Table of Contents
Ringworm Remedies
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You might naturally assume that a ringworm condition would actually involve a worm, just like roundworms and tapeworms etc; but you would be wrong.' Ringworm is actually a fungal infection that occurs in the hair fibers and epidermis of the animals skin. Three of the most common fungi responsible for the development of ringworm in your pet are Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. It is important to have your pet’s ringworm properly diagnosed, because the treatment for it may depend on which type of organism or fungus was responsible for the ringworm condition.
Ringworm is a highly contagious condition as it can be spread via direct contact with an infected animal or can be wind-borne as a result of fungi spores in the air. Ringworm is a zoonotic infection, which means that humans are also capable of contracting it.
You will recognize ringworm on your pet if you see small, round areas of missing hair. You might also be able to see the actual fungus that forms around the affected areas, as it will appear as white, scaly skin.
There are several homeopathic treatments that work effectively on ringworm problems, such as Bacillinium, Berberis, Chrysarobinum and Sepia. Keep in mind however that as mentioned, the effectiveness of each individual treatment may vary depending on the specific cause of the ringworm.
DISCLAIMER
* Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional veterinary prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your veterinarian before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your Veterinarian can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your pet's unique needs or diagnose your pet's particular medical history.
5 YEA
1 NAY
1 SIDE EFFECT
1 QUESTION
[QUESTION] 10/25/2009: Jemsie6 from Ballina Mayo Ireland, Ireland writes: "i have had 7 kittens since june 2009 all being treated with a liquid remedy. 4 have cleared and am now left with three. one of these has ringworm in the ear - the other two have it around the eye area. how do i apply the apple cider vinegar, which sounds amazing, around the eye are without getting it in the eyes? i have four kittens 3 weeks old coming in tomorrow with ringworm and really dont want to have them spend their first months being caged when its not necessary
think this is an amazing site
thank you for any helpful advice
regards
gemma"
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08/22/2009: Lililebron from Pocono, Pa writes: "i've used avc for my dog for other reasons in the past so i can testify to the usefulness of it. i was pleased to find out that the solution also worked on my puppy's ringworm within a matter of two days! just rubbed some on a paper towel and rubbed it on the ringworm spots on her belly once a day and its nearly cured in no time"
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[YEA] 04/30/2009: Angie from Titusville, FL writes: "I have an 11 month old English Bulldog named Diesel. He came down with a terrible case of ringworms after being on steroids and antibiotics for an inverted tail. I read on-line that most of the medicine given internally for ringworms can be damaging to their liver. I came across this site and decided to try the ACV. Let me tell you, it works awesome. It's been 2 weeks and his ringworms are completely gone and the hair is already coming back in. I gave him a bath in Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo and then put undilluted ACV in a spray bottle and sprayed him all over with it and rubbed it in with my hands and let him dry naturally. I sprayed him with the ACV everyday for the first week, and then gave him another bath in the dandruff shampoo and sprayed him every other day for the second week. He looks amazing! I just started using it in his ears for the chronic ear infections he gets, so I'll let you know if it works!!"
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12/05/2008: Billy Krivolavek from Fresno, Ca writes: "I have a pitbull that a bad case of ringwormes i tryed the fungle shampoo.and the orle med.and it was helping somewhat intell her and my male locked up and she became pregnet.at that point i had no choce but to stop the oral med because of the puppys.i tryed to abort but vet wanted 500.00 dollors so i let her have them & they came out fine.and i read about acv & was treating the mother & it was working. I almost had it cured by the time the puppys came. (allmost) now i have 9 puppys 1 week old that have fungus all over there backs & spreding fast & mom is not looking good ether not as bad as she was but not good.but the acv will take care of her its the puppys that im triping on. one week old & im not sure if acv is to strong to use on them but its spreding fast and i must do something now ! im useing acv on mom and bathing her befour returning her to the puppys!can i use acv on one week old puppys? help im a dog lover & cant stand to is puppys in this shape! please emale me"
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[YEA] 07/01/2008: Romana Welch from Chaparral, New Mexico writes: "Apple cider vineger has cured my puppy's bad case of ringworm. Now I will be battling a bad case in a new puppy we just rescued off the streets. Thanks for being here for folks like us. The good ol ways have always been the cheapest and the best cure.
