• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Upcoming dvm360 Conferences
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
Veterinary Heroes
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Just Ask the Expert: Will chlorhexidine kill ringworm?

January 10, 2019
Erin Doyle, DVM

This shelter vet shares seven steps for annihilating ringworm infestations.

(Nataliya Dvukhimenna/stock.adobe.com)

Q: My rescue group has recently had a serious outbreak of ringworm stemming from our local humane society. We were told to have our fosters disinfect their homes with chlorhexidine. Is this is a successful method of ridding the environment of ringworm spores. If it is, how effective is it?

A:

The short answer

Chlorhexidine alone will not provide reliable sanitation to remove ringworm from your foster homes. Fortunately, addressing ringworm contamination in homes can be very successful with some time and effort. Below are the steps that I recommend for each foster home with ringworm.

Step-by-step guide

Dispose of any items exposed to the affected cats or kittens that cannot be washed or easily disinfected such as toys, scratching pads, etc.

Advertisement

Wash any bedding that can be laundered on the longest cycle twice. Dry as normal. No special detergents are needed.

Vacuum all exposed areas to remove fur and any other large debris.

Once the visible debris is cleared, disinfect all other surfaces such as tile, laminate flooring, counter surfaces, crates, etc. Cleaned with either a 1:10 dilution of bleach or Rescue, an accelerated hydrogen peroxide disinfectant. Rescue is more user-friendly and comes in both spray bottles and wipes. The vacuum bristles and washing machine also need to be cleaned and wiped down with disinfectant before future use.

Since hardwood floors and furniture usually can't be disinfected without causing damage to the finish, clean wood surfaces and areas with a Swiffer WetJet or a similar product. This effectively removes ringworm spores.

Use hot water extraction to decontaminate carpets and upholstery. If renting a device for hot water extraction is not feasible, washing the fabric twice with carpet shampoo is an alternative.

As a final precaution, the environment can be cultured just as you would for diagnosis of ringworm in an animal. The ideal way to obtain a sample for culture is by wiping any exposed surfaces with a Swiffer mop or similar product and then bringing in a swatch of the disposable cleaning surface for culture.

Thankfully, it's uncommon for healthy adult cats to acquire ringworm infection from a contaminated environment alone. But the above steps should help protect against any future transmission in the home.

Erin Doyle, DVM, DABVP, is the vice president of the Associate of Shelter Veterinarians and the lead veterinarian of Shelter Veterinary Services at the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

Related Content:

DermatologyEducationFeline Medicine
Comparing treatments for restoring the skin barrier in atopic dogs
Comparing treatments for restoring the skin barrier in atopic dogs
Exploring molecular allergology as the future of allergy testing and immunotherapy
Exploring molecular allergology as the future of allergy testing and immunotherapy
Texas Tech faculty member to inspire future rural veterinarians
Texas Tech faculty member to inspire future rural veterinarians

Advertisement

Latest News

Comparing treatments for restoring the skin barrier in atopic dogs

Increasing efficiency and productivity in uncertain times

AAVMC awards almost $100,000 in diversity scholarships

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus Maryland Zoo welcomes baby addra gazelle

View More Latest News
Advertisement