Ringworm Cat Paw Fungus

Diagnosing ringworm in cats.

Ringworm cat paw fungus.

Cats are often infected with this fungus since it s easily transmitted. A biopsy can also be submitted for analysis. Dermatophytosis is the medical term for a fungal infection affecting the skin hair and claws of cats the most common of which is ringworm. Dermatophytes present in the environment infect the cat developing into a full blown infection.

Ringworm affects the top layer of the skin and occurs when the fungi or its spores make contact with a cat s skin. It is fairly common in companion animals such as dogs and especially cats but other mammals are susceptible including. To determine if your cat has ringworm your vet may take a sample of your cat s skin or fur for a fungal culture or pcr test. A positive culture can sometimes be confirmed within a couple of days but in some cases the fungal spores may be slow to grow and culture results can take up to four weeks meaning that a.

For this samples of hair and skin scrapings are taken. This is a contagious fungal skin disease that affects pets. Ringworm aka dermatophytosis is a skin disease that is not caused by worms at all but rather a fungus. In cats about 98 percent of ringworm cases are caused by the fungus microsporum canis.

Humans and domestic animals cattle sheep etc. Ringworm in cats is diagnosed largely in kittens and younger cats rather than in older adults. The dermatophytes also cause other skin diseases including athlete s foot joke itch among others. The preferred method for diagnosing ringworm in cats is by culture of the fungus in a laboratory.

It s very similar to other fungal infections such as athlete s.