TEXAS VET NEWS By Dr. Bob Judd, DVM and the Texas Farm Bureau Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network

In our last program we discussed ringworm in horses, today we will talk about the disease in dogs and cats.  As I mentioned last time, ringworm is not a worm but a fungal disease that affects many animals.  The disease in dogs and cats generally appears as a red, crusty, rough area of skin with broken hairs and hair loss with very little pruritus, or itching, associated with the infection.  Due to the susceptibility of young animals, the disease is more common in puppies and kittens.  Ringworm in dogs and cats is contagious to people, especially children.   

Infected dogs generally always have a skin lesion at the site of infection, whereas infected cats can carry the fungus and transmit it without actually having a skin lesion.  In other words, cats can have the fungus on their coat or transmit the fungus to other animals and people and not have any noticeable lesions themselves. 

Diagnosis of ringworm requires a fungal culture.  Cats that are suspected of carrying the fungus but have no lesions can be diagnosed by culturing a sample of the coat after brushing the cat.  An ultraviolet light can be used to diagnose ringworm.  However, this technique is not very accurate as only 30% of the fungal infections will show positive.  Although the disease is considered to be self limiting in most healthy people and animals, treatment of infected cats and dogs is usually recommended to speed recovery and prevent transmission of the fungus.  Topical treatments involve bathing with antifungal shampoos and rinses that decrease transmission immediately.  Some cases may require systemic antifungal therapy that has been shown to shorten the course of the disease.  A ringworm vaccine is also available for use in cats in catteries or multi-cat households where treatment of individual cats is difficult.  If your cat or dog has a skin lesion, consult your veterinarian.  If a person develops ringworm, your pets should be examined, although many times the source of infection is actually another person and not a pet.  

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Date Published: 1/25/2005 5:51:00 PM