Home

>

Dog

>

Health & Wellbeing

>

Ringworm in Dogs

Ringworm in Dogs

Dermatophytosis

Image placeholder

Updated on September 26, 2024
SUMMARY OF CONTENT
Ringworm is a highly contagious fungal infection that can infect dogs, cats, or humans, and commonly leads to hair loss and scaling of the skin.
SEVERITY:
Severity is typically mild when symptoms are identified early, and treatment is started in a timely manner but can worsen if left untreated.
  • Diagnosis Icon
    Requires a diagnosis by a veterinarian
  • Time to Cure
    Resolves within several weeks to months
  • Treatment Icon
    Treatable by a veterinarian or by the pet parent
  • Spread Icon
    Transmission is possible between animals and from animals to people
  • Lab Icon
    Diagnosis requires physical exam, fungal culture, Wood’s lamp exam, or PCR testing.
VERY COMMON IN
Very young or old dogs, or those with pre-existing health conditions tend to be more susceptible to ringworm infections.

Symptoms & Signs

Many dogs with ringworm infections experience circular lesions of hair loss and scaling. Some dogs also experience redness, ulcerative skin lesions, and itching, but the signs and severity of these signs are highly variable. Infection can be spread diffusely over a dog’s body, or can be isolated to smaller, localized areas, such as the head.

Diagnosis

Diagnostic testing is needed to make a definitive diagnosis for a ringworm infection. During a physical exam, a Wood’s lamp test may be performed if ringworm is suspected. A Wood’s lamp test may cause some hairs to fluoresce an apple green color, however, this test is far from definitive, as many species of dermatophytes will not fluoresce, or glow under a Wood’s lamp. Hairs can be examined with special stains microscopically for the presence of fungal spores. The most definitive method to diagnose ringworm infections is through a fungal culture, where carefully collected hair samples are incubated in a lab for a period of 10 – 21 days. PCR testing may be recommended by your veterinarian for initial diagnosis as results can often be received within a few business days. Unfortunately, there are limitations to PCR testing such as fewer species of fungal spores will stimulate a positive result compared to a fungal culture and a PCR test may not distinguish a harmless fungal spore from one causing infection. ,Your veterinarian may decide biopsy samples are necessary for diagnosis if concurrent skin issues are present or in severe cases.

Causation

Contrary to the name, ringworm is a fungal infection rather than an actual worm. The spores of the infectious fungus are either transferred directly from animal to animal, from an infected item (clippers, blankets, etc.), or are found in the soil. Ringworm fungi (most commonly Microsporum canis) primarily infect the hairs and nail beds, but not every animal exposed to these infectious spores will develop a ringworm infection. The skin naturally has barriers to protect itself against infections, but damage to the skin caused by external parasites, grooming, or any form of skin trauma can make a dog more susceptible to acquiring a ringworm infection. An infection may take weeks to develop after exposure to a fungal spore.

Treatments

icon AT-HOME CARE
Management of ringworm at home is very labor intensive, particularly when dips or shampoos are recommended. It is ideal, although not always feasible, to isolate any ringworm infected animals to a separate area of the house that can easily be disinfected. Decontamination of the environment is critical to the management of any ringworm infection. Thoroughly clean all hard surfaces in the home, by disinfecting with diluted bleach or accelerated hydrogen peroxide cleaners (avoid using these two disinfectants simultaneously) routinely. Wash all soft surfaces (such as pet beds, blankets, clothing) in the hottest water temperature allowed for the given material. Dry cleaning should also kill fungal spores if washing a particular material is not an option. Avoid shampooing carpets, as this can actually increase spore formation of the fungus. Instead, have carpets and upholstered furniture either disinfected or professionally steam cleaned. Be sure to repeat these cleaning steps frequently during ringworm treatment.
icon SUPPORTIVE CARE
Environmental decontamination and cleaning is crucial to managing an active ringworm infection and in preventing recurrent infections. In long haired dogs or those with widespread infections, there may be some benefit to clipping the hair around the affected area to remove the fungal spores present on the hair,
icon MEDICATIONS
There are a variety of different treatment protocols for ringworm infections, which are chosen based upon an individual dog’s age, concurrent medical conditions, temperament, and cost considerations., Oral antifungal medications (itraconazole, fluconazole, terbinafine, ketoconazole, or griseofulvin) and/or topical antifungal cream, spray, mousse, wipes, dips and shampoos (lime sulfur dips, enilconazole , miconazole, or climbazole etc.) may be recommended by your veterinarian to treat fungal infections.. Any medication can have side effects or difficulty in administration, so the risks and benefits of each option should be discussed prior to starting therapy. Medical therapy must be continued until at least 2 negative fungal culture results have been obtained. While many medications are often administered for ‘off-label’ or 'extra-label' use in veterinary medicine, it is important to know that off- or extra- label use of a medication can only be done by a veterinarian when there are no other more appropriate medications for a particular pet's circumstances. Your veterinarian must also know all vitamins, supplements, medications etc. your pet is taking to help avoid complications. You must also be sure to follow all instructions provided by your vet carefully and consult your veterinarian with any questions or concerns if they arise.
icon DEVICES
None
icon MEDICAL PROCEDURES
Generally no medical procedures are necessary, however, in severe cases your veterinarian may require a biopsy of the affected area.
icon SPECIALISTS
A competent general practitioner will manage most cases of ringworm infections, however specialists in veterinary dermatology may be necessary for the rare complicated or recurrent case.

