Ringworm is very common in both animals and humans. A common misconception is it is a colony of little tiny worms. Ringworm is actually a fungus that lives on dead tissue and is easily spread between species.
One symptom of ringworms is a lesion on the skin which looks like a rapidly growing circular patch of broken hair. The patch may look inflamed and may appear to have dandruff-like flakes on it. The most common areas where it can occur are face, ear tips, tails and paws.
If you see your animal experiencing any of these symptoms, take them to a vet. They will examine the hair under ultra-violet light. If your pet has ringworm, your vet will prescribe an anti-fungal ointment to apply daily, where it can be easily cured.
Humans need to take some precautions since ringworm highly infectious. Keep small children away from the infected animal and handle things with gloves. You should also keep your animals hair short while they are undergoing treatment.
You and your pets will be just fine if infected but you will experience some tender, itchy, dry patches of skin in circles. If you exhibit any of the symptoms go and see your doctor so as not to spread the fungus any further.
By Staff Writer Trish Harding
http://dallas-plano-richardson.fetchpetcare.com
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