Ring Worm

antomagoo

Looking for some advice on this. Noticed a small hairless patch on Rosies ear on saturday morning. Didn't think it looked like ring worm but decided to bring her to the vet to be sure. Vet said it was ring worm and checked her over with a UV lamp but couldnt find any other patches.

She has given us a solution that we have to wash her with her 3 days for the next week. Also she has said to keep her isolated to one room in the house and to not walk her for the next 10 days so that she doesnt come into come contact with other dogs. We aslo have to be careful when handling her so that we dont pick it up either. It's only been 2 days and already she is doing her nut being isolated to the one room and not allowed follow us around the house.

Is the vet overreacting?

sh1tstirrer

Yes.

anniehoo

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

Yes.

No hes not.

Ringworm is a highly contagious fungal skin infection and is transmitted literally just by direct contact and can be passed to both humans and other animals, so no, limiting contact with your dog until the main infectious period is passed is not over reacting. Fungal spores can even live in carpets etc so your vet really is doing the right thing. Unfortunately, your dog is not going to be in for a exciting few weeks im afraid. I had it when i was young from literally just petting a kitten.

If hes been in contact with anything use a 15% bleach solution on surfaces which should kill a lot of the spores, use gloves when handling him and restrict access with all other pets etc. If left untreated it usually runs its course in a few months, but thats putting everyone at risk. It sounds like its been caught early so hopefully he doesnt get too many lesions.

The Sweeper

If you can, keep your dog in a room with no carpet - a tiled bathroom or kitchen with a babygate to make the dog feel less isolated can help. ringworm makes the hair shaft brittle and it breaks off at the skin, creating the telltale bald patches. That hair contains the fungus spores - hence no carpet or soft furnishings if you can help it!! An OTC anti fungal cream from the chemist works too, as long as the dog can't lick it off.

lorebringer

antomagoo wrote: »

Is the vet overreacting?

Absolutely not - ringworm is a very contagious fungal infection that will hang around on surfaces that are not boiled/bleached for quite some time. You need to invest in a good anti fungal cleaner or stock up in bleach. EVERYTHING the dog has come into contact with will need to be cleaned - bedding, floors, clothes... - and she will need to be handled with rubber gloves (either traditional marigolds that are disinfected every time they are used or disposable surgical gloves, disposed of safely) and isolated from all other animals and humans until she is no longer contagious. Her bedding will need to be boiled/bleached or thrown out to prevent reinfection and, as The Sweeper already said, try keep her in a hard floor room that is easy to disinfect. Collars, leads etc. will need to be disinfected in the same way too. Humans can get it very easily so if you see any signs of it on yourself, go to the pharmacist or doctor straight away and get some treatment. Also, in the garden (when she goes out to use the toilet) - you'll need to get some JeyesFluid to kill off spores out there (they will live on fences etc.) to prevent reinfection and/or infection to yourself.

antomagoo

Right so its no walks for the next week, she's not going to like that, any ideas on what to do with a dog that has to be kept in all day? We do have some tricks & games that we play with her, but I can see her getting bored of them very quickly

Whispered

Oh poor pet. Penneys are doing ribbed fleece blankets at the moment for €3, so cheap enough to stock up, use, boil wash, ruin and throw out when you're finished. They're actually pretty nice, I got a few for the sitting room too.

Frozen, raw bones will keep her busy for a while, frozen kongs, chewy treats. Hiding food around her little room for her to look for might keep her occupied.

I know someone who had 2 rotties on crate rest for a long long time. She suggested those kong biscuit balls. She also says that they both developed obsessions. Apparently this is common, one of them is obsessed with latex toys. He carries tiny little toys around so gently in his big gob. Even now, 2 or 3 years on, he loves "stuff" he gathers and takes comfort in owning things. When he was crated for so long, his mind was kept occupied with loads of new toys and it's still there for him.

You could teach her some new tricks I suppose, but that's not going to do much to run her energy out.

I'd think of getting some kalm aid. Just to help her not get too strung out while confined.

The Sweeper

You could take her outside if you could guarantee that she won't meet other dogs. Ringworm is already present in spores in the soil - it's where a lot of dogs pick it up in the first place. It's not like you're walking Parvo-Mary if you take your ringworm dog out and about for a run. You may have to take her out late for a walk around the block where you keep her on the lead and lift her if another dog approaches.

Ringworm usually impacts dogs with a lower immune system, or can enter the body through a cut or scratch - from what I knowof it, if you just pick it up on your skin you can wash it back off again with no ill effects. It takes hold if you're immunocompromised. Hence a lot of pups and kittens get it.

My dog had a chronic dose when I got him, and I had to keep him in our bathroom for four weeks - babygate across the door. He didn't get anywhere near a carpet or a couch in that time, and he was exercised in the garden. The cats used the same garden for their daily exercise and if they picked up the spores they were never infected. We just kept bedding clean, kept the floors washed once a day at least, hoovered regularly and used antifungal over-the-counter cream (like canestan) from the chemist. Easier with a dog than cats because dogs don't self-groom as obsessively.

You need to be watchful but no need to be completely paranoid. What age / breed is Rosie?

antomagoo

The Sweeper wrote: »

You could take her outside if you could guarantee that she won't meet other dogs. Ringworm is already present in spores in the soil - it's where a lot of dogs pick it up in the first place. It's not like you're walking Parvo-Mary if you take your ringworm dog out and about for a run. You may have to take her out late for a walk around the block where you keep her on the lead and lift her if another dog approaches.

Ringworm usually impacts dogs with a lower immune system, or can enter the body through a cut or scratch - from what I knowof it, if you just pick it up on your skin you can wash it back off again with no ill effects. It takes hold if you're immunocompromised. Hence a lot of pups and kittens get it.

My dog had a chronic dose when I got him, and I had to keep him in our bathroom for four weeks - babygate across the door. He didn't get anywhere near a carpet or a couch in that time, and he was exercised in the garden. The cats used the same garden for their daily exercise and if they picked up the spores they were never infected. We just kept bedding clean, kept the floors washed once a day at least, hoovered regularly and used antifungal over-the-counter cream (like canestan) from the chemist. Easier with a dog than cats because dogs don't self-groom as obsessively.

You need to be watchful but no need to be completely paranoid. What age / breed is Rosie?

Shes a 2 year old Rottie and weighs 35kg so not a chance of lifting her

I reckon she picked it up on one of our trail walks where there is quite alot of deer.

I think after tonights bath I might chance walking her late tomorrow night. Although thats when most of the other RB owners are out walking their dogs

cheers for all the advice, I was starting to get a bit paranoid alright

The Sweeper

lol with a name like Rosie I'd unkindly thought she was a Maltese or somesuch... :O