Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline dermatophytosis: aspects pertinent to disease management in single and multiple cat situations.
- Journal:
- Journal of feline medicine and surgery
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Moriello, Karen
- Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Dermatophytosis, commonly known as ringworm, is a fungal skin infection that can affect cats. While it can show up in different ways, such as hair loss, redness, and flaking skin, it can be tricky to diagnose because these signs can also point to other skin issues. This infection is contagious, which means it can spread between cats and even to humans, so it's important for pet owners to be aware of it. Fortunately, in healthy cats, this condition often resolves on its own, but veterinarians play a key role in recognizing it early and providing the right treatment to help speed up recovery. Overall, with proper management, the outcome for cats with dermatophytosis is generally positive.
Abstract
PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: Dermatophytosis (ringworm) is a superficial fungal skin disease of cats that, depending on the geographic region and practice caseload, may be encountered uncommonly through to commonly. This is a self-curing disease in an immunocompetent cat. GLOBAL IMPORTANCE: Dermatophytosis is prevalent worldwide and is one of a number of zoonotic skin diseases that cat owners are at risk of contracting. CLINICAL CHALLENGES: Dermatophytosis causes non-specific signs of hair loss, erythema and scaling, making it a differential diagnosis for many skin diseases of cats. The fact that this disease is infectious and contagious, and does not have any one classic clinical presentation, makes knowledge of diagnostic tools important in detection. The veterinarian's role is in early disease recognition and institution of appropriate therapy to hasten resolution of the disease. AIM: The focus of this article is to provide an update and review of the most pertinent aspects that may be helpful in the management of dermatophytosis in any single or multiple cat situation. EVIDENCE BASE: Where appropriate, evidence from the literature is used to supplement a summary of the author's clinical experience and research in feline dermatophytosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24794038/