Ringworm in Dogs: What Causes It and How to Manage It

With so many parasites around, it’s easy to mistake ringworm in dogs with hookworm, whipworm, roundworm and tapeworm.

Contrary to its name, a ringworm is more a fungus than a worm. This fungal illness is widespread around the globe and affects almost all domestic animal species, including dogs. Therefore dog owners should be aware of the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for canine ringworm.

Let’s examine the most current information that you need to know about ringworm in dogs.

Table of Contents

• What Is Ringworm?
• Causes of Ringworm in Dogs
• Symptoms of Ringworm in Dogs
• Can Other Animals Get Ringworm?
• Can Humans Get Ringworm?
• How Veterinarians Diagnose Ringworm in Dogs
• Treatment of Ringworm in Dogs
  • Topical Therapy for Ringworm
  • Oral Medications for Ringworm
  • Environmental Decontamination
• Recovery and Prevention of Ringworm in Dogs
• The Takeaway
• Nutrition Strength Cardio Support for Dogs

Check out our Nutrition Strength Cardio Support for Dogs here.

What Is Ringworm?

A type of fungal skin, hair and nail infection is known as ringworm. Ringworm infections may occur in humans as well as in domesticated animals. The term is derived from the traditional look of the circular, red, elevated “ring” that marks the border of inflammatory lesions in individuals sick with the illness.

Ringworm’s popular name is slightly misleading since it is not a worm-borne illness and diseased regions are not usually ring-shaped.

Because the fungi that cause ringworm infections are members of a particular group known as dermatophytes, the medical term for this condition is dermatophytosis.

Dermatophytes are classified into various species. Some dermatophytes are species-specific in terms of infection, which means they will only infect one species. In contrast, others may be transferred across other animal species or from animals to humans.

Causes of Ringworm in Dogs

Dogs may have the ringworm fungus on their body but exhibit no visible indications of the illness. They can still transmit the disease to people or other animals.

Ringworm may also be transmitted via infected things such as brushes, dog beds, toys and difficult-to-clean surfaces such as carpets, wool and wood.

Some ringworm fungi dwell in the earth, and a dog may get ringworm by burrowing in the dirt. Ringworm fungal spores are highly durable and may survive in the environment for at least 18 months.

Ringworm infects dogs with lower immune systems, including:

• Puppies and older dogs.
• Dogs with disorders that impair their immune systems.
• Dogs that have just returned from long-term stays in kennels or shelters.

Ringworm infections are more common in Boston Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers and Russell Terriers than in other breeds.

Ringworm is more common in dogs that have skin problems. The skin is a health-protective barrier in most cases. Still, they are more vulnerable to infection if a pet has an open wound, new scrapes, fleas or a persistent skin problem.

Ringworm infection begins when spores cling to injured skin. Lesions (abnormal patches of skin) usually emerge 1 – 3 weeks following exposure.

Symptoms of Ringworm in Dogs

Ringworm is not a life-threatening condition, but it is very infectious and needs the assistance of a veterinarian. Knowing the signs of ringworm in puppies will assist you in detecting the disease before it spreads to people or other pets.

Ringworm in dogs often manifests itself as a circular region of hair loss over the body. As the lesions develop, they may begin to heal in the center, resulting in a patchwork look and becoming inflammatory or scabbed.

Ringworm on a dog’s belly or other body parts does not usually itch. The damaged hair follicles are weak and quickly break, which helps in transferring the illness throughout your house. The fungus affects the claws in particular samples, making them brittle and harsh.

If your dog exhibits any or all of the following symptoms, please contact your veterinarian:

• Circular regions of hair loss, often with a reddish and crusty edge.
• Broken hair and a poor haircoat.
• Dry, scaly skin or areas of excessive dandruff.
• Inflamed areas of skin.
• Darkened patches of skin.
• Itchiness, scratching or excessive grooming.
• Inflamed nail beds or darkened or dry nails.
• Dry, brittle or misshapen nails.

Hair loss, coat changes or irritated skin might be symptoms of another ailment. Dogs’ skin issues may be signs of significant underlying disorders such as Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism or vitamin imbalances. They might indicate other skin conditions such as allergies, a different parasite or an infection.

Can Other Animals Get Ringworm?

Cats may develop ringworm, and the fungus that causes most instances of ringworm in dogs, Microsporum canis, also causes 98 percent of ringworm in cats. Because many dog owners also own cats, the chance of the fungus spreading from cats to dogs and dogs to cats is rather significant.

Ringworm may affect almost every domestic animal, including cats, so consult your veterinarian about the possibility of ringworm spreading between your dogs and other animals.

Can Humans Get Ringworm?

Ringworm may be known by another name, such as “athlete’s foot.” Microsporum canis can also affect humans, so it is essential to treat this issue seriously.

Ringworm is more common in young children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems. Still, anybody may catch this unattractive and painful parasite from dogs.

Ringworm appears in people as a roughly circular rash that is frequently reddish and irritating. Contact your primary care doctor if you or a family member gets an inflammation in your body after your dog has been diagnosed with ringworm.

