What Does Ringworm Look Like On a Dog?

You may mistake ringworm for an external parasite but it is actually a fungus. Dogs are easy prey for ringworms. Many Pet owners wonder what does ringworm look like on a dog because they worry too much about their furry family members. One of the initial signs that your dog is infected by ringworms is that it will start to lose hair in circular fashion.   

What is Ringworm?

There are many parasites out there ready to attack you and your dog but ringworm is not a parasite, it's a fungus. Fungal infection is common in both humans and dogs. Ringworm infections may seem superficial and harmless to some, but the widespread infections can be life-threatening for puppies and adult dogs. Ringworms also pose a risk to dogs with weak immune systems.

What Does Ringworm Look Like On a Dog?

Ringworm in your dog may not present itself in such a noticeable manner, so you should keep an eye out for the following symptoms:

• Inflamed, red skin rash
• Scales that look like dandruff
• Itchiness (pruritus)
• Dry, brittle hair with hair follicles that break easily
• Circular or patchy areas of hair loss (alopecia)
• Darkened skin (hyperpigmentation)

• Reddened skin (erythema)
• Scabs or raised nodular lesions on the skin
• Inflamed folds of the skin around the claws or bordering the nails

Signs of Ringworm in Dogs

There are many stages of ringworm in dogs. The initial stage is the appearance of round patches of hair loss. If your dog is also circularly losing its fur, it's time to be concerned. If you somehow overlook this symptom, the fungus will spread all over the dog's body. It is one of the major stages of ringworm in dogs. The final stage is the establishment of fungus which takes around 10 to 12 days. 

There are some signs of ringworm in dogs that can help you prevent the fungus from spreading at the initial stage: 

• Hair loss in a circular fashion is one of the initial ringworm symptoms, as discussed earlier.

• If the hair follicles that are affected are becoming brittle and falling easily, ringworms have infected your pooch. It is one of the major ringworm symptoms.

• Scabby and inflamed skin is one of the important signs of ringworm in dogs.

• Fur is not the only thing to get affected during a ringworm infection, your pooch’s nails might get brittle and rough too.

It is important to note that, unlike other common infections in dogs, ringworms do not cause itching. Hair loss and changing coat appearance can not always be associated with ringworms. There are other serious health issues like Cushing’s disease and hypothyroidism that create the same sort of problem. Consulting a vet and getting your dog diagnosed as soon as possible is the most effective way to determine what health problem your dog is suffering from. 

How Do Dogs Get Ringworms?

Many sources are mentioned below through which dogs can get ringworms: 

• Contacting an infected animal or a person directly. 

• Touching any contaminated object like bowls, carpets, or couches. 

• Breaking of the brittle infected hairs is the first sign that the infection is spreading. 

How Does Ringworm Get Diagnosed?

Three ways of diagnosing ringworm in dogs are mentioned below: 

• One of the most common methods that is used in the diagnosis of ringworms in dogs is scanning the dog’s fur and skin under an ultraviolet lamp. Some types of ringworms show up in UV light.  

• If UV light remains ineffective, a sample of the fur of your dog is observed under a microscope to spot a fungus.

• Fur samples can also be placed in a dish for 10 days to see if they will grow under lab conditions. It is one of the most reliable but time-consuming methods.  

How is Ringworm in Dogs Treated? 

Many pet owners wonder how to treat ringworm in dogs. There are three steps for treating ringworm in dogs as mentioned below: 

• Treatment starts with topical therapy. Since ringworms in dogs live and grow in the outermost layer of the skin, creams, ointments and medicated shampoos help to treat and even control the infection. Shaving the hair from areas that are affected is also part of the treatment. Topical therapy takes several months to eliminate the infection. 

• Antifungal oral medications are also used along with topical therapy to eliminate the infection. It is also important to test all other household pets for ringworms, if you have more than one, even if they are not showing the signs recently. Meds for ringworm in dogs include itraconazole, fluconazole, and ketoconazole. 

• It is important to note that spores inside the hair follicles remain contagious for months. You should clean all the hair that is falling off the body of your infected dog from couches, furniture, and clothing. This final step is called environmental decontamination. It is important so that another human or pet family member does not get infected because of one furry family member.

Can I Get a Ringworm From Your Dog?

After reading so much about ringworms, it is only natural to wonder whether humans can get infected by a dog or not. Ringworms are not just a dog problem, they can infect humans too. Young children, elderly people, or anyone with a weak immunity system can be exposed to ringworms through an infected dog. Symptoms in humans are slightly different than in dogs, they experience a red circular rash on the skin which is itchy.

How Can I Keep Ringworms From Spreading? 

it is also important to stop ringworms from spreading. The most important thing you must remember is to fully cleanse the household items with disinfectants that come into regular use by your pet. Do you know How to Clean a Dog Bed? Get some assistance if you have no idea and clean its bed thoroughly. If you sense that other pets your dog is interacting with have the symptoms, immediately isolate your dog from such pets. Vacuum soft furnishing and carpets thoroughly. Dog toys and bedding that can not be cleansed should be burned. Carefully follow the additional instructions of the vet. 

How Long Should I Quarantine a Dog With Ringworm?

To avoid ringworm infection in the best possible way, you should quarantine your dog for six weeks in a room while the topical and oral therapy is ongoing. Battling ringworms in dogs is not easy, keeping your dog away from you is also not easy but it is important for your safety and the safety of other family members as well.