Ring Worm In Dogs – What All Owners Should Know

November 4, 2008 by Richard Cross

Because of its name most owners think that ring worm is a type of worm. In fact, ringworm is an external parasite and lives on the skin of the dog. In other words it is a type of fungus that feeds on dead skin and hair.

Symptoms Of Ring Worm In Dogs

The main symptoms of ring worm is round patches of hairless skin on the dogs body. Usually these can be differentiated from other skin diseases because they will not be symmetric on the dogs body and have a circular shape.

The circular shape of the hairless patches caused by ring worm is what gave it its name, as it was originally thought they were caused by a type of worm.

Where Ring Worms Are Caught

Ring worms are contagious and can be passed from one animal to another, so this is a common way of the parasite spreading. The other problem is that the fungus can survive a long time without a host, so if it is on the dogs bedding it can spread to the dog with ease.

This means that if your dog has ring worm you should thoroughly wash all of its bedding.

Ring worms can also be found in soil in rare cases.

Ring worm can also be passed to humans via a pet.

Is Ring Worm Dangerous?

In most cases ring worm can be left untreated and after several months the symptoms will cease. However there is no need to let your dog suffer unnecessarily, so it is always advisable to visit a vet if you suspect your dog has ring worm to get treatment. This is also a good idea to reduce the time the fungus can spread.