Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Recognizing the symptoms of ringworm
• Method 2 of 3: Confirm that your pet has ringworm
• Method 3 of 3: Find out more about the disease
• Warnings

Over the course of their lives, many dogs develop a fungal infection known as ringworm. Active dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors, or dogs that have come into contact with other pets that have ringworm, such as cats, are most at risk of becoming infected. In addition to the infection causing discomfort and being dangerous for dogs, ringworm can also be transmitted to humans quite easily. For this reason, and for the health of your pet, it is very important to be alert if you notice signs in your dog that could indicate ringworm. If you suspect that he may have contracted ringworm, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible to prevent further spread of the infection.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Recognizing the symptoms of ringworm

1. See if the dog is scratching itself excessively, has skin irritation, or is biting itself on certain parts of the body. These are often the first symptoms that can indicate ringworm. These symptoms give you a good indication that further investigation is necessary.
2. Subject your dog's skin to a close inspection. If you suspect your dog has a skin infection, you should start by inspecting any areas of the body that may be infected. Brush the dog's coat to the side so that the skin is clearly visible. Focus your attention on the areas where the dog appeared to be itching, as well as the areas commonly affected by a fungal infection, such as its head, ears, and front legs.
   • To minimize the risk of the possible fungal infection spreading, wash your hands thoroughly after touching an animal that may be infected with ringworm.
3. Look for bald spots where the fur has partially disappeared. You will often find these bald spots on the head, ears, legs and front legs. Are the spots on the skin ring-shaped? Do the spots have a bright red border? If you can answer yes to both questions, it becomes increasingly likely that the dog is infected with ringworm.
4. Keep a close eye on the affected areas on the skin for several days. If you notice any areas that appear infected or irritated, keep a close eye on them. You may not be sure if ringworm is the culprit, so keep a close eye on the situation and see how the skin condition develops.
   • It is a good idea to temporarily keep the dog away from other animals while trying to determine what is wrong with him. Keep your dog away from other pets and place it in an area with a minimal amount of upholstered furniture. This allows you to vacuum the room more easily and also reduces the risk of contamination. If it turns out that the dog is actually infected with ringworm, keeping your dog separate from contact with other pets will greatly reduce the chance of it spreading and the risk of infection.
   • Keep an eye out for areas that resemble insect bites or look more like a common rash that is not ring-shaped. This could indicate an alternative diagnosis, such as an allergic reaction. Such a skin condition needs to be treated in a completely different way. Ringworm infections are often the result of a weakened immune system, while common rashes can be partly caused by an overactive immune system.
5. Keep an eye on the spread of skin inflammation. When the lesions get bigger and more inflamed while keeping their round shape, it is likely ringworm. You should get your pet examined by a vet and get antifungal medication to treat the condition.

Method 2 of 3: Confirm that your pet has ringworm

1. Take your dog to the vet. As a general rule, if you suspect your pet has ringworm, take him to the vet for an examination. Using a variety of methods, the vet can determine if you have a ringworm infection and then treat your pet.
2. Understand what the vet is doing when using a Wood's lamp. This is a special lamp with ultraviolet light and a magnifying glass. The lamp will turn on and the lamps should be warmed up for ten minutes. In a dark room, the suspicious spots on the animal's skin will be illuminated with the lamp and the reaction to this will be examined using the magnifying glass.
   • Certain types of ringworm have a fluorescent, apple-green glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. When this glow is visible in the light, ringworm is present.
   • Your vet may want to have his or her findings checked extra by sending a sample to a lab to identify the species.
   • Be aware that only 50% of ringworm species fluoresce this way. In other words, if nothing is detected with the Wood's lamp, this does not automatically mean that the animal is free of fungal infections. This is a useful way to get a positive, but not convincingly negative, result quickly.
3. Know what your vet is looking for when examining hair follicles under a microscope. Another way the vet can get quick results is by plucking some hairs from the edge of the areas and examining them under a microscope. With the help of a microscope it is possible to observe fungal spores entangled around the hair, making it possible to make the diagnosis.
4. Know what your vet will do with a fungal culture if he or she fails to diagnose using the other means. A fungal culture will give you a definitive answer. The vet will sweep a sterile brush (such as a sterilized toothbrush) over the affected area. The head of the brush will then be pressed against a medium that is used to grow fungus, the culture medium will be sealed, and set aside to see if fungus grows.
   • Many vets use an "in house" test that allows the culture medium to change color as mold grows. This gives a clear indication that ringworm is present.
   • It takes an average of four to five days for the fungus to grow and change color, although the test is not considered negative until two full weeks have passed without a change in color.
5. Get ringworm treated. If your dog is diagnosed with ringworm, your vet will likely prescribe antifungal medication. While the dog is undergoing treatment, keep it separate from other pets as the infection can be passed on to other animals and even humans.
   • To prevent your dog from ingesting the antifungal medication, you should temporarily put a dog collar on him during treatment.

Method 3 of 3: Find out more about the disease

1. Be aware that ringworm is a fungal infection. Ringworm is not caused by worms or larvae as the name might suggest. Two types of fungi are responsible for the ringworm infection, microsporum and trichophyton fungi. This knowledge will enable you to understand how the disease can spread and how to recognize the fungal infection.
2. Know what ringworm looks like. As the name implies, ringworm usually causes circular marks or spots on the surface of the skin. In the early stages of the infection, there is little to be seen other than some hair loss. This is because the fungus grows along the hair shaft, the body will then shed that hair because it is damaged and it falls out. The skin irritation can lead to itching, but hair loss can occur even without rubbing or scratching the areas.
3. Know how your dog can contract ringworm. One of the most important factors that can contribute to an infection is the health of the animal's immune system. Ringworm in dogs is most common in puppies and older dogs, although the disease can also affect animals with weakened immune systems. Dogs dealing with stress or taking certain medications are therefore extra vulnerable. This is because the immune system controls the flora and fauna that normally make up the skin. However, if the immune system is not able to defend itself sufficiently, fungi can grow out of control and an infection will develop.
   • Although the fungi that cause ringworm are quite common, coming into contact with a particularly high concentration of spores can increase the likelihood of infection. Strong concentrations are only found on infected animals. If your dog is healthy but contracting ringworm, it is likely because it came into contact with another animal that was infected.
   • Ringworm is highly contagious and the infected hair shed by the dog is a major source of infection for humans or other pets. To prevent the spread of the disease, temporarily separate infected pets from other animals and clean up any hair the infected pet has lost before other animals can re-enter the area.

Warnings

• Ringworm is contagious to humans and other pets. If you suspect your pet has ringworm, wash your hands thoroughly after handling the animal. Temporarily separate the infected animal so that it cannot get near other pets and children.
• Ringworm is unpleasant for healthy adults but quite easy to treat. However, the condition can be a lot more serious for people with reduced immunity, such as the very young or old, people undergoing chemotherapy, or people with conditions that affect their immune system.