R.L.W"
11/23/2008: Vera from Porto Alegre, RS-Brazil replies: "Hi, I am having a bad outbreak of fungus, that I am begining to think is ringworm which came with a very bad shaped young dog I rescued from the street. The dog has been elsewhere for more than two months, and my poor cat (and I!), and the the whole home are still contaminated... What about the Apple Cider, should we use it topically, or drink it, or both; and how? Many thanks. We are going to homeopathy and some herbs as well right now; but anything that helps which may make our lives easier. Vera"
[YEA] 11/24/2008: Pedro from Campinas, Brazil replies: "Hi Vera,
I don't have any experience and getting rid of ringworms in pets, but I have gotten rid of it on me! I'm assuming ringworm and athletes foot are the same thing (I'm talking about "frieira", in portuguese).
What I did was soak a cottom ball with ACV and place it on the area (with a bandaid if you have to) a couple of times a day for 30 minutes. I did this while on the computer or watching TV. Once done, clean it with H202. Even better if you can leave H2O2 in the area for a while too.
Do this for a few days and the infected skin will peel of. You can stop doing it once everything is good again, but keep an eye on it as it may take a few cycles to get rid of it.
I did it once, and it never came back.
I also take ACV orally, and I think that is key. Skin problems need to be addressed from the inside as well as the outside."
05/22/2009: Shawn from Grapevine, Texas replies: "To begin with you wrote that you used "apple cider" and NOT apple cider "vinegar" which leads me to believe that not only did you torture your kitten with the toothbrush scrubbing but it was all for not since you didn't pay attention to the details and use the proper product. Also if you had paid attention to other advice about applying the ACV (and other products methods) you might have noticed that you are supposed to dab the affected area or spray it directly on the area but DO NOT rub it on (or in) and certainly DO NOT scrub the area with a brush. This will disperse the spores and make the problem worse and spread.
So far I have treated my two kittens in the following manner. I place them in the bath tub. I have a small generic spray bottle which I fill with undiluted ACV and then address (spray) the infected areas directly. After I have done this I then spray the rest of their body avoiding their eyes mouth and nose and then sort of "pat" it into their coats. I try to avoid rubbing them as much as possible. I have only done this for 3 days at this point and can't really claim success yet, but it does appear to be making progress and I will post more info as things develop.
P.S.- Wear leather work gloves while doing this, trust me you will appreciate them..! Not only do they protect you from catching the fungus, but they prevent you from being shredded by the patient."
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[NAY] 08/03/2007: Katie from Bismarck, ND writes: "I've been using apple cider, scrubbed on with a toothbrush with my kitten for about a week now with no success. It appears to cause him some pain because he cries and after I'm finished and he even walks around the house howling for a bit. :( I wouldn't reccomend it.
Also: I thought it would be a good idea to cut the hair of where the fungus was visable (white flakes and scaley skin) so I could treat it better but it only seemed to spread to I'd advise against that as well!!"
09/11/2007: Darlene from Chico, California replies: "In comment to Katie from Bismarck, ND stating that she used a TOOTHBRUSH to apply the apple cider vinegar: no wonder your kitten cries! How would you like someone to use a toothbrush on YOUR sores? DAB the vinegar on with a cotton ball twice a day--make sure it gets to the skin and not just the fur. Vinegar changes the PH balance of the skin and the fungus cannot grow and spread."
[SIDE EFFECTS] 07/06/2008: Gwennan from Homer, NY replies: "My 5 week old kitten has a horrible case of ringworm and I have been using Lotrimin ultra on him and it seemed to be slowly working but i am afraid he was licking it off of a spot on his leg and i don't want him to get sick so I tried dabbing on apple cider vinegar. It apparently stung him so badly and he was so upset that he cried and vomited 5 times, poor baby. I was very excited to try it as I know vinegar won't kill him but I don't think I have the heart to put it on him again. I feel horrible that I put the poor little guy through that. I plan to cross my fingers and hope for miracles that it clears up overnight!"
EC: Undiluted ACV is much too strong for a 5 week old kitten!