Cost Of Treatment

While cost of veterinary care can range for a number of reasons, small, localized lesions may cost less than $100 to treat, however more serious or long term cases may cost as much as $500+ to resolve.

Recovery

Complete recovery from a ringworm infection typically takes 1 – 3 months, though complicated cases may take longer to achieve resolution.

Monitoring

Ideally, fungal cultures should be performed weekly to determine if a ringworm infection is resolving, but this is sometimes cost-prohibitive. Two negative fungal culture results should be obtained to consider an infection resolved. Young puppies’ body temperatures should be closely monitored if dips or shampoos are being used since they are prone to hypothermia (low body temperature). If itraconazole or ketoconazole are used for treatment, blood testing to monitor for changes in the liver enzymes are necessary.

Prevention

In a multi-animal household, it is best to separate ringworm-infected animals from those not infected. Routine cleaning and disinfecting during treatment (as described above) is crucial to preventing reinfection and the spread of ringworm to other pets or people in the household. People should wear disposable gloves, practice good hand washing hygiene, and change clothing after exposure to an animal infected with ringworm.

Questions about Ringworm in Dogs

My dog I heated uses tampon is it an emergency

Unfortunately I'm having a little trouble understand your question as I'm not sure what you mean by "My dog I heated uses tampons..." I'm wondering if Bella ate a tampon or if you wanted to use one on her while she is in heat. I will answer both to be safe. If she ate a tampon, then yes this is a medical emergency and she has to see a vet now. Tampons can easily cause obstructions in the GI tract, especially since they are absorbent and can get large in the stomach from liquid in there. if Bella ate a tampon, you need to take her into a vet immediately to get it removed. If she is on heat, no you cannot use a tampon to control her bleeding. It's not safe to use at all, and are not meant for dogs. You can put a diaper on her to catch any bloody discharge. There are dog specific diapers online and at pets stores, or you can use one made of a human child. Just cut a hole in it for her tail. Hopefully this answers your question. If it doesn't, I'm sorry and ask you post again in the forum for free to it can get answered!

Read More

I have a cat that as a kitten was very ill. We got him from 7 months old. We knew he’d had cat flu prior to him coming here. He is now nearly 5 yrs old. He picks huge fights with our other cat. He keeps urinating and scratching at doors and windows around the house. We allow him to go out via the cat flap unlimited. What is happening to him

I'm glad to see that Pippin has been neutered because this eliminates that possibility of hormone-fueled behavioral changes and aggression. Behavioral changes in cats can occur at any point in time, and could be related to anxiety or stressful situations (even rearranging furniture or introducing new people to the home can be stressful to cats). Without a lot more information and observing Pippin's behaviors, I can't precisely tell you why these changes are occurring. It may be best to consult a veterinary behaviorist in your home so that they can observe everything firsthand. You can also try using calming pheromone collars or diffusers (Feliway is one example), and discussing the use of anxiety medication with Pippin's vet. I hope that all goes well!

Read More

Hi! My cat was recently diagnosed with diabetes. He’s taking insulin and taking antibiotics for a Uti. It’s been 4 weeks and he wobles when he’s walking. He can’t jump up on the bed like he used to.He’s blood sugar is 250 it’s better than it used to. I don’t understand why he’s so wobbly.

Cats can develop what's called diabetic neuropathy, where their hindlegs become progressively weak. The best thing to do is try to get his diabetes under control as quickly as possible. Here is a link describing the conditon: http://www.diabeticcatcare.com/DCCCOK/Neuropathy.htm

Read More

My senior cat has metastized cancer.17 yrs old. My vet gave her predizone1 and one half tabs a day.i wanted to know if i can just stop the meds.

Is there a reason you want to stop the prednisone? I would recommend not stopping it and if you feel it is better to stop the prednisone then I would recommend weaning off of the prednisone. I would discuss how to wean the prednisone with your veterinarian. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.

Read More

My dog has an ear infection

Sorry to hear Marley isn't doing so well with his ears. It is not possible to tell from tge picture tve exact nature of the irritation but if it is indeed infected (typically red, hot, painful and smelly), he will need prescription medication from his regular vet. In the meantime I recommend gently cleaning tge outer war with cotton wool and a pet safe ear cleaner to reduce the build up of wax/discharge

Read More

My dog vomited a pinkish colour. Does this look like blood vomit? She doesn’t have diarrhoea or anything else. Yesterday i fed her plain chicken with rice.

That is very red vomit, however, this color could be linked to a number of things including blood in the vomit, inflammation of the GI tract, having chewed on a toy this color, eaten a food item this color, or gotten into a plant or other item this color. If the vomiting continues, worsens, or other symptoms appear such as a painful or bloated abdomen, diarrhea or blood in the stool, or severe distress, I would schedule a veterinary appointment right away to rule out more severe issues. In the meantime I would continue the bland diet for 24 hours, and monitor for any additional vomiting or illness symptoms.

Read More

image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Files Under:

Disclaimer

The information contained on this page is for educational purposes only. This medication should only be given under the advice of a veterinarian who has examined your pet under the laws applicable to your state of residence.