Ringworm, also known as dermatofitosis, is a skin disease caused by mushrooms that may affect a large number of animal species such as rabbits and, of course, dogs. Today ringworm is less frequent than it was a few years ago, but still many cases appear. In this OneHowTo article we'll tell you how to know if your dog has ringworm.
Risk factors
Since it is a contagious disease, ringworm is more common in dogs living in groups, those living in poor sanitary conditions or in indoor dogs after being taken to a shelter in bad shape.
The defences of the animal are important to control it, so dogs with a weakened immune system are more susceptible.
The symptoms
Unlike with humans, ringworm in dogs does not usually cause itching and scratching, although it may.
The most common ringworm symptoms are rashes, which are often circular and usually are accompanied by alopecia.
These lesions are focal or multifocal, located in one part or several parts of the body, although they can spread throughout the animal if not properly treated.
Although the shape of the rash is so famous that it can be used to make a diagnosis, it must not be trusted because demodicosis, a type of scabies that does not usually cause itching, can have similar symptoms.
The vet
We recommend taking your dog to the vet at least twice a year for a check-up and whenever you detect any of the above symptoms.
In some cases, looking at the lesions with a special light from a flashlight called Wood's light may help the diagnosis, but it can also be done in a special medium called DTM to detect the presence of fungi.
The trichogram is an extremely useful test that involves studying the microscopic hairs affected.
Apart from taking your pet to the vet so it can have proper treatment there are several things you can do to deal with a dog with ringworm at home, as this disease can also be transferred to humans.
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