My Dumb Dog

Does your puppy dog have ringworm? Healthy dogs can get ringworm, so don’t feel guilty if your dog has this skin disorder. And don’t be grossed out, as ringworm is not an actual worm.

What Ringworm Is And What It Isn’t
Ringworm is a fungal condition characterized by circular lesions on the skin of your dog. Because the lesions were round, people used to believe that a ringworm lesion was a round worm, curled up beneath the surface of the dog’s skin. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm. The ringworm fungi live in the dog’s hair follicles and break the hair shafts off at the surface of the skin. If ringworm affects your dog’s health, you will notice your dog shedding large amounts of hair. Eventually, this shedding results in bald spots on your dog’s body.

Otherwise healthy dogs with ringworm can pass on the fungus to humans, so it is important to treat ringworm promptly. Your vet will diagnose ringworm by examining your dog’s lesion, examining your dog’s hair under a special light, or taking a culture of the dog’s hair.

Test results from a culture can take a week or two to complete, so for the sake of your dog’s health, ringworm treatments may begin before the results come back from the lab.

How Your Healthy Dog Got Ringworm In The First Place
To put it simply, your healthy dog can get ringworm from any other dog, cat or human who has the fungus. Ringworm is usually transmitted from one infected individual to one uninfected individual. However, ringworm can also be transmitted by spores of the fungus, which may live in bedding or carpeting for up to six months.

Treat Your Dog’s Ringworm And Restore Healthy Skin
The good news about ringworm in dogs is that it is easy to treat.

Your veterinarian can prescribe oral medication for your dog that will clear up the infection from the inside out. the majority of dogs will take pills if they are hidden in a bite of cheese, lunchmeat, or some other special treat. Be sure to ask your vet about any side effects your pet could have to oral medication.

Your dog may also need antifungal cream that you apply directly to the ringworm lesions.. Your dog’s health should fully return within about two weeks of treatment.

Other articles
tips for potty training dogs
tips on housebreaking puppies
puppy housetraining
For a healthy, strong relationship between a dog and its owner it is essential that the pet is properly house trained. Check out these articles for help and advice on this topic.