Multiple local animal welfare agencies and rescue organizations are working to address an outbreak of feline ringworm, and they are calling upon the community for help.
Lane County Animal Services (LCAS) is requesting donations to help in their efforts to disinfect the animal population currently infected with ringworm.
LCAS works very closely with private animal rescue groups like West Coast Dog and Cat Rescue (WCDC) and Save the Pets. All three agencies are currently affected by ringworm, and all three agree that the outbreak must be resolved without resorting to mass euthanasia.
With treatment, all of these kittens should recover completely and live normal healthy lives. However, it will take some active help and support from local animal lovers, according to Lane County officials.
LCAS is serving as a single drop-off location for donations of the most desperately needed disinfecting supplies: household bleach, white vinegar, disposable gloves, spray bottles and paper towels. Clumping litter and canned kitten food are also urgently needed. All monetary donations will be directly used to sponsor the medical treatments for the affected kittens.
“As a no-kill organization, ringworm is one of the toughest things we deal with,” said Julie McDonnell, director of West Coast Dog and Cat Rescue. “Right now almost all of our kittens have it, and it has brought us to an almost complete standstill. Until the kittens we have are able to be adopted, we can’t take in any more.”
Most jurisdictions and shelters have a policy of euthanizing kittens that come in with ringworm, as well as any cats that have been exposed to it, because it spreads easily and isolation and treatment is time consuming. “Our communities recognize the need to find responsible homes for animals that come into the rescue system, and the local shelters and rescue groups in Lane County are committed to doing so,” said Amber Fossen, public information officer for Lane County.
“A mild, non-threatening fungal infection should never be a death sentence for little kittens,” said Kylie Belachaikovsky, LCAS volunteer and community outreach coordinator, “However, this is a community problem that is going to require a community solution.”
If you can help, or if you would like to learn how you can participate in hands-on care for these kittens, please call either Kylie Belachaikovsky of LCAS at 541.682.2388 or Helen Shepherd of WCDC at 541.852.1895.
About Ringworm
Ringworm is not caused by an actual worm, but is a relatively harmless fungus in the same family as “athlete’s foot” in people. Ringworm gets its name from the usually circular lesions that appear on the skin.
Always present in our environment, the spores of this fungus are taking full advantage of a combination of weather conditions and the population boom of kittens that happens every spring and summer in Lane County.
Ringworm, though contagious, is neither serious or life threatening to cats or people. It can be passed to people, but the treatment is easy and effective.
Related posts:
- Five reasons to register your pet with Lane County Animal Services
- Learn how to reduce carbon footprints: Registration for 10-week course, Climate Masters at Home, ends on February 23
- GreenLane: A resource for businesses and individuals alike
- Crime Prevention Specialists work to increase safety and decrease crime in Eugene neighborhoods
- UO community-building project is the “Talk” of the town
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wrestlers and fighters for years have been using Defense Soap to protect them from Ringworm, Athlete’s Foot, Jock Itch, MRSA, Staph and other skin infections that they can catch from the mats. Defense Soap is a 100% natural line of soap that is no longer just for the combat athlete.
Defense Shower Gel works great as a dog shampoo.
I have been dealing with ringworm for the second time. I can’t do it anymore. It is hard to part with cats, but I am so worn out with laundry and expense, besides the continual itch of ringworm. I believe I have a Yeast problem because of breathing in spores. I can not get a doctor or vet to agree with me and yet I suffer. I can not keep up with the disinfecting and no telling where the germs are. I dealt with this 4 years ago. I did the lyme dip and internal treatments. For two years we were ringworm free, only because we moved to different area. I came back to this area two years ago because I inherited a house to live in. The ringworm has been with us ever since. I have a Golden Retriever that also has yeast and I believe it is from the cat exposure. It has been too cold to dip cats and so they go undoctored. This is such a lonely frustrating disease. I am too old to do it any more and yet I feel so bad for the cats. It is not their fault. They don’t understand why I don’t let them sleep with me anymore. I hardly pet them anymore. I would rather put them to sleep than take to pound, but a vet won’t put a otherwise healthy animal to sleep. What does one do?
{ 1 trackback }