Ask the Vet - Is Ringworm Caused By Worms

Ask the Vet Bi-weekly Column

You might have heard of that saying, “Caring is sharing” except in the case of when it’s your pet who shares the fungal infection, Ringworm with you. Once you have ringworm you may be asking lot of questions. What is ringworm? Is it caused by worms? How did my pet get it and how do I get rid of it? Dr. Billi Tiner, the resident veterinarian provides some relief from that itchy, flaky fungal infection known as ringworm.

Do you have a question for Dr. Tiner?  Leave your question in our comment section or send me an email to rebecca.camarena@yahoo.com. If your question is answered, you will receive a small gift bag. If you would like to sponsor a gift, please let me know. Be sure to join the Dr. for her bi-weekly column.

QUESTION: “Is Ringworm caused by worms?”

Dr. Tiner: “NO.” Ringworm is caused by a fungal infection. There are not that many diseases that can be spread from one species of animals to another or from animals to people (zoonotic). However, ringworm is one of the diseases that CAN be spread. Cats and dogs can give ringworm to each other and both of them can give it to people.

In humans, it causes a lesion on the skin that is usually circular and very itchy (pruritic). In dogs, it causes patchy hairloss (alopecia) that can occur anywhere on the body. The skin in the area of the alopecia is usually flaky. Dogs are usually not pruritic.

Cats are the tricky ones. Some cats will have patchy hairloss. Usually the hairloss is localized around the mouth, eyes, and on the ears. However, there are cats that are asymptomatic, which basically means that they have the fungus on their fur, but don’t have any lesions. These cats are still contagious! So, if you suddenly come down with a ringworm lesion and you recently had contact with a cat. The cat was probably the source, even if it appeared healthy.

The fungus that causes ringworm can also survive very well in the environment including the dirt. The fungal spores can also travel through the air and hide in places like air conditioning ducts for very long periods. It is very difficult to get rid of ringworm once it has entered an environment. The fungus is very susceptible to household cleaners. So, it is pretty easy to get kill it on cleanable surfaces. The problem is the places that it can hide that we don’t usually clean.

If your pet is diagnosed with ringworm, it is very important to limit the areas that it goes and to keep it isolated from other pets and also from children. Ringworm is a treatable disease, but as I said, it is very hard to get rid of once it gets into an environment.

Disclaimer:  These articles are to for informational and educational purposes only.  For information on diagnoses and treatment of specific veterinary medical conditions, please consult your local veterinarian.

About Dr. BilliTiner:

Dr. Billi Tiner

Dr. Tiner has been a been a veterinarian for over 15 years.  She is also an author of children’s books.  All of her books have animals as the main character and are written from the animal’s point of view.  Her current novels include, Welcome Home, Heart of a Hero, and Friends for Life. To learn more about Dr. Tiner and her books visit www.tinerbooks.blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @Tinerbooks or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiner-Books/209847512432226.

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Dog and Ring Worms

Dog and Ring Worms

A dog with ring worms, Even when fed and cared for properly, there are health problems that dogs can be prone to. With the many illnesses that can affect a dog’s health, it is very important for the owner to be aware of the need for good sanitation in the food, the doghouse and anywhere the dog spends a lot of time. To protect against such deadly viruses as rabies, etc., dogs must also be routinely vaccinated. Below, we will discuss ringworm, a common dog illness – what it is and what to do about it.

 What is ringworm?

 A fungal infection, ringworm can have an adverse affect on a dog appearance as well as its health.

 What are the signs of the ring worm infection?

 A small area without any hair is an obvious sign of ringworm. This area will also have scaly skin and pustules. The dog will scratch because of the itching caused by ringworm. Over time, the affected area will grow larger if not treated. The most common areas to have ringworm lesions are the legs, the head and the tail.

 How to diagnose the ring worm infection?

There are several methods used to diagnose ringworm. The use of a specialized black lamp called Wood’s Lamp is the most commonly used method. Ringworm will emit a fluorescent color when exposed to the light of a Wood’s Lamp. There are two forms of ringworm, m.canis or t. mentagrophytes, that do not emit any fluorescent color, so another method must be used to confirm a diagnoses.

How to treat ringworm?

If a dog is otherwise in good health, ringworm lesions will clear up on their own in about four months. If the infection is severe, treatment is warranted. To keep it from spreading, the hair around the lesion must be trimmed away without irritating the skin. Then apply a topical anti-fungal cream, such as miconazole or lotrimin to the affected area.  Be sure to take measures to prevent the dog from licking the medicated wound.

In very severe cases, an anti-fungal shampoo [miconazole 2%, ketoconazole, chlorhexidine 0.5%] and an anti-fungal dip [lime sulfur, chlorhexidine 2%] will also need to be used.  The veterinarian may prescribe an oral anti-fungal madication, such as griseofulvin or itraconazole, to help the healing process advance more rapidly.

