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Ringworm is a fungus that can not only infect dogs it can infect other types of animals and people. A key trait of this fungus is that it is very contagious, and is easily passed from animals to humans and vise versa. Thus it is critical to know what the symptoms are in both dogs and humans..

One of the easiest ways to recognize ringworm in dogs is through lost patches of fur. Ringworm hardens the skin and fur follicles which causes the fur to break off at the base. The ringworm dog skin in the area of the infection will appear as a red raised circular rash. It may look kind of crusty or encrusted, with the middle area appearing mostly natural.

The bald spot created by the ringworm rash will probably appear as a red crusty ring. In the middle of the rash the skin will look natural. The irritation is also extremely itchy and your dog will likely scratch the spot if he can reach it. Try and keep your dog from scratching the infection if at all possible. Scratching will cause the rash to spread. If the animal is free to roam around the house it can easily spread the rash to its owner through direct or indirect contact.

If you suspect your dog has ringworm take it to a vet. Your veterinarian can establish the fungus’ presence by looking at the skin under a special ultraviolet light or by taking a scraping of the skin and testing it. The test usually takes between one and two weeks to come back with a diagnosis. Your vet will then suggest a treatment. There are more than a few different treatments available to purge your dog of ringworm. All are straightforward to do and just take diligence. The incubation period for ringworm is 10 days, which makes it very difficult to fully get rid of the fungus. You need to work hard to disinfect on a consistent basis so the fungus is thoroughly eliminated. Medication will most likely be prescribed to your dog and should be given on a daily basis. Though there are creams that can be given to dogs, on average they do not work merely because it is simple for your dog to rub or lick the cream off. The most efficient form of treatment is through an anti fungal shampoo. Anti-fungal shampoo is the most effective treatment for dogs due to its ability to cover the whole body with the anti-fungal medication. This helps kill any existing ringworm fungus spores that may have not yet developed into a observable rash.

Because ringworm spreads so effortlessly its important to treat your house as well as your dog. Cleanse any areas everywhere your dog frequents in the house.Don’t forget to clean the dog’s bed daily. And avoid contact with your dog until the rash is totally gone. Using the ringworm shampoo on them even if they do not have ringworm will not damage them. The worst thing you can do with ringworm is to not treat it completely. So, when your dog is diagnosed with it, make sure to do everything you need to do everyday and when symptoms subside in your dog, take it back to the vet and have them retest your dog’s hair to ensure that the fungus is actually gone.

Correctly spotting ringworm in you dog is key to proper treatment. For more information click on the link http://RingwormRemedy.com.slhost3.com and while your browsing feel free to sign up for our free email mini-course “10 Steps to Curing Ringworm”

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