ringworm vs. Allergies in dog

K

Kjs

Guest
I have been looking up allergies for my dog. Now I am wondering if it could be ringworm. She has so many area's that are balding as well as scaly all over her. I know balding is symptom of her thyroid problem but she has been on medication for 4 months and never had balding problem before...just overweight. Anyone ever experience ringworm in dogs?

Pup and family members do not have any symptoms.
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
First of all, Kjs, ringworm is highly contagious to humans and other animals. It's defined by a perfect circle where the hair falls out and it itches unmercifully. It must be treated by a doctor (vet or MD) with antibiotics and a topical ointment.

I'm not a cat lover, but a neighbor found a kitten at the park when we were there with our toddlers (yes, a looong time ago). She took it home and we all lah-de-dah'ed over it and we ALL got ringworm. My four-year-old had it right on top of his head....lost a big plug of hair. I had it on the inside of my elbow and in my eyebrow. My daughter had it on her arm. ARG....! I was young, embarrassed and mortified (if I had only known then what I know now). That incident did not help me learn to love cats (not that dogs don't get it, too).

If there's any doubt, get your pet to the vet before it's costly, ugly and uncomfortable for all of you.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
From what I read, ringworm in dogs is not always a circle. She has some circles, yet other areas which are not but could of started that way before spreading to a large area. I'll have to check the other dog as well as my son.

How long does it take to break out in humans?
 

wakeupcall

Well-Known Member
Pretty quickly!! Keep your eyes open for it! I hope that's not what it is. Any hair loss takes a long time to grow back if you ask me.

Isn't it aaaaaalways something????
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Interestingly enough, my easy child had scalp ringworm. They thought it was aleopecia areata at first. Her hair began to fall out in circular areas. By the time they actually diagnosis'd her correctly (two biopsies), she had lost about 40% of her hair!

Within two weeks of the correct diagnosis and specialized medications, the itchiness had stopped, along with the flaking. Her hair is growing back (slowly) and she only has five more days on the medications (which had to be take twice a day for 60 days).

I would take the dog to vet as soon as possible to know for sure.

Sharon
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Get her thyroid checked. It's not very expensive and neither is the medications. Vets seldom check this till all else is exhausted.

-My big dog has thyroid. This is how I know. Symptoms sound similar.

Just a thought...type in Google Dog Thyroid Problems and read to see if anything sounds similar.

TLR
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Is there a pustule? Even if there isn't you might look into a staph infection. Both of my dogs have gotten it from time to time. Everyone has staph germs on them, but they do no harm unless they get into broken skin. So a flea or mosquito bite that's scratched can become infected with staph and then they itch and their hair falls out in patches. Here's a link that describes them.

skin irritations in dogs
 

AllStressedOut

New Member
It won't hurt her to treat it with antifungal cream, lotrimin worked best on our pets when they had it. We had to be sure the area was completely clear of hair than generously applied the cream.

If its ringworm and anyone in your family has sensitive skin, they will have it. I was always the one to get it and ALL OVER, but exDH never got it, so its all about how sensitive your skin is.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
Chloe was tested for Thyroid last spring because she is overweight and everything we do (excercise, diet) she just kept gaining weight. There were no patches of hair loss at that time. She has been on Thyroid medication since April. She was checked again in May, and her T3 levels were at theraputic levels. When I called and spoke to the Vet dr. he said the levels were at the theraputic level but at a high theraputic level so he increased her soloxine.

I am just concerned that it may not be allergies. That if it were a fungal infection all these drugs we have been giving her all summer wouldn't help. She has been constant with skin irritations, open sores etc. all summer. The anti-biotic clears up the infection and I don't notice again until she starts biting at an area....then it's infected again. But this hair loss patches are real noticable. She has such long thick hair, don't know how we would check her entire body unless we had her shaved.
 

