Monday, November 19, 2007

Ringworm Is The Common Dog Illness

Article Title: Ringworm Is The Common Dog Illness
Author: Wade Robins

A common dog illness is ringworm and can be prevented and
treated if your dog has the problem. Many illnesses affect dogs,
some are very common and happen no matter how well cared for
your dog is at any time. Dogs are creatures of the outside, and
they can get into anything. Ringworm seems to be common in
puppies and older dogs. Other common dog illness can be
prevented with proper vaccinations and proper health care.
Ringworm is a fungal infection that targets the overall health
of the dog.

Diagnosis of Ringworm Infection

The common dog illness ringworm has several different ways to
be detected and diagnose. The common way to detect ringworm is
with a black light. The ringworms glow in the black light when
the light hits them. Sometimes this practice does work and a vet
will perform another test to detect ringworm.

Signs of Having Ringworm

If you see small areas of the body without hair, chances are
your dog has ringworm. The skin will appear scaly and display
pus in the area. After time the areas become larger when they
receive no medical treatment. You will notice this parasite on
the tail, head and legs.

Treating the Common Dog Illness Ringworm

If the health of the dog is healthy then the ringworm will
clear up by itself in about four months. However, when severe
cases exist, medical treatments are required. If your dog has
the lesion, clipping the hair around the area is needed, but do
not touch the lesion or it will spread. Apply a tropical anti
fungal cream after clipping the hair away. Such creams like
miconazole and lotrimin creams are used for this purpose. Do not
let the dog lick the area where you apply the cream. A dog
funnel collar may be required to prevent the dog from reaching
the area.

If the cream alone does not work, antifungal shampoos and
antifungal dips will benefit your dog and help the area to heal
faster. Some other antifungal agents are griseofulvin and
itraconazole, which work well on a dog.

Common Dog Illness Issues

Keeping your dog in perfect health and protected from
bacterial, fungal and viral infections is your responsibility.
The number one need of the dog is regular vaccines and proper
care. Dogs need vaccines against rabies, parvovirus and
distemper. Dogs also need to be checked yearly for heartworm,
which can cause death to the dog if not properly prevented. Keep
in mind that rabies vaccinations are given every two years and
distemper vaccinations are received yearly.

Many conditions result in health problems and in some breeds of
dogs, the breed is prone to more health problems then others.
Joint problems and heart problems account for some of these more
serious health problems. When looking for a dog, you need to be
aware of some of the problems that can arise in a dog's life.
Besides the everyday parasites and injuries from rough play,
some dogs are prone to eye infections, ear infections and mange.

About The Author: You can also find more info on
http://www.aboutdoghealth.org/symptoms/diagnosis-for-dog-illness.html
on diagnose dog sickness symptoms and
http://www.aboutdoghealth.org/doghealthproblems/common-dog-illness.html
on common dog illness problems.

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