Ringworm is one of the most common diseases in pets, especially dogs. Unlike its name, Ringworm is not a worm but fungi called Dermatophytes that thrives on dead tissues present on skin surface and follows circular path to spread infection.

Ringworm is an infectious skin disease and your pet usually picks it up from his surroundings like kennels, rodent burrows or from other animals who are already infected. There are about 35 species of ringworm that can affect dogs. The most common is ‘Mircosporum Canis’, which accounts for majority of ringworm cases

One symptom of ringworms in dogs is a lesion on the skin that looks like a rapidly growing circular patch of broken hair. The patch may look inflamed and may appear to have dandruff-like flakes on it. The most common areas where it can occur are face, ear tips, tails and paws.

If you find any of these symptoms, take your pet to the veterinarian. He may diagnose the disease by plucking hairs from the infected area and examining it under ultra violet light. On finding fungi traits, he may advise some anti fungal pills or topical medications for your pet

Humans need to take some precautions since ringworm is an infectious disease. Be sure to keep kids away from an infected pet, and adults should wear gloves when handling any items that have come in contact with the animal. Also keep your dog neat and clean and clip his hairs short since longer hairs promote unhygienic conditions.

Although, ringworm is a mild disorder the problems due to its infectious nature and slow recovery time can be problematic.

2 Responses to “Ring Worm in Dogs”

1. Crystal says:

   February 11, 2007 at 11:29 pm

   Hi,

   Is the dog in the picture above this article wearing gloves to stop the spread of ring worm to other dogs and humans, because that is a really good idea? Also, I found the article to be very helpful. I have a dog and now I can be aware of what to look for and I now know how to also prevent my dog from ever getting ring worm from another dog or even human.

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2. Samantha says:

   February 22, 2009 at 4:10 am

   I Have Just Got A Dog And My Son Caught Ringworm From The Barbers And The GP Says The Dog Maybe Reinfecting Him But The Dog Has No Patches Or Visable Ringworm… Is It Possible For My Son To Be Getting Ringworm From The Dog?

   [Reply]