Disclaimer: the information provided below is not intended to replace or override the advice of your veterinarian. Both the author and the site owner assume that this information will be used to work with your vet in planning the best treatment plan for your cat

• WHAT IS RINGWORM?  HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAT  IS INFECTED?
• HOW DID MY CAT GET INFECTED?
• ARE THERE ANY NATURAL TREATMENTS WHICH ARE EFFECTIVE FOR RINGWORM?
• HOW DO I PREVENT RINGWORM INFECTION?

WHAT IS RINGWORM?  HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAT  IS INFECTED?

Ringworm is a plant-like fungus contagious to other cats, dogs, and people, especially children.  This fungus feeds off the top layer of skin and also  can infect the hair and nails.  If infected with ringworm, your cat might have any of the following symptoms: hair loss in patches, often on the head and limbs; stubbled hair; scaling and crusting skin; pigment changes in affected skin; infected claws; dandruff (Scott 162-63). Your veterinarian can do a skin culture to tell you if your cat has ringworm.

return to top

HOW DID MY CAT GET INFECTED?

There are a number of factors which could put your cat at  a greater risk for  ringworm infection.  Any of  the following conditions could make your cat a more agreeable host for ringworm:

• your cat's diet is deficient in essential nutrients.
• your cat is young (under one year) or elderly.
• your cat's immune system is compromised.
• you live in a sub-tropical, tropical, or humid climate.
• your cat has long hair.
• your cat has skin defects, including open scratches, which provide the fungus with a  foothold.
• you have a multi-cat household.
• your cat is on antibiotics.

return to top

ARE THERE ANY NATURAL TREATMENTS WHICH ARE EFFECTIVE FOR RINGWORM?

Yes!  Although ringworm can be a particularly stubborn condition, there are ways to manage ringworm naturally.  First, you'll want to tackle ringworm on three fronts:internally, externally, and in the environment.

Internally

Some factors which predispose your cat to ringworm are beyond your control, but you can improve your cat's diet (see our FAQs on raw or cooked diet, and commercial foods) and strengthen her immune system.  Ringworm will not be as likely to survive  or proliferate on a  a healthy cat.

Puotinen, Pitcairn, Frazier, Schwartz, and Allport recommend beginning the internal treatment of the cat with a liquid only fast of one to two days.  Frazier's High Calcium Chicken Broth works well for fasts. After that, begin feeding your cat the best diet you can.

The following supplements can be useful.  I compiled this list using Frazier's, Puotinen's, Pitcairn's,  and Schwartz's recommendations for treating ringworm:

Nutritional supplements

• Zinc, 5 mg. per day
• Vitamin E, 400 IU, once a week
• Vitamin A/D capsule (10,000 IU A & 400 IU D), once a week
• Grapefruit seed extract capsules, 2-3 daily
• Lecithin, 1/2 tsp. to each meal
• Cod liver oil, 1/4 tsp. once a day (no more than 5 days)
• Essential fatty acid supplements (fish body oil, flaxseed oil etc.)
• Chopped alfalfa sprouts, 1 tsp. per meal
• Acidophilus culture in water 1/2 tsp. to each meal
• 1/8 tsp. minced garlic to morning meal
• raw liver, 1 tbsp. or raw organic egg yolk , 3 or 4 times per week

• Thuja occidentalis: dilute tincture, 10-15 drops to one ounce distilled water, give one dropperful, once or twice daily, no longer than two weeks
• Noni
• Olive Leaf Extract
• Astragalus

Homeopathy

I consulted Pitcairn, Allport,  Macleod, and Puotinen to put together the following list of remedies.  If you do decide to try a remedy, please read our FAQ on homeopathy and consult Boericke's on-line Materia Medica for each remedy to see which fits your cat's symptoms the best.

http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/default.htm

Remedies to consider for ringworm: Sulphur 6x, Bacillinum 6c, Sepia 6c, Kali arsen. 6c.  Pitcairn, Puotinen, and  Allport recommend giving these remedies on a chronic condition schedule.

Externally

Frazier gives the most detailed account of external ringworm treatments, so most of these suggestions come from her book (405-09), with additional suggestions from Pitcairn.

1.  Trim the fur in the infected areas, being very careful not to cut the skin as this could cause further ringworm infection.  Burn the clippings as they will contain ringworm spores.
2.  Give your cat a bath using a mild shampoo or Betadyne surgical scrub instead of shampoo and let the second application remain on your cat for 5 to 10 minutes.  In the meantime, clean your cat's nails as Frazier notes, "ringworm spores will be concentrated around the cuticle."  Finish the rinse with a diluted echinacea or goldenseal infusion.
3.  Swab the affected areas several times a day with diluted echinacea or goldenseal tincture or  with a "strong goldenseal infusion" (Pitcairn 303).  If a very small area is affected, Frazier suggests that painting the area with iodine for the first application can help.  However, this should only be done on a small  (coin-sized) area  and only for  three days as many cats are sensitive to too much iodine. After this, continue with the echinacea or goldenseal treatments.

Ringworm spores can live in the environment for over a year.  Because of this, it is prudent to clean the house as well as possible to rid it of the fungus.  Frazier and Scott offer the following suggestions:

• Vacuum any rugs frequently.
• Clean all smooth surfaces (floors, counters, windowsills, etc.) with a 5% bleach solution.
• Keep cleaning your home with this bleach solution for several weeks after your cat stops  showing symptoms of ringworm.
• Wash all exposed textiles (clothing, bedding, pillows, etc.) in a 5% bleach solution in hot  water.  Dry everything in a hot dryer. (High temperatures kill this fungus.)
• Discard cat's bedding.

HOW DO I PREVENT RINGWORM INFECTION?

If your cat is at risk (see above),  one of the best ways to prevent any illness, ringworm included, is to provide your pet with a quality diet.  Remember, a healthy cat is less likely to contract ringworm whether she is exposed to it or not.   If your cat is exposed to ringworm, begin giving him the internal treatments listed above. If your cat has had ringworm and you are worried about re-infection,  also follow the instructions for disinfecting your cat's environment.

return to top

Sources Consulted:

• Allport, Richard,  B Vet Med, Vet M F Hom, MRCVS.  Heal Your Cat The Natural Way.  (1997)
• Frazier, Anitra with Norma Eckroate.  The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for  Finicky Owners (1990).
• Macleod, George, MRCVS, DVSM, Vet FF Hom.  Cats: Homeopathic Remedies (1993).
• Pitcairn, Richard H. DVM, PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.  Dr. Pitcairn's Complete  Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats (1995).
• Puotinen, C.J.  The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care (1998).
• Schwartz, Cheryl, DVM.  Four Paws Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for  Cats and Dogs (1996).
• Scott, Danny W. "Skin and Disorders," in The Cornell Book of Cats 2nd ed., Mordecai  Siegal, Editor, (1997).

Return to FAQs

Return to Main Page