To Amy Evers:
 
>Well I did some calling around to local vets and found that none
>of them had ever seen a ferret with ringworm, and one Tech.  even said
>ferrets weren't susceptible to ringworm & didn't carry it either.
 
Not entirely true.  They are susceptible to ringworm.  I've seen two cases,
but I don't recall that either had passed it on to any other animals.
Usually we see it in kits or in other immunosuppressed animals - I sam one
case in a ferret with distemper, I believe....
 
>I also was told that ringworm takes much longer to show up after exposure
>than t wo or three days.
 
Well, it may show up in three days, but wouldn't be very large, possibly not
even noticeable....
 
>According to the one vet, it was much more likely that he got it off his
>own cat.  ( I think I read somewhere that cats can have it and not show
>symptoms?)
 
I agree.  Cats are notorious for dispensing ringworm.  (BTW, for those who
aren't quite sure what ringworm is, it's a fungus, not a worm at all.)  Many
long-haired varieties, such as Persians or Himalayans, may show no signs at
all but give it to every other animal and person in the house.  It can be a
real problem, because you need to shave the cat to treat it properly, and no
one ever wants to shave the Himalayan.....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[Posted in FML issue 1692]