Ringworm is not a worm, but a fungus which can spread on a pet's skin and hair. Cats and dogs are the most common carriers. When checking for ringworm be sure to wear gloves because it can spread to humans. To tell if a pet has ringworm you will need to look for a combination of signs. Once these signs are found, make an appointment with your veterinarian as quickly as possible. Keep children or elderly persons away from pets suspected of having ringworm.
Instructions
Watch for signs of sudden hair loss. Look for circular patterns in the hair loss. Hair loss can take on irregular shapes if ringworm spreads out.
Look for red pimples on your dog's skin in the same area as the hair loss. Watch to see if these turn into raised circle or oval patterns. Look for flaking skin around the area.
Plug in an ultraviolet or black light in a small room. Bring the dog into the room. Turn on the light and turn off the main room light. Move the black light over your dog's skin to check for fluorescent green objects in concentrated areas; this is a good sign of the ringworm fungus. Since only half of ringworm strains can be found this way, you should move to the next step.
Consult your veterinarian once you observe any of the above signs at the same time. Ask your veterinarian to do a scraping and culture of the area of possible infection. Ask your veterinarian for suggestions on what to do while awaiting the test results, which can take weeks to return. If you have other animals in the house, proceed to the next step.
Buy an anti-fungal shampoo. Treat all of your animals with this shampoo. Ringworm can pass from one pet to another as quickly as other infections. It can take up to 12 days for signs of infections to occur after the initial infection.