Question:
The family dog went to the vet today, and apparently he potentially has ringworm, but they weren't sure. He has a sore on his shoulder which is about the size of a dime and pretty raw-looking. They did a culture and told us to use anti-fungal medication in the meantime.
The vet wrote a me a prescription, does anyone know where I go to get it filled? Can I go to the regular pharmacy for it? I've always had the vet give out the actual medicine.
Does anyone have any experience with ringworm? How contagious is this? I'm worried my cat may get it, even though she has very little contact with the dog. Can she get it just from being in the same environment?
Thanks,
Juli.
Answer:
Hi Juli,
Ringworm is very contagious. It gets into the environment and can be very difficult to get rid of. You, as well as your cat can get ringworm. Until the culture comes back, I would take precautions with your family. When my cat had ringworm, both my husband and I contracted it.
Deirdre
Answer:
Yes, just a touch can spread it. You can get the prescription filled anywhere. I hope the culture comes back negative! Good luck!
~JH~
Answer:
For some reason I was under the impression that ringworm in dogs was actually called mange. I'm not sure though.
I know that cat ringworm is a fungus and the spores will spread throughout the environment. It's hard to get rid of it. Actually I think it's always present at some level, but the problem is when there's so much of the spore around that it causes us and our cats to have reactions (thus creating more spores).
I have had cats in my home (when I had a ringworm problem) that didn't get any symptoms and some that were fine for weeks or months and then broke out. If your animals have lowered immune systems they are more likely to react, but all will be 'carriers' because they'll have spores on them just from your household environment.
I'd search around the web a bit to see if dog ringworm is the kind that people and cats are susceptible to if I were you.
~Heather