# Ringworm, Mites or Other?



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

So a couple days ago I was petting Garnet & noticed that she had some excoriated (scratched) spots on her sides that were pink & looked like the hair was chewed short. I've noticed her grooming the areas ALOT lately but didn't really think anything of it. 

Well, the funny thing is that both the fiance & I have red, raised, circular, EXTREMELY itchy spots (he's got a total of 6 and I have 20+). My new doctor wasn't sure what mine were when I saw him on the 8th and had to bring in a colleague who thought I have impetigo. I got sent home on Keflex (cephalexin) 4x/day plus Bactroban (mupirocin) antibiotic ointment. I tried this treatment for 3-4 days and finally couldn't hack it anymore. On Monday, Toby went to see a fill-in doctor for his usual primary care physician. He wasn't sure either but thought it was more along the lines of insect bites. He also sent Toby home with packs of ointment similar to Neosporin. Both of our lesions were getting worse & the ointments weren't helping with the itching AT ALL, so I started self-treating with some leftover Miconazole 2% cream. Wouldn't you know that the itching was IMMEDIATELY cut in at least half! I did that for two days then went & got the largest tube of clotrimazole cream (athlete's foot cream) I could find at Wal-Mart. Lo & behold, our lesions are healing. The crustiness is almost gone and they look to be getting smaller. They definitely don't itch like they used to either.

My main question is if clotrimazole cream is safe to use topically on all of Garnet's lesions (over 10 at least)? I've been bathing her for the past 2 days (and our spots too) with Malaseb shampoo, as approved by the vet. I also dosed her with Ivermectin on the off chance it's mites. What do you guys think after reading this & seeing the attached pics?


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

The human pics, lol, are most of Toby's lesions. The one with my thumb next to it is the largest lesion on his back (pictured on the bottom left in the previous pic).


----------



## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

Oh wow... That's something else. Definitely not ringworm, ringworm creates a circular border that is raw and dark red and sometimes the inside isn't even raw at all, but normally the inside may get a little crusty or something. These look like bug bites from some bad bug. I'm not sure, I'd love to know though. Yeowch! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

My lesions initially started as more red rings with a lighter center. The lesion under my left nostril is what's throwing me for a loop. Makes sense for impetigo but it's not responding to the antibiotics...maybe MRSA, god forbid...That's ALL I need right now! 

Btw, Garnet is wet in these pics. I took them just after her bath last night. Her lesions almost have crusts on them that stick to her hairs even with scrubbing. Bleck.


----------



## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Look like irritated skin from "chiggers". - you can google the bites to see if any of them are similar To yours. They're small insects that are in bedding materials and food. To me it doesn't look like ringworm - as the lesions are shaped and behave differently than pictured. And ringworm is always easily diagnosed so if tour primary care is stumped it might be chigger bites. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Ratchet, I'm not really in an area for chiggers. I have not been baking or freezing the CareFresh bedding that I've been using, however. Remind me the baking directions for it? 400* for how long?

The main reason I've convinced myself that it's ringworm is because of how well it's responded to the topical clotrimazole...


----------



## ratchet (Sep 27, 2012)

Look like irritated skin from "chiggers". - you can google the bites to see if any of them are similar To yours. They're small insects that are in bedding materials and food. To me it doesn't look like ringworm - as the lesions are shaped and behave differently than pictured. And ringworm is always easily diagnosed so if tour primary care is stumped it might be chigger bites. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I can't really see the images because Im on my phone but have you considered bed bugs? i believe they would feast on your rats as well. The area i live in is highly infested with bed bugs. Im lucky not to have gotten them yet but my mom has had them and my dad too. They did bite both of their dogs as well. Where do you live? 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

Ohhhh yeah!!! Chiggers!!! That really really does look like bites from chiggers! Here are some examples




















Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

As for using the cream on your rat... What does the bottle say about ingesting it? Without a doubt the rat will ingest anything you put on it because they're so clean. I wouldnt do it personally. But the cream is anti fungal so if your bumps are getting better with it then id use olive oil on the rat tummy. Olive oil has antifungal properties. Also wouldnt hurt to give ratty other antifungal herbs. A lot of what we use for uri home remedies in rats aso have anti fungal properties. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

It's not bites because they don't have ANY puncture marks at all, like you see with any insect bites. We don't have bed bugs either as my mattress is completely made of pure memory foam and I have not found any exo-skeletons, etc. The spots also don't follow the bedbug bite pattern either.

