Dog Ring Worm

The dog ring worm, also know as Microsporum canis, is just one of many kinds of fungus that will give the same symptoms on either dogs, cats, humans or other animals. The fungal infection, first established through a lack of sophisticated hygiene and wet fur, is highly contagious and can very well spread from your dog to other members of the family. So once the dog ring worm is detected, start the treatment immediately and be careful so the infection does not spread.

On a dog the dog ring worm might appear as a blotch of hairless skin that is slowly growing bigger. The circular shape of the blotch can explain a piece of the name of the dog ring worm as it might seem like a growing ring. Usually these ring-shapes are found on the dogs head, ears, tail or feet. The outskirts of these rings might resemble a rash while the innermost middle look like recovering skin that, in due time, will be healed completely. If you have a black light you might even be able to see the fungi as a fluorescent. Your dog might chew on the spots a little but mostly the dog ring worm is not itchy and your dog will not even notice it.

As said earlier the dog ring worm is extremely contagious. I can not stress this enough, especially if you have children, do not pet your dog. If you have to, pet is at safe distance from the dog ring worm, use protective gloves and wash your hands carefully afterwards. It is not the danger that is the reason for this, the dog ring worm is not very dangerous, but it is the risk of spreading this disease to others. Work colleagues, classmates, the neighbour, everyone you come in contact with during one single day can catch this disease just because you ignored this warning and petted your dog. Just don’t until your friend is cured again.

On a human the dog ring worm will look and be experienced somewhat different. The dog ring worm looks like red raised blotches that are a little lighter in the middle, also here a ring-shape. Though not apparent on a dog, on humans the dog ring worm can be very itchy from time to time, once again, scratching will ensure further spread. If appearing on a hairy surface it will be quite evident as the hair will drop off.

The cure for the dog ring worm is actually quite simple. All you need is a topical antifungal drug containing miconazole and clotrimazole. For human use it is sold at your nearest pharmacy, but for your dog you will need to contact a veterinarian. They have creams against dog ring worm especially suited for pets