vinegar will work just as well as bleach, especially if you put the cage outside in the sun. If you can't do that, then you can use a dilute bleach solution, but you'll have to be sure you thoroughly rinse the cage a couple times, then be sure it's completely dry before you put her back in.

I don't ever use bleach around my chins, fungus or not. White vinegar and really hot water is all I let near my chins.

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

The current cage is wire floored....The major landing piece is some large fiddle sticks folded over and laid flat...so I would need something else for them to jump down on. Maybe I could cover it in fleece for the time being and throw it out when I can.

I put the powder in the dust bath last night. Will still need a cream. Will call the vet at least and ask for it.

The water bottle is working....plenty of water is coming out....I have watched.

The drinking has caused poos to be slightly softer than usual.

I will use vinegar, I suppose. There is not much else I can do. It may be that it isn't going to be all "disinfected" until they are in the new cage (within 2 weeks). I will do what I can and keep the powder in their baths and clean up. She probably came with it, it just didn't progress that far until very recently.....so the other chin is long since exposed.

Also, how do you keep them from licking the cream or blu-kote? The spots are on her nose and shoulder....she can reach the shoulder spot....I have seen her do it.

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Just called the vet....he isn't in today....of course. The vet techs hadn't heard of blu-kote. They gave me numbers of other vets that aren't near me. There is a feed store nearby, but not sure when they open. Will call them (whenever they open) and ask if they carry blu-kote.

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Feed store doesn't have it. Should I get some kind over over the counter cream?

Stackie · Aug 17, 2009

I see you're in Texas..surely you have a Rural King or some other feed stores around there? Rural King carries the Blu-Kote. I don't think I would use a cream on fungus.

You can buy Blu-Kote online as well. http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e078c2-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Nope....those aren't here at all. There is only one other I know about and it is far away. I already order blu-kote, but the shipment was sent parcel post just Saturday.

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Alright, well....the powder I put in their dust has tolnaftate in it. I just bought lamisil AT cream (terbinafine hyrdrochloride)....is this safe to use? Will it be bad if she licks a little? I saw another powder at the pharmacy with miconazole nitrate (what is in my dog's special shampoo). The dog just had a bath yesterday and had one last weekend too. There were no "ringworm" type spots....just some dry areas he usually gets and they get mildy infected from his scratching occasionally. He hasn't actually had "ringworm" for 12 years.

I am pretty sure Bunny came with it, but I do want to get it under control before moving them into their new cage in about two weeks (have to wait for parts to come in). I think if we try to keep stuff clean and keep the powder in the dust, we can pull it off. I will have to buy a few things to replace what they have now (wooden house, some fiddlesticks, and a chube in their play tent). I am pretty much out of money now since I ordered all that stuff for the FN cage! Ugg! I love these babies, but they keep me worried and broke.

Let me know if I can put the cream on Bunny safely.

Thanks,

Andrea

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

Help, please??? Can I put lamisil AT cream on my chin's nose and shoulder without worrying she will lick it off?

Sasha · Aug 17, 2009

The cream I wasprescribed was Conofite veterinary cream and it has 2% miconazole nitrate. That being said, I had no use for it since the chins were on systemic antifungals. I'm not sure if it is harmful if ingested.
I would give her just the dustbaths with antifingal powder until the blukote arrives. I can't really think of anything else you can do.

ETA: I don't think the vinegar will work as a disinfectant since you mentioned you cannot take the cage outside to be in the sun. The sun is what kills the spores. I had the same problem, hence the diluted bleach that was suggested to me at the time. You just have to make sure the chins aren't in the room ((I had the chins in the carrier for the time being) and rinse that baby off good if you decide to use that route.

Dustbunnies · Aug 17, 2009

I doubt blu-kote is much safer to ingest, though. I read on the sticky: ringworm that lamisil AT was okay, but I wanted some reassurances. For that matter, what makes putting it in the dust bath safe? Theoretically, if one can do that, it can be sprinkled on fleece items and wood shelves (lightly) to prevent.

Stackie · Aug 17, 2009

Blu-kote dries very quickly so it will not be ingested, unlike the cream.

Ringworm or other fungus....what will the vet do?

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