Some dogs may have ringworm fungi present in their hair or skin without showing any clinical signs of disease. These dogs can spread ringworm to other animals or people despite having no obvious skin lesions, and are called 'asymptomatic carriers'.
Do dogs show symptoms of ringworm?
According to Dr. Rowan, ringworm symptoms in dogs can include hair loss — sometimes in ring-shaped patches — and crusty skin. “Affected areas can involve any portion of the skin, but feet, face, and ears seem to have a predilection for the condition,” says Dr. Rowan.
What does the beginning of ringworm look like on a dog?
In dogs, ringworm has a number of different appearances, most often areas of hair loss with a crusty covering, or (rarely) may be asymptomatic. Patches of ringworm may look like a grey, scaly patch in some dogs, but more like a red lesion in others. You may see some hair loss or patches of broken hair.
What can be mistaken for ringworm in dogs?
Bacterial skin infection (pyoderma), skin yeast infections, and allergies are some other more common problems that affect dogs and may look similar to ringworm to the untrained eye. If your pet is diagnosed with ringworm, there are a variety of good treatments available.
Does my dog have ringworm or something else?
The diagnosis is verified by a positive fungal culture or by visualizing the organism under the microscope. In general, if your dog looks like it has ringworm, it probably doesn't. It is far more likely that the lesions are something else – specifically a staphylococcal bacterial infection.
Can you have ringworm and not know it?
Because the fungal spores are present before you see the ringworm outbreak, you can catch it from someone even before it shows up on them. There are also some people and animals who can have ringworm but show no symptoms. They can still transfer the ringworm to you.
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