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Posted by Katie (Bismarck, ND) on 08/03/2007 ★☆☆☆☆
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!!
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.
Posted by Raberdash (Ely, Nevada Usa) on 12/21/2009
Regarding the use of green walnuts for ringworm in cats posted on 07/06/08: My understanding is that walnuts are toxic to cats. Are green walnuts exempt?
Calcium is very problematic in human adults. It is the first thing I learned about when we began to heal our family and pets.
Here is my 2 cents worth.
Guinea Pigs eat nearly identical diets to horses. The difference is horses have a more complicated digestive system. There are some things I have observed that may help.
Guinea pigs get calcifications in their scrotums, mammary glands, necks. In humans it is cysts and calcified joint problems, circulation problems as unabsorbed calcium has no where to go. It can gather up to be stones in kidney and bladder. Dogs absorb calcium pretty well. But everyone is subject to calcifications.
Going through how we handled this one huge problem amongst 20 guinea pigs, 6 people and 4 dogs.
First was water, if the horse is getting fluoridated water you might look into defluoridated water, or adding a pinch of borax occasionally. It keeps the body defluoridated. Just a little bit.
Sodium thiosulfate, I can take one crystal myself harmlessly, it is high in sulfur. Our method for all of us, 1 gallon of dechlorinated water, or 1 crystal of sodium thiosulfate. 1/4 tsp of borax. That was the added as a splash in all the pets water and used as a fraction in each human, 4 days out of seven.
Topically DMSO is a carrier, rich in sulfur. If you use MSM for your horse. That is DMSO with hydrogen peroxide added.
Topically I have used DMSO liberally on all of us. You can make sure your hands are clean. But gloves might take toxins in the skin. I usually use hydrogen peroxide to wipe the area to be treated. Then add the DMSO.
DMSO carries remedies directly to the problem. If I were going to treat my pets. I would take a thick folded cotton, apply castor oil, DMSO, magnesium oil ( to displace calcium effectively) wipe down the area with peroxide and stick that pack on there for 20 minutes. Maybe a Velcro strap.
There was a woman taking care of wild horses somewhere on e.c. she would throw DMSO on injuries as they would not allow her near.
I use DMSO as part of my inhaled remedies. It cleared a clot in my husbands leg and 1000 other things.
Spray bottles are handy for cleaning with peroxide. At least where it won't discolor fabrics and such.
The guinea pigs bumble foot, tumors, general health were improved. I just had to keep them away from dirt after applications. They potty a lot.
The cause of the calcium problems I think. Especially in the strict vegetarian diet. With nearly all hay. The quality of the water given them. The fruit. The less than stellar ingredients in some commercial pet foods. Glyphosate exposure.
The last two were fed no fruit, clean water, Oxbow hay and feed. Although I am suspicious of the glyphosates in their products. They did not have any issues. No tumors, cysts, bumble foot, cloudy eyes or pneumonia.
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.
Posted by Mom Of Dom And Dice (Royersford, Pennsylvania) on 05/05/2010 ★★★★★
NEEM OIL Absolutely YEA! Dice came from rescue with sarcoptic mange, it eventually infected Domino as well. Months of pesticide treatment to no avail. Went to Wholefoods, they reccomended Neem Oil. After 2 weeks of treatment, the boys started growing their hair back! The itching and red areas subsided, and we got to have our puppies back! And they got to have their good lives back! I will occasionally use this oil treatment for hot spots, and we use Neem Soap for bathing in Spring and Summer, it helps keep mosquitoes off of them too! Although the smell is something that takes getting used to, it wears away... It appears that Dice may have ringworm (small patch) on his belly, so he is getting NEEM bath today and a treatment tonight of the pure oil from Wholefoods... I 100% support this treatment for a braod spectrum of skin issues in dogs! :) Also, no harm in them licking it, it is natural!!!
I've recently had a lot of bites which of turn to lesions after going to the doctor they prescribed permethrin cream for mites or fleas and flagyl for parasites. I've been bathing in 100% virgin cold pressed neem oil and my cat stepped in the bathtub and licked his paw and begin salivating for about five minutes and now he seems fine. The veterinarian wasn't even sure what neem oil was so I'm asking for help.. if a small amount was ingested or just in his mouth it could hurt him? (he did not ingest or get any type of other essential oil's in his mouth).
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
The main concern about neem products are the other things that may be added to them, like tea tree oil. Pure neem should not be an issue. If you are concerned give activated charcoal - mix a spoon into a can of tuna and see if your cat will take it. On a side note, you might consider the lamp flea trap if you are getting bitten by these pests.
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.
