“Ringworm” disease has nothing to do with worms. It is the common name for a fungal infection of the superficial layers of the skin, nails and hair fibers. Also called dermatophytosis, ringworm is highly contagious among animals and can infect humans as well.Ringworm is caused by fungal microorganisms, not by worms. The most common species of ringworm fungi in domestic dogs and cats are Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and/or Trichopyton mentagrophytes. All of these fungi
Ringworm is a skin infection caused by a fungus. Ringworm can affect skin on your body (tinea corporis), scalp (tinea capitis), groin area (tinea cruris, also called jock itch), or feet (tinea pedis, also called athlete's foot).Often, there are several patches of ringworm on your skin at once.Ringworm is a common skin disorder, especially among children, but it may affect people of all ages. Although its name suggests otherwise, it is caused by a fungus,
Ringworm, also called dermatophytosis, is caused by exposure to one of several forms of environmental fungi. Once the fungi become established on a dog’s hair, nails or outer layers of skin, characteristic ringworm signs begin to appear.This superficial fungal infection causes few if any troublesome symptoms in affected animals. However, ringworm must be managed carefully, because it is highly contagious. When they do appear, signs of ringworm infection in dogs include:The most characteristic signs of
Ringworm in domestic dogs is probably over-diagnosed, especially when a presumptive diagnosis is made based only on observable signs. However, using one or more of several readily available in-house tests, most veterinarians will come up with an accurate assessment of the dog’s condition.When presented with a dog showing symptoms of circular, patchy hair loss, a veterinarian will first take a thorough history and perform a complete physical examination. There are several more advance diagnostic tools
Ringworm can be treated once the causative organism is identified. The goals of treatment are to eliminate the fungal organisms and restore the dog’s skin and haircoat to their normal condition.Treatment options for ringworm include application of topical medications, administration of oral drugs or a combination of both. Affected areas should be clipped to remove any remaining hair. In severe cases, the entire dog may need to be shaved. Isolated lesions can be spot-treated with