From:
Vicki Montgomery
Date: 2007-04-12 20:23:22 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: Ring Worm
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The black light test is not definitely diagnostic BUT... if you have the circular rash of bumps and especially if you scratch them and they spread; then you do the black light test you can be reasonably sure that it is ring worm. I don't see the point in spending the money for the culture.
This is an old fungus that's been around for a very long time. It's a nuisance but not life threatening that I know of. And I hate to think that anyone who gets it and is told "you've got ringworm" would not treat it immediately.
We have not had a ringworm problem with ferrets, but have had with cats/kittens. The last bout with this was harder to get rid of because there were 7 children and 3 adults involved before the lesions broke out so everyone got a pretty good dose of it before the diagnosis was made. AND the vet did not give either shampoo OR meds to the animal to treat the ringworm, nor did the pediatrician seem to know what to do. The mother had to demand BOTH doctors give the meds.. then it cleared up and went away.
But I don't think you have to get the culture if all else points to ring worm.. the lesions, itching, suspect carrier.. so what am I missing here that I guess we old folks just seem to know through years of experience and young folk learn, just as we once did?
Vicki
April <grape_apes@charter.net> wrote:
Hi-I'm a bit behind... I may have missed the followup to this. But
using blacklight to detect ringworm is not exact diagnostic science-you
can use this method to detect flourescent greenish-yellow glow at the
base of hair follicles if you suspect ringworm, but then if you see
this flourescence, it is NOT diagnostic. The only way to diagnose this
is via a fungal culture. We use the blacklight method as well,
especially at the animal shelter I work with, but we ALWAYS culture
suspicious lesions (even if they do not flouresce, if we are
suspicious)-you cannot truthfully actually diagnose the ringworm with a
light source.
We do usually prophylactically start treatment with Miconazole to
affected lesions right away while we await culture results, however-
contagion is reduced very shortly after initiation of this treatment.
.
He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart. And in our own despair, and against our will, comes Wisdom by the awful Grace of God...Aeschylus
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