Expert: Jessica - 9/4/2009

Question
Okay, so about a week ago, my cat had a dry skin patch on the top of her head. I figured it was nothing that she just had a healing cut from playing with other cats. Well a few days later, i went to check if her head had healed, it got bigger. The size went from a pencil point to the size of a nickel! I was amazed at how quickly it progressed. I was thinking she might be getting mange or distemper, but there hasn't been any other 'symptoms' should i say? Shes acting like a normal kitten, her appetite is fine, shes perfectly normal. All except for this thick patch on the top of her head. I'm just wondering, is there anything i should do? I'm trying to avoid the vet with how expensive things are lately.

Answer
Hi Billie.  It's entirely impossible to say what you're kitty's ailment is since I'm not a vet, and since there are a number of things that can cause patchy skin, and without a photo...BUT, judging by your description, I'd almost make a wager that your kitten's got ringworm.

Ringworm isn't a worm at all, but a fungal infection that's caused by a germ similar to the one that causes athlete's foot.  The most unfortunate fact about this infection is that it is highly contagious and it is zoonotic – it can spread to other species, including humans.  While most animals with healthy immune systems will get rid of the infection on their own in a matter of about 6-8 weeks, by that time, your other animals and potentially you are likely to become infected.  So treatment is highly recommended.  In the meantime, you should separate the kitten from your other pets.

The best treatment courses generally consist of sulfur dips (baths) and topical creams, and potentially oral antibiotics, although antibiotics must be used with caution, especially in kittens.  If there is only one spot, antibiotics will probably be skipped.  And if the spot is on her head, a dip is probably out of the question.  

You really should get the kitty to the vet for a definitive diagnosis.  Some strains of ringworm can be diagnosed by the use of a Wood’s Lamp, a fluorescent light that will cause the crusty patch to glow green.  If the patch doesn’t fluoresce, a skin and hair sample may need to be sent out to a lab to be cultured.  It can take up to 10 full days for results.  However, some rashes are so characteristic that a culture may not be necessary.

Or, your vet may look at the lesion and say it’s something completely different!  Allergies can cause dermatitis, and you are correct in assuming mange is a possibility, as these mites do typically attack the head area first.  Unfortunately, treating for the wrong thing won’t help the problem and will just allow it to worsen.  So I think a vet visit is inevitable here, especially with suck a quickly growing lesion.

Good luck with the little one!