The lesions initially started with a small cluster of TINY vesicles (blisters), that popped and became larger and more circle-like.

Is honey anti-fungal too or just antibacterial?


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

These are unusual...flea bites are similar but usually you would find them on your arms & legs & they usually aren't quite that big....just keep looking up bug bite IDs & see if any match yours...hopefully you find the culprit soon! Or see a dermantologist? I was in a similar situation with bug bites & eventually I found out I was getting bit by assassin bugs! Found one on my bedroom wall & was able to ID it...these don't look like their bite tho, they are big welts. Yours are too circular & red. Really hope you get some answers, got my fingers crossed for you...I know its pretty creepy when you don't know what's causing it!


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Also its def NOT ringworm...ringworm is VERY distinct, I've had it a few times from working at an animal shelter.


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Keep in mind that the lesions are also both healing & at least 10 days old. If my nose doesn't heal, I'll definitely be going to the dermatologist because this creeping crud is for the birds!

Oh and now that I meant bird, our parrot is starting to lose feathers in spots. Can someone just shoot me NOW?


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Oh no =/...have you taken your rat to the vet? They can probably do a skin scraping & see.


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Yes honey is anti fungal and grape fruit seed extract oil of oregano olive leaf oil garlic hydrogen peroxide apple cider vinegar 

I love love love hydrogen peroxide... probably TMI but I don't care. It's very very helpful for yeast infections. 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide douche instant relief. So maybe try that since you probably already have some at home and you can easily pour it over her and then rinse it off it won't stick like oil or honey. I'd still dilute it though.


The rash on your rat doesn't look like the human rash. It's baffling... maybe it's allergies but I don't know. Hopefully someone else will have some info. Good luck


----------



## Jokerfest (Sep 25, 2012)

I dont know what it is. But I had one of these on my arm a few months back it was a fungus of some kind but I never did find out what exactly.
I used Calmoseptine on it and it dried out and went away pretty fast. 
No idea what to do for your rat other than take it to the vet and get some antifungal shampoo for her.

Mine started out as a few small blisters and those blisters popped and more came and popped rinse and repeat.
The blister popped so often throughout the day that it was constantly weeping.
The sore itched like crazy.


----------



## preciouscreature (Feb 13, 2013)

OH MY GOSH I have to SAME thing. Little itchy pimple things that start to weep and grow into itchy crusty things. I was prescribed stuff for allergies, but these look EXACTLY like what I have. Mine are mostly gone. Just being careful not to itch and applying the creme which has mostly helped. Must be a ratty fungus!!! I'm going to pick up athletes foot creme then for sure. 

However, my rats are hairless or near hairless and do not have any markings, itchy spots, etc. Very weird.


----------



## preciouscreature (Feb 13, 2013)

And if athletes foot creme worked, it is a fungus, not an insect bite. Ringworm is similar but not quite like this.


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Yep, that's my thoughts exactly regarding it being fungal since the clotrimazole is working. Garnet has been to the vet with Pearl but has not been physically assessed. I did verbally report to the vet that she has the red lesions and she advised that I was ok to use the Malaseb shampoo I already have. I could get a skin scraping and possibly some oral meds for her, but the fiance would have to not know. He already wants to kill me for spending $40 on Monday for Pearl's urgent visit and her $16 euthanasia. Thank goodness he doesn't know about the $70 INITIAL visit she had, eh? And now I have to throw in a freakin' parrot that is happy to bite? FML.


----------



## phatdaddy (Feb 3, 2013)

there are ten common fungal species in tinea, some produce odd shaped sores. this is the familythat includes atheletes foot and jock itch


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Yup. I just wish that my doctor actually listened to me. F**ktard. Glad I get to go back to my regular physician shortly (had a temp insurance change, urg).


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

So, the lesions on Toby & I are healing well and starting to fade to a light pink.  Cracker, our Senegal parrot, got a lesion on his left cheek but the itching & pinkness is also going away with the clotrimazole cream. Garnet's skin still looks like ****, but I think the spots seem like they're also less pink and "drying" out a bit. She's had a total of 3 Malaseb baths in the last 5 days. Poor kid doesn't like them and fear poops in the beginning, but she's a trooper for the 10 min wait once I get her lathered up. She free-ranged on a dirty blanket in the living room yesterday, but seemed the most content, just climbing all over my lap. I've been afraid to hold her much for fear of spreading the lesions on me or her, but I also don't want her to get to be unsocial. Praying the skin heals FAST so we can get back to normal!


----------

