Has your kitten lost its liveliness and perseverance? Has he lost his appetite and has bald spots on his body? It is possible that the pet has contracted herpes and your pet is not playing and having fun. What shall I do? How to help a pet? How to treat ringworm in kittens, will it infect children? We will try to answer these and other questions related to this disease in the article.
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Current issues about ringworm
First of all, you need to find out what herpes is and how dangerous it is. Herpes is a skin disease of animals and humans, manifested by a rash in the form of small itchy nodules on the skin, inflammatory spots, and papules. Manifested not immediately but in a few days.
Among pets, kittens get sick more often as at them immunity is not formed yet in full. Prone to infection and weak, injured, affected by diseases in the past, domestic cats, which have reduced protective functions of the body. In caring for a kitten, it is important to strengthen the body’s immune barrier in advance. Timely vaccination, hygiene, and proper nutrition warn against many diseases.
The good news is that ringworm is curable. Bad – some of its species are contagious, it can be transmitted to other pets.
Importantly! Herpes is also dangerous for people, especially children, who are often in close contact with a pet. It is easy for a person to catch the disease by stroking and kissing a sick animal. Therefore, during treatment, the kitten should be protected from contact with humans.
If you start treating herpes in time, it will take about three weeks to eliminate it. And if you take all the necessary preventive measures, you can avoid pathology.
Cause
Herpes is a complex name for various skin diseases that are accompanied by itching. They can occur for various reasons: the causative agent is fungal spores, chemicals. Their activity is associated with the vulnerability of the animal’s body due to reduced immunity.
Fungi of the genus Trichophyton, Epidermophyton affect the body of the kitten, causing trichophytia, Microsporum – microsporia. Both diseases cause ringworm.
Herpes zoster is caused by the yeast Pityrosporum, which is normally found on the skin of most mammals. But the disease provokes their pathogenic reproduction due to malfunctions in the body.
The cause of “soaking herpes” is not in fungal infections but in malfunctioning organisms. This is a kind of allergy caused by parasites (fleas, ticks), chemical exposure (can be caused by detergents), and poor hygiene.
Rosacea is probably caused by the herpes virus. It often appears after an animal has been ill. Once infected, the virus remains in the body of living things forever.
Routes of herpes zoster have not been identified. But it is noticed that it is not contagious, it occurs against the background of other chronic diseases or after an infection. Immunotherapy is required for treatment.
All the causes of herpes in animals are related to the weakness of the body. Therefore, only weak individuals or kittens up to 8 months can be infected.
Symptoms of lichen
Kittens suffer from 5 types of herpes: shear, bran, soaking, pink and red flat. All species have separate symptoms. But there are similar symptoms that should alert the owner:
- The animal is constantly itching, especially itchy ears, head, and tail.
- Hair formed baldness, the kitten sheds a lot.
- Rash, redness, ulcers, abscesses, or spots are found on the skin.
- There was dandruff, flakes of skin.
- Kitoslab, not playing, he lost his appetite.
The first signs of the disease can be missed, especially in long-haired breeds. If herpes is left untreated, the focus of the rash increases, spreading throughout the body. Impressive diseases and claws of animals. In this case, they begin to deform and grow incorrectly.
Diagnosis
Proper and timely diagnosis of the disease will help cure a pet quickly and without unpleasant consequences. Only a specialist can do this.
Importantly! Do not rely on self-diagnosis, the appearance of the hearth may differ from the photos on the Internet.
Therefore, if you notice one or more of the above symptoms, consult a veterinarian immediately. The doctor will examine the kitten and may take a scraping of the skin. Laboratory analysis will help find out if there are fungi on the skin. This will help the specialist to diagnose what kind of herpes the pet is suffering from. Remember, the earlier you start treatment, the better your chances of a full recovery.
Pathogens are characterized by fluorescence, so the doctor can use a special lamp, the light of which is visible fungi.
The doctor may advise passing the test for parasitic infection. Parasites reduce the animal’s immunity, thereby exposing it to a greater risk of catching herpes. In this case, you must first remove fleas, worms, and ticks. Immunostimulatory therapy will not prevent.
Remember, untimely diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases can lead to complications, for example, kittens can develop kidney disease.
Most often, kittens suffer from ringworm. But the tactics of treatment directly depend on the exact diagnosis of the type of herpes that affected the animal.
Ringworm in kittens – microsporia, trichophytia
Under the name, “ringworm” hides two infectious diseases caused by fungi: microsporia and trichophytia. This pathology of the skin got its name because of the main symptom. At the site of the affected area of the body, the hair falls out, as if someone had cut it.
The source of infection is an infected individual, in the scales of the skin and hair of which there are pathogenic fungi. Another animal (especially a homeless one) can infect a kitten through direct contact. Also, dangerous objects with which infected and diseased cats and dogs came into contact, less often – large animals. In addition, the causative agents of ringworm are tenacious, so you should be especially careful to monitor the contacts of the kitten. Dangerous disease for humans. The foci are located mainly on the head, legs, back, and tail.
