Montana is not known as a humid state, in fact for eight of the twelve months it is dry and cold, and with our elevation, add a bit more dry and cold to that. The air is generally so dry it sucks out any moisture I may be hoarding in my own skin, and ages me just a bit. It’s always fun to go visit a super humid state because my skin plumps up, feels smooth and soft, and wrinkles disappear! But this year, we had lots of spring rain, cool to warm temperatures, and the perfect conditions to grow fungus, all types of it.

Our new puppy Rhumb Line came home a couple of weeks ago. She had a little puncture by her nose that was oozing just a bit but didn’t seem to bother her too much. We had a well check appointment scheduled in two days after bringing her home, so I would have the veterinary check it out. In just those two short days that puncture turned into a half dollar sized red, oozing, leathery, hairless, lesion filled, hot mess.

When we arrived at the veterinary, just at first sight, he said, “ah, a little puppy ringworm”. He brought out his Woods Lamp and this little red patch fluoresced green, an indication of fungal infection. So he went on to explain what this meant, because I think the look of panic registered on my face just a bit.

Dermatophytosis, more commonly known as as ringworm, is a fungal infection of the skin. Ringworm is a misnomer though, the infection is not caused by a worm at all, but by a fungus. Tinea is also used medically to describe fungal skin infections, and for me, much more palatable than ringworm, yuck.

Three different types of fungi can cause this infection: trichophyton, microsporum, and epidermophyton. It’s possible that these fungi may live for an extended period of time as spores in soil. Cats, sheep, scat, and wet or moist areas are the perfect hosts for this type of fungus.

Humans and animals can contract ringworm after contact with this soil, and humans can give animals ringworm and animals can give humans ringworm, it is not species specific.

But because of her tiny puncture, she also had a slight bacterial infection as well. So our Veterinary sent us home with oral and topical medication, as well as an antimicrobial shampoo. As soon as we got home, I went on line and read as much as possible, because that’s what I do. My jaw dropped when page after page came up on what you need to do to your home if you truly want to eliminate and not spread ringworm to your family members and other pets. So I called my Veterinary back and they confirmed it was all necessary. But he also mentioned that adult animals and adult humans rarely get ringworm if they are healthy, have a strong immune system, and are clean.

So for anyone out there that may have this with their puppy, this is the protocol we are following, and in just 1.5 weeks her little patch is no longer fluorescing green, hair is growing back, and the redness is going away. And our other dogs and children are fungus free, so it works.

1. Medications – There are plenty of Home Remedies on line for ringworm, anything from Tea Tree Oil to Diesel Fuel and everything in between. Because this was around her nose, we didn’t want to insult her olfactory system with a strong scent, and anything you use is a chemical, even an essential oil. And many of the home remedies are too powerful for a puppy and fall on the side of toxic. After a lengthy discussion with our Veterinary, we stuck to what she was prescribed, three times a day for topical ointments, once a day oral medication. Our puppies medication initially had an anti bacterial as well as anti fungal because of the small puncture. Her new medicated pads have the ingredients Chlorhexidine, Ketoconazole, Phytosphingosine – SLC
2. Shampoo – All of our dogs were bathed every other day with Malaseb Shampoo. It is rubbed in and has to remain on your dog for 10 minutes and then rinsed off. We are now down to once a week. This was for preventative measures, just in case.
3. After Shampoo Rinse – we use 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar, and 4 cups warm water as an after shampoo rinse, and to sooth our dogs skin. Pour over, let sit for about 20 seconds or so, rinse off, towel dry.
4. Cleaning the Home Initially – All bedding, clothing, crate mats, and dog beds had to be washed in bleach. All floors had to be washed with a bleach solution, and all carpets steam cleaned with a bleach or tea tree oil solution. No joke. Fifteen loads of laundry on that very day, and I was up until midnight washing floors and carpets.
5. Daily Home Maintenance – All bedding is washed every day in a tea tree or bleach solution. Wherever she lays down and sleeps is washed with tea tree oil solution every night. We steam clean our carpets with a tea tree or light bleach solution every other day. And we wash our clothing everyday in a bleach or tea tree oil solution. My house has never been this clean, ever. And I have never done this much laundry, ever.
6. Toys – All toys are put into a light bleach solution each night and cleaned.
7. Diet – We believe in a healthy diet for healthy everything, so our dogs eat a rotation diet, 70% raw, 30% kibble and home cooked, and raw meaty bones a couple of times per week. We also give them Daily Defense from Glacier Peak Holistic, and Colostrum by Surthrival. Our adult dogs are healthy all the way around, and our new puppy is thriving.
8. Sunshine – Sunshine, during early morning or late afternoon is super important for the healing of ringworm. Fungus does not like sun light. We have been careful to not let her get sun burned though as this is on her ‘white skin’ area.
9. Play – emotionally happy animals thrive, and this promotes healing! So lots and lots of play outside.

As for her diagnosis, our Veterinary is pleased with the progress and is thrilled that she likes to be handled, and is happy, and accepting the treatments with ease. He doesn’t feel she is contagious at this point, but because she still has some lesions, and because he knows puppy play is like a direct mouth to mouth combat zone, we have another week to wait. He doesn’t want to see the remaining lesion get punctured and reinfected. I agree.

I am grateful she has Story to play with, our 10 year old dog, who does a lot of running around with her, and gentle mouth play. We have been given the okay to do walk abouts here and there in town, and meet other puppies and dogs for walks, just not play.

I hope this helps, maybe take some of the creepiness out of it, and know that there is someone else who has experienced this and understands the hard work you are going through. Nancy