With good care and information, a dog owner can prevent the common dog illnesses from being too much of an issue.                               

Filed under: Dogs Info Tagged: | Dog and ring worms, dog ringworm, ring worms

ringworm in dogs | Worms in Dog

Ringworm in Dogs

Oct 27, 2012 by Matthew

Ringworm is a fungal disease that can affect dogs, cats and other domestic animals, but can also be easily contracted to humans. If…

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Gazette Vet: My Dog Has… Worms!

Gazette Vet: My Dog Has… Worms!

Posted by admin on 3/06/11 • Categorized as Gazette Vet •

by John Andersen, DVM

If there’s one thing I see a lot of as a small animal veterinarian, it’s diarrhea. It has always held true that the two most common causes of diarrhea in dogs and cats are parasites and diet. So when my own 10-month-old Labrador Retriever woke us up at 1 a.m. last week to go outside and then had repeated bouts of diarrhea, we figured he must have eaten something he shouldn’t have.

It was a rough night for everyone, with bathroom requests about every hour (in 30 degree windy weather, of course). We treated him with a bland diet and some medication, but after a few days of improvement, he was still having loose stools. So I figured I would at least bring a fecal sample into work, just to rule out intestinal parasites of course. I mean, I’m a veterinarian, my dog is really well cared for, he couldn’t have worms, right?

It was certainly my surprise when the veterinary technician who read the fecal exam said “ummm, Dr. Andersen, your dog is loaded with roundworms…and a few whipworms too…and some coccidia too!”

Of course the other veterinarians and just about all the staff gathered around to take a look at my dog’s fully loaded microscope slide and had a good laugh at my expense. But it was actually a really good lesson on just how common intestinal parasites are, even in spoiled pets.

There are basically four types of intestinal worms we see in dogs (three in cats): roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. All are disgusting to think about, and all can cause diarrhea, weight loss and other related problems. Heartworms, by the way, live inside of the heart and ringworm is actually a skin fungus, just in case anyone was wondering.

Intestinal parasites generally have a fecal-oral route of transmission–the adult worms live in the host’s intestine and produce eggs which are passed in the stool (it is these eggs they we detect on a fecal test). One way or another, a new dog or cat comes along and ingests these eggs and, voila–intestinal parasites! Did I mention that roundworms and hookworms can spread to people, mostly children?

I’m pretty certain my dog acquired his worms right here in Crozet by eating fox or coyote poop. We frequent the fields in Old Trail and the trails around Mint Springs park and we know it’s just a fact of life that he’s going to find some wildlife poop to eat–can you blame him? Foxes and coyotes are in the canine family and get most of the parasites that domestic dogs get. Unfortunately, their bathroom is my dog’s playroom and whipworm eggs are stable in the environment for years (as are hookworm eggs). So, really, intestinal parasite exposure is just part of having a good dog’s life. But we still love him, worms and all.

Many of our clients ask us if it’s really necessary to spend money on a fecal test on their dog who seems perfectly fine. If their dog’s poop is solid and they’ve never seen worms in it, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about, right? Unfortunately, the most common clinical sign of a healthy adult animal with worms is…nothing. That’s right, their immune system often helps to keep the worm numbers low and if their intestinal health is otherwise good, there may be no diarrhea, initially anyway. If clinical signs are present, they are usually intermittent soft stool, bad gas, and weight loss/thin body condition.

It is important to note that worms are almost never seen in the stool of adult animals, as they are perfectly happy staying put inside the intestines. Also, intermittent soft stool is easily missed if you have a fenced yard or have a dog who spends a lot of time off-leash. It’s usually not until the worm burden hits a certain point that they start to have bad, urgent diarrhea. I certainly wonder how long my poor dog had had parasites before I finally found them.

Fortunately, worms are generally pretty easy to treat with the appropriate dewormer. Some animals, however, can have some secondary inflammatory bowel problems that may warrant additional medications.

How can you prevent your dog from getting worms in the first place? Generally, keeping them on monthly heartworm prevention is the best thing you can do because most heartworm preventatives are also good intestinal parasite preventatives. I will often tell people that although heartworms are a disaster for a dog to get, the more significant benefit from keeping them on monthly heartworm prevention is keeping intestinal parasites away. Intestinal parasite prevention is also an important reason to keep dogs on heartworm prevention year round–those whipworm and hookworm eggs are just as potent in the middle of the winter and, as far as I know, foxes and coyotes still go #2 when it’s cold outside!

But nothing is 100 percent. My dog has been on monthly prevention since we got him as a puppy. But if they are getting heavily exposed or possibly have local immune system issues, the preventatives may just not be enough.

So, keep your dog (and outdoor cat) on a monthly preventative and make sure you get their poop examined at least once a year. And don’t worry, Crozet, I always pick up my dog’s poop, I hope you do, too!

Tagged as: dogs, John Andersen, worms

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