07/06/2008: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "To Gwennan from Homer, NY I am not familiar with the topography in NY, so my first question is, do you have any black walnut trees there? If you do, go gather a few green walnuts from a tree. Cut a small slice off the green hull and rub the cut edge on that ringworm 3 or 4 times a day. Even if he licks it off it shouldn't make him sick. When I used it on what the dermatologist called a cat ringworm on my son's scalp years ago, it really worked much better and faster than the dermatologist's prescriptions did. After using it the first time, I just put it in a plastic sandwich bag and placed it in the refrigerator until needed for the next application. It kind of starts drying out after a couple of days use, then it's time to cut a small slice off the next. Of course the walnuts aren't mature yet, but it's the juice in the hull on the walnut that does the job."
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[YEA] 08/08/2006: Dianne from Haines, Alaska writes: "I remember once as a child I had ringworm and my mom used cider vinegar on it. It burned but it sure beat that ringworm out. We had used it on our cats and other farm animals also. When I was older I worked in animal care and a vet had me take photos of a huge ringworm on a goat and she had trouble curing it. I told her to try the cider vinegar and the goat was cured in no time, she now keeps it on hand. Vinegar is the only thing I will mop floors with now and it also takes the burn out of sunburn!"
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[YEA] Judy from Tallahassee, FL writes: "I recently found a kitten with spots of ringworm on its body. It frantically chewed its paws so I poured a pint of natural ACV in a small dishpan and soaked the kitten twice a day for several days, sponging the liquid all over its body. Within 24 hours, the feet chewing stopped and in a week's time, new fur was beginning to grow on the bare areas. Sure beats typical 3-4 weeks treatment vets want to use."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 07/15/2006: Bliss writes: "Try Betadine or other iodine solution and Cruex on ringworm. Worked very well when my cats had it, and then I caught it."
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5 YEA
[YEA] 03/27/2009: Jeannie from Fremont, California writes: "Coconut oil cured my dog's fungal infection! My dog had a skin fungal infection ( several round black scabs on skin). I first used diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (1 part ACV: 1 part water) on them. Two out of the three scabs were healed but for the one left, my dog kept scratching the scab off and the skin bled everytime. I came across the coconut oil remedy here at Earth Clinic and gave it a try. I put a dab of coconut oil on the black scab three times a day and within three days, the scab fell off and the skin is fine! No bleeding whatsoever! Thank you Earth Clinic for sharing these holistic remedies with us! I have been learning so much about remedies that work and cost little!"
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[YEA] 12/21/2008: Maria from Plantation, Florida writes: "Best for dog fungus. Coconut oil or coconut milk. Awesome."
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[YEA] 11/14/2008: E from Boston, MA writes: "I had ringworm without knowing what it was for years. From the feedback listed on this site I started to take coconut oil internally and externally to treat the skin fungus. I have used coconut oil on it for just under a week now and the condition is rapidly clearing up. The skin condition is almost completely gone and I recommend this treatment to those with similar conditions."
07/25/2009: Keyta from Florence, Sc replies: "I would like to know how much of the coconut oil did you take orally to rid your ringworm because this thing is driving me crazy. Please help!"
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[YEA] 04/22/2008: Sharon from Pace, Florida writes: "I wrote in the past that I used coconut oil to treat my cats Rhino Virus and ringworm. For myself I take 1 Tbs orally. I have used in on my hair before I wash it. My hair is so soft afterwards.It's great for dandruff. As for my cats I treated the ringworm topically and the rhino virus was treated orally. My cats seem to really like it. They get about a tsp orally. They like it liquid so I run it under hot water. My dogs get about 1 Tbs and they love it too. It has helped Yeast on the skin and allergies. I work as a groomer so I try it for several skin problems."
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[YEA] 04/22/2007: Jennifer from Oakland, Oregon, USA writes: "Dear Earth Clinic My cat was diagnosed with ringworm by my Vet. We tried a prescription ointment but when we tried to put it on the cat ran and hid. Next we tried an oral prescription that didn't help and then two others. The last one seemed to work but was outrageously expensive. After about a year the cat again had the ringworm in the same spot so we invested in the outrageously expensive oral prescription again and it started working but failed to get rid of the ringworm. We had already gone through all the remedies that the vet could give us. We then did lots of research on alternatives. The end result was to try the Virgin Coconut Oil that we have here for us. I let the cat sniff it first then when she didn't run away I put it on every day and in about a week it was gone and it hasn't come back. Hopefully the cat will never get this fungus again but if she does we will be putting on the Coconut Oil."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 12/05/2006: Deirdre from London, England writes: "Grapefruit seed extract "citricidal" cures ringworm. I used about 4 drops in 3 tablespoons luke warm water, twice daily, applied with cotton-wool pad. It got rid of my cat's ringworm in about 7 days."
