Ringworm in Animals


by Marcus Peterson - Date: 2007-01-11 - Word Count: 309 Share This!

The well-known ring shape of the fungus is characteristic only in humans whereas, in animals, ringworm often looks like a dry, scaly, grey patch. However, this is not always the case, and it can look like any other type of skin lesion and may sometimes be difficult to recognize. At first, there will be hair loss in the affected area, in small patches. Also, ringworm is very contagious.

There are three main kinds of fungi which are responsible for the development of ringworm in cats and dogs. The first kind is microsporum canis and the source of this species is usually a cat. The second kind of fungi is the microsporum gypseum and this usually occurs in cats and dogs which dig into soil. The third kind of fungi is the trichophyton mentagrophytes and these infect cats and dogs when they are exposed to rodents or to the burrows inhabited by them. The majority of the cases of ringworm in cats and dogs are caused by microsporum canis. However, which of these three dermatophytes eventually leads to the formation of ringworm depends a lot on the geographical location of the cats and dogs.

Many infected animals infect other animals and even humans that are in close contact with them. Some carriers of the infection may never get the infection themselves but pass it on to others. To prevent ringworm in one?s pets, it is very important to maintain a hygienic routine and keep the pets as clean as possible on a regular basis. Pets which chase rodents or go near burrows of any kind are at a greater risk of developing this fungal infection and should be treated with greater care. For the treatment of pets that have ringworm, oral medications such as Griseofulvin and Itraconazole can be used but with caution as these can have severe side effects, at times.


Related Tags: cause of ring worm, human ring worm, ring worm, ring worm in cats

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