How to identify ringworm in the cat

Observe the behavior of your pet, especially if it happens on the street. Itching may be the first sign of incipient disease. When lichen usually in cats itchy ears. If your pet gets sick often and he has low immunity, the probability of infection by the fungus by depriving it above.

Carefully inspect the hair of a cat, focusing on the head, ears and tail. A classic symptom of ringworm is a small round spot devoid of hair. The skin in these areas may experience redness, flakes, blisters and ulcers. Over time, the lesions of lichen can grow. Sometimes the affected areas cross the snout of the animal, and can be confused with manifestations of other skin diseases. In some cases, ringworm can cover the entire body, the skin becomes greasy, crusty and scaly. Deformed and incorrectly growing the claws is another sign of defeat fungal disease.

Sign up for a diagnosis at the vet. Examination of fluorescent wood's lamp can identify some species of fungi and lichen - rays they fluoresce. However, this method is not reliable enough – some species of Microsporum canis do not respond to this lamp, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes never glow. And if the survey will reveal the presence of fungal spores, keep in mind – the animal is not necessarily painful.

Another way to identify ringworm in cats is to explore the hair on the edges of the affected areas. To identify the disease by this method is approximately half of the cases.

The most reliable way to diagnose ringworm – seeding fungal culture. To do this, use the scraping from the patient's skin. The sample is placed in a special solution developed for identification of spores of lichen.