The first symptoms of the disease
Microsporia of kittens is more dangerous than trichophytia, because it often occurs in a latent form. The following symptoms should be suspicious:
- focal hair loss;
- wool looks dull, greasy;
- dandruff and exfoliated skin microparticles;
- skins with red annular spots, which may be covered with a white-gray crust;
- the kitten is constantly itching;
- in the severe form of the disease in places of inflammation purulent discharge is possible.
Treatment
For the treatment of ringworm prescribe antifungal drugs. For this purpose, selected by veterinarians shampoos based on selenium (such use and anti-dandruff). Affected areas of skin are lubricated with local drugs. They dry and heal wounds, eliminating itching. These can be ointments, gels, solutions, cream groups of azoles (ketoconazole, clotrimazole, miconazole, and enilconazole). There are no special injections for treatment.
At therapy it is necessary to adhere strictly to the dosages recommended by the expert, especially if the kitten is still small. Some drugs that are suitable for adults are contraindicated for young individuals.
The treatment lasts for 1-2 weeks. After that, you can take a course of drugs that increase immunity. Take care of your pet’s hygiene. Do not interfere with dietary supplements to improve the condition of the skin and hair.
Weeping ringworm in kittens
An inflammatory non-communicable skin disease that is not actually herpes. This eczema is an allergic reaction. Skin rashes are caused by external factors due to low immune resistance or severe stress on the animal. Herpes zoster can be caused by improperly selected shampoo, parasites, poor care, and even inappropriate food. For other animals and humans, this herpes is not dangerous but causes pain to the pet.
The first symptoms
This herpes is called “wet” because wet areas are often formed on the skin. The following symptoms are also characteristic:
- appearing kitten body of small bubbles, forming red spots with blurred edges;
- areas can be wet to the touch and cause pain in the kitten when touched;
- fluid flows from the “open” bubbles, over time, in their place may form purulent crusts;
- formations may have different sizes, but they are always covered with bubbles of fluid;
- expelled all over the body of the kitten.
Treatment
Wet lichen is quite difficult to treat, it is important to eliminate the cause of the rash. For treatment use antifungal antibiotics to prevent the spread of Candida fungi. Such antimicrobial ointments should be prescribed by a doctor.
For treatment suitable anti-inflammatory and antiseptic drugs for local purposes, to avoid joining the rash infection.
With a large area of the body of the kitten’s eczema, the animal can not be washed.
Pink herpes in kittens – Gibert’s herpes
This skin condition is so named because in the initial stage a large pink large spot appears on the kitten’s skin. Later, smaller formations appear around. Herpes causes severe itching and burning, the pet becomes aggressive. After a few days, the hearth is covered with a film and peels.
Treatment
Difficulties in treatment are the nature of the disease. It is caused by the herpes virus, which remains in the kitten’s body forever. Therefore, once ill, the animal is prone to it all his life. Weakening of the body can provoke a relapse. Rather, the veterinarian will prescribe immunomodulators for cats. It is possible to additionally prescribe ointments to regenerate the skin of the kitten.
Bran-like variegated herpes
When affected by variegated herpes on the skin of the kitten appear small oval elongated spots (in the form of grains). Their color is different: from pink to brown. Characteristic of this disease and the appearance of dandruff, peeling of the stratum corneum.
Treatment
This is a fungal disease, treatment involves the application of antifungal drugs for local use. Suitable for this drug Azolla group (as well as for the treatment of ringworm). If you start treatment on time, then recovery comes in 1.5 or 2 weeks.
Shingles in kittens
This disease is not characteristic of animals, it affects only humans. Therefore, if someone at home is affected by this disease, pets should not be isolated. They can not pick up the virus.
Treatment at home
Herpes kittens should be treated at home with drugs prescribed by a specialist. It is important to follow the dosage according to the age of the animal. Remember that self-medication is contraindicated for kittens, as some medications are only suitable for adult cats.
Prevention of herpes
Important treatment is disease prevention. To prevent infecting your kitten, follow simple rules.
Keep an eye on the conditions in which the kitten grows. Cleanliness and regular cleaning of things that come into contact with it will save you from many diseases.
Avoid contact with suspicious animals, especially on the street.
When walking carefully watch your pet. Remember, you can even catch the infection through objects infected with other cats.
Follow the hygiene of the kitten, but do not overdo it. It is often not necessary to wash the kitten, the animal’s hair is natural protection.
A proper diet is a key to good health. The body’s natural barrier will protect the kitten from pathologies.
Vaccination kittens should be from three months of age. By this age, they retain passive immunity from the mother. Then the vaccine will help to form it: remember, the vaccination is three times.