dog has ringworm

Danielle3

hi, my dog has ringworm, never had it before, not sure how it got it. i am treating with shampoo and antifungal cream and washing bedding every day. any one else experience this have to keep him out of the living area, furniture etc he is used to being on the sofa etc . advice would be appreciated

lorebringer

Ringworm is really contagious - to both animals and humans, until he is clear you will need to handle him with rubber gloves on and bleach the gloves after use. The last thing you want is it being passed back and fourth between humans and dog over and over because of contaminated areas, nightmare! My heart goes out to you, can be really tough to deal with. The wash (I'm assuming it's something like Inaverol) needs to really be worked into the coat and left to sit on the skin for a few minutes (this is best done in the bath (or something similar) and then bleach the bath afterwards) and the cream needs to be applied liberally and left to soak in. Chlorine bleach is your best friend at the moment for cleaning floors, any hard bedding areas, squirt in with the wash when you wash the bedding etc Just be sure to rinse well and leave it dry before letting the dog back onto the area. Vacuuming (very important!) and dusting are also a really good idea to make sure there are no spores hanging around in the carpet etc.

Keeping them from the furniture is a serious pain in the bum, but it has to be done to prevent anyone else in the catching the infection. If it is totally impossible, try putting blankets in the couch (at least 2 layers so that the dog definitely does not come into contact with the couch itself) and washing them as you do the bedding (super how wash, bio detergent and a bit of bleach). Keeping the dog away from any soft furnishings is really the best way to contain the infection but I know it can be very hard to do this. Perhaps keeping the dog isolated to one room and trying to spend more time in that room (preferably one with easily washable floors) so that he does feel so left out may work.

Another tip that could be useful, depending on how cooperative you dog is, is trying a childs play suit or baby gro (don't know how big your dog is!) - the all in on/onsie styles - put it on the dog to cover any areas that there are sores, lots of blankets on the couch and then wash the lot same as the bedding. Lots of people use this method to keep dogs away from stitches after they have had an operation so it could work for you (if the dog is willing to comply!)

Good luck and hope it all clears up soon so you (and your dog) can go back to a normal home life!

The Sweeper

Ringworm manifests on animals and people who are immunocompromised - the elderly, the very young, and people and animals who live in less than sanitary conditions and whose immune systems are at war on multiple fronts as a result. I don't believe it's as highly contagious as lorebringer says, purely because I've had to handle a lot of ringwormy animals in rescue, and my own dog had chronic ringworm as a pup.

Ringworm isn't a parasitic worm - it's a fungus. It inhabits the hair shaft and makes it brittle and the shaft breaks off at the skin, causing raised, irritated patches in a ring shape. The fungus is spread easily through the broken-off hair shafts, which is why it's vital to keep the dog OFF the carpet and soft furnishings.

I restricted my dog to my tiled, large bathroom using a baby gate for a month. He was in that room, out to the yard for poos and walks and ball games around the garden, then back to the room. Not dissimilar to crating - and the babygate meant he wasn't as isolated as he would be on the other side of a totally closed door.

I vacuumed the room daily, and mopped once a day with a disinfectant - but be sure to rinse the disinfectant well, because built up disinfectant odours in a small room with pets can cause respiratory problems. I used to mop and rinse and dry the floor while the dog was outdoors. I also changed bedding daily and just put the bedding through a hot wash.

Topical, antifungal creams from the chemist, directly applied to the ringworm patches two to three times a day while wearing surgical gloves, plus a rich and healthy diet, is the best treatment. Creams similar to canestan (available in the section for wimmins - it treats thrush. No, I'm not kidding.) Apply the cream wearing gloves, rub in well but you can leave a residue and it won't harm the dog.

The most useful thing I found was the babygate - it spared me a LOT of hassle. Frozen kong toys to alleviate the boredom, cuddles in the fungus room (and change clothing afterwards if you're worried) and appropriate hygiene precautions - remember you're look at restricting the movement of skin flakes (dander) and broken hair shafts. Don't handle the dog with bare hands if you've cuts or scrapes on your hands, and don't go from ringworm animals to immunocompromised people wihtout a shower and a change of clothes (young ,elderly, chemo patients).

You can buy vitamin supplements for pets - while your dog has ringworm, consider adding something like Nutrigel (available online or from the vet) to his diet to give him a boost while he's fighting this fungus.

Usually ringworm takes a month to fully resolve. The vet can test at any time by exposing the bald patches to a woods lamp - a UV light under which most (but not all) strains of ringworm fungus will flouresce.

Danielle3

this is what i am worried about, that i will clear it and then allow him back into his usual routine and be back to square room. i feel like i have to get a 'clean room' suit or something, we got this as kids i never remember this much hassle over it. ive just realised now ive been washing the dogs bedding in my usual non bio detergent so was all that for nothing

The Sweeper

Danielle3 - I don't think it was for nothing. As I said, I believe just being clean and careful is enough. It's only a bigger bother if you have someone immunocompromised living in your home. However, fungal spores in soft furnishings aren't a joke and the dog can easily pick up the fungus again that way. Have you a tiled or lino kitchen you can restrict him to for the month?

Danielle3

thanksa mill by the way for the advice. yes i have put him into outside garage which i hate and no doubt he does. i have 2 young children so normally this kind of thing i'd take in my stride ...... but if they get it , p[ass it on etc. i feel even the very shoes i wear going out to the shed to wash feed him etc that i am carrying the spores in - it s like that movie contagion !:) i hoovered the soft furnishings and my friend is lending me a steam cleaner. i mean do i have to bleach down the garage floor - its concrete. also when i was washing him today he shook and i had sheets on the line and i thought great il have to wash them again !:mad: im going bonkers!! if you have time i would greatly appreciate some balanced sensible advice as i go , for example should i set a month for keeping him out and should i cordon off the garden so hes not in contact with the kids stuff - he likes to go into their playhouse