Treating Your Dog for Ringworm

Ringworm in dogs is very common. Lots of other animals, including the human animal are also susceptible to ringworm. It is extremely contagious and easily passes from pet to human or human to pet. Being aware of its symptoms and signs is very important when sharing your dwelling with animals.

One of the easiest ways to recognize ringworm in dogs is through missing patches of fur. Ringworm hardens the skin and fur follicles which causes the fur to break off at the bottom. The dog’s skin that can be seen through the missing hair in general looks like a loop with raised edges. There might be a pale spot in the middle. It commonly causes your dog to become itchy and uncomfortable. The dog’s skin might also become crusty, scaly, or red.

You will in all probability see your dog scratching the spot because the ringworm rash is exceptionally itchy. Try and keep your dog from scratching the infection if at all possible. Scratching will cause the rash to spread. If the animal is free to wander around the residence it can easily spread the rash to its owner through direct or indirect contact.

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 correct diagnosis. As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, which may take a number of days, the vet can then prescribe the appropriate treatment. There are many treatments available. None are grueling. But persistence in application is the key to victory. The incubation period for ringworm is 10 days, which makes it extremely difficult to fully get rid of the fungus. You need to work hard to disinfect on a unfailing basis so the fungus is wholly 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 since they will lick them off. Anti-fungal shampoo is the most effective treatment for dogs due to its capability to cover the entire body with the anti-fungal medication. This helps eradicate any existing ringworm fungus spores that may have not yet developed into a discernible rash.

As previously mentioned it is very important to treat your home along with your pet dog for ringworm. Launder 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 hurt them. The worst thing you can do with ringworm is to not treat it fully. 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.