Ringworm is a fungus which likes to live on hair. It also survives in the environment for a very long period of time (up to 18 months) when it is shed on the hair. Ringworm is most common in kittens.

Ringworm can easily be transmitted from an infected animal (or the hair that has been shed) to other animals and to humans, especially children. It is important to treat animals with ringworm and their environment to prevent infection of others.

Diagnosis

Ringworm tends to appear as an area of hair loss, generally with scaly skin in this area. Often it will appear as a circle but this is not true in all cases. There are many other diseases that can cause hair loss so your pet needs to be examined to determine if the hair loss is due to ringworm. Sometimes we can do this by using a special UV light, other times we may need to take a sample of hair from the lesion and do a fungal culture (pictured above).

Treatment of your pet

The most effective treatment for ringworm is a combination of an antifungal shampoo and antifungal tablets. If there is only one small lesion we may use only topical treatment. We will advise you of the best treatment for your pet.

Treatment of the environment

You need to treat the environment to remove the fungal spores which have been shed on your pet's hair. This includes thorough vacuuming of the house and furniture on a regular basis – daily if possible. You also need to wash bedding, food bowls, litter trays, toys, brushes, leads, carry cages and any other items your pet has a lot of contact with. Bleach diluted 1:10 is an effective disinfectant that can be used for this purpose. This should be done at least weekly.