Dealing with Ringworms in Dogs and Cats
by Rose Smith, Copyright 2003


Ringworm is an annoying, highly contagious fungal disorder that is
curable. The problem with this disorder is that there are 35 different
species of ringworm that can affect cats, dogs and be transmitted to
humans as well. The most common form is Mircosporum Canis which
accounts for the majority of ringworm cases.

Ringworm is caused from exposure to the dermatophytes from spores
present in the environment, mainly from other animals that are
infected with it. Your pet could pick it up from anywhere...boarding
kennels, breeding kennels, someone else's home. The spores can live in
the environment for up to 13 months and are very hard to get rid of,
so reinfection of animals is also a common problem. As well, children
are highly susceptible to these infections, so it is very important to
rid the household of this fungus as soon as possible.

This disorder usually appears as a lesion upon the skin of an animal
or human and requires medical attention. It looks like a rapidly
growing circular patch of broken hair in most cases. The patch may
look somewhat inflamed and appear to have "dandruff" like flakes on
it. However, sometimes it is very hard to spot ringworm, especially in
longhaired cats or dogs. The fungus can also affect a cat's claws
where they become roughened and pitted.

A veterinarian can usually diagnose ringworm by using an ultraviolet
light. In some cases however, this isn't enough and a sample of hair
or scrapping of the skin is needed for further diagnosis. Treatment is
basically in the form of antifungal pills and/or topical medications
such as creams or medicated shampoos.

The major problem is getting rid of the spores in your home so they
don't reinfect your pets. Most spores are shed through the fur into
the carpet, so occasional "dip" baths may be required to kill the
spores that may on the fur of cats and dogs. As well, it is
recommended that you destroy all pet bedding, blankets, brushes/combs,
scratching posts and other items used by the pets. Any items that
cannot be thrown out need to be soaked thoroughly in a solution of hot
water and Betadine or Iodophor for one hour. They should then be
rinsed in a mixture of water and ..5% chlorine bleach. Drying the
items outdoors in sunlight will also help. Vacuum your house
thoroughly and be sure to immediately dispose of the vacuum bag. Then
have all carpets and upholstery steam-cleaned and wash all walls with
a mixture of water and chlorine bleach. If you have an air filter in
your home, you must also dispose of the filter.

Although ringworm is a mild disorder, it can cause a tremendous amount
of problems to a household. If you continue to have problems with
reinfection, please consult your veterinarian for additional solutions
or information that he/she may be able to provide.



Dealing with Ringworms in Dogs and Cats
by Rose Smith, Copyright 2003

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"Snuggly Pets" wrote in message
...
A veterinarian can usually diagnose ringworm by using an ultraviolet
light.

..........Only one dermatophyte will fluoresce 50% of the time. I'd hardly
call that usually, more like sometimes.

In some cases however, this isn't enough and a sample of hair
or scrapping of the skin is needed for further diagnosis. Treatment is
basically in the form of antifungal pills and/or topical medications
such as creams or medicated shampoos.

............Gosh I wouldn't want my dog or cat's skin to be scrapped! How
harsh!
For fungal infections they don't do a skin scraping, they pull hairs out,
then it's cultured for about 10 days.
http://www.lbah.com/ringworm.htm

.........I wouldn't give antifungal pills if you paid me. LymeDip is messy,
stains your clothes, but is virtually non toxic, even in puppies. And you
can do it at home.

The major problem is getting rid of the spores in your home so they
don't reinfect your pets.
Most spores are shed through the fur into
the carpet, so occasional "dip" baths may be required to kill the
spores that may on the fur of cats and dogs. As well, it is
recommended that you destroy all pet bedding, blankets, brushes/combs,
scratching posts and other items used by the pets. Any items that
cannot be thrown out need to be soaked thoroughly in a solution of hot
water and Betadine or Iodophor for one hour. They should then be
rinsed in a mixture of water and ..5% chlorine bleach. Drying the
items outdoors in sunlight will also help. Vacuum your house
thoroughly and be sure to immediately dispose of the vacuum bag. Then
have all carpets and upholstery steam-cleaned and wash all walls with
a mixture of water and chlorine bleach. If you have an air filter in
your home, you must also dispose of the filter.

..............Baloney. Ringworm fungal spores are everywhere. I brought a
starving stray in the house with every kind of worm imaginable. He was
isolated from the rest. I carried him in an out for about 2 weeks. I
didn't bleach the room he was in, nor myself. No one else, including me,
got ringworm. Animals that are injured, all scratched up, or immune
suppressed may be vulnerable. Healthy animals aren't necessarily affected.
Wash bedding of infected animal frequently. Vacuum frequently. That's it.

buglady
take out the dog before replying

And the problem is uncommonly seen on pets kept well nourished and
clean. It's mainly seen on strays in poor physical and hygenic
condition. I remember seeing kids and dogs with ringworm regularly.....
back in the 1950s. Seems to me it's now more common in cats than dogs,
but don't quote me on that.

A very misinformed shelter staff in Toronto, Ont, Canada, took in a
couple of dogs with ringworm about 2 years ago.... perhaps a bit
less.... and went into a panic, stopped All adoptions, and even
owner-claims, expecting all dogs in the shelter to be infected with
ringworm. Then another round of panic about what to do with all of the
animals. SHEESH! Our Canadian breed rescue was trying to get a dog out
of there at the time. Finally, he became symptomatic of kidney stones
and they couldn't dump him fast enough. Did he ever get ringworm? No.
Neither did any other animals in that shelter.... that were eventually
moved to another organization's shelter....

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia

"Jo Wolf" wrote in message
...
And the problem is uncommonly seen on pets kept well nourished and clean.

.......... I got ringworm once. Scratched myself on something and got
innoculated like a petri dish! Had ringworm in one spot, did nothing, it
went away.

buglady
takeout the dog before replying