Spotting Ringworm in Your Dog

Ringworm in dogs is very common. Many other animals, including the human animal are also susceptible to ringworm. Ringworm, because it is highly communicable, is effortlessly transmitted between animals and humans, and humans to animals. If you share your residence with pets such as dogs or cats, it's imperative to beware of ringworm and its symptoms..

One of the easiest ways to recognize ringworm in dogs is through lost patches of fur. Ringworm hardens the skin and fur follicles which causes the fur to break off at the foundation. The ringworm dog skin in the area of the infection will appear as a red raised circular rash. It may look kind of crusty or flaking, with the center area appearing mostly normal.

Dogs can effortlessly spread their infection to other parts of their body by itching. In humans ringworm can be seen as red circular rashes with healthy skin in the middle of the rash. scratching can spread ringworm in humans also. It can also be spread through blankets and bedding in both humans and dogs.

The best way to determine if your dog has ringworm it to have your vet check him out. The vet can scrape the skin and take a sample for an accurate analysis. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, which may take several days, the vet can then prescribe the appropriate treatment. There are numerous treatments available. None are complex. But perseverance in treatment is the key to success. The incubation period for ringworm is 10 days, which makes it very difficult to fully get rid of the fungus. You need to work hard to disinfect on a unfailing basis so the fungus is completely eliminated. Always follow your vet's prescribed treatment to the tee. The most common prescribed medication is an anti-fungal shampoo. Anti-fungal creams do not work correctly on dogs as they will lick them off. Shampoo is effective on dogs as you wash the full dogs body, not only the infection. This helps clear up the existing irritation as well as any fungus spores that may have not fully incubated.

As previously mentioned it is imperative to treat your home along with your pet dog for ringworm. Clean dog bedding daily with hot water and bleach. Also wipe down any areas where your dog may have made contact with object, furniture, fixtures etc. Using the ringworm shampoo on them even if they do not have ringworm will not damage them. The worst thing you can do with ringworm is to not treat it completely. So, when your dog is diagnosed with it, make sure to do everything you need to do everyday and when symptoms subside in your dog, take it back to the vet and have them retest your dog's hair to make sure that the fungus is really gone.

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