jamlynne asked:
Is a wood’s lamp and a black light the same thing? I wanted to see if I could shine it on my cats back to check a spot for ringworm? is this possible?
Is a wood’s lamp and a black light the same thing? I wanted to see if I could shine it on my cats back to check a spot for ringworm? is this possible?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
if you suspect ring worm you should take your kitty to the vet. Remember to wash your hands because if you touch any area of the cat you can get it too.
WHO TOLD YOU AL THE FUNNY STUFF
A blacklight will work, but keep in mind only two or three ringworm strands actually fluoresce. A positive spot will of course mean it’s ringworm, but a negative doesn’t mean it’s not.
The best test to do is a fungal culture, which takes a week. The vet will take a few strands of hair from the affected area and place them in a specialized media which turns red when ringworm cultures are growing.
It could also be skin mites, so a skin scraping is another great idea. The two diseases can look very similar, so just because it looks like ringworm to you doesn’t mean you can rule out skin mites without a negative scraping.
Talking to a vet is always the best plan