How Veterinarians Diagnose Ringworm in Dogs

When diagnosing ringworm, your veterinarian may employ several tests, the most frequent of which are a Wood’s lamp examination, a fungal culture and a PCR test.

A Wood’s lamp generates long-wave ultraviolet light (a sort of “black light”) to detect germs. When the fungus Microsporum canis attaches to hair follicles, it creates a chemical reaction that allows them to glow when a Wood’s lamp shines. A pet which is an asymptomatic carrier will show no fluorescence.

This “bedside” examination is helpful in around 72 percent of M. canis individuals with active skin lesions. Fluorescence typically appears 5 – 18 days after infection takes hold. When a vet suspects a dog has ringworm, this is an excellent place to start.

A fungal culture (also known as a DTM-dermatophyte test medium) is created by collecting a few hairs, scales, or scabs and placing them on a culture medium (a material for growing microorganisms) and allowing the contamination to proliferate.

Your veterinarian will examine the growth under a microscope to see whether it contains one of the ringworm-causing fungus species. Positive indicators may appear during the first 3 – 5 days, while complete results may take 10-21 days. This test does not require an active skin lesion — any hair sample may be analyzed.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing is the most current method of diagnosing ringworm. This test is also performed on hairs and looks for fungal DNA (material containing the genetic information of the fungus). The PCR test is significantly quicker than culture, with results generally ready within 3 – 5 days.

PCR is an excellent test for ringworm diagnosis. However, it is not appropriate for follow-up testing to check that the fungus has been completely eliminated.

PCR testing detects DNA but cannot discriminate between DNA from live fungus and DNA from dead fungus. Fungal culture testing is often a follow-up test to ensure the infection has been eradicated.

Treatment of Ringworm in Dogs

Your veterinarian will identify ringworm in your dog using a diagnostic test and a physical exam. He will most likely collect a sample of hair or skin cells for a fungal culture or inspect diseased hairs with a Wood’s lamp, a kind of ultraviolet light.

Your vet will explain a treatment strategy for your dog after detecting the ringworm. The severity of the ailment, number of pets in the home, and presence of children or immunocompromised people affect therapy.

Ringworm treatment for dogs generally consists of three steps:

• Topical therapy.
• Oral medications.
• Environmental decontamination.

Untreated ringworm in dogs will lead to serious health problems that might be life-threatening.

Topical Therapy for Ringworm

To treat and manage the infection, your veterinarian will most likely suggest topical medication, such as a lotion, ointment and / or medicated shampoo. He can also recommend over-the-counter ringworm treatment for dogs, which can be helpful in some cases.

Your veterinarian may also recommend cutting long-haired pets and shaving the hair from afflicted regions to expedite therapy. The topical medication may take many months to remove the illness, but it does help avoid environmental contamination.

Oral Medications for Ringworm

Oral treatment is generally combined with topical therapy. Anti-fungal oral drugs aid in the battle against infection. As a topical treatment, it must be used for at least six weeks, but in rare circumstances may take months to have full effect.

Your doctor will likely ask whether you have additional pets and may recommend testing and treating them for ringworm, even if they don’t have symptoms. Owners must also continue to treat ringworm for the specified duration.

The absence of clinical indications does not indicate that your dog is no longer infectious. Your vet will almost certainly want to check your dog for ringworm before giving you the “all clear.”

Environmental Decontamination

For months, the spores within hair follicles stay infectious, thriving on sofas, grooming products, bedding, furniture and clothes. Cleaning up all this hair is part of the therapy, but it may be difficult, as many dog owners know.

When their dogs are sick with ringworm, some owners keep them in easy-to-clean areas. Removing stray hairs and mopping with a disinfectant prescribed by your veterinarian is easy.

If you can’t keep your dog off the hard floors, frequent cleaning with a pet hair vacuum and removing hair from furniture and surfaces will help keep ringworm at bay.

Recovery and Prevention of Ringworm in Dogs

It’s worth noting that pets may be silent carriers of ringworm. A carrier is a pet who is infected yet shows no symptoms. As a result, if a pet is diagnosed with ringworm, all other pets in the household should be examined.

Treatment usually lasts many weeks to months. It should not be discontinued until follow-up testing indicates that the fungal organisms have cleared and your veterinarian gives you the all-clear.

Fungal culture should be performed every 2 – 3 weeks after commencing therapy to assess the course of the treatment.

A person afflicted with ringworm might potentially infect their pets. If you find a red, ringed skin lesion on your skin, you should get it examined by your doctor or a medical practitioner.

It is critical to keep stray dogs and cats apart from your pets until they have been thoroughly medically evaluated by a veterinarian.

Because ringworm may be found in dirt, do not allow your dog to dig outdoors, mainly if there are a lot of animals around, as they can be a source of infection.

Taking your dog to the vet twice a year is also beneficial. Ringworm is far less contagious in pets with good skin.

The Takeaway

Knowing the signs of ringworm in dogs may help prevent fungus from spreading from dogs to humans or other pets. Contact your veterinarian for further information about ringworm or if you believe your dog has ringworm.

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