Ringworm Remedies - Bit worried about my 9 week old boy!

Hello there

I wonder if anyone could give us some advice on Ringworm.

We only collected our beautiful little boy Bailey last Friday, and he has Ringworm.  He got it about two weeks before we collected him and the breeder had treated him with a bathing solution.  

We took him to our Vet last Saturday who took skin and fur samples, but I havent heard back from them yet about the result (apparently there is a back log of work due to the bank holiday).  He is a very happy little boy and has settled in beautifully, and he is learning Very quickley and we are totally chuffed to bits with him, but the ringworm does seems to be getting worse.

I have noticed a couple of 'new' patches on him and I am getting a little frustrated with the time the vet is taking to diagnose whether he still has it or not, as Im sure getting treatment for this as soon possible should be paramount.

We couldnt get his first vaccination done due to the fact that the ringworm may still be 'live' on him, and wouldnt be as effective if he still had it and without vaccinations, he cant go out anywhere.

I have read SO many conflicting remedies on line about using Tea Tree Oil (diluted of course) directly on the area or bath him in epsom salts etc but I dont know what to do for the best?

Can anyone help at all as Im really quite worried that this is going to get worse instead of better.

Thanks for any help in advance,

Jules  
xxx

I'm surprised the vet didn't use a UV lamp to detect it. That's usually one of the first things done. He or she may want to rule out other causes of irritation though.

Ringworm does often clear up in a couple of months without treatment. However, I wouldn't advise leaving it, as it's highly contagious. If you have any other dogs, it would be a good idea to try to keep them separate and check them regularly for signs of infection. It's also contagious to humans, so make sure you check yourself as well! Most adult dogs do develop an immunity to ringworm, though, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Anti-fungal shampoos and creams can be used to treat it. I'd suggest phoning your vet to ask for any news and speak to him/her about anti-fungal treatment.

Once the treatment is completed, make sure you wash all bedding thoroughly and use a pet-safe disinfectant to ensure that there are no fungal spores left around your house. It's best to do the same to carpets and furniture.

ringworm can be a bit of a pain ,ive treated many in my time in the pet industry and it can take many ongoing treatment for weeks ,but certainly best to find out what it is first otherwise it seems pointless to have to worry about it if it isn't the problem, Its fungal so the same cream is used for humans ,creams like canestan,lamisil works good used on patches.but the dog is also washed in a anti-fungal wash best one i found and used is called malaseb.i hope it all goes well .

Aww no poor bailey, hope you manage to get it cleared up soon, like Eleanor said if ring the vets

Oh thanks so much for all of your replies. We took Bailey back to the Vet to see if they could give us something while we waited for the results. They then told us it could take up to FOUR weeks for a result
Anyway we have had Bailey for 2 weeks now and have been using a shampoo (Malaseb) to wash him with every two days which the vet gave us. I think its working, the original patches he had seem to be getting better although I have found a couple new ones on his paws, underneath near his pads

Although he isnt too keen on being lathered up and sitting for the 10 minutes all soapy and wet while the shampoo does its thing, he does love being dried and cuddled for the ten minutes after, he is SUCH a softy and so cuddly.

Other than that he is a happy little bundle and is learning quickly, its just frustrating i guess as we cant get his vaccinations done till his skin clears up  

Patience is the key here me thinks .........

Poor Bailey, I have used Malaseb and still do which will help.
Hope everything is sorted soon x

Oh thats good to know it works, do you just use it now as a precaution or because the ringworm hasnt gone completely?

I look at his patched all the time and not sure if im just convincing myself that its better lol...

It probably is working. The patches on his paws most likely already had ringworm, but the hair loss occurs when the hairs are damaged, so it could be that the bathing just made it a little more obvious to see.

In most cases, dogs don't get it more than once, as they become immune. Once this clears up, you should be fine as long as you clean surfaces, bedding, carpets, etc..