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3 YEA
[YEA] 02/11/2006: Jeannie from Austin TX writes: "I recently read (in Mother Earth News Archives, 1971) that cats are highly susceptible to iodine poisoning. I think there are safer alternatives to using iodine on/in a cat."
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[YEA] 01/14/2006: Dianna from Houston, AR writes: "I have wormed my dogs and cats successfully for twenty-seven years with iodine. It's slower than commercial wormers but safer and with less side effects. I no longer use it only because I found another natural wormer that's even better."
06/10/2009: Montana from San Antonio, Tx replies: "what was the better natural wormer? Feel free to email me directly, should you ever get this! Montana"
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[YEA] 01/07/2006: Catherine from Laval, Quebec, Canada writes: "When I was 21, I came back from the lake with what we call 'ringworm'. It is not a worm but a fungus. An older man I showed it to told me to put iodine on it. The red skin cleared within a few days. Ever since, I have been using it on abandoned cats that come in from the cold with various states of the fungus. It clears within days. Vets panic at the sight of ringworm because of the possibility of contagion to humans. Some will even suggest to put the animal to sleep. They have a tendancy to give chemical pills, I have no idea if they work. Apply the iodine on the rim of the spot as it is where the fungus lies and multiplies."
Catherine Bégin, researcher
Lost and Found Pet Network
www.rapt-lfpn.org"
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1 YEA
[YEA] 09/24/2008: Kyrie from New York, NY writes: "A cat's skin is much more sensitive than human skin so please consider this when using anything on them that stings.
Also, I have read in numerous places that essential oils, even on flea collars, can be lethal to cats. Putting motor oil, which is a carcinogen (as is petroleum jelly), on an animal that cleans itself with its mouth, I would think that could be dangerous. While I still wouldn't put it on a horse, they are different than cats and dogs and will not likely ingest it.
Now onto ringworm:
Both my cat and I are sick - we were both exposed to large doses of a pesticide, in an enclosed area, and now both of our immune systems are having issues. Add to that, we both caught ringworm, from a stray kitten, on a cross country trip. I have found, being that I have a compromised immune system (isn't working at all) that getting rid of ringworm has been difficult as I am having to get to the underlying causes in order to really get rid of it (in chinese medicine - dampness). Ringworm is related to all the things you hear about that start with the word tinea - such as athlete's foot, nail fungus, scalp itch, jock itch (pardon my bluntness). And as any one who has had any of these knows, it's really difficult to treat. So even when you treat the raised sore, you have often not gotten rid of it (I think it is systemic but I might be wrong). So, if you are ready to take it out completely, you will have to address not only the lesions but clothing, bedding, floors, etc. You may not show sores but you may have it (itchy scalp? White soft buildup? Crusty ears? Itching anywhere?).
Cleaning:
So even tho it is caustic, I use bleach if I have to wash floors. And where I can't, I use plain old salt. For my kitty's ears, I took a damp washcloth soaked in a high saline solution (kosher sea salt) and just applied it directly to the ringworm. This kills it within a short period of time (10 minutes should be plenty). It stings while the fungus is alive and stops when it is dead. I have found one application to be sufficient if you treat the other areas. For humans, swimming in the ocean is a way to alleviate it on the skin, scalp, etc. What you have to be careful of is when you put your clothes back on - or your kitty goes and lays down where he usually does - he and you are probably reinfecting yourselves.
When not near the ocean, I like to take kosher sea salt baths - 1.5 lbs in bath water (this is a very heavy concentration but I like it). After I am done with the bath - I throw my clothes in the water and soak them before washing them. Unlike when I swim in the ocean which leaves a residue and dries out my hair, the kosher salt leaves my hair really wonderful. I don't use shampoo on those days and my hair has been stripped of all the impurities that build up (yeast/fungus in your hair makes it slightly gooey).
Supposedly dry cleaning kills it as well.
Now this is a lot of work. I'm pretty sick so its been hard clearing it and you might not be as susceptible, but your cat or dog who is scratching and you don't see anything, or their ears are red and sensitive might be harboring more of the fungus.
I once went to a health food store and the woman behind the counter told me that she had had it a while back and had successfully treated it. I did not have it at the time. I caught it again from her - and it was a particularly virulent strain - it took a lot to cleanse that one out. She had simply suppressed the lesions.
