Purrs for Rusty please

Recently I noticed Rusty seems to be shedding more.
This morning I used the Zoom Groom on him and the
amount of fur that came off startles me.
We are trying to rid him of ringworm, and I dread the
excessive shedding may be associated with it.

djmaizels...

Could it be just from using a different grooming method on him? It is
surprising much fur is removed by some tools than others. The Zoom Groom
is very effective at removing dead fur. Hopefully it won't be anything
more worrying than that when you speak to the vet tomorrow.

I am very worried and will call the vet first thing tomorrow.
Rusty should go back for a recheck on the ringworm anyway.
Maybe I should have let the vet shaved him as suggested.
But I was concerned about the sedation needed as Rusty is

Helen Miles...

Many purrs that things turn out OK.

Helen M

12 years old.

Purrs will be greatly aprreciated. I probably won't get much sleep
tonight as I am worrier.

Sam...

Purrs that the problem is minor and easily corrected.

Victor Martinez...

Purrs on the way.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

I don't know anything about ringworm (for which I should
probably say "thank God!"), but this is the time of year
when fur-bearing critters are still shedding their winter
coats. In my expereince, the average cat can shed enough
fur to stuff a pillow!

polonca12000...

Lots and lots of purrs and best wishes that the reason why Rusty is
shedding is not a serious one,
Polonca and Soncek

Karen...

Oh dear :( Purrs for Rusty and for you as well.

Monique Y. Mudama...

Purrs for Rusty and you.

Marina...

Lots of purrs for Rusty and you. Your vet's approach to ringworm is so
completely different from mine. It sounds like Rusty's vet is only
treating the symptoms, and not the ringworm itself. My vet said there's
no point shaving short-haired cats for ringworm. I only had to wash them
once with a shampoo, and the main treatment was internal meds for a

Katrina...

When Ming had ringworm all over his face, the vet debated over whether
or not to give him the oral meds, just for that reason- the effects on
the liver. Ming was only about a year or so old, but he does have a
significant heart murmur, which complicated the descision. We finally
decided that we had to go that route because of the extent of the
infection in hard-to-reach places that could NOT be reached with either
shampoos or topical cremes/ointments. He had it inside his ears, in
his nostrils, and all the way around his eyes- trying to treat those
areas without getting whatever we were putting on the ringworm in his
eyes would have been impossible. I did shampoo him mainly to cut down
on the chances of him passing the infection to the rest of the
household (the vet's comment was "kill as many of the spores as we can
while we're waiting for the oral meds to work"). He also got a couple
of large doses of Program to kick start the process. Shaving was
mentioned, but in the context of "it doesn't seem to make a difference
for shorthaired cats"... The vet thought we might have to use the oral
meds for up to 3 or 4 months or until the lesions healed and the fur
grew back. As it turned out the lesions healed and began re-growing fur
within 2-3 weeks. The vet was absolutely amazed when I took Ming in for
a check at the 2 week point- he said he would have expected that much
improvement at the 2 MONTH point. Ming was only on the meds for about
6 weeks, and I would have stopped it earlier but the dog and I
developed a couple of little spots (2 on the dog's face and 3 on my
arm- all about the diameter of a pencil) and I wanted to make sure that
we didn't start passing it around. Oh, and the oral meds were from a
compounding pharmacy... they did it in a tuna flavored suspension.

longish time.

sriddles...

Purrs for your beautiful orange boy. You know, Winnie, they do shed
really bad this time of year... maybe it is just normal shedding of his
winter coat. I hope so.

W. Leong...

It hasn't been hot much lately. I only turned on the AC once or twice.
Plus I don't recall Rusty shedding like this in past summers and we had
11 summers together, and some were very hot.
These days its only around 20C, quite mild for this time of the year.

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)...

I think it's more related to the season than the outdoor
temperature! Their internal clocks tell them it's summer,
and whether the temperature confirms it or not, they shed!

After Biskit's haircut, and how much happier she is, I wanted to tell
you also it is AMAZING how much less cat hair I deal with. I think she
was my biggest shedder. I have a quilt I'm working on right now, and it
is SO much nicer not to deal with all that hair everywhere. It's really
noticeable how much less of it there is now.
I wonder too if Rusty could be shaved without being anesthetized, maybe
just a mild sedative would calm him down enough?

W. Leong...

Yes TED said he will be sedated for shaving, not anesthetized.

Anyway, hope there are no signs of active ringworm.

W. Leong...

I wonder whether the shampoo TED told me to use is the cause of
the shedding. Another reason to see TED pronto. When the ringworm
was discovered on his ears only, I only shampoo his ears which became
bald. Then his ears were clear, and TED found signs of ringworm on
his paws and behind. So the shampoo has been applied to a most extended
area. The twice weekly bath may be a stress to Rusty which in turn may cause
shedding.
Anyway, these are just my own reasonings. I will feel a lot better after TED
check him out.

Winnie