Ringworm in Dogs

Ringworm is a common illness in dogs that can be easily treated and prevented. You should just know how and what can treat ringworms in your dog.

What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a fungus and not a worm that infect humans, dogs, and cats. It can be seen on the skin surface as a round spots though others is not.

Sign of Ringworms

Sign of ringworms in dogs, cats and humans can be characterized by having red round spot, patchy or oblong lesions in the skin though not all can be determined as ringworms. With other skin disease associated with round spots, ringworms makes hard to diagnose and can be misleading to other skin disease. An infected dog with ringworms would be seen with scaly skin and areas in the body with no hair. Ringworms in dogs may or may not be red and itching though may bring discomfort in your dog.

Diagnosis of Ringworms Infection in Dogs

There are many ways to diagnose ringworms in dogs. The common way to diagnose it is the use of ultraviolet light. Ringworms glow when hit with ultraviolet light though the vet may do another test just to make sure. The vet may get a hair sample or skin scrapping for further diagnosis. This process is the more accurate and may take up to 2-3 weeks to get a result.

Treating Ringworm in Dogs

Some healthy dogs infected with ringworms would have the capability of treating themselves for about four months. However in sever cases; treatment for dog ringworm is basically in the form of oral medication or topical creams or medicated shampoos.  The result and treatment may vary on the type of ringworm that your dog have.

Clipping the hair around the infected area is also helpful and needed just make sure to be careful not to irritate the skin or touch the infected area toavoid spreading it.

Griseofulvin
This anti-fungal medication is not prescribed for pregnant and nursing dogs and cats it may cause birth defects. Not also recommended for puppies for its high toxixcaty. Griseofulvin is used for a period of time until all the ringworm traces are gone. Possibleside effects are vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and depression.