Please help. Kittens with hair falling out in patches

[WillowandChester]

Hello. My kittens have terrible skin problems. There are patches of hair missing and falling out leaving a crusty and dry appearance to the skin. They are only 10 weeks old and my black boy started before my other kitten. Now my other kitten is showing the same skin problem. Send off for skin samples and waiting on those results but have anti fungal wipes in the meantime. They are happy in themselves but the skin looks sore and unsightly.
Has anyone else experienced this? Will they get better?
Thanks

[Lilith]

Hi and welcome

I'm sorry to hear about the kittens. It sounds to me as if the vet is testing for possible ringworm, which sounds terrifying I know, but, especially with modern meds, this is much more curable than say persistent eczema.

The fungicidal wipes point to this too, a very good idea.

There won't be much you can do until the results come back, but I do hope their problems can be cleared up as soon as possible, please keep us updated and all the very best

[WillowandChester]

I have ring worm on my leg! So I informed the vets and they are still waiting for the results. Thank you so much for replying.
I just want to do something now. Why do I have to wait for the results to do any treatment. Is it potentially dangerous or something?
Thanks for the reply x

[Lilith]

Ah. That does sound like it then.

The vet won't be able to treat the kittens until it's known for definite that it's ringworm. I know that's frustrating, but they won't be in any particular discomfort; I understand it's only mildly itchy, unlike eczema. I'm afraid I've never had a cat with ringworm (paws crossed!) so I'm scarcely an expert, but from what I've read of it, waiting a while longer for the test results isn't going to inconvenience the kittens.

I know how you feel though - I'd be the same! It's the law of sod that cats always need vet treatment at weekends and during bank holidays...

I do hope you find out soon and can get them started on a course of treatment; hope your own ringworm clears up soon as well, all the very best

[WillowandChester]

Thank you very much. It's a little reassuring to knownrthat getting them to wait a little longer isn't too bad.
Thanks again! X

[Lilith]

You're welcome

Hey, a few hours after I posted, a memory came back, of a feral lad who visited me and eventually moved in. After the floods of 2007 (which affected the area where I live) he developed circular pink sores on his stomach, hair loss ...rings a bell?

I thought it was some infection due to the floods; we were getting warned about Weil's disease and I don't know what; it was chaos. Nobody was thinking straight. Anyway I went along to the vet and said I'd got a cat with a few sores on his skin, would they like me to bring him in or could I buy something to ... they sold me a bottle of Hibiscrub and although he was a fierce lad who didn't inhibit his bites, he let me bathe him with this excellent stuff, and the sores cleared up. So I don't know for sure if this was ringworm - but wow, I ought to have been aware after 50 years of cats, the vet ought to have been aware, this guy slept on my bed, where he usually had his Hibiscrub bath, but if it was ringworm, my other cats and I never caught it, thank goodness.

Have googled, and Hibiscrub IS fungicidal. So those fungicidal wipes the vet has given you are probably the finest thing you can use while waiting for the results. The babes are going to look a bit moth-eaten in pics of their first Christmas, but hopefully that will change very soon, fusses to them and have a great holiday and please keep updating

[WillowandChester]

Thank you so much for your reply. It's very reassuring to know that the wipes are helping. I am keeping them in the kitchen now as not to spread the ring worm.
I'll let you know how it goes x

[WillowandChester]

We are winning the war against ring worm! They are looking much better! 7 days off treatment next then up the dosage for the next 7 days on!
I shall keep you posted!

[Lilith]

Hey that's good to hear, thanks for the update and congrats

Yes, please keep in touch and all the very best, give them a love from me