The other thing to do is treat yourself and animal on a nutritional basis. Good food, pure water, etc is a great help. Fungus loves sugar (see candida - it's a fungus as well), so out went all the junk.
I am being treated by a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and he is helping me on a constitutional level so I don't self prescribe - I let him do his work. But I do take the baths whenever I know i've come into contact with a fungus (I am sens to it now and know - I sometimes pick it up outdoors or on my own keyboard). My cat gets homeopathic remedies which clear it out of his system. Berberis is a great acute for ringworm. In a pinch (and not in true homeopathic prescribing, ringworm is a remedy as well as well that can be ordered from Helios, and that also knocks it out).
My kitty lets me put the damp cloth on his sensitive ears without much of a fuss and its a good holdover until the remedy kicks in (can take up to 4 weeks or so to be fully cleared and may need to be repeated every 3 months depending on how deep a level it affected the animal). You'll know. He still gets it but it is getting weaker and weaker in him.
I am also going to start him on hydrogen peroxide therapy as well after reading this wonderful site!
Sorry this isn't incredibly simple but it works! I hope this can help someone."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 04/27/2007: Dallas from Dallas, TX writes: "For ringworm or any other fungal infection of the skin, I've always used the milk from a figleaf. You usually only have to do it once or twice. This is good for humans or pets."
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1 YEA
1 WARNING!
04/25/2009: Penni from Paris, Tennessee writes: "Want to cure any fungus on your skin or bacterial infection within a few hours? Try burnt motor oil. Take it straight off your dipstick and rub on the infected area. put a bandage on it, and within hours the problem will be gone. My kitten Chevy had no hair on his tail from ringworm and this was confirmed by my vet (only it took him 2 weeks to grow it in a petri dish). I used burnt motor oil on his tail, then I wrapped his tail with tape, removed it the next day and washed it off. I took him to the vet 2 days later, the vet said his ring worm had been mysteriously cured. I never told him my secret. Burnt motor oil needs to be removed when the motor is cool. Do not glob it on. only use a small amount to cover the area. If you dont want to get it on your furniture, cover the area with medical tape. This does not burn in any way, i use it on my own athletes foot. You will be amazed."
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[YEA] 07/11/2006: Shari from Helena, Montana writes: "I used motor oil on horses for ring worm, and fresh garlic in horses feed for worm control and also to help fight infection through the winter months."
[WARNING!] 08/05/2008: Cory from Plymouth, UK replies: "Surly you cannot use motor oil on a animal. That is wrong -- think of the damage it does to the skin and what damage it could do if soaked into the blood supply. you wouldnt use oil on your child why on a animal? that's sick and animal cruelty..."
EC: For the record, we do not like motor oil as a remedy treatment on animals either... If you peruse the search engines, you will see that motor oil is also used to treat mange, believe it or not!
11/13/2008: Liz from Milford, CT replies: "For animals like cats or dogs that lick themselves clean, motor oil would be a bad choice, but for animals like horses or sheep, it's no more dangerous than putting vaseline on your own skin or even chapstick on your lips. The oil itself moisturizes the skin while the additives that would prevent corrosion in your engine prevent the spread of the fungus."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 05/22/2007: Pat from Sterling, VA writes: "I have fostered many cats with ringworm and the thing that knocks it out in days is neem oil. A bath twice a week for at least a month in a neem oil pet shampoo. Make sure you wash between toes which is how the spores are spread -- scratching the face and head. Then apply neem oil lightly directly to lesion twice a day for 3-4 days. It usually starts to heal the affected areas in 3 days."
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1 YEA
[YEA] 05/11/2007: Lica from San Antonio, TX writes: "I had a cat with a ringworm twice in my life and twice I tried home remedy for that and it worked like miracle. All you need is raw potato and regular salt. Peel potato, make a hole inside and fill it with salt. Place potato on the plate and let it sit and release juice. Then apply this juice as often as you can to the place where you or your cat has ringworm and it's going to disappear in a few days. In my case it took me 2 days to get rid of that ringworm in my cats."
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1 YEA
1 WARNING!
[WARNING!] 08/08/2006: S from Wichita, KS writes: "RE: Tea tree oil... Tea tree oil is toxic to cats! Cats have died just from being bathed with it."
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