If your dog has been visiting other dogs or has been in a kennel or animal shelter, he or she should be watched carefully for problems like ringworm, fleas, ticks, and any other parasites that travel via infected skin or hair with which your pup has been in contact with. There are other more common conditions besides ringworm that can cause hair loss and rashes, so if you do notice symptoms of ringworm in your dog, take them to your family veterinarian.
Do not self-diagnose this condition as it is never based on visual clues alone and diagnostic testing is always needed, not just to diagnose ringworm, but also to help find out the species of ringworm and decide what may be the best available treatment for that species. Bacterial skin infection pyoderma , skin yeast infections, and allergies are some other more common problems that affect dogs and may look similar to ringworm to the untrained eye.
If your pet is diagnosed with ringworm, there are a variety of good treatments available. Your vet will help you choose the solution best suited for your dog depending on the severity of their ringworm problem.
Do not assume your dog is free of the infection once their symptoms are no longer visible. Continue to treat your pet until your veterinarian pronounces them cured. In mild cases, topical treatment may be all that is needed to speed recovery and reduce the chances that the disease will spread to other animals or people.
Shaving a pet with a long coat can help topical medications reach the skin. Options include lime sulfur dips, enilconazole rinses, and miconazole shampoos. For more severe cases, a veterinarian will also prescribe oral anti-fungal drugs like itraconazole, griseofulvin, fluconazole, terbinafine, or ketoconazole. Treatment often must continue for several months and should not be stopped until followup diagnostic testing shows that the dog is free of ringworm. If an underlying condition e.
Repeated fungal cultures are the best way to monitor your dog's response to treatment. Some animals will look better with treatment, but ringworm is still present in their fur, skin, or nails. If treatment is stopped too soon, the dog may relapse and continue to pose a risk to other individuals. Most veterinarians will wait until a dog has no clinical signs of ringworm and at least one negative fungal culture before recommending that treatment be stopped.
Also, monthly checks of blood work may be indicated for dogs receiving ketoconazole or itraconazole as these drugs can be toxic to the liver. It may be necessary to screen or treat other animals and people in the home that have had contact with a ringworm positive pet to prevent reinfections from occurring.
In humans, ringworm presents as a roughly circular rash that is often red and itchy. If you or a family member notices a rash on your body after your dog has been diagnosed with ringworm, contact your primary care physician. Your vet will diagnose your dog with ringworm by performing a diagnostic test, as well as a physical exam.
Once ringworm is diagnosed, your vet will discuss a treatment plan for your dog. This treatment plan depends on the severity of the case, the number of pets in the household, and whether or not there are children or immunocompromised adults in the home.
Your vet might also suggest clipping long-haired dogs to speed up treatment and shaving the hair from affected areas. Topical therapy can take several months to fully eliminate the infection, but does help prevent environmental contamination.
Oral therapy is usually used in conjunction with a topical therapy. Anti-fungal oral medications help fight the infection and, like topical therapy, need to be administered for a minimum of six weeks, but in some cases could take months to take full effect.
Your vet will most likely ask you if you have any other pets in the household and might advise that you test and treat them for ringworm, as well, even if they are not currently showing signs of a ringworm infection.
It is also very important that owners continue to treat for ringworm for the prescribed period of time. The spores that live inside the hair follicles remain contagious for months at a time, surviving on couches, grooming tools, bedding, furniture, and clothing.
Cleaning up all this hair is a part of treatment, but as many dog owners know, also a bit of a challenge. Some owners keep their dogs in rooms that are easy to clean during the time they are infected with ringworm. This makes it easier to eliminate stray hairs and to mop with a disinfectant recommended by your veterinarian. It's a fungal infection that causes raised, crusty, hairless patches of skin, often in a ring-like pattern.
It also affects, and spreads between humans and other animals such as cats, rodents, horses and cattle. Ringworm is contagious. It can spread through direct contact, but can also live on surfaces such as bedding, towels and grooming equipment for up to two years. Mild ringworm infections occasionally clear without treatment, but medical treatment is necessary for dogs with more serious infections. Puppies, older dogs, and dogs that are otherwise unwell are most at risk of serious ringworm infections.
Contact your vet if your dog has any of the signs listed above, or you think they may have ringworm. Treatment for ringworm can take a few weeks to work but is successful in most cases. Your dog is likely to need their coat clipped, a medicated shampoo and antifungal medication. Wear disposable gloves when handling and treating your dog, and if possible, try to keep them away from other pets in the house until they have recovered. It can take a few weeks to cure ringworm, but treatment is effective in most cases.
However, ringworm can be persistent so you will need to keep an eye out for any returning symptoms. Humans can catch ringworm in the same way animals can from an animal, human or surface infected with ringworm. If you think you might have ringworm, contact your local health care services of the NHS for advice.
Treatment for ringworm can become very expensive because it often requires a several weeks of treatment, check-ups and tests.
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