Ringworm? Help?

[Kath]

Hi all! Some names I recognize from the old Acme board, and am thrilled to find again. Particularly because I am hoping for some help on a situation with my current foster dog. She has been diagnosed with ringworm and put on 400 mg Ketoconazole twice a day. At first it seemed to wreak havoc on her tummy, but she's doing better in that aspect now. She doesn't, however, seem to be doing any better in the itchiness and hair loss aspect. I was given a shampoo to use on her, Vet solutions Universal Medicated Shampoo for dogs and cats. I was given no other topical treatment.

Her hair loss and itchiness, though localized in spots to the point of baldness on her hind legs, also seems to be all over her body (though not to the point of balding, yet). Her hair has thinned considerably, and she has been shedding like some metabolic freak! Any other suggestions for ringworm...if that's really what it is? She is on lead all the time and goes no where different than my own dog, who is usually off lead, and would tend to get into more varied "soil" than this girl. She does go up to PetsMart with me on Sundays for her adoption events, and a couple of the other foster dogs may or may not have ringworm as well. Their foster Mom has not had them checked. Could she have caught it from them? If so, why then wouldn't my other animals have caught it from her? Or should I knock wood very quickly? Why would this foster Mom's other dogs have not gotten it?

Thanks for any insight and answers you all may have. Good to see some of the old "faces" again!

[cleverpooch]

I'm just curious: how was the ringworm diagnosis made?

[davet]

important point from the "guest"...how was the diagtnosis made..was a microscope used or was a culture done....now being an old fogie (sp) i used to use a chlorox dip and a great dilution----don't try this at home without your vets decision, but it used to work as well as all the modern stuff..in fact my secretery used it on herself...seems like she got it from every dog and cat that came in with it...as to how your pup got it?????would go banannas (sp) trying to figure the source...grass, other animals, walking in an area where the spores are.....its very easy to contract.but again make sure of your diagnosis...thats immportant

[Kath]

Well, she was diagnosed after a skin scraping and a peek under the scope. He said he saw "a" spore. I heard the clorox thingy as well, but am hesitant to put in right on my dog! And, ack, I HATE the smell of bleach. But, I would, of course, tolerate it if it cleared her up. How dilute anyway?

[davet]

i can't give you the dilution without seeing the patient, ask you vet to look it up for you...it is really very dilute but again can't give the info..there is also a garden product that you can use but for the life of me i can't remember...i think it was Lime sulfur but again you have to check with your vet...this does not smell much better than chlorox....

[JMM]

They make lyme sulfur dips for animals. They do smell when you are doing them.

[Kath]

So I guess anything antifungal like Gold Bond is out of the question for dogs? Her spots are most certainly where she can link and chew at them.

[Traci]

I'd get a new culture done, "one" spore does not always conclude diagnosis, other differentials may need to be considered (immune-mediated, sarcoptic mange, etc), sometimes more than one skin scrape or culture is needed, especially during treatment, in order to monitor effectiveness of treatment.

Have you tried miconazole shampoo or topical miconazole? It has fewer side effects than ketaconazole, ask your vet about it.

You mentioned you take her to petsmart and walk her, etc....but I'd cease that immediately, ringworm is highly contagious, both to other dogs/cats and humans alike, need to institute a quarantine measure until she's healed. Also disinfect your premises on a daily basis (bleach and water solution, 1:32) on surfaces, etc.

[k9Karen]

I agree with Traci - I have some concerns about a diagnosis of ringworm with only "one spore" seen. The vet should have seen signs of active infection - i.e. hyphal or mycelial elements (they are the same thing, just different terminology). To properly diagnose ringworm, the scraping needs to come from the leading edge of the infection where the living organisms are. In the middle of the spot is the worst place to look (if that's the case here). If it isn't getting better with treatment, I'd like to have my vet take another look if it were my dog.

[Kath]

Thanks all! I am going to have her retested. I wasn't completely sold on the diagnosis. She's been on the Ketoconazole for quite a while now with not only no improvement what so ever, but further, remarkable hairloss. She has recently undergone heartworm treatment, so I would think her immune system would be somewhat compromised.

Thanks again everyone.