AllStressedOut

New Member
Well, lotrimin is somewhat expensive, so heres my 2 cents for what its worth. I'd try it out on 1 open area for 1 week. It will take 1-2 tubes of lotrimin on a quarter size for 2-3 times a day for 1 week. Try it out, if it clears up, its time to shave the dog. If it doesn't clear up, then you know its not ringworm.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
The more I read the more I think it is just her Hypothyroidism. She doesn't seem to itch the new area's. She doesn't seem to be scratching at all. I didn't think of they thyroid since she is on medications. Now I am leaning more to her thyroid being out of whack.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
The man I work for has a Labrador about 3-5 years old. He was having problems with her scaly skin, itching, biting fur and he took her to the groomer and had her SHAVED!!! It has been wonderful for her. I was shocked. His reasoning was the hair collects dirt, causes irritation, falls out EVERYWHERE and this is a solution that helps with little to NO hair (LABS notorious shedders)

My other thought goes to the fact that my Bulldog, while almost albino uses vet approved sunscreen on his nose..every day AND he has airborne allergies. We give him OTC people Benadryl (the real stuff) 2 tablets 2x a day. It has helped a lot with the itching and digging and biting. I also bathe him once a week in a shampoo from dermatologist vet here...that is like a miracle for a day. Bathe the dog and rinse WELL WELL WELL....then mix the shampoo and pour on (I use a scrub brush to really get down to the skin and he loves it) leave on, then rinse extra well.

The day of his bath? He doesn't itch at all. I think (no joke) that mine goes out and lays in the dirt to 'help itch' himself as the sand is coarse, and when he's done that dirt is still on his fur and in his skin and it makes like coming back from the beach with sand in your shorts (Know the feeling?) I'd itch too.

Also researching EFA oils and homeopathic ideas. Mine gets so raw he bleeds. It makes me sad because he is georgeous. And he doesn't put up with difficult child crap one iota. The original tough love! My pitbull will put up with more from difficult child, my American Bull? No Bull period with difficult child. Gotta love a wiser than me animal.

Keep us posted on little Miss Itchy.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kjs</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> She has been constant with skin irritations, open sores etc. all summer. The anti-biotic clears up the infection and I don't notice again until she starts biting at an area....then it's infected again. But this hair loss patches are real noticable. She has such long thick hair, don't know how we would check her entire body unless we had her shaved. </div></div>

This sounds like staph or yeast.
 



Ringworm will fluoresce(sp) under black light. Thats how your vet will diagnose it.

If positive they will most likely prescribe grisifulvin. The topical antifungals don't work well.
 
K

Kjs

Guest
You are probably sick of hearing about my Chloe. She has helped me make it through the last few years.

I combed out much of the flaking, crusty stuff yesterday. Noticed that many of the red areas are no longer red. Many of the flaky area's are healing as well. Open sores healing too.
Don't know if the antibiotics helped, or the increase in thyroid medication. helped. I am still thinking it is some other type of issue rather than allergy.


:smile: Kenzie, our 6 month old is in heat. We left both dogs out last night and when we went to call them in...Chloe (must be confused from all the medication..lol) she was humping the other. We couldn't get her off! :nonono: :rofl:
 
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flutterbee

Guest
I hope you're able to get this all straightened out. Poor doggie.

My mom's cat has hyperthyroid and the medication makes her grouchy. I'll pet her and she's all purrs then the next minute she's hissing, spitting and growling at me. I call her psycho-kitty now. LOL
 
K

Kjs

Guest
Someone else put a thought in my head. Chloe was fine until we got the puppy. That is when everything started. Chloe is laid back spoiled baby. She really doesn't like the new dog and will avoid her if possible. I did ask the vet if she could be allergic to the other dog, I was told yes but extremely rare. Well with all the skin infections(allergies we have been told - inhalents) when we took her up north with us..in the woods, in the water, she was fine. When we got back home a week later she actually went after the pup. We had to seperate them. Then a week later she breaks out again, this time with bald spots too.
Could it be the little dog just gets her all nervous? Could she think the million times we tell the other dog "no" "get down" that we are directing it to her? Maybe it is all mental/nerves...a true difficult child dog?
I use to break out in very large hives everytime I went to work because at the time they were really coming down on me for everything..even when I didn't do it. I would break out within an hour of being there. Had to carry an epi pen. That hasn't happened since I no longer work there. (4 years now).
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
I would talk to the vet to see if it could be a nervous type thing. Doesn't seem far-fetched to me.
 
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