We’ve all heard of ringworm, and you may even know someone who’s had ringworm before, but are you aware that pets can also get ringworm? Surprisingly many cases of human ringworm can be tracked back to the family pet. The term ringworm is a bit of an inaccuracy, as the disease is due to a fungus, not a worm. The fungus is contracted either by contact with infected soil or an infected animal, and causes ulcerations to form on the dog skin.
Most people are acquainted with the representation of ringworm in humans. It usually causes a very circular, reddened, crusty patch of skin with a special appearance. In dogs and cats nevertheless , the appearance of ringworm is less distinct. Ringworm in pets take on a range of appearances, but most frequently presents as areas of baldness with crusting skin. The lesions are most commonly found on the face, feet, and occasionally the underbelly. If the feet are affected, the fungus will often invade the nail beds, causing dry, brittle, and cracked nails. In adult animals, there are typically only a few mild welts. For young canines and cats, the ringworm bug can be quite serious, often covering the majority of the face and all four feet. It’s really important to know that some animals with ringworm, especially kittens can be asymptomatic carriers. This implies that though they do not have any visible indicators of skin illness, they carry the fungus on their skin and fur and can give it to other animals and people.
If your pet has skin lesions that could be consistent with ringworm, or if people in your home have contracted ringworm, you’ll probably need to arrange an appointment with your veterinarian. If ringworm is suspected, your veterinarian may employ a device called a Wood’s lamp to look at your dog. A Wood’s lamp emits a special kind of ultraviolet light that causes certain species of ringworm to fluoresce bright green on the animal’s fur. If fluorescence is seen, ringworm is highly likely, but if no fluorescence is seen that does not mean that ringworm is excluded because less than 1/2 ringworm species fluoresce. Whether or not there is fluorescence, your veterinarian will most likely also perform a test called a fungal culture. This test, which usually takes two weeks, involves taking a sample of infected hair, putting it on a special culture medium, and waiting for the fungus to grow. Once growth happens, the fungus can be examined under the lens of a microscope to pinpoint the precise species of ringworm present.
If ringworm is diagnosed in your pet, treatment should start right away. Regardless of if your pet is asymptomatic, treatment is still crucial to prevent transmission to other pets or humans. Treatment for ringworm usually is composed of either topical or oral medicine. Topical medications can be either spot-treatment with anti-fungal lotions for extraordinarily mild, localized diseases, or full-body dips in lime sulfur for more seriously affected animals or asymptomatic holders. The oral medicine sometimes used is the antifungal itraconazole, which is very effective and convenient, but is also really pricey.
If your dog has been diagnosed with ringworm, be totally sure to clean your environment thoroughly, washing all bedding and upholstery. You may even need to quarantine your pet to one room in the house till treatment is completed. Be absolutely sure to follow your vet’s recommendations referring to treatment. Whether or not the skin illness doesn’t seem to be grim, treatment is important to stop spread to you and your folks.
Cathy Doggin’s is a frequent writer on all types of dog diseases and conditions. This includes many common skin conditions like ringworm in dogs. When not writing about dogs, the writer can be found volunteering at a local shelter or speaking on the rights of little animals.




















