Veterinarians can use a number of methods to diagnose ringworm. The most reliable test is a fungal culture. This involves culturing hairs or scales from the infected animal and observing the culture for a color change. If your pet has ringworm, your veterinarian will develop a treatment program depending on the extent of the infection and number of animals involved. Trimming around the lesions may also be helpful.
Scratching can cause further trauma to the lesion and spread spores.
Isolate an infected cat from other cats as grooming may also spread fungal spores. Dr. Byrne notes that for years ringworm treatment for cats included clipping the entire hair coat. Current findings from the University of Wisconsin show that in some cases clipping the entire cat actually helps spread ringworm across the body. However, clipping the entire coat may be needed for severe generalized infections and may help limit the spread to other animals or people. Use a disinfectant solution made of bleach.