Posted by Allison (Houston, Tx) on 12/22/2009 ★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
I tried the sap (milk) from the fig trees for my ringworm problem on myself once a day for three days consecutively. Not only was it painful after the second application when the enzyme started to digest my skin, but it burned the skin off the area and left it raw. I gave it one more application bearing the pain hoping it will get rid of the ringworm. But it did not. I really thought it would work as I figure that the sap from fig trees are powerful enzymes that digest proteins, similar to bromalain and papain, enzymes from the pineapple and the papaya. Thus I strongly caution against trying this on your pets because their skins are much more delicate and this remedy would be extremely painful and animals don't have the verbal capacity to tell you that it is hurting them.
I, m going to try combing my cat with a comb from the vets office, then right after that I will use a jaycloth, soak it fully in ACV, and wipe my cat down with it. The cat doesn't like it because it's wet, but I can usually get enough of her before she goes under a table. She will then start licking it off her back, and won't stop till she feels like. So it's ok for her to consume the ACV that way. It also makes her coat very shiny, and in no way affects her eating or drinking.
Posted by Genienne (West Palm Beach, Fl) on 10/30/2010
My kitten has several spots of ringworm and we have tried everything the vet had to offer - pills, creams, dips - for several months but it just gets worse. So now I am searching for natural cure (should have started with this! ). I read about the coconut oil which I have right here so I put it on his spots, but he has been licking non-stop (it IS yummy, I know), but I'm worried that a) he licked it all off, and b)he now has all the spores in his belly - will that make it spread MORE??
In response to Kate from Adelaide, Australia: COCONUT OIL
I have been suffering with reoccurring ringworm for at least 5 years. When you took the coconut oil internally did that help you completely get rid of the ringworm? If so how much of it do you take? Your advice seems to be very helpful because I need something to treat myself internally. I need to get rid of this horrible plague! Thank you for all of your help!
Posted by Deirdre (London, England) on 12/05/2006 ★★★★★
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.
Posted by Dianne (Haines, Alaska) on 08/08/2006 ★★★★★
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!
My family is HUGE on holistic healing and my sister in law told me to use this. There is also a company that sells a remedy shampoo made from tea tree oil that is for pets. Tea Tree Oil soap for humans will prevent the human using it from getting ringworm.
Posted by Dianna (Houston, AR) on 01/14/2006 ★★★★★
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.
Posted by Victoria (Lakeland, Florida) on 01/03/2016
@ Dianna,
Sorry to bother you but, you seemed to know what your stuff when it comes to dogs & have alot of years experience with yours. So, If you don't mind I need some help. I'll give you a lil' history on him first before I ask. My pup is 4yr old pitbull who I recently got nuetered abt 2 months ago & just got all of his anual round of shots. I check his whole body daily, since he's extremely active so he is always going outside in my yard & getting into dirt an whatnot. But, was checking him the other night & I believe somehow he got ringworm from my lil' nephew cuz he had it recently. It isn't very far along because he only has a few spots starting, mostly concentrated on his belly area.
But, when you wrote ur comment & said you've (wormed) your dogs for a long time by treating them with Iodine, I wanted to make sure what you meant by that. Your meaning ringworm treatment right? Excuse me if I sound stupid by that question. Lol I really just wanted to try & find some other way of treating him without having to constantly go back & forth to the vet with all these extra costs & doing all these things they said I need to do. Because they wanna charge me alot for all these treatments & right now I really just can't afford all the extra costs but, I wanna try to do whatever I can for my baby. If you could plz help me out, & maybe tell me if there is any other remedies that might help? Or anything else I can do to keep him from scarring from the circles out of his fur? I would just greatly appreciate anything at all you can offer.
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.
Posted by Heather (North Of Boston, Ma) on 11/04/2011
I have a senior cat (16) who has ringworm and the pills have not worked. I'm going to try the diluted ACV but was wondering if it will sting her? Anyone have any issies w/side effects topically. I hated giving her the pills anyway b/c I was worried especially with an older cat the damage that might be done to the liver. Thanks for the tips!
Also, her littermate died about a month and a half ago and she has been licking a patch of her belly to the skin. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance to any response. She is an indoor cat if that makes a difference in regards to any suggestions.
Posted by Timh (Louisville, Usa) on 11/05/2011 2048 posts
Heather, my two cents. Many reports of ACV successful for many condition, start with diluted, then increase. Also for topical treatment, otc povidone iodine can kill the fungus. No need to dilute, apply with q-tip. For internal, colloidal silver in water or food will kill infections. 2 or 3 drops 3% H2O2 in water will increase the depleted oxygen body levels and restore health and vigor.
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