How do you check cat for ring worm?

Answer 1

I'm by no means a veterinarian but I would consult one if you see/notice any of the following signs: Ringworms are usually caused by dirty catboxes and bacteria that forms from the old fecal matter and excrement. When my cat had them, she would lick at her anus and clean herself in that area very frequently. I am under the impression that once the bacteria forms...the worms appear and start to thrive in your cat's box. Then, they get inside your cat (and can transfer to other pets) and once the tiny white worms excreting from your cat's anus, your cat officially has "ringworm". Watch for the worms in the cat box first. If you can see the white worms (about the size of 1/4 to 1/2 uncooked rice kernel), then the ringworms are pretty serious and you will need/want to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. Hope this helps you!

(WRONG. You're describing tapeworms but you haven't got your facts straight at all. Tapeworms come from cats eating mice or bugs that contain the larva of the tapeworm. Tapeworms are not transmittable to other animals, even if they eat the actual tapeworm segments that are expelled through the anus. One Drontal pill will eliminate the tapeworm. The worms transmittable through litter boxes--clean or dirty--are roundworms.)

Ringworm is a fungus easily cured with Goldenseal applied to affected areas 2-3 times a day for several days.

Ringworm is NOT a worm at all, it is a fungus closely related to athlete's foot. When a human gets it, it looks like a worm in a circle under your skin, thus the stupid name. If you have any circular scabs on your body, chances are your cat has ringworm (it is highly contagious). Tinactin is great for it. Do not use any type of cortisone even though it might itch - the fungus thrives on it so cortisone actually makes it worse. Another way to tell: many cats with ringworm lose some of the hair above their eyes; it almost looks like they are going bald. My vet puts cats under some kind of black light to see if the fungus glows, but I don't know if that type of light is available to non-commercial places. Worth calling a vet and asking.

The worms that the first answer mentions are actually tapeworms, not ringworm. To add to the second answer, the blacklight the vet uses to check for ringworm is nothing special- you can use any old blacklight from any old store, run it over the cat, and the ringworm, if present, will glow.

Only half of the varieties of ringworm will fluoresce under black light, and lots of other things (blood, medication, dander, etc.) will also fluoresce under black light. The only accurate way to diagnose ringworm is with a skin scraping or culture, unless you've seen it and worked with it before.

A skin wash made of organic goldenseal root powder and spring water is a very safe, effective, quick, and inexpensive way to treat ringworm.

Answer 2

He should be taken immdiately to a veterinarian.