Cats are beautiful little creatures with whom you can spend your time to forget your tensions for a time being. However, these living beings require love, care, and attention; you especially need to observe your pet to keep an eye on its health. Like humans, several infections can harm your nurturing cats due to their encounter with parasites, viruses and fungi. This article, however, will revolve around fungal driver fungal infection in cats. Fungal spores are present everywhere in the air, though some of them are harmless and others are infectious. Later ones can affect the skin, respiration and immune system of your beloved cat. As these infections can even cause death of your pet, you need to know their precautions, causes, symptoms and remedies. This article will explore everything you should know about these fungal infections.

Table of Contents

Most Common Fungal Infections

Ringworm: Affecting Nails, Skin and Hairs of Your Beloved Cat

Many people confuse ringworm with a worm-related disease, but it is a fungal infection which damages a cat’s hair, skin and nails. Caused by the dermatophytes family of fungi, ringworm starts when spores of this fungus make their colonies on the external skin of your pet. This can be dangerous because it can create hairless spots on the skin and even damage the nails of cats.

Aspergillosis, A Respiratory Fungal Infection in Cats

Fungal infections can damage not only the external skin of cats but also internal respiratory organs. Aspergillosis is such type of infection that hurts the nasal cavities, breathing tract, or even lungs of your cat. A fungus termed Aspergillus is responsible for this disease because the spores of this fungus enter your pet through breathing. For sure, this can damage the whole respiratory system or one or more organs of this important natural setup.

Sporotrichosis- Zoonotic Fungal Infection

Sporothrix, a fungus, is the basic cause of this disease, which results in round, redish pimples on your cat’s skin. These pimples can turn into lymphs as well, and this may be more harmful. Not only is this a fungal infection in cats, but it is also zoonotic, which means it can be transferred to humans as well. Making this infection more dangerous, its spores are present in organic materials, for example, wood, peat and debris of animals. So, you must take care of your surrounding environment to save your pets from this disease.

Blastomycosis: Entering Cats’ Bodies through Ingestion, Inhaling or Open Wounds

Though this infection is not so contagious, you cannot ignore it because it makes your cat restless and irritated. Resultantly, your whole objective to have a nurturing pet dies, and you start getting worried because of your cat. Initially, your cat will feel a high temperature, and in case of the development of disease, your cat may feel severe pain in the bones. Thus, one needs to take notice if one’s cat feels uncomfortable and full of pain.

Fungi Triggered Valley Fever in Cats

Coccidioides is the name of a fungus which usually found in dessert areas. This spreads in dust particles, and you cat may inhale it while breathing. Severe fungal infection in cats is natural result if they inhale these spores. As a consequence, they feel lethargy, fever and flu in initial stage, but this can turn into unbearable pain in its advance level. Therefore, it is nothing which one can ignore.

Symptoms of Fungal Infection in Cats

If spores of any harmful fungi create their colony on skin or inside any organ of your cat, some common symptoms will appear, which you can observe with the naked eye.

These are the following.

Visible infection on the skin of our cat
Rings of redish bumps on skin
Hairless round patches on the skin
Infection around the nails of your cats on their paws
Fever, lethargy and sneezing
Difficulty in breathing
Acute pain in bones in cats
Disturbed digestion or difficulty in passing stool
Restlessness and excessive pimples on the skin
Redish or yellowish nasal discharge

Treatments of Cats Having Fungal Infections

Fungal infections in cats can be dangerous; thus, one needs to take them seriously by taking their cat to a veterinary consultant. Without a proper diagnosis, you should not start any treatment on your own because it can be more dangerous. However, when you take your pet to a consultant, he will either do some tests or prescribe medicines. These medicines can be of three types with their distinctive benefits.

Taking Oral Medicine to Treat the Core Disease

These kinds of medicines can be some sort of syrups or tablets that you need to force your cat to take with her favourite food. Oral medicines are usually helpful in killing pathogens of diseases; thus, they can be antibiotics, pain killers or antiseptics. Furthermore, these medicines also repair and strengthen the immune system of your pet. Also, the repairing of infected cells is a benefit of these remedial measures. Thus, if your veterinarian gives you some medicine to treat fungal infection in cats, you should give this medicine to your pets.

Creams and Ointments to Treat External Damages

Your vet specialist will give you some creams and skin ointments which are necessary to repair the external damages, for example, hairless patches, skin allergies and nail infections. Equally, these medicines are important because if you leave these damages unattended, they can spread to the whole body of your pet. Furthermore, it may contain some antiseptics, like spirit, which is crucial to clean damaged skin. You should follow the doctor’s instructions in this context.

Precautionary Measures to Avoid Fungal Infections in Cats

Avoiding fungal infections is important, but you have to take certain steps to successfully execute them. Some important proactive measures are as follows.

Keep your cats clean by washing them every 3 or 4 days.
Disinfect the surroundings of your cats
Remove debris and remnants of organic materials from your surroundings
Treat your pet while wearing gloves and masks if it gets a zoonotic infection.
Go for regular checkups of your cats at a nearby veterinary clinic.

Conclusion

In short, harmful spores of fungus can infect your cats, and this infection can be dangerous for your pet and you as well. After getting infected with any type of fungi, your cat shows some symptoms that include hairless skin patches, fever, and nasal discharge. These are clear signs of fungal infection in cats; thus, you should take them seriously by taking your beloved pet to the veterinary clinic.