DOGS & RINGWORM

One day you notice something is off about your dog. You look a little closer and see that she’s missing patches of hair on her body. The area may appear flaky and is often circular shaped, though not always. Often there is evidence that she has been trying to scratch or lick the area. If this sounds familiar, likely you're looking at ringworm. Ringworm is a highly contagious type of fungus that can even be contracted by humans. Read on to learn signs and symptoms of ringworm in dogs.

What Is Ringworm?

Fungus or ringworm in animals presents itself as hairless patches with crusty, scabby skin. These lesions can appear anywhere on the body. The affected areas may become sore and itchy, though sometimes they cause no discomfort at all, which is why it can be hard to notice it until the fungus has developed relatively far into its infectious stages. The ringworm organism can survive for months on collars, bedding, brushes, carpet, food bowls and furniture and can be hidden on the skin for up to three weeks before signs become evident. During this time, the fungus can easily spread to other animals, and sudden outbreaks may affect everyone it comes in contact with. Ringworm can be transferred from dog to dog, from dog to cat to horse, etc. Left untreated, the lesions can continue to grow and spread. Although the infections might eventually heal on their own, the dog will be highly contagious until then. Instead of waiting out the period of contagious infection, you can treat your pup with products designed to kill the infection quickly.

How Is Ringworm in Dogs Treated?

Barn Dog's ringworm treatment regimen can get rid of infections. Use our products, in conjunction with the steps below, to attack the ringworm infection from every angle:

• Remove hair from infected area: The less hair around the infected area, the better. The fungus grows along the upper layer of skin and hair, so with no hair and an ever decreasing amount of keratin (the infection’s main source of food), it’s more likely that the infection will die off faster and that the treatment you apply will work.
• Shampoo: Wash your dog with Barn Dog Shampoo. Leave the shampoo on for as long as possible before rinsing.
• Apply lotion: Rinse, dry well, and apply Barn Dog Skin Lotion. Repeat this treatment every day until the problem has been resolved.
• Keep it clean: Do what you can to keep the lesions clean, dry, and exposed to a healthy amount of air and sunshine.

Treatment can take weeks. The amazing thing about using the fungus killing shampoo and lotion is that it temporarily halts the infection’s contagious nature for one to two days. However, the infection will still stick around for at least another week. Keep this in mind as you treat your animals with ringworm. So, pay close attention to your animals. Watch for small circular, hairless patches of flaky skin. If you discover you have an animal with ringworm, choose Equiderma and Barn Dog's ringworm solutions to rid yourself and your animals of the problem.